As we all know social media usage has experienced exponential growth. According to research there are around 4.74 billion social media users worldwide, equating to 60% of the world’s population. Deciding whether or not to be part of these exciting platforms in a not a difficult decision. Although this is an impressive number, you need to take into account that most social media users aren’t using the platform to engage with brands. Rather they are there to socialise and have fun and as a business, you need to ensure that interacting with your brand is equally as enjoyable. This is where you need to identify whether you have chosen the right social media platform for your business.
Choosing the Right Social Media Platform for your Business
As with any aspect of business, research and defining your goals are key to success. Your goal will determine which platform will provide the most success and which strategy will be most effective.
Your first step should be to identify your target audience and be very clear as to why you want to be on social media. The most common goals are increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, offering customer service, and obviously improving those important conversion rates.
Understanding your target audience’s behavior is another major factor to take into consideration – although a potential customer has a Facebook account, you may find that they are more active on Instagram.
Your brand’s personality, products or services will play an important role in determining which platform you use. In addition, each social network also has a unique personality. Knowing how each platform works significantly determines the right social media platform for your business.
Social media is all about capturing your audience’s attention through great visuals, then copy. Images are powerful and you only have a few seconds to grab their interest before they move on.
And finally, if you are unsure which platform is the right fit for your business, your best bet is to look at where your competition is focusing their efforts!
Social media platforms
Deciding which social media platform is the best fit for your business can be overwhelming; therefore, it’s important to understand what type of users are on each platform. It would be pointless advertising on TikTok if your target market is pensioners – knowing what your audience wants and is looking for is crucial when choosing your platform.
The most popular social media platforms include the following:
LinkedIn was historically a professional networking and recruiting platform. But it has evolved and become the perfect platform to promote your business through sharing informative posts, articles, and promotional material.
TikTok
TikTok is the latest trend in social media, and with over a billion active monthly users, it become extremely popular. TikTok is all about videos ranging from 15 to 60 seconds; initially starting as a video creation app, it has now become a marketing paradise.
Instagram is another widely used platform with over a billion monthly active users. Instagrammers want to feel a connection with a brand which is reflected in the numbers – 90% of Instagram users follow a brand.
We often think of Pinterest as just another social media platform but in reality, it is also a powerful visual search engine used by millions of people every day. Users of this platform are generally looking for inspiration, they want to try new things and discover new ideas.
As we all know, Facebook is the world’s largest social media platform, with over 2.5 billion active users This platform is ideal for creating connections with your potential customers and is also a great lead generator. Capturing your user’s attention is all about creating interactive and engaging content.
YouTube
YouTube is renowned for being one of the best places to share informative and entertaining videos.# It is the ideal platform to connect with your audience through video advertisements, making your content far more memorable and engaging.
Conclusion in Choosing the Right Social Media Platform for your Business
Remember to take your time before deciding on which platform to use; it’s all about research, planning and implementing your strategy.
Before you rush in, make sure you know your target audience and where they are most active, be clear on your objectives and understand how the various platforms work.
And finally, create original and engaging content which you post regularly.
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