With so many social platforms on the internet, it can be hard to know which suits your brand best; from Twitter to Facebook, Instagram to TikTok, they all have different features that allow for brand building and self promotion.
It’s hard to imagine a world without social media– especially when everyone from your old teacher to your best friend’s mum has an account.
And this ubiquity offers unique opportunities for your brand to connect with target customers in engaging and creative ways.
But finding the best social media platform for your business can be complicated because, apart from tweaking content to suit the technical quirks of a certain platform, you’ve got to be sure that your specific audience actually spends time there, otherwise your efforts are futile.
But luckily for you, we’ve searched every nook and cranny of the net to provide savvy recommendations on the best social media sites for your business – read on and you’ll soon be posting, liking, sharing, tweeting and commenting like a pro.
Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Businesses
Having a strong social media strategy is a fantastic way to improve your off site marketing, demonstrate your company culture, help you to draw in more customers, and reach your business goals.
With billions of social media users in the world, having an online presence on the various social media channels can help you to reach potential customers who may not have otherwise landed on your brand.
Most social media platforms have a direct messaging service for you to answer questions. This means that you can build relationships with your consumers, allowing them to reach out easier if they have a problem with a product or service, thus improving customer loyalty.
7 Popular Social Media Platforms
If you’re looking for a popular social media platform for your brand’s social media presence, then here are just a few examples.
There are various benefits to all social platforms, and there’s no reason you can’t have a presence across multiple platforms. Here are just seven of the best social media platforms for your business.
If you’re new to the social media world, Facebook is a safe bet for most businesses.
With more than 2 billion Facebook users out there, it’s the world’s biggest social media platform, which means you can find virtually anyone, and anyone can find you.
And with a wide range of options for both organic and paid social media marketing, engaging with this massive user base is easier than ever – so if you prefer to use text, videos, stories, images, direct messaging or live videos, Facebook has it all!
Things to remember:
- Facebook rewards interactions. So look to start conversations with your content and respond politely, professionally and enthusiastically to comments, whether they’re positive or not.
- Where possible, try to add a visual element. Photos account for 93% of the most engaging posts on Facebook.
- Facebook is excellent for establishing a digital presence for your brad, extending your reach and building relationships with customers, but be aware that unless you’ve got masses of time and money, your efforts might not directly lead to tangible returns like sales.
When you think of Twitter, think speed.
The major appeal for many Twitter users is the real-time flow of information, so that’s why a lot of companies use this platform as an additional customer service channel as well as capitalising on its marketing potential.
Indeed, Salesforces is so enthused by this benefit that it’s dubbed the app “the new 1-800 number for customer service”. For those who need an immediate way to communicate with their customers, Twitter is one of your best options.
Things to remember:
- Don’t forget you’re restricted to 280 characters per tweet! It’s not always easy, but when it works, it really works!
- Hashtags are your new best friend. They’ll immediately connect you with your target audience and increase your visibility.
- Use visuals, graphics and videos to complement textual tweets, stand out from the crowd and grab more traction.
Instagram is different from other social media platforms because it focuses primarily on pictures and videos. So for instance, if you’re in a sector like food, tattooing or jewellery that’s particularly suited to visual marketing, welcome home.
Instagram also allows you to create a dedicated business profile which provides direct access to all the analytics of your account, meaning that it’s simple to assess, analyse, adjust and adapt your content so that it’s as engaging as possible for your audience.
Things to remember:
- If you’re targeting a younger demographic, you should seriously consider using Instagram. This is definitely a platform for the younger generations as the majority of its users are under 25.
- Use Instagram Stories to create cool and informative slideshows that connect with customers in a creative and exciting way.
If you’re questioning whether LinkedIn is the right social media platform for you … the answer is yes! LinkedIn now accounts for 64% of all visits from social media sites to corporate websites.
As they currently host 575 million professionals, their B2B and B2C capabilities are superior to any other platform.
Their enhanced search filters and the introduction of new video ad formats and organic content options makes now the perfect time for businesses looking to take their marketing strategy to the next level with LinkedIn.
Things to remember:
- LinkedIn Groups are a great way to connect with others with similar business goals and interests. The more active you are, the more likely you are to attract others to your company page.
- Try Showcase pages. This allows you to highlight specific areas of your business and gain a following based on the niches and diversity within your company.
YouTube
The commercial value of having a presence on YouTube is often overlooked by businesses.
But it’s the world’s second largest search engine after Google, so ignore it at your peril. And again, this video behemoth is a brilliant marketing tool for visually-driven businesses looking to increase their visibility.
If you’ve not browsed it for a while, YouTube is no longer reserved for vloggers and cat videos! It’s now a diverse platform where business tutorials, and instructional videos and reviews from influencers perform extremely well.
If you want to increase brand recognition and trust, making informative videos is one of the easiest and cost effective ways to start – 52% of consumers say watching product videos makes them feel more confident in their purchase decision.
Things to remember:
Staying within a niche will make your channel easier to find and more attractive to users trying to find your specific service.
YouTube videos will begin to show in Google searches, meaning you could be found on either of the two biggest search engines.
Invest in editing tools like Kinemaster or Wondershare Filmora to give your videos a professional edge and include subtitles to capture the attention of silent scrollers watching at work or while commuting. Other platforms worth considering:
While Reddit might often be overlooked as a social platform, there are subreddits (forums) for everything and anything you could imagine, and users submit questions, images and links to be discussed and voted on. So this is a great platform for finding your exact target market, engaging with them in conversation and offering your expertise.
Reddit can also give you an insight to the latest trends and concerns of customers but is better for connecting with customers than for advertising.
TikTok
The world’s most downloaded app in the first quarter of 2023 is the biggest thing with Gen-Z. So to gain access to this young demographic in a new and fun way, Tik Tok may be where it’s at.
Boost your brand through short videos, partner with influencers, and have the potential to reach billions of users; TikTok has become the leader in social media platforms.
The power of TikTok hashtags is undeniable. Did #BookTok save bookshops such as Waterstones and Barnes & Noble? 2021 saw the biggest year for print book sales despite the rise in popularity of eReaders such as the Kindle.
Not only is TikTok a great platform for the self promotion of you business or product, but reviews from other users can ripple out and drive customers to your brand.
And with users now taking to using TikTok as both a search engine and means of online shopping, it would be a mistake to overlook it as an option for your business.
As you can see, there are many options when deciding on the social media platform that fits your business best.
But by taking a sensible step-by-step approach, you’ll find a service that fosters close connections with your target customers and aligns awesomely with your brand mission – this blog should help you have fun choosing.
Final Thoughts
Having a social media marketing strategy that works can ensure that your overall marketing efforts travel further, build brand awareness, and reach a wide range of potential new customers.
Your social media site is an extension of your business, and should therefore reflect your brand values.
Social media marketing is a valuable part of off page SEO. Learn more about off site marketing efforts in our link building blog!
