Everyone has heard of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Linked In, but what about Reddit and Instagram? What are they and does your business really need to be on them?
The short answer is yes and no.
I know that’s a seriously frustrating answer. But the truth is, the right social media strategy for your business depends on a few variables like the type of business you are in and the amount of time you have to create engaging content. Of course, no one running a business ever has enough time, so that’s an easy question to answer. But let’s take a look at some different social media platforms and where they are (and aren’t) most helpful.
Best for everyone! Large, small, B2B or consumer businesses, because pretty much everyone you want to reach has a Facebook account. It’s great for ongoing engagement or to promote events.
Use it for sharing funny or interesting things, advertising, events or asking questions of your audience.
Don’t use it if you aren’t going to update it often or have nothing interesting to say or ask of your audience. Facebook will make sure no one sees your posts for free if they aren’t getting much engagement.
Best for engaging and sharing information with a wide variety of people.
Use it for sharing, connecting with people, researching information and finding new audiences.
Don’t use it if you don’t want to chat to people and share information. Twitter is a great place to engage and chat with people, but you really get out of it what you put in. It’s impossible to build a following without getting involved in the conversation (unless you are already famous).
Best for showing off great visual products to your potential customers.
Use it for showing consumers what new products you have or what your business is up to.
Don’t use it if your customers are businesses, or your products are not something that people will want to look at and covet.
Best for businesses and people looking to network with others in the industry.
Use it for connecting with people, researching sales leads and discussing topics of interest with others.
Don’t use it if you don’t want to spend time networking or discussing ideas with relevant professionals.
Best for spreading content that you have on other platforms
Use it for building a following, gaining favour for your content with Google and also building an individual’s profile through authorship.
Don’t use it if it’s your only social media platform.
Best for businesses and end consumers, depending on how you use it.
Use it for demonstrating your product, sharing tips, how to guides and advertisements.
Don’t use it if you don’t have money or time to create good video content.
Best for visual products particularly where your target audience is female.
Use it for sharing visually appealing products and blog content (provided you have some good photos to attach to them)
Don’t use it if you don’t have any good photos to share.
Best for technology businesses or service providers
Use it for researching your target audience, understanding what they want or building your credibility as an expert
Don’t use it if you want to do a hard sell or don’t have time to interact, ask questions and be involved. It’s easy to be kicked off Reddit for lack of engagement.
This list of social media platforms is certainly not exhaustive, but these are some of the main ones that are likely to be helpful for your business. For most, one social media platform won’t meet all your needs or reach your entire target audience, but a mix of two to three mediums is usually enough for your business to see benefits from social media.
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