If you are considering adding social media to your marketing strategy, and are at odds with where to start, then this article is for you. It’s important to approach using social media for your business with a strategy and goals in mind so that you are able to see positive results.
Why Use Social Media For Your Business?
- Builds Your Brand Awareness
Having a platform on social media allows you to spread awareness about your brand and what you do. Users are able to recognize your company using visual materials on your social media. The more your logo and branding are seen, the more likely consumers will remember them. Brand awareness helps keep your name on people’s minds which is especially important for new businesses.
- You Can Provide Customer Support
Social media platforms usually have a direct message feature that allows you to privately message a business through their social media account. This is a great opportunity to communicate with your customers about issues or concerns they might have with a product, discuss returns, or answer questions. Having a reputation for strong customer support is beneficial for a successful business.
- Allows You To Educate & Communicate With Your Consumers
You can use social media to inform and educate your audience about your brand, your values, current events, and more. Social platforms create the opportunity to build a relationship with your customers and create connections with other businesses.
- Boosts Your Search Engine Optimization
Promoting your content on social media will increase your likes, shares, and engagement: all of which will boost your SEO and the likelihood of consumers finding you.
Which Platforms Should I Include In My Strategy?
Choosing the platforms that you are going to include in your social media marketing strategy will depend on a couple of factors. First, consider your target audience’s demographic. If you are selling a product to predominantly senior citizens, you may want to consider adding Facebook, but not many of the other platforms that target a younger demographic. To compare the age range and primary purpose of social media platforms, let’s take a look at the most popular platforms.
Facebook is used by roughly 68% of American adults and is currently the largest platform. Facebook offers live video, direct messaging, video streaming, photos, copy, shopping, games, and more. You can utilize targeted ads on Facebook as well which will push your paid ads to be seen by lots of users. It’s a great platform for starting a conversation, sharing blog links and articles, and increasing your reach.
Instagram is another social media platform that is highly used by both men and women of varying ages, specifically the younger generations. It is the third most popular social media in the United States and is especially crucial for visual brands like hotels, restaurants, and fashion. You can also utilize Instagram if you’re a brand without a physical product like consulting firms, agencies, or service providers to connect with your customers. The platform is perfect for showing your audience behind the scenes of your company culture, team members, and events.
Although it requires a slightly more aggressive posting schedule, Instagram is home to Influencer Marketing. If your consumer base targets 15-30-year-olds and really anyone under 40, you should have an Instagram account for your business.
YouTube
YouTube is actually the most widely used social network in the United States. It’s owned by Google so having a YouTube presence will likely increase your SEO. It’s used to showcase short and long-form video content. A business could use YouTube to showcase explanation videos on their products, visual blog content, and more. This platform is accessed by a variety of ages so it might depend on your product/service as to whether you incorporate it into your social media strategy.
TikTok
TikTok is a newer platform that took off in 2018 and is primarily used by gen z and younger generations. You will find short-form videos and live videos as the primary source of content on Tiktok. This media source is a bit more niche to younger generations and creativity which is something to consider before including it in your business plan.
Twitter has become slightly less popular since the 2010s but is still avidly used for news updates, alerts, and real-time conversations. Twitter is more about your statements rather than photos or video content. 70% of journalists see Twitter as a valuable tool and primary news source for their writing. There are 63% of users between the ages of 35 and 65 on the platform, and two-thirds are men. If your target audience falls in this range and you value gaining press coverage for your brand, then include Twitter in your strategy.
Linkedin is great for generating business-to-business (B2B) leads and finding business partners rather than customers. Because Linkedin is for working professionals, it is a great platform for finding employees. Having a Linkedin profile for your brand or business will add to your credibility and reputation. It’s a great opportunity to share written content like blog posts.
Pinterest is another visual-based platform that relies on photos, videos, and graphics to capture users’ attention. The age range of users varies between ages 16 and 69 but the gender is predominantly women which is something to keep in mind. If your business targets women specifically, I would definitely consider sharing your content on this platform.
How To Narrow It Down
- Define Your Goals
Are you trying to increase brand awareness? Sell a product? Or, are you trying to start a conversation between you and your audience? Whatever your goals for creating a social media strategy are, you’ll want to identify and keep them in mind because they will help you to choose what platforms are best.
- Determine What Channels Your Audience Uses
Narrow down your target market by their demographics to help you determine what channels your audience is active on. If you market to teenagers, for example, you’ll want to consider apps like Instagram and Tiktok because of the primary ages of its users.
- Consider The Type Of Content You’ll Create
If you are a company with a pleasing visual aesthetic, you will probably create content that is visually pleasing and stylish. This type of content works best on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. If your brand values making statements and having positive impacts on the environment, consider Twitter or Facebook so you can spread your message effectively.
- Pair Your Goals, Audience, and Content, With The Right Platform
Gather everything that you can about your target market, and compare it with your marketing goals. Between your audience demographics, your social media goals, and desired content, you should have a good understanding of which platforms will work best for your business.
Need assistance with strategizing your social media marketing plan or determining your target market? We can help! Head to our contact page to get started on a media marketing audit today. Follow our social media pages for even more marketing tips and tricks.
