The world has moved online, and marketing is no exception. Businesses are engaging on online platforms daily to connect with their audiences from all over the world.
But with so many platforms out there, it’s hard to know where to focus your energy.
This guide will point you in the right direction to choose the platform and the strategy right for your business.
With over 2 billion users, 30 billion pieces of content shared daily, and 65 million businesses on Facebook, having a presence there is almost necessary. Facebook is the place to connect with people; most users engage on Facebook to build a community with their family members and friends.
It’s kind of like an online BBQ. You get together with friends and family to talk and share everything important to you. (And yes, you might have to deal with a drunk uncle screaming his political opinions at you. Just try not to react).
Facebook directs its algorithm to promoting posts that create connection and interaction between users. Considering that, Facebook is probably the best place for your business if you’re a community-based local store, a nonprofit, or a B2B company. These kinds of businesses are in deep with their communities, and the customers who frequent them are focused on building connections in meaningful ways.
Instagram is like the nightclub you go to after the Facebook BBQ. It’s the perfect platform for connecting with strangers, but it’s not the best for really digging deep into conversations. However, Instagram is the home base for over 300 million users who love clicking through videos and pictures.
It’s the perfect platform for really showcasing your values and building up your brand. If you are a visual business like a coffee shop with speciality drinks, a travel agency with exotic destinations, or an art museum with beautiful displays, Instagram is a great choice for showcasing your identity consistently and attracting followers.
It’s not uncommon for people to look for news on Twitter. This platform is also one of the most popular ways to engage with celebrities from all around the world. It’s like a cocktail party: short conversations with important people you probably won’t see often outside.
Twitter has a fast turn around for content. It’s always happening “in the moment.” For this reason, Twitter is the perfect place for news businesses, media outlets, and nonprofit or retail businesses that might have a lot of press releases.
YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. It’s where people go searching for the answers to their how-to questions and the information they want to succeed. Videos are becoming one of the top ways that consumers engage in online content, so getting your business on YouTube could be an important step to engaging the people who need your help.
It’s also a great place to post ads. That way, even if people aren’t looking for you specifically, they may catch an ad on another video that leads them to you and what they need to learn from you. YouTube is especially good for businesses that provide valuable information. If you’re a B2B or a speciality retail company, YouTube could be one of your top places to attract new followers.
Pinterest is the ultimate window-shopping experience. Unlike other “social” platforms, people don’t come to Pinterest for conversation. They come for inspiration.
Pinterest is really the best place for ads. Inspiration on this platform has led to over 52% of Pinterest users choosing items to buy and over 61% discovering brands and products. Thus, Pinterest is perfect for a business with lots of information or beautiful products to sell.
If you sell space like a wedding venue does, beautiful food like restaurants, or new homes and decor like interior decorators, this platform could be the perfect spot to engage new customers.
LinkedIn is the online networking event you can attend all year. It’s perfect for B2B businesses, software providers, and luxury shops. LinkedIn attracts more visitors to your homepage than any other social network. It even surpasses Facebook by nearly four times (64% to 17%)! It’s also a great place to advertise events and share your expertise on any topic.
TikTok
TikTok is a video platform, most popular among young adults ages 13-24. It provides that immersive experience that young users are looking for. They want to be engaged in content, not just watching from a distance.
When a user opens the TikTok app, they enter something like a speed-dating experience. For a few seconds or minutes they view a video from a user, then it’s over, and they’re on to the next. If they like what they see, they’ll subscribe and follow.
This app is great if your company can really get involved with people; entertainment companies that can provide funny videos, restaurants that can show off their food, or even fashion companies showing off the latest trends will all do well on this platform.
Snapchat
Snapchat is like the after-dinner glass of wine with your friends. It’s the place to tell stories and jokes and engage with people in friendly videos and snapshots of your life.
With over 300 million users, it’s quickly rising to become a top method of communication, especially with younger audiences (45% of users are between the ages of 18-24). If you have fun facts, engaging content, and a young audience, Snapchat is the place to take some risks and build connections.
WhatsApp is like text messaging with a worldwide reach. It currently reports a growth of about 1 million new users a day. When BuzzFeed added a WhatsApp share button it immediately saw more shares to this new platform than to Twitter. WhatsApp is a connection platform. It’s used on voice calls and messages all around the world.
It allows the creation of groups and personal messages even to people you don’t know. WhatsApp is quickly becoming a great place to set up digital messaging with your consumers who need to speak with you directly without getting involved in the distractions of other social media platforms.
So, there you have it.
The top eight social platforms you can get involved with today.
There are plenty more out there: Whisper, Skype, Tumblr, GroupMe, and Reddit to name a few. These apps may continue to grow, but if you try to engage in too many, you’re sure to be overwhelmed. Start off by choosing the perfect fit from the list above and you’ll be well on your way to creating meaningful connections with your desired audience.
A final tip: never forget that the most important part of social media content is consistency. Match your brand profile to every post and maintain a consistent strategy across all platforms. That way your customers will know exactly who you are and how you can help them.
And if you find it overwhelming and need some valuable advice for getting started with a branding and marketing strategy, contact us at Oracle Tree, and we’ll help you create the meaningful connections you need on any social platform.
