What social media platform is best for your business type?
Choosing the best social media platform is something quite overlooked. But it’s definitely important. Social media is a huge part of business. It’s massive for marketing and promotion of your business! Although there are other advertisement methods, social media definitely takes the lead as technology continues to develop rapidly.
Whilst advertisement methods such as TV and radio ads, billboards and posters are still available and useful, social media is one hundred percent the most convenient for the consumer. They can see your advertisement on socials. Then with just a single click, see everything about your business and find something that they’re looking for.
It’s clear that social media is essential for a business, not only for advertisement and promotion, but also to communicate with your customers and engage with your audience. There’s no waiting on hold or searching through your website for contact details involved. It’s quick, easy, and convenient for the consumer, and the business. Nowadays, technology and social media are often linked intertwined with other promotional methods through the use of QR codes. These can be scanned with your smart phone and it takes you too their website, or some kind of sign up page!
But what’s the best social media platform for your business? Here are some things to consider when choosing your main platform for your business…
-
What does your business really offer?
Consider what your business really offers, especially if you’re a just starting up a new business. I’ve said this a lot but it’s so important you have a clear vision of your business in order to properly strategise and make rational business decisions!
A lot of different businesses will choose a different main social platform based on whatever their product or service is. For example, for something like a care home, Facebook may be more appropriate! Facebook is much less imagery based than Instagram, and is more focused on informative posts. Although there’s an option to add photos, which a lot of people do, Instagram is much more widely known as an image based social platform. This makes Instagram a great choice for something like a hair salon or a clothing brand! You can show off your product/services and promote them through engaging visuals (which of course you can do on Facebook to!). That being said, it’s important to actively use at least 2 social media platforms, to make your business more accessible online.
-
Who is your target market?
This is a massive factor in deciding which social media platform is best for your business. Dependant on the age demographic you’re trying to attract, the choice of social media is crucial. For example, according to ‘Statista’, 29.8% of Instagram users are between the ages of 18-24, compared to Facebook wherein only 24.5% of users are in the same age range (statistics as of January 2021). So if you’re target demographic is 18-24, Instagram may be a better choice for you. Whilst Facebook has more overall monthly users (2.6bn) that Instagram (who has 1bn), the ratio of the age range is more significant on Instagram.
It’s viable that each social media platform is targeted for different age ranges. It’s important to do your research on this so you can figure out exactly which platform is best for your target audience. For example, a lot of people think Snapchat is used mostly by teens or children. But when looking at the statistics on ‘Statista’, the numbers show that users aged 25-34 take up the biggest percentage of the platform, at 21.6%.
Recognising your target market is a key! Not only for ensuring you’re using the right platforms to engage with them, but also essential in increasing your online presence in general. The more engaging your content is and the more appealing it is to your target audience, the more your brand will grow!
-
What message are you trying to send? How do you want this to be conveyed?
Next you need to consider what message you’re trying to get across to your audience and clients. As well as how you want to convey this exactly! If you’re unclear on what you’re actually trying to tell your followers then realistically, they’re not going to know either.
Confusing content can be quite off putting and frustrating to your following, as they may be trying to figure out what you offer as a business, but if your message isn’t coming across clearly, they’re probably just going to end up going to one of your competitors.
So figure out exactly what you want to convey, and what the best way to do it is. Is your company more about visuals? Big writing and bright colours? Or is it simply information based? Decide what format best matches your brands image and get posting regular content!
Tailor your content to the social media platform…
Whilst it’s important to make sure you’re posting the same relevant information on each platform that you’re using, it’s also a good idea to tailor it to the platform too!
Each social media platform has a different structure. This means the way you structure your posts should accommodate this, to ensure that your followers have a user-friendly experience. As well as have as little friction as possible when navigating through your socials.
If you’re unsure, it’s a good idea to take a look at some of your competitor’s socials and take note on how they structure their posts. Of course, don’t go copying exactly what they’re doing! But draw inspiration from it and use it to enhance your own social media presence.
Which platform is best for your business?
So, there are a few factors to consider when deciding which social media platform is best for your business. Including your target market, the kind of content you’re producing, and the best way to convey your message.
Picking the right social media platform has a big impact on the reach of your content! At the end of the day, it’s always a good idea to have a good few social media accounts. This is so people can find you anywhere, and access your business on a number of different platforms. As long as you’re posting relevant and engaging, and appropriate content regularly, then you’re good to go. Do your research and get those socials thriving!
