There are hundreds of social media platforms to choose from, so it can be tricky to identify the right social media platform for business! Often, the temptation is to sign yourself up to as many as possible. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube – anything goes, as long as your brand is out there. This is not always the best strategy, since it takes a lot of work to maintain all of your profiles, optimise and create new content. Furthermore, it’s not even the best choice for your marketing strategy, since your audience may not be on all of those platforms. So, here’s how you can narrow it down…
Understand your target market
Where are you most likely to find your clients? For B2B marketing, it’ll likely be platforms like LinkedIn, however, if you are targeting your product at a younger demographic, you might find them on TikTok or Instagram. It’s possible that your potential audience covers different segments of the population. This is where you may wish to choose a couple of platforms that cover your target market. Make sure to keep it focused. Sticking to fewer platforms that you know you can commit to is better than spreading yourself too thin.
Get to know your social media platform for business
What can these platforms do for you and how can you take advantage of their unique features to grow your business? Twitter, for example, is great for discussing news and trending topics, but you are limited by a character count. LinkedIn, on the other hand, allows for lengthier posts and even blogs to be published on their platform. You can really show off your expertise! If strong graphics and visuals are part of your brand, Instagram could be perfect for you. You may wish to create long-form videos – try YouTube or even Facebook. It’s important that you are well versed in these social media channels to know exactly how you can use them for business.
Don’t forget, if you choose to go with more than one platform, remember to optimise your content for each. Choose correct size images, videos, content format and length. Sometimes, you may even wish to alter your tone to suit each platform and the customer segment you are looking to target.
Research your industry and find a space for your brand
Last but not least, research what your competition is doing! Which social media platforms do they use and how do they implement successful strategies? What can you bring to the table? It’s also important to understand your business and how it fits within your industry. Where do your clients expect to find you and which platform would make you look like a reputable business to your target market? These are the questions you should ask yourself before embarking on social media. This way, your marketing strategy will be much more streamlined, you’ll choose the right channels that will be effective in achieving your business goals. You’ll also avoid putting yourself off social media by feeling too much pressure to stay consistent across all popular platforms.
We can help!
Every time we take on a new client at MacMartin, we take the time to understand your business goals and create a streamlined marketing strategy to support them. If you need help choosing the right social media channels, advice on how to manage and grow them effectively, do not hesitate to get in touch.
