Social media platforms your business should be using
The answer to this question is actually another question!
Everyone thinks they have to be on every platform, but that just leads to social media burnout. Honestly, it’s a waste of time. Just ask yourself - which platforms do your customers use regularly?
Why spend time making content for platforms that your customers don’t even use?
Put your effort into communicating to your audience via platforms that make sense for the types of content you are creating, and where your audience can be found regularly, and you’ll see the results!
Facebook has shifted to a largely older crowd, but most people have a Facebook account to share photos and articles with their friends and family.
I tend to lean towards the idea that if you have a business, you should have a Facebook page - if for no other reason, then just to appear more reliable to your audience.
This trend may phase itself out in the coming years, as people are tending to move away from Facebook as a reliable platform.
All different types of people head to Twitter for quick updates and bites of information.
If your content can be communicated in a strong sentence or witty quip, Twitter is a good place for you to start.
I also feel as though it’s a great platform for quick customer service fixes. A lot of people go to Twitter to connect more directly with brands. If they’re experiencing an issue with your product, they may try to find you on Twitter. You’ll likely want to make yourself available on that platform if your brand prides itself on great customer service.
Instagram is a visual-first platform! If your business’s content lends itself to stunning images aimed at millennials and Gen Z’ers, Instagram is where you want to be.
I think most if not all businesses that sell a product should be on Instagram to showcase the quality of that product and connect with their audience via comments and DMs.
The Stories feature also gives your audience a great look into behind-the-scenes content, and allows them to feel a stronger emotional connection to your brand.
LinkedIn is like a virtual business conference happening 24/7! If you’re a B2B company trying to reach other businesses to sell your product or services, LinkedIn will help you to reach other businesses and have that quality networking.
It’s also a great way to create content in a similar format to Facebook or Instagram, but aimed at an audience that is in a more professional mindset while they’re scrolling.
Personally, I love LinkedIn and am focusing my coming social media strategy on that platform more than others.
People head to Pinterest when they want inspiration!
If your business gives great How-To’s, or sells products that will help give someone the “Pinterest perfect lifestyle”, this is the platform you should be focusing on.
Home decor, wedding-adjacent, or food-focused businesses would excel on Pinterest.
TikTok
A lot of brands feel the need to jump over to TikTok because it’s the fresh, new thing. But it’s only a smart move if your audience is made up of young adults or teens and your message can be communicated through short videos.
With the Instagram Reel feature that launched in 2020 - which is basically TikTok but for Instagram - you may want to focus your efforts on different types of content one platform rather than juggling many different ones.
Create and utilize your TikTok account if your business can make Tweet-sized videos that will captivate audiences!
YouTube
YouTube is a hugely popular video platform that is used by a diverse audience of people. More people watch YouTube videos than cable TV!
If your content is best delivered in longer form video format featuring great visuals and interesting stories, YouTube is for you!
It’s a great platform for content creators and businesses that want to showcase their services, or whose services are hard to get across in still images.
Educational institutions and not for profits are great examples of who might need to focus a lot more effort into their YouTube channels.
So which platforms do you think your business needs to show up on?