In 2021, there is no longer any question that social media is a necessary marketing tool for businesses. Every company needs a strong online presence. To make your business more successful, one thing is certain – you need to market your business. In this digital world, social media channels, trends, and practices keep changing.
With so many social media sites available today, which one you leverage plays a crucial role in defining your social media marketing success. It is revealed that one of the main causes of a failed social media marketing is choosing the wrong social media platform. In an ideal world, you can choose all the platforms. Being a business owner with a long to-do list, however, you don’t have enough time, resources, and money to do so.
“With limited resources, which social media platform should my business be on?” – The tricky question
This is probably the first question that any business owner asks when he/she decides to start with social media marketing for the business. The answer to this question is complicated, but there are 3 key factors based on which you can decide the ideal social media platform for your business.
1. What is your industry? B2B, B2C, or both?
2. Who’s your target audience?
3. What’s your overall social media goals?
If you know the answer to these three questions, it’s easy to pick up a solid two or three social media platforms to market your business.
To save you time and help you prioritize, from Facebook to Snapchat, we’ve broken down the best social media platforms that you can choose based on the above said 3 key factors.
Demographics – Men and Women aged 18+
Number of users – More than 2 billion
Target age and gender – Men and Women ranging from 25 to 55+
Best For – Link clicks, event registrations, word-of-mouth marketing
Good for these Types of businesses – Fashion, Auto, E-commerce, Non-profit organizations, Marketing, Sports, Health and Wellness, Local brick and mortar store, and any B2B company.
You can find just about anyone on Facebook. That means that almost every target customer has a Facebook account, which is why you need to have a Facebook account for your business, irrespective of what other channels you are using for your business. Moreover, Facebook is also considered a local SEO signal which means search engines consider your Facebook business profile when they display local search results.
Demographics – Men and Women aged between 18 to 49
Number of users – 330 million monthly users
Target age and gender – Men and Women ranging from 18 to 29 years
Best For – Link clicks, engagement, foot traffic
Good for these Types of businesses – Retail, Nonprofits, Newspaper and media outlets, Fashion, Retail, SaaS companies, marketing companies, sports-related businesses
A great advantage of using Twitter for business is that you can get a lot of followers for your brand when compared to any other social media site. Another important differentiating trait of Twitter is – customer service. If your business has an appreciative customer service, you can use this platform to attract customers. Always remember that the followers of your brand on Twitter will be more interested in offers, contests, and exclusive discounts. So try pushing your products through deals.
Demographics – Men and Women aged between 25 to 64
Number of users – 303 million monthly users
Target age and gender – Men and Women ranging from 25 to 45 years
Best For – Link clicks, event registrations
Good for these Types of businesses – Employment, Science and technology, Luxury goods and services, Software providers, Legal, Marketing, IT, and any B2B company.
LinkedIn is typically the best platform for B2B businesses, and particularly if your goal is lead generation. In terms of professionalism, it is a great platform for employers and employees to get connected on a professional level than on any other platform. LinkedIn can help increase customer’s trust in your brand, become a leader in your niche, build authority, and get more leads for your business.
Demographics – Men and Women aged between 18 to 64
Number of users – More than 1 billion
Target age and gender – Women ranging from 18 to 35 years
Best For – Foot traffic, engagement, word-of-mouth marketing
Good for these Types of businesses – Restaurants, arts and crafts, clothes and fashion, beauty, food, photography, architecture, technology, event planners, and any B2C company.
With a majority of users under the age group of 25, it is the best platform to target young demographics. Instagram is a photo app owned by Facebook and this integrates your Insta account with your Facebook account. Photos and short videos with a small amount of text do exceptionally well on Instagram. Posting high-quality photos that narrate a story makes an excellent option for creating brand awareness and engagement. If you don’t have a visual product, sorry to say, look out for some other platform.
Demographics – Men and Women ranging from 18 to 65+
Number of users – 2 billion monthly users
Target age and gender – Men and Women aged between 18 to 34 years
Best For – Launching or promoting products, creating brand awareness, monitoring feedback, providing customer service
Good for these Types of businesses – Education, Retail, Marketing, Videography, Entertainment, Artists, Event promoter, and any B2C or B2B company.
Alike Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat, YouTube is the best platform for publishing visual content. Being owned by Google, it is the 2nd biggest search engine in the world. It is best to put up product reviews, instructional videos, and similar kinds of content. Once you upload a YouTube video, it starts showing up in Google search results. Thus, without having to spend any extra money on advertising, your business can get higher rankings and ultimately leads.
Demographics – Women aged between 18 to 64
Number of users – 300 million monthly users
Target age and gender – Women ranging from 18 to 45 years
Best For – Link clicks
Good for these Types of businesses – Fashion, Food, Beauty, Interior design, Travel, Arts and crafts, Home and garden, and any DIY.
If your business falls under the creative category, Pinterest is a must for your business. Pinterest is a place to share visual content, including everything from a scarf to an infographic. If you have your target audience on Pinterest and if you can bring life to your brand via pictures, Pinterest works best for you. The way the pin works are great for promoting your blog posts and products.
Demographics – Men and Women ranging from 18 to 55+
Number of users – 178 million monthly users
Target age and gender – Men and Women aged between 35 to 44 years
Best For – Link clicks, word-of-mouth marketing
Good for these Types of businesses – Restaurants, Bloggers, Reviewers, Travel, Tourism, Health, and any B2C company.
Though Yelp is not the most preferred app when someone thinks of a social media platform, it does play a crucial role in enhancing your brand’s image. The reviews on Yelp provides a word-of-mouth confirmation about the high-quality product or service you offer to your customers. By encouraging positive reviews and replying to negative reviews, you can help improve your business reputation. It builds trust among your customers and creates a loyal customer base.
Demographics – Young people ranging from 13 to 29 years old
Number of users – 350 million monthly users
Target age and gender – Teenagers who are 13 to 17 years old
Best For – Product launches, creating brand awareness, online event
Good for these Types of businesses – Fashion, Event management, Food, Retail, Makeup, Cosmetics, Hotel, Entertainment, Automotive, Lifestyle.
If your target audience comprises mostly the younger generation, then Snapchat is one of the most effective social media platforms for your business. Millennials are adopting to Snapchat and are so loyal to them. Snapchat is an app that lets you share photos, videos, snaps, or stories with other users or to your Snapchat story. The key to success on Snapchat is the authentic content it offers that users cannot find on any other platform. Share content in a fun-filled way to see some good results.
Listed above are the top 8 social media platforms that we recommend. Hope, now you might know which social media platform is right for your business. Don’t have the time or know-how to manage them? Contact Wild Ads and let us know your marketing goals. We will help you decide your platform and create the best social media strategy. Worried about the budget? Do not fret. We also offer you advice on 10 Low-Cost Social Media Marketing Tactics that Work for your business. Grow your business like never before with the power of social media and with wild-ads.com.
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