Navigating the ever-changing field can be incredibly challenging. It is difficult to determine which platforms are worth investing time and money, and which to avoid. It isn’t as intimidating as it appears! We’re going to break down exactly how to decide which platforms to use as well as how to use each platform.
Which social platforms should my business use?
The biggest step to overcome is to examine your audience. As you’re likely aware, different demographics tend to utilize various social media platforms. Consider who has been an ideal customer in the past? What do individuals in your sales process or past customer list typically have in common?
Use the guide below to explore the demographic makeup of different social media platforms’ user bases.
- Facebook —individuals between the ages of 18-34 make up the largest portion of users. However, Facebook is one of the most effective social media platforms for reaching older individuals.
- Instagram — individuals between the ages of 18-34 also make up the majority of users on Instagram. Instead of older individuals comprising the rest, Instagram skews younger, reaching teenagers.
- LinkedIn — most LinkedIn users are between 25-34 years old. LinkedIn is most popular for working-age individuals in professional careers.
- Twitter — the largest portion of Twitter users are between 25-49 years old. Twitter is particularly popular among video game and sports fans.
- TikTok — commonly believed to be just for Gen Z, TikTok’s audience is mainly between 18-34 year olds but does reach a small portion of 45-64 year-olds.
Consider the “less is more” approach. If a certain platform doesn’t reach any of the demographics you target, it’s best not to waste your time marketing there. Your company’s efforts will be most effectively spent when you narrow your posting down to 3 main platforms that you do really well. Take the time to acknowledge your audience on those platforms and their interests, cater your messaging toward them, and you’ll do well.
What should businesses post on social media?
Publishing on social media opens up a world of opportunities for your brands that don’t necessarily exist in traditional marketing avenues. It can be overwhelming to think about all the different kinds of content you can publish from photos to videos to infographics and more.
It’s best to start by taking a step back and developing a plan. Your business will be most successful on all social media platforms when your efforts are consistent and high-quality. Sit down with your team and decide how often you want to post on each channel and what types of posts you’ll make. Below, we’ll explore different kinds of digital content and where each does best.
User-generated content (UGC)
If you’re a busy business owner, consider encouraging user-generated content. These are posts that your customers develop, showcasing their use of your products or services. Utilizing user-generated content is a great way to engage your already-happy customers, while also reaching new customers.
Whether you’re a business-to-consumer or business-to-business company, it’s important to reach out to your fans. An excellent way to encourage fans to post photos is by offering discounts or exclusive freebies.
User-generated content does the best on Instagram, a very visually-focused platform. However, UGC will do well wherever your users are sharing their experiences with your brand.
Promote your blogs
While social media shouldn’t be used as a way to blast constant sales messaging, if you have a business blog, you should promote your content.
Make sure each article is well-written, with a focus on providing value for your audience. From there, you can write up a few sentences teasing what’s in the blog (don’t give it all away) and share with a blog image. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are all good platforms for promoting content.
Since social media platforms want their users to remain on the platform and not leave for other sites, some can slow the organic reach of posts that promote links. On LinkedIn, consider leaving your link as the first comment on your post, instead of in the post copy to get around this!
A tool like Missinglettr automatically breaks your new blogs down into bite-sized social media posts you can schedule on every platform.
Curate content from others
If you don’t have a blog but still want to provide educational content to your audience, consider curating other industry articles on your feed. Try to avoid linking to your competitors, but sharing valuable content from industry experts will help associate your brand with theirs and still gives your audience valuable information.
Curated content works well on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn too.
Develop infographics
Infographics are a great way to visualize lots of data. Have interesting statistics to share? Use a tool like Canva to create an awesome infographic you can share on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn!
Create videos
Video has been huge in recent years. Consider going live on any platform, using stories, or posting videos in the feed. This can be a great way to show behind-the-scenes at your company, answer questions, and give your audience a chance to get to know your brand more.
Best of all, you don't really need any overly expensive equipment or tools to create video content. If you have a mobile device with a camera feature, you are already set to make your own video content. That content can be practically anything, from showing off your products to answer your reader's questions.
Using social media for growth
Social media can be a strong marketing tool for your business. With millions of users on each platform, there is a significant audience to be reached. By optimizing your efforts for your target audience, you can ensure the work your doing will actually lead to sales and revenue, not just likes and follows.
