If you are a business owner, you’re probably well aware that your brand should be on social media. However, knowing how to use it and knowing what content to post can be tricky. There’s always a new trend, a new tactic you should be following and sometimes an entirely new platform that you need to be on. The solution to these issues depends; it depends on a range of factors and the most important is your business.
What you’re selling will ultimately determine where you should be putting your time. To help you out, we’ve broken down five of the biggest social media platforms and suggested what types of businesses they work best for.
Facebook is the original modern-day social media platform. Although it wasn’t the first social media platform to exist, it was the first to successfully cut through and transcend different age groups and obtain a global reach. As a result, the main strength of putting time and resources into Facebook is the potential reach that it can offer in return.
As a result of Facebook’s vast and varied user base, it’s a viable option for most businesses. Despite this, businesses must be aware of how they can tailor their approach to Facebook marketing. It’s also worth noting that younger users are starting to spend more time on other platforms.
Facebook ads can be a great option for local businesses and are a good way to put a company in front of potential customers based on their location. Businesses such as dentists, pubs, and cafes can benefit from location-based Facebook ads as these types of places are only concerned with marketing to people within a certain location radius.
Facebook isn’t just useful for local businesses though. As already mentioned, it has a huge user base. As a result, big B2C brands can also benefit from Facebook ads. If you’ve purchased from a certain fashion brand online recently or even just visited their website, you’ll likely be retargeted by their ads on Facebook if they’re running any.
X
X, previously known as Twitter, is most commonly used as a source of news and updates these days. Most brands have begun to favour other platforms but that’s not to say that X can’t be useful for certain brands. Similar to Facebook, X has a gigantic reach and was founded way back in 2006.
As many people’s primary source of news, combining PR with X can be an effective option, especially if you’re a startup with a small number of followers. Due to its conversational nature, X is a great platform for brands that need to share updates. Tech companies for instance may want to keep their customers up to date with their latest product development news.
It’s also a good option for brands who aren’t afraid to interact directly with customers. Supermarkets often use X as a platform for customer service while brands like RyanAir are slightly more daring and are often seen wittily joining in the conversations with users about their experience with the company.
Pure and simple, Instagram can be a goldmine if you are selling a product that can be made to look attractive. Think restaurant food, luxury fashion and homeware – all examples of products that you wouldn’t purchase without seeing first.
It’s also the go-to platform if you want to take advantage of influencer marketing as it’s a great place for people to grow a personal brand. As Instagram grew, many celebrities began to take advantage of their huge followings by partnering with brands. Today, many individuals try to forge a career as influencers by amassing big followings on Instagram in the hope that brands will reach out to them.
Many of the world’s top celebrities have partnered with leading fashion brands, but influencers can also come in the form of travel vloggers, gaming streamers and just about everything else. As a result, if you’ve got a product that can be sold visually, consider investing a lot of time into your Instagram posts and, if you’ve got the budget, do some research into what individuals would be a good fit to promote your brand.
TikTok
TikTok’s growth has been somewhat more recent than the other platforms mentioned. It’s proved to be particularly popular with the younger generation and it’s short-form videos can be great if you are selling a product that needs to be demonstrated.
For example, items like cleaning solutions and kitchen appliances are best sold with a demonstration of how effective they can be. Similar to Instagram, any product that is purchased based on how it looks can be a good fit for TikTok. Although content tends to be more real and less filtered on TikTok compared to Instagram, partnering with influencers is still very much an option available to you if you are trying to grow a brand on TikTok.
Another thing to note about TikTok is that the algorithm very much prioritises content. This means a brand can join the platform with no prior following and minimal brand awareness but still see great engagement with its content.
LinkedIn has traditionally been seen as a more corporate version of Facebook. But more recently, it’s been a useful tool for brands who can benefit from personal branding. If your company has a poster boy or girl, LinkedIn is a great place for them to share their thoughts.
It’s also seen as the best place for b2b companies to do business. LinkedIn definitely has a more professional feel compared to other social platforms, and users tend to be in “work mode” as it’s common to have your job title and employer in your profile.
If your end goal is lead generation, LinkedIn is probably the platform that you should be prioritising. For example, it’s common for service agency founders to build relationships with potential clients by sharing their thoughts and offering free advice in the hope that their connection reaches out.
Final Thoughts
Social media can be an extremely powerful tool for small businesses, global corporations and every company in between. But which platform you put the bulk of your time into, and how you use each social media depends on the product or service you are selling. You’ll also need to consider your audience including their age and interests. If you’re unsure how you should be using social media, it could be worth getting in touch with an agency or consultant to help implement a digital marketing strategy. If you are in the UK, search for a digital marketing agency in Manchester or London and you’ll be sure to find some extremely talented marketers that can assist you.
