Brands that ignore the reach and power of social media marketing are missing out on a major digital avenue for client connection in today’s digital age. In fact, 80 percent of marketers believe social media has value and that it may help them get useful customer insights and increase other marketing initiatives, resulting in a positive Return on Investment (ROI). Marketers can use social media to increase lead generation, and a well-executed social media plan can improve search results, attract more website visitors, and raise conversion rates. But how can you develop an effective social media plan if you don’t know how to choose the best social media platforms for your business?
With so many possibilities, deciding if your company should use Snapchat, Instagram, or LinkedIn to develop an online presence may be daunting. We’ve developed a simple step-by-step procedure below to assist you in choosing your social channels and making the best option possible based on the most critical variables.
What are your social media strategy objectives?
It’s essential to be able to connect your social media platforms to your strategy’s high-level goals. If you can’t explain why or how a certain channel will help you reach your objectives, you should probably avoid using it.
Use social media to increase brand awareness
As a first start, you should look for well-known platforms with a broad audience, as this will allow you to reach out to a diverse group of people. If you know your personas and discover that advertising on a network is the best way to reach them, keep popular and niche platforms in mind.
Paid marketing is one of the most efficient ways to increase brand recognition and reach (this is an advisable option, whatever your budget). So, spend some time looking into the various social media advertising choices. For example, Facebook’s ad platform is well-known for delivering remarkable returns.
Use social media to enhance lead generation
Marketers that want to produce high-quality leads should use social media. You can attract appropriate prospects who can be nurtured in your funnel to convert by implementing targeted campaigns. LinkedIn is known for being a leader in social media lead generation, whether it’s by joining groups, developing targeted advertising, engaging in discussions, or searching with complex filters from a B2B viewpoint. Facebook and Twitter advertising is also quite effective, with a cheaper Cost Per Click (CPC) than an AdWords campaign!
What channels is your target audience using?
You must evaluate where your audience interacts online once you’ve linked your goals with your social media channel decision. For example, if your main consumer category is 70-year-old ladies, creating an Instagram account for your company may be a waste of time. Similarly, if you’re exclusively targeting guys, there may not be a compelling case for marketing your business on Pinterest.
Social media demographics inform the tightest and most successful social media tactics. These data-driven insights will guarantee that your strategy and channels of choice provide the most relevant, tailored approach possible, increasing your conversion possibilities.
You may examine your present followers by using a social listening service like Sprout Social. This will provide you with information on your present social audiences’ gender, age, and geography, which can help you decide which channels are worth keeping and which aren’t. In summary, rather than being driven by current trends, always back up your judgments with demographic data when picking your social media networks. Still, confused about choosing the best social media platforms for your business? Read the complete blog.
What channels are your competitors using?
Taking into account what social media platforms your rivals use is just as crucial as researching the channels your target audience uses. This will serve as a benchmark against which you may assess industry activities and make judgments.
What kind of content do they post, for example? Do they make material that is customized to each platform? How often do they update it? How many likes or shares do they get on their posts? Examining how active your rivals are on social media, as well as how well their followers respond to what they publish, can offer you useful data that you can use to ensure your strategy’s success. To discover how successfully your rivals are reaching their target audience, use our Competitor Analysis Tracker. Again, social listening tools may help you figure out which businesses in your sector have the greatest social media reach and impact.
What kind of content do you want to create?
This is an important subject since there are many various forms of content, some of which will complement your company goals and brand identity and others which will not. Furthermore, some material types will be better suited to some social networks than others.
If you’d like to share industry news, corporate updates, or whitepapers.
These content types are often suited to B2B audiences that are mostly found on professional sites like LinkedIn. If you have a business Twitter account or an individual one that you use for work, these are also great places to connect with other professionals and share industry-specific material. When you’re seeking ideas, check out these fantastic examples of B2B content marketing.
If you’d want to share video content with others
If your video content is brief and aimed at a younger audience, Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat can be a good fit. Facebook and Twitter can also produce significant levels of engagement if they are lengthier and broader in their appeal. Not to mention creating a YouTube channel, which is the world’s second-largest search engine with over 3 billion monthly searches.
If you wish to publish material that is based on images
If you’re a B2C company with a compelling product to offer, you should try marketing it on Pinterest. 98 percent of Shopify users, according to the company, utilize the site to attempt new things depending on what they see. Instagram is perfect for telling a visually inspiring brand story.
How many channels should you manage?
Did you know that a lot of companies use many social media platforms? While it’s doubtful that showcasing your business on just one channel would suffice, finding the right mix may be difficult. You’ll stretch yourself too thin and dilute the effect of your efforts if you’re active on too many sites. If you rely solely on one platform, though, your brand’s exposure and reach may suffer.
By allowing you to schedule posts in advance, a social media calendar and scheduling tool like Buffer may help you save time and money. You may also tweak postings for certain platforms or cross-post the same information across all of your networks. Buffer also allows you to upload photographs, which is useful given that material with relevant images receives more views than content without.
With this degree of automation, you’ll be able to include additional channels in your approach, but it’s always a good idea to start small. After you’ve found a few social media outlets that work for you, try out a new site. You’ll save time and money if you include additional channels gradually into your approach. Now, you understood which is the best social media platform for your business.