What Social Media Network Is Best for My Company?
Hoorah, you’ve taken the leap into the world of social media! I personally think that social media is one of the most cost effective marketing avenues you can use, when executed well.
But you’re here to find out which social media network is the right one for your company, right? Well, we’re about to take a look into a range of platforms, covering their purpose and pros and cons too.
But first, we’re going to talk about why social media is so important for a brand.
Why should your brand be on social media?
Although many say that your website is equivalent to your company’s shop window - unless you’re a physical shop of course - social is most likely on a par when it comes to importance.
Social media platforms are growing by the day. Especially with the likes of Instagram constantly adding new features - such as Shops. These new features start to bring people over from other platforms, whether they stop the other altogether or simply reduce their time on it.
The thing is, one way or another, your audience is on social media. But are they using it to chat to friends and family only, to play Farmville (is that even a thing anymore?!) or are they following popular news/media pages and groups? What you need to know is… Are your customers or clients likely to engage and buy from you via social media?
Of course, being active on social media says a lot about your brand. Are you posting consistently? What are you posting? Do you reply to comments? Are you receiving shares? The list of questions is endless.
But which platform do you go for?
I’m afraid there is no single right answer. In fact, it depends.
While that might not be the answer you’re looking for, don’t worry, I’m going to tell you all you need to know about each platform so you can make an informed decision.
Using Facebook for business
While Facebook is the most widely used social platform, for some businesses, it isn’t always the go-to.
Whether your goal is to create brand awareness, drive website traffic, lead generation or online conversions, Facebook can make a huge difference in your marketing strategy.
Pros:
Huge audience potential
Widely used platform - Perfect if you’re a shop that ships worldwide
Easy scheduling via Creator Studio
Talking directly to your customers
Cons:
Facebook has become a ‘pay to play’ platform. Gaining organic likes and engagement is tricky business.
Racking up those likes by inviting friends and family is great for vanity metrics, but it won’t earn you money in the bank.
Like any type of ad, you’ll need to experiment a little with ads. So don’t expect them to work from the very first ad you do.
Running a Facebook page takes commitment. If you’re a small business owner, it can take a lot of your time if you’re planning to run the page yourself. For slightly larger companies that have the budget to do so, hiring a social media manager is always more time effective.
Instagram for business
Instagram is a wonderful platform, but it doesn’t necessarily work for every business. If you’re selling a physical product that people want to see, it’s a great social media platform to get creative with.
According to Statista, there are currently 1 billion users on Instagram!
Pros:
Easy to connect with others
Easy to engage with other accounts
Very searchable
Easy to edit your photos
Location tagging
Always new features being introduced
Cons:
Can be quite time consuming
Difficult to keep up with if you don’t plan your content ahead
Doesn’t work for every niche
It doesn’t work for every age group
The algorithm can be a tricky beast to tame
Important things to note:
Before you start posting, really sink your teeth into your own brand. Work out the style that suits your company and what you’re about. Use your brand colours, whether you want to be big and bold or subtle and stylish - simply get creative!
It has been said that LinkedIn is the go-to place to speak directly to decision makers in the world of business. Kinsta reported earlier this year that LinkedIn currently has over 575 million users, with more than 260 million monthly active users. That’s a lot of connections!
But will it work for your brand? We take a look at the pros and cons!
Pros:
Improves your SEO
Professional environment
575 million users
Less personal approach
Free research tool
Cons:
Potential spam from those connecting with you and trying to sell
Can be time consuming
Hidden expenses in the form of going ‘premium’
A creative and predominantly female platform, Pinterest has become a go-to for things like recipes, lifestyle how-to articles, wedding inspirations, outfit ideas and much more.
While it may not work for every company, we’ve got the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself!
Pros:
Easy to drive traffic
Higher conversion rate
Great for visual brands
Helps boost your SEO
Free to set up and no need to pay for engagement
Cons:
Time consuming
Specific audience
Expensive to automate
YouTube
With at least 2 billion monthly users, YouTube has held its ground now for some time. It has quickly become more than just a place to share lengthy video content - Instead, searchers are looking for entertainment and tutorials amongst many other things!
Pros:
Show off your brand’s personality
Video drives conversions
Video content complements your overall marketing strategy
Easy to repurpose your video content
Cons:
Ranking your video can be difficult
Videos can be time consuming to create
High expectations in terms of audio/visual quality
Twitter is a great tool to increase your business’s online reach, engage your customers and be quick to the party… But will it work for your company?
Pros:
Great tool for gaining feedback
Showcase excellent customer service
Reach a wide audience using hashtags
Free to use
Cons:
Time sensitive
Spammy accounts
Character limit
Time commitment
Public negative criticism
What social media network works for your company?
The answer is, it could be any of the above. It could be one or two, or a mixture of them all. Of course, there are more platforms beyond the ones mentioned, but these popular platforms are some of the best for business.
One thing I do always recommend is not spreading yourself too thin! Be proactive on two rather than ‘sort of active’ on five.
Looking at all of the factors mentioned above, have you decided which could work for your brand? Let us know in the comments.