Social media has become more than just a way to share updates with friends and families. Businesses now see it as a necessary tool to reach their key audiences. But, just like with any other tool, if you use the wrong one it can be difficult to accomplish your intended goal.
Many companies assume they need to have a presence on every social media platform. Not so. In fact, it’s better to focus your efforts on social media sites that will support your content marketing efforts, help you accomplish your PR goals, and most importantly, reach your audiences where they are already engaged.
If you’re unsure which social media sites are right for your company, consider the following facts and features of the most popular platforms:
With over 1 billion active users, Facebook remains the most popular social media site. So if you’re looking to reach a broad network, build a community presence or actively engage with your audience, Facebook may be a good place to start.
If the content you create is focused on topic-based news or timely insights, then having a Twitter presence is where you should focus your social media efforts. Twitter attracts a majority of younger people and serves as the information hub of social media.
Does your company offer a visual aspect your audience would be interested in seeing? If yes, then filters and hashtags should be in your future. The best part about Instagram is that you can show off your company, products and services.
Like Instagram, Pinterest is most effective for businesses in a highly visual industry. It’s also geared more toward B2C companies. However, B2B companies can still use Pinterest to their advantage. Think about what interests your audience. If they tend to express themselves through images or your target market is comprised of mainly women, Pinterest might be a good fit.
The B2B sector benefits the most from LinkedIn. This platform is used to share useful tips and insights with an audience that’s thinking about their career, business connections or finding work. With that in mind, we recommend using this platform if your audience includes highly motivated business professionals.
YouTube
This video-sharing site is a great tool for both B2B and B2C companies. However, the time, money and effort required to produce high quality videos might not be a profitable return for some businesses – particularly small businesses. If YouTube fits your budget and brand, you can use it to execute your demonstrate how your products work, respond to a crisis or share your company’s story.
The above are just a handful of the many social media sites available on the web. And, the details shared here just scratch the surface of what our PR firm takes into account when working with clients to develop Content Marketing Programs. There is a plethora of resources we use to dig into social media users’ demographics, psychographics and other key data that goes into creating an effective social media campaign.
But – as we cover here – a key first step is to consider how various social media sites fit with the audience you’re trying to reach, and what goal you are trying to accomplish. If you need assistance, contact our PR agency and we’ll get you in front of the people who matter to your company.
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