HALP! Which social media platform should I use?
Do you ever find yourself in a sort of, social media mania?
Like - on the brink of giving up because you’re over your head and don’t know where to start?
I’ve got you. Read on to find out which social platform is best for your business - all you need to know is who you’re targeting.
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For brands targeting 25-44 year olds across all genders
Love it or hate it, as the biggest platform of all, (2.8 billion monthly active users) Facebook is essential for any business and should be the first platform you sign up for. Not only do you unlock the Facebook Creator Studio (great for scheduling posts) but you also access one of the biggest communication tools around.
Facebook’s advertising capabilities also make it desirable when considering creative ways to communicate your brand message and the opportunity to interrupt and convert at all stages of a consumer lifecycle. It’s also discoverable via search, with reviews and posts being parsed through to search engines like Google, Ecosia and Bing. Behaviourally, potential customers will often go to Facebook to seek customer service and information about your business. So even if you have a younger audience or aren’t as active on FB, it’s still worthwhile being there and keeping your page up to date.
For brands targeting all genders aged 18-34
Would you believe me if I said that the average Instagram user spends up to seven hours on the platform a week?!
That’s a whole working DAY.
Instagram has proven that it has mass appeal and the longevity and tools for any sort of business out there. If you’re an e-com brand, a service-based biz or a shop-front you should be there.
Side note: the way Instagram is going with Reels, you may feel pressure to show your face - and it’s true, posts with your personality do tend to perform better - but if it scares the crap out of you then there are plenty of ways to tell your brand story without your face. Need help? Hit me up.
For brands targeting identifying females or those who love to plan at most ages
Ah Pinterest, the planning tool! A visual medium and the birthplace of “aesthetic”, Pinterest is a reposting or pinning platform, with users creating mood boards to plan everything from interior design, to weddings, to photoshoots using its functionality. It’s the place where people love to dream, so if your brand is luxurious or aspirational, you best get pinning!
Pinterest is especially perfect for brands who invest in photography like wedding planners, e-com stores who sell homewares, fashion brands, food brands and travel bloggers.
For brands targeting identifying males or working professionals
LinkedIn is for businesses that deal regularly with other businesses, for example - if you were running events, training or selling wholesale products.
Even if you keep it on the back-burner initially, as your business grows, I’d recommend creating a LinkedIn profile for your employees to associate themselves with and for your internal/external PR. When it comes to search, LinkedIn is also quite authoritative, so it’s it’s worthwhile having a profile for Google rankings, especially if you post articles regularly.
For brands targeting identifying males, or for those brands with an outspoken personality
I love Twitter. I love how fast it is and how events can unfold.
Which is why I’d recommend it to any events-based brand like food trucks or venues, and news brands like publications and personalities. Even if you simply monitor the space, there are opportunities to interact with customers who may just shoot out a tweet to complain or rave about your business.
For brands targeting all genders between 16-30
The time to stop ignoring Tiktok is now - there’s a reason why it’s the most downloaded app on the App Store. Tiktok is for all brands who have the capacity to invest time into creating content.
To put it bluntly, this shit is time consuming. If you are a business with none of it, you’re probably better off building your email list or getting your SEO down pat. In saying that, Tiktok is a fun way to express your brand personality and can be extremely effective when it comes to brand awareness.
The biggest take-away from this?
Do not get distracted by every single social channel - that’s a recipe for burn-out.
Choosing a maximum of two channels and going hard consistently to achieve growth is a sustainable way to ensure a: that your biz has a digital footprint, and b: that you conserve energy to keep promoting which is more important than trying to make it work across every marketing channel.