You probably already know that businesses need to be social nowadays but the question is ... which social medial channels are right for YOUR business? You need to have presence but you don't need to have it in all of them. Here are some interesting facts on each social media channel and tips to choose the right one for you:
First of all, let's take a moment to answer these questions:
- Is your business a B2B (Business to Business) or B2C (Business to Consumer).
- What's your target audience (age group, location, hobbies, work field, interests, etc...)
- What's your Social Media goal? Increase awareness, gain followers, drive traffic to your website, connect with customers ...
Ok, ready? Now that you've answered these questions, you'll need to select one or two social media channels to start. Yes, you read correctly, don't go crazy thinking you need to be present in all, unless you have an awesome social media team that can strategize your entire social media presence or you hire a pro like #AelBeckerConsultant.
Let's dive in:
FACEBOOK.
Best for: Business that work with consumers directly.
Top Industries: News & Information, Fashion, Real Estate, E-commerce, Retail, Entertainment, Marketing, Sports, Health and Wellness, Travel and Hospitality.
Target Age & Gender: Anywhere from 25 – 55+, both men and women. Most common demographic being ages 25-34.
You NEED a Facebook presence! Because Instagram is owned by Facebook, it works great for campaigns and because it increases your organic visibility on search engines too!
INSTAGRAM.
Best for: Reaching out to consumers.
Top Industries: Photography, Fashion, Travel and Hospitality, Health and Wellness, Arts and Crafts, Food and Beverage, E-commerce, Beauty, Event Planning
Target Age & Gender: 18 – 35, mostly women, but that’s shifting.
Instagram is very visual and all about aesthetics. Consumers expect nothing less than fun and beautiful images, daily inspiration, solutions and fast responses. Remember that you are dealing with a younger crowd here so you have to be on top of your game.
PINTEREST.
Best for: Business to Consumers (may apply for some B2B)
Top Industries: Fashion, Home and Garden,Health and Wellness, Beauty, Food and Beverage, Travel and Hospitality, Event Planning, Arts and Crafts, E-commerce, Retail.
Target Age & Gender: 18 – 45, mostly women.
I looooove Pinterest, it's not only a great channel to showcase your work and generate brand awareness but it's also a powerful search engine that can dramatically help you increase website traffic! Keep in mind that most Pinterest users are in for the inspiration, which means that if they buy your product or services, they'll most likely not do so immediately. Be patient and don't stop pinning!! Tip: Verticals perform better, see sample below:
TWITTER.
Best for: B2C, some B2B
Top Industries: News and Information, Retail, Finance, Sports, Travel and Hospitality, E-commerce, Health and Wellness, Telecom, Fashion, Retail
Target Age & Gender: 18 – 29, both men and women
It's basically THE place to be for trends, news, political rants, all in 280 characters or less. It's helped my clients connect with other brands, share expertise and most importantly: it's the platform for customer service.
LINKEDIN.
Best for: Business to Business and some Business to Consumer.
Top Industries: Financial, Employment, Marketing, Professional Services, Education, IT, Science and Technology, Legal, Manufacturing, Health and Wellness
Target Age & Gender: 25 – 45, both men and women
More and more professionals are discovering the power of networking on LinkedIn. I use it to share my blog posts, promote events, news and share my expertise. Don't underestimate this channel and it's ability to connect professionals.
TRIPADVISOR.
Best for: Business to Consumer.
Top Industries: Travel and Hospitality, Health and Wellness, Food & Beverage
TripAdvisor is not-so secretly evolving into a social platform for travel lovers so that is why it has earned a mention here. Its new "travel feed", still rolling out but meant to be the heart of the site, is very similar to Facebook's news feed.
So not what you have this info, choose the social media channel that is right for YOUR business. And if you are still not sure how or where to start, feel free to reach out and book one of my Pick My Brain Sessions.
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