Best Social Media Platforms for Business

The introduction of digital and social media advertising gives us the opportunity to meet our audience where they “hang-out.” A well-planned media strategy utilizes an appropriate multi-channel mix to support the client in effectively reaching their target audience. The best strategy we have for building relationships with our customers is well-deployed, on-point communication.

To that end, are you wondering which social platforms are the best for your business? Well, forgive us for answering a question with a question, but, what’s your end-game? Breaking down what you truly hope to achieve with your social media marketing efforts is the magic bullet to facing this query. With clear goals in mind, you can define and execute a plan for success.

Do you have your goals? Great, onward. Here are five considerations for choosing the best social networks for your business.

  1. There is no standard mix.
    Many companies ask which social networks make the most sense for them to be active in. Your business is like a snowflake – there is no other exactly like it. So, it makes sense that there is no plug and play answer to which networks you should move toward. 

    Our messages are best deployed when we’re using the channels our customers prefer and respond to. And just like our relationships, each business is unique in the mix that works for them. It takes time and elbow grease to find your secret sauce.

  2. You don’t have to be everywhere at once.
    A great place to start is by asking yourself, where are my customers most willing to interact with my message? Start small. Don’t feel like you need to be everywhere right away. It’s better to ease in and be impactful in fewer places than irrelevant everywhere.

    Ultimately, the value is found in developing a sound strategy and purpose for each channel, with a solid implementation plan that includes the necessary resources to give that channel a fair shot at success.

  3. You don’t have total control.
    For all of you Type As, we know this is hard to hear. But alas, like so much of the Internet, we are at the mercy of algorithms on social networks. This means that we don’t have control over who sees our messages, where they show up in the feed, etc. 

    The only place we have total control over the content experience is on our own websites. Thus, how to drive traffic from your social accounts to your website should always be of prime consideration in your strategy. 

  4. Wherever you land, follow your brand guidelines. 
    Your brand is your key differentiator. If it’s defined well and used within established standards, it will easily translate across multiple platforms. This includes all things from printed collateral to digital ads to email and social media marketing. That’s why it is essential to have clear guidelines around your brand usage and voice. 

    To preserve your brand and create a positive brand experience, have a social media strategy in place and create a social media policy for all employees to follow. The overall goal should be for everyone within and outside of your company to have a consistent experience with every encounter.

  5. Know the landscape: Network-specific considerations.
    Are you ready to make your pro/con list? Here is some additional ammunition.

LinkedIn

  • Active Users: 303 million (Statista
  • Visitor-to-lead conversion rate is three times higher than Twitter and Facebook (Hubspot)
  • 91 percent of executives identify LinkedIn as their top social source for professionally-relevant content (Sprout Social)
  • Learn more about LinkedIn Business Solutions

Facebook

  • Active Users: Over 2.3 billion (Statista)
  • Last year’s algorithm change to discourage passive content consumption resulted in average daily usage decrease of three minutes among US adult users (eMarketer
  • The median post engagement rate of brands across all industries is 0.09% (Rival IQ)
  • About three-quarters of users access Facebook daily (Sprout Social)
  • Learn more about Facebook Business

Instagram

  • Active Users: 1 billion (Statista)
  • User time spent is forecast to increase by one minute each year through 2021 (eMarketer)
  • This platform continues to attract a younger audience; 72 percent of teens identify as users (Sprout Social)
  • While more marketers use Facebook, one study found Instagram ad spending to be 23 percent higher (Digiday)
  • The median engagement rate per brand post across all industries is 1.6 percent (Rival IQ)
  • Lean more about Instagram Business

Twitter

  • Active Users: 330 million (Statista)
  • The average engagement rate per Twitter brand post is 0.048 percent (Rival IQ)
  • 88 percent of social advertisers use this platform (Sprout Social)
  • Learn more about Twitter Business

There is no “arriving” or “total enlightenment” when it comes to social media. The landscape is constantly evolving, as your strategy should be. If you need a hand keeping up with all the things, let’s talk about how we could help.