Social media might be the best way to market your biz, but what gets tricky is figuring out which social media platforms are best for your brand.
While Instagram works wonders for a fashion business, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right tool for a growing financial firm. Snapchat could be a great call for an interior design company, but absolutely pointless for a tech agency. And so on.
To get to the crux of where you belong in the social media landscape, consider a few key points:
> where you make the best content (ex. video, blogging, photography, etc.)
> where the people are (where does your specific audience hang out)
> what channels make the most sense for your type of biz
If you research these areas before signing up for a bunch of accounts, you’ll not only save time, but you’ll pour energy into platforms that are more likely to produce the results you crave.
We think focusing on two to three social channels is the best bet – limiting the number makes work more manageable and keeps the quality of content on each account high.
Not sure how to choose which social platforms your brand should focus on? Here's our simple framework.
> If your business sells physical products or is all about images, use Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
When it comes to images, no other social media channel comes close to Instagram’s audience. In December of 2016, it was reported that 600 million users hit the app to like and share photos, which makes for a pretty decent number of people scanning for quality content each and every day.
Brands that use visuals (think: designers, fashion, event companies, restaurants) to drive sales are smart to spend time cultivating an Instagram following through photos, ads and Stories as these often feel like more personal and accessible forms of marketing. And like we’ve all heard a million and one times before, it’s all about the emotional connection!
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Pinterest and Facebook are also worthy platforms when you’ve got images of services or physical products to share. You can share your own photos with Pinterest’s visually inclined audience (that, of course, connect back to your own blog posts and website), as well as pin outside images and create boards that represent your brand’s unique personality.
Take GE for example - would you ever think that a company known for appliances would kill it on Pinterest? Maybe not, but here’s a brand that’s taken their image from boring to super cool in 39 boards. And they’ve got 27,000 followers to prove it.
> If your business is service-based, use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The social media platform that started it all, Facebook is a perfect place to live for service-based brands. Between LIVE videos, paid ads and private groups, you’re bound to find something that works for your marketing strategy.
Let’s pretend that you sell content-related services and your niche is in finance. Well, you could start by joining a bunch of Facebook groups that cater to small financial business owners or you could start your own community for this audience. Either way, you’ll get a direct line to the people you love to work with which can then help guide you when it comes to creating new strategies and services, as well as help you connect with potential future clients in real time.
Want an outlet where you can provide great customer service? And be transparent about what that experience looks like? Look no further than Twitter! The ultimate social media tool for talking one-on-one with your audience, positive interactions through Tweeting can do amazing things for a business. Followers get full access to how you resolve/care for your clients when it matters most and that’s often a huge help for a biz that relies on ‘word of mouth’ recommendations.
> If your business is interested in conversation, use Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Twitter may have dealt with identity issues over the last few years, but if there’s one thing that it always has been useful for, it’s conversation. The fact that people can message their favourite celebs, news organizations and businesses is pretty damn cool when you sit back and think about it, and it is the driving force behind the social media channel’s massive success.
Figuring out how to use the platform to your advantage though can feel a little daunting. No, it doesn’t seem hard to write out 140 characters to an audience a few times a day, until you look at the engagement data and see that no one is listening. In fact, it’s the idea of talking into a dark void that turns many small biz owners off the Twitter experience completely.
But before you delete that tweet, do some thinking. What does your business want to say? If you think Twitter is just a space to promote your own stuff from time to time you shouldn’t expect great results. Those that find real success provide valuable content that they know their audience cares about, tweet consistently, and provide plenty of brand personality. How will you cut through the noise?
If your goal is to connect with other like-minded professionals (and even potential clients), LinkedIn’s Pulse publishing platform is a great place to start conversations. Pulse blog posts aren’t exactly the same as those you’d share on your own blog - there are some general rules as well as a tone to follow - but if you’ve got specific topics in mind that might help show off your expertise in a given field, then you’ll find publishing here super beneficial. Gain enough credibility through LinkedIn and it’s likely that you’ll start seeing more traffic to your site and other pages.
Of course, there are always exceptions to “rules” and plenty of businesses have shown that no social media channel is off limits. But most small biz owners are working against the clock, and making time to experiment and invest in a variety of social channels doesn’t always feel like the best use of energy.
We recommend mastering the spaces that feel best for your brand and save some of the other ideas after you’ve nailed the first few. We’re really good at helping companies do exactly that and have created three packages that we think make playing the social game easier than ever!
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About the Author:
Taylor Marsden is a copywriter here at Canupy, as well as a blogger and digital content manager. She's worked with a variety of clients including Perez Hilton, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Toronto Fashion Week and The Home Depot! When not writing, you'll find her scouring the web for travel deals and/or pinning delicious looking recipes (that she has no intention of actually cooking).
