So, you’ve decided you want to make waves online, but you’re not sure where to start. After all, there are so many social media platforms to swim through. Surely your company isn’t expected to show up on all of them? Thankfully, no.
What matters is that you choose the right social media platform for your business, and that decision requires a little strategy.
Read on for our tips on how to achieve this successfully.
Analyze Your Audience
The first step you have to take when deciding which social media platform best serves your business is to think about your target audience. What is the current demographic of your customer base, and is this the same demographic that you hope to reach online? This information will be very instructive.
For example, if you’re already doing a great job of reaching older audiences through printed promotional materials and direct mail, but you’d love to convert more young people into customers, you might choose a platform like TikTok where teenagers and 20-somethings are known to hang out.
A little market research into the social media habits of the people you want to reach will be very helpful. You need to know what they use, who they choose to follow there, and the kind of content that would appeal to them. A professional social media strategist will be able to compile this information for you.
Research The Competition
After you’ve gained these insights into your audience, look for your competition online. Where are companies of your size in your industry building their social media presences? Where are they showing signs of success, for example are they securing views and likes?
You can use this knowledge in a couple of ways. You might decide to follow suit, appearing on the same platforms as your competitors but improving on their content offer. Alternatively, you could look for the potential in places where competitor companies are failing to make a mark and try to carve out your own lane.
Consider Your Content
Another factor to think about when you’re choosing the right social media platform for your business is what kind of content you intend to share. If you’re focusing more on text and image posts, then Instagram and Facebook are suited to these mediums.
If you’re looking to share short videos, you might consider TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook as viable options. Maybe your content is designed to boost your reputation amongst other business owners. In that case, LinkedIn would make sense for you.
A social media expert will be able to talk you through the distinguishing features of each platform, matching you with those that meet your needs.
Why Not Use All of Them?
Maintaining an active content calendar across multiple platforms is time consuming and labor intensive. When you spread yourself too thinly, there’s also the risk that the quality of your content suffers as a result.
If you’d like to make a splash on social media but you feel like a bit of a fish out of water, contact Big Fish Local. We’ll take over your online presence with custom-made content, saving you time and worry, and we’ll cover as many platforms as you want!
