Which social platforms are best for your business? - #TuesdayThoughts

When deciding on which social media platforms to set up for your business, it can be difficult to know what will achieve the best results. Each business gets results from different platforms, as they can be used by businesses to target different audiences for different reasons. Let's look at some options.

Facebook

Facebook is a general social media platform that can be utilised by all types of businesses. You can share basic information about your business, such as address and opening times, as well as showcasing the businesses history and staff. Facebook also doesn’t cost a lot as a marketing strategy. It can be used completely free but boosts on post are of a reasonable cost. This makes it a great platform for SMEs to promote their business without racking up huge bills. You can also use the advertising that Facebook provides as a way to target specific audiences. Overall, Facebook is a great social media platform to be used by all businesses for a start in developing your social media strategy.

Twitter

Similar to Facebook, Twitter can be used by a variety of businesses. It allows you to get across clear, short messages that can showcase snippets of businesses information and knowledge. For B2C companies, Twitter is a highly efficient way to communicate with existing and potential clients, answering any queries they may have or problems they are having with your products or services. It is also a great way for B2B and B2C companies to drive traffic to their website by posting links to blogs and articles with a preview of what it contains to gain interest. Functionality such as polls can be used to quickly gain customer insight and help make informed businesses decisions. Twitter is a great way to quickly and efficiently communicate with a wide variety of colleagues and competitors.

LinkedIn

For LinkedIn, B2B companies are the ones who are likely to see the best results. The general public are unlikely to go on LinkedIn to seek out a product or service for their own personal use, but potential clients of a business will go on to gather more information. It is a way for clients to scope out a business for what they offer and get a better idea of their past successes. B2B companies have a more complex buyer journey, and LinkedIn allows them to target specific groups of potential clients. Advertising on LinkedIn allows you to choose the area of the country, type of business and the role of the people you are targeting. It is more target audience specific than some other platforms and as a result, advertising costs are higher.

Instagram

Instagram is a very visual platform, and although having several social media platforms won’t do any harm to your business it’s important to not spread yourself too thin. A B2C company is most likely to benefit from having an Instagram page, especially in areas such as clothing, beauty or homeware. Products that can be presented in an aesthetic setting and benefit hugely from this platform. For B2B companies having an Instagram presence is unlikely to damage your business in any way, but it can be difficult to make your service look appealing. People won’t tend to read a long Instagram caption and therefore B2B companies will struggle to get their messages across.

Need advice with which social direction your business should be taking?

You can learn more about our approach to social media marketing here. We'd love to discuss some options with you. Send me a few details and let's get started.

By Amy Carpenter