Social media is one of the best marketing tools for your business. It allows you to go where your customers are. It creates a bridge for customers to come to you. But with over 60 platforms available, choosing the right ones is tough. And being active on all platforms is next to impossible.
The best social media platform for business is the one that fits your audience the most. And it takes more than one business social media platform to market your brand. So, keep reading to find out the best social media platforms for businesses.
Why use Social Media to Promote Business?
There are 4.65 billion social media users active worldwide. That is more than half of the world’s population. In the US alone, 82% of internet users are active on social media. Most active users use social media as their primary source of information. Example: news, tips, shopping, information, etc. This makes it a necessary marketing tool for businesses. 88% of marketers say that social media helped increase brand exposure. By now, if you are not using social media, you are lagging behind.
The best social media for business depend on many factors. Example: audience, business goals, etc. So, which social media platform should you use for your business? The essence of the pros of social media platforms outweighs the cons of social media for your prospective customers, therefore giving you a window to capitalize on your business objectives.
Here is where you find your answer.
Top Things to Consider While Choosing Social Media Platforms for Business
The right social media platform for business will help your business reach wider. It will generate leads and help you gain customers. But to find the right platform, you must first consider these steps:
Identifying your audience
Different products and services cater to different demographics. Your marketing should appeal to your target audience. Therefore, knowing your ideal customers is essential.
Learn about your audience before diving into social media. This helps you develop an effective marketing strategy.
Four Ways to Identify Audiences
a. Start with a Customer Persona/Profile
A customer profile is a detailed description of your audience. It includes basic information such as age, gender, and location. Adding details to the profile helps segment the audience better. Example: marital status, hobbies, ethnicity, income, etc. Creating a profile will help you reach out to your ideal customers. You will be able to create personalized content designed for them. This results in establishing a stronger relationship with customers.
You can create your customer persona using tools like Hubspot’s make my persona and Xtensio user persona.
b. Market Research
Market research is one of the top ways to learn about the audience. Surveys are a great way to get information about your consumers. You can get web-based services to customize and create your survey. Or you can always print your questions and share them. Ask people about your services, their problems, etc. If they are your customers, ask for feedback. You can also try taking interviews with people you trust.
c. Research your Competitors
Learning about the competition is a necessity for any business owner. The content your competitors share is valuable. Which social media platforms do they use? How often do they post content? Which platform are they using the most? What number of channels they are on? Also, look into the type of engagement with the audience. What questions are the audience asking? What are the audiences looking for on these channels? On which of these channels are the audience engaging the most? All these questions give insight into who your customers are.
d. Research current customers
Dive into your customer data. Identify resemblances among your already existing customers. With Google Analytics, you can find similarities among your audience. The tool gives detailed insight into customers’ age, gender, etc. It shows their most active time on social media and their preferred channels. These valuable insights allow you to know your audience better. It will help you create personalized content and run effective strategies.
Understand your marketing goals
Your goals matter when it comes to choosing social media. It will impact your decisions in the long run. Are you looking to generate leads? Are you looking for brand awareness? Or will you be focusing more on customer support? Your social media page should match your goal.
Understand social media platforms for business
Each social media page has its own way of communication. The key is to know which one fits your business the most. For instance, LinkedIn is a great place for professionals. Instagram is ideal for sharing pictures and stories. These pages provide different ways to serve your brand. Try out a few to know if it fits your audience and your goals.
Why choosing the right social media platform is important for your business?
The market is constantly changing to cater to the audience. And the expectation of consumers is changing. They don’t need to visit stores or search through yellow pages to get information. Customers search for almost everything online. And they want answers instantly. Waiting is inconvenient.
Did you know? Users take about 50 milliseconds to form an opinion about a website. Slow websites, poor layouts, lack of information, etc., result in a bad user experience. And with so many choices, it takes less than a minute to move on. So, keeping your website maintained is crucial.
This also applies to social media platforms. As of January 2022, 58.4% of people use social media. But that’s not all! 56% of users are known to have multiple social media accounts. This means that users do not limit themselves to only one social media. Because consumers are on social media, it makes sense for businesses to be there too.
Here’s why choosing the right platform is crucial for your business Marketing
- It can help you get more qualified leads. Market to consumers who follow you on different channels. This increases the chances of them reading your content and sharing your posts. You are also more likely to get favourable responses.
- It makes it easier for customers to know you better. You can connect to your potential clients. This is beneficial in increasing awareness and developing loyalty.
- Promoting content on social media drives more traffic to your site.
Best Social Media Platforms for Businesses
a. Facebook
Facebook is the go-to channel for consumers and businesses. Among top social media channels, Facebook ranks at the top. It has over two billion users worldwide. This platform is the best social media to promote business. It is the most preferred social media platform for small businesses. If you don’t have one, get started today.
Facebook is highly versatile. You can post photos, ask questions, share videos, etc. all on one platform. Live videos are the most engaged form of content on Facebook. This is followed by images and videos. You can interact with your customers and create groups and private communities. Facebook also comes with great analytics. This platform works for any business but is ideal for small businesses.
To get the most out of Facebook, explore Ads Manager and Facebook Pixels. These tools help optimize your Facebook page.
b. Instagram
Instagram is one of the most used social media platforms by small to large businesses. It is known for its visual-based content. This channel has over one billion monthly users. It is famous with a young audience among which more than 50% are females.
Instagram is more about showing rather than telling. Customers use this channel to follow brands and influencers. It promotes diverse content such as photos, stories, and reels. You can voice your products, values, and your brand through stories and carousel posts. You can also take advantage of IGTV and live stream.
This platform is ideal for promoting company culture and influencer marketing. It is a great social media for companies such as fashion, retail, beauty, and Instagram. Its checkout feature also makes it a good choice for e-commerce.
Getting started on Instagram is easy. But to effectively market on Instagram, use Lead Generation Ads. You can do this by going to Ads Manager. To optimize your Instagram page, look into Instagram SEO.
c. YouTube
YouTube gets over two billion users every month. But it is more than just a place to watch videos. This is a great platform to add value to your brand. Video contents such as DIY, tutorials, etc., engage the audience. It also helps showcase your services. And customers love the transparency with it comes to brands.
Time-lapse videos are another example of good content. Customers get to know who you are and what you do. This makes YouTube one of the best social media platforms for most businesses. Simply create your own YouTube channel and get started. To make the most out of YouTube, pay attention to YouTube SEO.
d. Twitter
Twitter is one of the most accessible networks worldwide. It has over 4.48 billion monthly users. The platform is famous for its 280-character limit. This limitation makes it a bit difficult to promote your content. You need to be informative and concise in 280 characters. And that might be challenging. But when done right, it is a great platform to raise brand awareness.
This platform allows for discussions, thoughts, and FAQs. You can share your values and goals. Like-minded people can participate in the conversation and retweet. This gets you to appeal to a wider audience. It can add brand value and help increase brand loyalty. Sign up for Twitter here.
Twitter is beneficial for all kinds of businesses. It is a great platform to connect with the audience and learn their views. To make the most out of Twitter, follow influencers from your niche. This keeps you updated with news and new trends. Another way to benefit from your Twitter account is with Click-to-Tweet.
Click-to-Tweet allows you to target readers interested in your content. This improves the likelihood of people sharing your content. Learn how to promote your tweets here.
e. Linkedin
LinkedIn is a professional network. It is a place for people to share content on professional issues. Users come here to learn more about the market. They check up on professional contacts and look for opportunities. Content on this platform is formal compared to other social media.
LinkedIn has over 310 million monthly users. Therefore, LinkedIn is a suitable choice for brand awareness. You can share useful content about your products. It is mostly used by ages 30-49 years. Its niche focus makes it a useful platform for B2B lead generation. In fact, 94% of B2B marketers distribute content through LinkedIn. Therefore, it is an essential social media site for business. Get started with LinkedIn here.
A LinkedIn business page is an asset to your marketing strategy. It helps you connect with other business owners and professionals. You can share content in the form of posts, comments, or messages. To make the best out of this platform, opt for LinkedIn InMail.
f. Tiktok
TikTok is one of the five most downloaded apps worldwide. It is an amazing platform for user-generated content. The channel has over 80 million active monthly users in the US. Among the users, 60% are between the ages of 16-24 years. This makes it one of the best platforms for businesses with a young audience base.
On TikTok, you create short-second videos and share them. TikTok makes the job easier with its official influencer marketplace – Creators. It is one of the best assets for brands. You can partner with over 100,000 creators to promote your content. Learn more about this platform and get started here.
g. Pinterest
Pinterest is excellent for businesses such as home décor, photography, etc. Because their content can be expressed better visually. But don’t let that limit you from using Pinterest. This platform is less expensive for advertising. So, if you play your cards right, your business will benefit with time.
Pinterest has over 291 million active users. And the number continues to rise. Users choose Pinterest to follow companies and brands. So, the platform is a great choice for small businesses. Create yours here.
Do not let Pinterest’s first glance fool you. It may look like nothing more than a place to share pictures. But that’s not all. People on Pinterest spend money. For every dollar spent on ads, Pinterest provides over $4 as a return. This means less expense and more gain. All you need is a consistent and optimized strategy. Learn how to get the most out of Pinterest.
h. Snapchat
Snapchat is a photo and video sharing app. You can customize your videos with emojis and text. And share it with the world. Active monthly users on this channel exceed 350 million. And over 71% of these users are under the age of 35 years. Photos and videos sent on Snapchat disappear after a few seconds. However, a Snapchat story remains visible for up to 24 hours. You can use this feature to promote your product. This platform also allows you to alert your followers of new arrivals.
The platform has over 10 million video views daily. So, if your business has a young audience, step into this platform. It is a great place to engage, connect, and grow your audience. It is also a free marketing tool. Learn how to market and promote your brand on Snapchat. To create your own business Snapchat, click here.
i. Telegram
Telegram was launched in 2013. It is one of the largest social media messaging sites worldwide. The platform has over 200 million users. The app is popular for its security and support. It is used for sending messages, media, and making calls. For businesses, Telegram can be a great tool for marketing. Advertising on this platform is better compared to WhatsApp. Since there are no restrictions, your ad can reach more people.
Businesses can use this tool to connect to clients. You can provide customer support or send alerts and messages. Create your Telegram account here.
j. Reddit
Reddit is a different kind of social media platform. It is more suitable for discussions and sharing interests. Experts use this platform to engage with niche communities. Users check the news, share memes, post pictures, and videos, etc. It has different communities, each with its niche. People join in to share opinions and talk to other like-minded users. This platform can work as a social platform for business.
The platform has over 52 million active users daily. There is a community for everything on this platform. Also known as Subreddit, people come together here to talk. Each Subreddit comes with its own set of rules. So, getting used to the basics of Reddit may take some time.
For businesses, this platform is an excellent place for research. You can learn about the market and understand your audience better. There are various ways to market your brand on Reddit. You can use paid Reddit ads and promote deals within Subreddits. You can also post videos and photos of your work or products. Create a community for people interested in your services. To learn more on how to take advantage of Reddit, click here. Create your Reddit profile here.
k.WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a messaging app with over 1.6 billion users. It is available in more than 170 countries. It started as a messaging app. But now, WhatsApp allows services for business opportunities as well.
WhatsApp has its business app called WhatsApp Business App. With this app, small businesses can set up their business profile. This profile can be used for customer support. You can communicate with customers and even provide customer updates. The app is beneficial for any kind of business. It is an excellent tool to provide customer service and get feedback. Start your WhatsApp journey today!
l. Quora
Quora is often discarded as a social media site for business. But don’t let it stop you from creating your business social media profile here. This is another great place to get answers and ask questions. It is a great platform to establish yourself and show your expertise.
Quora is a free platform with over 300 million active users. It is highly popular for user-generated content. You can answer queries while providing links to your website. This way, people will be able to get answers. And you get traffic to your business.
As a professional, you can search for queries people are asking. People can upvote your answer and share their thoughts. The more informative you are, the better your chances of being seen. In addition, you can also create new topics for people to add questions.
Another cool thing about Quora is you can publish content in blog formats. And what’s more? Questions and answers posted on Quora are searchable on Google. This means you can get people outside of Quora to see your answers as well. Check out this guide on how to start your marketing on Quora.
Conclusion
Choosing the best social media platforms for business is about branching out. Social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok help show off your brand. Other apps such as WhatsApp are great for connecting with customers. And social forums such as Quora and Reddit offer valuable insight into customers’ minds. You can understand consumer behavior and help solve issues.
The goal is to widen your approach and choose different platforms. Each platform will play a big role to build your brand. Use it effectively and your business will see conversion in no time! Let us know, if you have decided which social media platforms for business will you use.