What should you consider when selecting social media platforms?

When selecting social media platforms, a marketing team should consider the target audience's demographics, preferences, and behavior. Different platforms attract different age groups and interests, so it's crucial to align choices with the client's goals. Analyze competitors' success on various platforms, assess the budget and resources available for content creation and management, and consider the type of content that suits each platform. Evaluate the platform's advertising options and analytics capabilities. Finally, be adaptable. Platforms evolve, so regularly review and adjust your strategy to ensure it remains effective.

I recommend to my clients to choose the platforms where their audience engages the most. My clients are often overwhelmed by needing to be on all platforms. However, if you concentrate on where the audience is, it will help build your followers & social engagement.

When selecting social media platforms, prioritize authenticity over popularity. It's not about being present everywhere, but rather about being impactful where it matters. Consider your target audience's preferences and behaviors. Don't blindly follow trends; focus on platforms where your brand can genuinely engage and build meaningful connections. Remember, quality trumps quantity. Don't spread yourself thin across numerous platforms; instead, invest in those where you can truly shine. In a world of noise, choose platforms that align with your brand's values and allow you to authentically connect with your audience. It's not about being everywhere; it's about being where it counts.

Each platform offers something different but it's important to think about 'why' you want to use that platform and how it will help you achieve your goals. Another point to consider is whether you enjoy using the platform because if you don't you're less likely to be consistent. Regarding objectives, think about your time and availability, how many platforms you want to use and the features they offer. One way of measuring your performance on a platform is to track how your posts perform using a tracker and measure the vanity metrics (views, comments, reactions) as well as what the post leads to... conversations in DMs, sales, etc.

1. On which platform do your ideal buyers spend a lot of time? 2. Does the content and the nature of the product you're selling fit the "rules" of the platform? People planning to buy a 5-figure B2B SaaS product are unlikely to use an image-based platform like Instagram to learn about it. But a professional platform like LinkedIn where you can educate your buyers about the nuances of the problem you solve makes a lot more sense.

Audience is everything. Period. Are you B2B or B2C? Older, younger, or everyone? Niche or general? There is no point in putting in the work if the audience you seek isn't there. Each social platform is tailored to a content style (or styles), but more importantly they are also tailored to audiences based on the needs of that audience.

It's important to consider where your audience hangs out, so do your research. Don't make assumptions that only younger generations use TikTok when all generations use the platform. Similarly, LinkedIn isn't just a B2B platform. For example, a lot of creative product businesses that sell to customers thrive on Linkedin because they stand out from a crowded market. Whereas on Instagram they have to fight to get noticed.

Each platform attracts a unique demographic. Research the demographics and psychographics of the platforms to ensure they align with your target audience. Creating a customer persona can help in identifying where your potential customers are spending their time online. Know your customer!

Consider your target market and the channels they utilise. Choosing to be present on every social platform may lead to capacity problems, resulting in platform neglect or excessive repetition. If the majority of your audience uses Instagram, make it your top priority.

Think about your brand, how you want to be perceived and what you stand for. Reflect this in your content strategy, the way you position yourself along with the language you use. For example, your style and tone of voice... do you write as you speak or do you want to come across as more formal? What type of content would appeal to your audience and how best can you convey your messaging? Would text only work? Images? Video content?

Different platforms favor different content formats. For instance, Instagram is great for visuals while LinkedIn is ideal for professional and long-form content and articles. Determine if you can maintain a consistent content schedule on the platforms you choose, as consistency is key for engagement. Learn to use the native features of the platforms not just third party posting tools

Discussing resources when choosing social platforms for a company to be active on is so under discussed! With so many social teams being a team of 1, this is such an important thing to discuss. Many people expect you to be everywhere, but a single person can't achieve being everywhere alone. Repurposing content is a huge aspect of this, but when it comes down to it, you must think about your time and resources versus platform priority. Using my B2B company as an example, LinkedIn is our first priority - always. It's where our audience is and where they engage with us. Of course, we're on X/Twitter and Facebook as well, but those are always repurposed or duplicated content. If a platform is not serving you a purpose, don't force it.

Efficiently utilising resources is the biggest, most complicated part of a strategy for Social Media. You have the beautiful Instagram picture, what else can you do with it? Where else could you use it? Maybe Pinterest? Maybe in a LinkedIn article? As a conversation starter on Twitter (X)? Every Social Media Manager will tell you to avoid cross-posting like the plague, and they will all be right but that doesn't mean that you cannot create unique posts, adapted for each platform that originated from the very same idea. You are not sure how to approach this? Do you have a colleague that spends hours on Pinterest, X, TikTok? Show them your content, ask them what could you do with this in X, Y, Z platform and let the brainstorming begin!

Don't be afraid to repurpose your content. That could be to tweak it and use it across platforms or use one piece of content such as a blog post and use it to create lots of different content from that one post.

Keep track of all resources you use to kickstart your business - then, use a trial and error approach in eliminating the least valuable resources based upon their performance within the first year. After this, you will have a well-informed idea as to which advertising channels, social media websites, and/or online sales channels are the best fit for your audience and your business. Paying attention to the small details and small increases in engagement, followings, and specific types of content your audience craves will also help you make the best decisions for your business.

Evaluate the amount of time and effort you can realistically dedicate to each platform. Some platforms require more time and engagement than others. Get your hands dirty you cant just dial it in! Assess your budget for paid promotions, as paid advertising can boost your visibility on many platforms.

I DISAGREE ONE MILLION PERCENT!!! Absolutely do not waste a second of your time focused on what your competitors are doing on social media. On social media you aren't competing with them. You are competing with everything else in the feed; friends, influencers, paid ads, etc. Focus instead on how you are competing there, competing for attention with people who are probably a hundred times better at social than your business competitors. If you can win the attention game not amongst business competitors, but amongst everything else on social, then you stand a fighting chance. And in the context of this article, the chances that you can do this as a brand across multiple social channels is low. Therefore, focus, focus, focus.

Rather than focusing on immediate competitors, think about the brands you admire and how they position themselves. It doesn't matter if they are in a different industry from you because you could use that as a competitive edge to stand out in your industry.

Look at where your competitors are active and evaluate the engagement they are receiving. Copy their best tricks! Identify any platforms where your competitors are not active but have potential for your niche.

You should be aware of where your competitors are engaging online but never copy what they're doing. Build your own strategy based on your business goals & target audience.

In my opinion, understanding my content style has worked for me in choosing the right platform. I made the mistake of thinking Instagram was my platform, but it's not. For someone who likes to explain her thoughts a bit without having to forcefully cram them inside square carousels, LinkedIn works like a charm. Figure out what's comfortable for you. Do you like to post short, chatty stories, or are you a more visual person, or do you like to write posts that explain your thoughts? Depending on who you are, choose a platform. Never, never think all platforms are for you, because they are not. Choose one or two and focus your strategy on them.

Hot take: You shouldn't be on EVERY social media platform. Creating content to exist across X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and Discord (or more) won't help you achieve your goals faster. If anything, you'll be tired before you've even begun.

Lo primero y primordial es conocer a tu público objetivo y/o a tu o tus buyer personas... Luego de tener claro quien es tu público, ya puedes definir bien que plataforma usar...