Social Media Overview: Which Network Is Right For My Business?
Social media is more than just a profile. It's an extension of your business's identity, a tool to create awareness. That's why it's such an effective tool for connecting with people and generating traffic. I'm not saying every business should be on social media—of course not! But the way we show up on these platforms says something about your business compared to your competition. Here are some common themes I've noticed among businesses that use social media:
On Facebook, you’re a connector. You love to connect with the local people in your community. The more followers you have here, the more your local business will grow. Additionally, the opportunity to reach new people with ads is fairly easy, which is helpful!
On Facebook, you can share just about anything, from links to photos and, of course, reels. Your job is to keep up and post often. Every day if you can swing it. Whether it's just one photo every few days or five in one sitting (or ten at once), it's important to remember that quality matters as much as quantity when promoting your business on Facebook. You'll want to be sure you're using the correct kind of page or profile to promote your offers so that you can stay within Facebook's guidelines while optimizing your chances to grow.
If you own a small local business that needs foot traffic to survive, Facebook is essential because it has many tools to help you get the word out about your offerings.
Facebook is also a great place to generate applicants for local job opportunities.
Twitter is a fast-paced, always-on social platform that's great for sharing information in 140 characters or less. The downside is that it's hard to get noticed. You'll have to work hard at building up your audience and promoting your work through retweets and shares of others' content—and even then, you may not see the kind of engagement on Twitter that you want.
But if you're looking for a way to promote your business, blog post or article without spending all day managing your feed and responding to replies from followers who might not be interested in what you have to say (or from bots), Twitter can be an excellent choice. It allows users to share links with their followers quickly and easily. You can also use hashtags as a way of sorting through conversations about similar topics; for example:
Based on my experience as a social media manager, many B2B brands tend to hang out on Twitter which is smart because the clicks continue to roll in.
Instagram is a visual platform, so it's important to pay attention to how you present yourself on this platform. Your Instagram should be an extension of your brand and reflect your personality. You can use Instagram as a tool for self-expression, or you can use it as an opportunity to connect with other people who share your interests and passions—or both!
Instagram is my personal favorite. I find that I can connect with people who are most like me on this platform. I also love the easy-to-use storytelling features that are available for creators, and lead generation is truly possible on this platform.
If you want to promote a lifestyle brand to connect with people who prefer a certain aesthetic, then Instagram is where your business should live and breathe.
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LinkedIn is a place to network with other business professionals, so your social media strategy should reflect that.
In addition to the standard staples of business networking—resume building and professional development—you'll also want to consider how to use LinkedIn to grow your audience.
If you're trying to grow a newsletter or have a goal of growing an audience of professionals - get on LinkedIn and start building. The potential is endless.
LinkedIn is also great for drumming up job applicants for remote positions.
TikTok
TikTok is the real-real. This is where people (who are promoting businesses) are showing you what it's really like to be them and live in their reality which is why this platform is growing so quickly.
You don't need to do anything fancy. In fact, fancy content isn't going to get you very far on TikTok.
If you have stories or product reviews your business can share, TikTok is for you. If you're in the entertainment industry, TikTok is a great way to show off your skills. If you're trying to book gigs locally, use local hashtags.
This platform is perfect for e-comm businesses or businesses looking to generate traffic to their websites or Instagram accounts. After all, I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "TikTok made me buy it."
Remember that you must be willing to put in a huge amount of time and energy when you first open the account because you have to get 1,000 followers before adding a link to your profile.
Businesses on social media use these platforms to express themselves.
When it comes to using social media, there are all kinds of ways to share what your business offers. For example, some businesses prefer to use Instagram because they like being able to share the aesthetic that goes with their brand. Others may find Twitter more appealing because they like the idea of being able to share the values and opinions that align with those working at the business.
No matter the platform, what's true for most businesses is that you need to focus on starting small and expanding with time. Social media isn't going away but it is important to stay on top of current trends and follow where the traffic in your niche is hanging out.
Conclusion
The point of social media is to connect with people, so your business needs to build relationships. If you have a product or service to share, then get started! If you started and you're not gaining any traction, then consider getting support from an expert who can help guide you in the right direction.
I have 3+ years of experience in healthcare, software, real estate, e-commerce, retail, book promotion, and more. Some of the results my client's experience (heavily dependent on industry) include gaining 200+ newsletter/email list subscribers in a single day, 36,000-60,000+ social media impressions per quarter, increasing unique page visitors by 1,440%, and sales within minutes of posting.
Go to connectwellsocial.com to check out my case studies.
Copywriter
1 年This is good information! We have so many options available at our fingertips to connect these days, and these distinctions between the features and overall "vibe" of each platform are helpful. ??