Which Social Media Platform Is Right for Your Business?

These days, it seems the number of social media platforms are endless! Seeking professional relationships, there’s an app for that. Enjoy sharing videos, there’s an app for that too! Have a passion for sharing recipes, yes you guessed it, there is an app for that also. With the increasing multitudes of social media platforms, how do you know which will best suit the needs of your business? 

Don’t drown in the vast sea of social media apps! Here is how to effectively select the right social platform to effectively leverage your business. 

Define Your Target Audience

This step will be the easiest of the three steps because your social media audience will be the exact same as the audience you target for your customers. However, when it comes to social media marketing, specifics reign. The more detailed your target customer profile is, the easier it will be to convert them into customers. Try to avoid general descriptions when defining your target audience. For example, “women” would not generate effective targeting. Rather “women with an interest in fitness over the age of 30” would be a more specific segment. 

Identify Preferences

Once you have defined your detailed segment, the next step is to identify their preferences? In essence, “what does your target market like?” This involves doing an assessment of their interests, tendencies, and behaviors. 

Another element is discovering which channels does your target audience frequent. Are they predominately on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc? A good way to determine this is to poll your customer base.

Tailor Presentation and Messaging

Once you have determined the right social media channels, your strategy can now take shape! Content is king; but it will not rule effectively if your presentation and messaging does not align with the platform you are utilizing. If your platform is more image or video-focused, then frame your content accordingly. 

You can use more than one social media platform to effectively reach your target market. However, two important things to note:

• Avoid spreading yourself too thin. Select the top two that brings the best ROI to your brand.
• Do not share the same content across all platforms. Each platform should have its own individual strategy to ensure you are hitting varying touchpoints with your audience.

New social media apps pop up what seems almost on a daily occurrence. Just because it is the latest trend does not mean it is necessarily a fit for your brand. The key to a successful social media strategy is staying focused on the needs of your target market and reaching them where they are!