Social media has been a growing and significant part of our day-to-day lives for the last several years. Many folks use multiple social media platforms daily for a variety of reasons: to network with family and friends, to find inspiration for things to do and buy, to do research, and to fill spare time.
According to studies by DataReportal, https://datareportal.com/social-me-dia-users there are over 4.48 billion users on social media around the globe, which equals almost 57% of the total population of our planet. DataReportal discovered that during the global pandemic lock-down in 2020, over 520 million new users joined different social media platforms. That equates to an annual growth of 13.1%, or an average of 16.5 new users every single second!
These data show that having a social media presence for any type of business is crucial in 2021, and remains one of the most effective marketing methods for a small business. But how do you choose the right social media platform for your business?
Here are several tips that will help you succeed:
Look at the nature of your business.
Are you a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-customer (B2C) company? For B2B companies, using social media channels like LinkedIn might be the way to go, as it is a professional business-oriented platform. For B2C, popular services like Facebook and Instagram will help you to raise the awareness of your company, reach and engage with your target demographics, and visually present the services and products you sell.
Research your competitors.
Find out which platforms your competitors use and what works best for them. Most of the business sections of the social media websites have great case studies about different industries.
Consider your target demographics.
Different age and gender groups use different social media channels. If your primary clientele age is between 18-34, consider using visual platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, or TikTok to promote your company. For those over age 35, Facebook will be the main social media channel.
Concentrate on platforms that will work for your business.
There are hundreds of social media platforms on the market today. Quite often, small companies make the mistake of pushing their content to every single platform possible. Simply because your company can have a Twitter account does not mean you need one. Focus on a couple of major channels that will match your demographics before expanding your social media channels. It does not have to be an all-or-nothing approach.
Be consistent and have a strategy.
Having high quality engaging content will boost your number of social media followers and your potential clients and customers. The published content must be posted consistently: daily or at least several times per week.
In the next edition, we will go over the major social media platforms used by small businesses.
