Three-quarters of internet users go to social media to research products to buy. With over 5 billion people on social media, that accounts for a large customer base. But which of the more than seventeen social media platforms is right for you? Moreover, customers use multiple social applications today, so you want to be where they are.
Then you also need to consider the different strengths of each social media app. So how do you choose the right one? This post will give you six tips to help you choose the right mix of social media apps for your business.
Start with your niche audience.
As with any business, you should start by identifying who your audience is and who you are selling to. Your channel or profile can be great, but nothing you do will work if your audience is not engaged.
Understanding who your clients are is critical to know what features you should look for on a platform. For example, if your company offers a service that can be of interest to tourists or ex-pats, a social media app or platform that offers a feature to chat with locals can be right in your audience’s alley. Or if your business offers products for foodies, a platform that allows you to post short videos with recipes is what you need.
Define your Buyer Persona
More than having a broad knowledge of your audience is required. You want to be specific. Asking the following questions may help define your buyer persona:
- How old is your typical customer?
- Are they male or female?
- What is their education level?
- What pain point does your product or service solve for them?
- What are their interests outside of your product?
- Which platforms do they use?
Assess your company
Your products and services, your business type, and your brand personality influence which platform you choose. For example, a direct-to-consumer home design brand will have better Instagram results than LinkedIn. A graphic designer or a visual artist should look into platforms such as DeviantArt or Dayflash, while a video gaming company will have better results on Twitch than on Facebook.
It is not all black and white, though, and it may make sense to spread your efforts across two or three platforms. A typical social media user visits an average of seven different social media networks a month.
Define your social media goals.
Ask yourself what you expect from your social media campaign. Your goals will influence your target audience, the content you create, and your chosen platform. A social media campaign geared toward conversions will differ from a social media campaign geared toward awareness. Consider using Twitter before Instagram for customer support.
Look at what your competitors are doing.
Once you know who is your ideal customer and which channels they use, it is important to do a competitive analysis. Look into what platforms they are using, how it works for them, and how engaged the audience is. Understanding how your competitor approaches your target audience can give you ideas on what and what not to do.
What type of content do you create?
Each social media platform has its preferred content type. For instance, TikTok and YouTube are heavily based on videos, so there are better places for blog posts. Written content sites, like Medium or Quora, are great for creating brand awareness.
The platform you use and your goals will determine the type of content your produce. Here are some types of social media content:
- Blog posts
- Podcasts
- Testimonials
- User-generated content
- Videos
- Live streams
- Images
So, according to your company and messaging is the social media platform you should choose. The content also determines the type of social media platform. There are seven main types of social media platforms:
- Content curation – Pinterest
- Social networks – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
- Media sharing networks – Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube
- Discussion Forums – Quora, Reddit
A good strategy is combining two or more social media platforms so you can benefit from different types of content. But remember, pick the platforms where your target audience is.
Narrow your choices by looking deeper into platforms.
Each social media app has data you can pull to understand who they are directed to—for example, looking at each platform’s demographic data. Demographics measure characteristics like age, gender, location, and professional or social status. This enables you to narrow your choices. For instance, while LinkedIn is a B2B (business-to-business) social network platform oriented to professionals and business owners, Instagram is oriented to B2C (business-to-consumer brands).
Align all factors with the right platform.
Once you have done your homework — know your audience and where they are, decide what type of content is better, and your social goals — you can compare the different social media platforms and find which will meet your needs. Remember, staying true to your niche needs is key to success.
