There are so many social media platforms out there that it’s hard to keep track of them all, let alone establish a presence on each one. On top of that, new social media is always cropping up — so, how do you know which platform is right for you and your business?
Firstly, you need to understand that you do not need to be on every social media platform. In fact, trying to maintain a presence on multiple platforms may start doing your business more harm than good. Because each platform is so different, and because they serve different purposes to users, the rules and etiquette are different.
For example, Facebook is known for being the place people go to connect with each other. You may see longer text posts on there, along with smatterings of photos and videos — many of which share a personal story, but aren’t necessarily professional quality. It can be a very laid-back platform.
As a business, if you apply Facebook’s etiquettes to Instagram, you will not see the same return. Whereas on Facebook you can get away with highlighting the day-to-day ongoings of your practice with text posts, if you share a low-quality or relaxed image on Instagram with a long text post to accompany it, you won’t see it getting attention. People actually might be turned off by your business if they see you using the platform incorrectly because they want to see professional quality photos on Instagram that have clear directions on how to purchase your product, or how they can connect with your business. Instagram is generally good for businesses that have a pretty product to sell to a younger demographic.
These rules seem like a lot to grasp, especially because there are more social media platforms than just Facebook and Instagram, so we’ve laid out some ideas for what types of businesses we think will fit well on each platform.
LinkedIn is a great outlet for making connections with potential clients, your competition, and even professionals in other fields. There are many benefits for both large and small businesses with large and small clients.
Local and small businesses who serve in a b2c capacity will thrive on Facebook, especially using the Facebook Ads feature. This would be a great platform for tax preparers.
Trying to reach a younger demographic? This is the perfect tool for you. But remember, you’ll need plenty of photos and videos for content.
This app is great for larger companies who need to handle community management. If you want to provide quick and easy customer support to a large client base, replying to tweets would be a great way to do that.
Snapchat
Media publications serving a younger demographic do best on Snapchat. It’s one of the most niche social media platforms, so don’t be surprised if it doesn’t make your list of platforms to join.
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For more information about what you should be thinking about when picking a social media platform for your business, tune into our Facebook Live to hear from Kait LeDonne of LeDonne Branding & Marketing!
Plus, if you want to learn more from Kait about how to become a thought-leader in your industry in just 30 minutes a day, register for her seminar or webinar with MSATP on October 17.