You’ve chosen your target audience, brainstormed your unique message, and finally, created that awesome piece of content. What’s next? Now it’s time to put it out there for everyone to see. But where exactly are you going to put it? Today, we’re giving you our guide to social media platforms. Let’s talk about the benefits of each platform and why you might choose one over the other!
As the largest social media platform out there, Facebook leads with a whopping 2 billion users. According to the Digital Marketing Institute, 61% of these users are Americans between the ages of 25-54. This should be a key indicator of the audience you’d be reaching on this platform.
Business owners across the globe are already using Facebook’s business pages and profiles to create a digital storefront at the ready for their consumers – and it’s no secret why. There are tons of benefits in choosing this platform. Here are some of the opportunities it provides!
1 Create and track advertisements: Not only can you create organic posts, but Facebook’s marketing capabilities allow for real ad campaigns that can be tracked based on performance, engagement, and more.
2 Interact with current and potential customers using messenger: Find out how you can utilize Facebook’s inbox capabilities by checking out the example below!
3 Build pages to market special events and find out who will be there: Open houses, Blowout Sales, Big Announcements, and more – Facebook’s event feature allows you to promote it all! It even allows users to give an update on their attendance by choosing “Going, Maybe, or No.”
4 Post text, images, videos, stories, and more: Facebook allows you to do all the things! Any type of content you so desire can be uploaded right to your feed, ready for your audience to see. That’s not all. Many third-party products also have the ability to link up to Facebook for your convenience!
Check out Facebook’s inbox capabilities! You’ll never forget to reply to current and potential customers using this feature! Here you are able to “assign conversations” to other employees, check off when you’ve viewed or responded to messages, or even label messages based on their purpose!
Instagram is one of the most visual social networks out there. In comparison to Facebook, it’s primary focus is on photos and short videos. Business owners typically use the platform to tell their stories in a more personal way and highlight specific offerings.
According to Blue Corona Measurable Marketing Solutions, 80% of Instagram users follow a business account and 72% say they have even purchased a product they’ve seen on the app. But who’s Instagramming? Statistica says that over half of the global Instagram user population is younger than 34 years old. Wondering why these numbers are so high? It might be because of the great tools it offers its users!
1 Post photos and videos under 60 seconds: Instagram is a highly visual platform. Use photos or 60-second videos to showcase any kind of content you wish. Much like Facebook, Instagram utilizes a paid ads platform. Sharing across platforms is as easy as clicking a button when setting up your Facebook ad.
2 Interact with your audience using the “story” feature and even go “live”: Want to post a photo or short video but don’t want it to show up on your profile/feed? That’s an easy fix with Instagram’s “story” feature. Anything you post here will be showcased at the top of your news feed when your profile photo is clicked on.
Much like on Facebook, Instagram allows you to “go live” or actively interact with your followers in an authentic way. When you’re done going “live,” the whole video will be saved, where you can see what comments and reactions your viewers had, and who exactly joined you.
3 Create your own channel on IGTV, where you can post videos longer than 60 seconds: IGTV is a unique feature created by Instagram, allowing you to utilize your own “TV channel,” where you can post videos longer than 60 seconds. Check out an example of our own channel below!
4 Chat with or reach out to consumers using direct message: Interact with others by sending posts or messages directly to any Instagram user using direct messaging.
Pictured here is our very own IGTV channel! When posting a video here, you even have the option to “post a preview” of your video to your actual Instagram account, or just keep it on IGTV. Using this feature allows you to reach an audience outside of those that follow you.
Who knew that a small animated bird would be able to deliver your message to a group of 330 million active users? This social media platform offers a wide variety of ways to connect with consumers worldwide. By sending a “tweet,” your business’ unique content can be distributed instantly to your audience.
According to Hootsuite, 22% of adults and 44% of 18-24 year-olds in the U.S. are on Twitter. But even those that don’t have their own accounts have at least heard of the platform – 92% of the U.S. population to be exact! Not only is Twitter an easy and effective way to market, but it gives your followers the chance to promote your business for you. Check out some of the awesome methods for using Twitter to reach your audience.
1 Post text, images, videos, and links to promote your business: Upload and share any content you’d like. Check out the example below to find out how Creative Edge uses Twitter to post content.
2 Engage with consumers using direct message, reply posting, or tagging: Send tweets and messages to any user through direct messaging. Respond both directly AND publicly to tweets using “reply posting,” or tag a user in a tweet to share it with them in a public way!
3 Give the public a chance to “retweet” or “quote tweet” your content: This allows you to spread your content even further to another user’s followers! “Retweeting” is similar to simply “sharing” a post on Facebook, while “Quote tweet,” allows other users to both share and add their own message!
4 Easily promote website content, blog posts, and more by directly sharing from multiple platforms: Many different platforms including websites, blog sites, and even other social media platforms give you the option to post directly to your Twitter feed.
Twitter makes it easy to create posts with any kind of content! Here’s an example of how we used Twitter to promote a sneak peek of one of our podcast episodes using text, video, and URL.
Popularly used to connect businesses and consumers of all ages, LinkedIn offers a number of benefits for B2B and B2C marketing. This network is a place to showcase your business in a professional way using informative and engaging content. Here’s what I mean. For B2B, LinkedIn is a place to share tips, tricks, and valuable knowledge with one another – especially those in similar industries. Find out what others are doing! For B2C, say you’re selling professional or industry-specific products. This platform is the perfect outlet for advertising to the right audience, right where they can see it.
CoSchedule Marketing Academy describes LinkedIn to be “used heavily for sharing industry articles and general professional content.” Business of Apps even states that over 30 million companies are already using LinkedIn. So what are you waiting for? Here are some of the awesome ways you can use the social networking platform to develop your brand.
1 Discover high-quality leads by making “connections”: Aside from obtaining “followers,” LinkedIn also allows you to make “connections.” In doing this, you are creating a mutually beneficial relationship with someone you can count on to have interest in your business.
2 Share resources from your own business with other industry-similar companies: Say you’re a digital marketing company, just like Creative Edge. LinkedIn uses this information to suggest that you connect with other similar companies! This way, you can share new ideas, information, and unique industry insight with one another.
3 Post job applications and connect with potential employees: LinkedIn’s unique “job posting” feature enables you to create your own post and discover perfect candidates for the job! Check out what this looks like below.
4 Reach out to interested consumers using direct message: You’ve made connections and obtained high-quality leads. It’s time to reach out! Send a personal message directly to those eager consumers.
Pictured here is the “Job Posting” tool on LinkedIn. Here you can create your own unique post by adding a detailed job description. Screen for qualified applicants by adding requirements, questions, and more. Fun fact: 25 MILLION professionals are viewing and applying for jobs on LinkedIn every week.
You might already be wondering, “Why is Pinterest mentioned here?” Some might even be wondering, “What is Pinterest?” This platform is completely unique – much different from any other network described in this blog. Here’s how it works. When you login, you will see a “board” of all kinds of photos. The exact photos you see are different from anyone else’s homepage because they are based on an algorithm of what’s appealing to you. With each photo, you have the option to share with a friend, save to one of your personal pinboards, or favorite, so you can come back and revisit it later. Each “pin” you save, can be categorized within your own profile, giving you the power to organize all aspects of your life if you want to! Some examples of pinboards you might create include “Home Decor,” “Outfit Inspo,” “Tips and Tricks,” or “Food.”
Although it’s one of the most overlooked forms of social media in terms of marketing businesses, there are some awesome benefits to take advantage of here. What many don’t know, is that over one-third of its users are using Pinterest to follow brands and companies!
According to Hootsuite, Pinterest’s active user base grew 26% to 335 million just last year and continues to expand at a high rate. Because there are so many businesses overlooking Pinterest to reach consumers, imagine the edge you’ll have on your competition by posting content to this platform! Here are some of the unique ways you can utilize the network to promote your content.
1 Categorize your content using “pin boards” to allow users to easily find what they are looking for: Put your awesome content exactly where consumers can find it! Take a look at the example below for how to use pinboards to categorize content.
2 Upload images of your products and directly link them to your website, where they can purchase instantly: Let’s say a potential customer clicks on one of your pinned products and can’t wait to get their hands on it. Luckily, Pinterest makes it so easy for them to immediately do so! Link your photo directly to your website for them to purchase.
3 Track your content and find out which “pins” are being shared between users: Using Pinterest’s unique analytics, you can even view your most popular pins and which ones are being shared between raving fans.
4 View photos of real people using and promoting your products in creative ways: One of the awesome things about Pinterest is that it promotes user-generated content! Individuals all over the world who are already using your amazing products can post action shots of their favorite ones.
Pictured here are EarthWork’s pinboards. By utilizing pinboards, you can easily display product collections, making it easy for users to find exactly what they’re looking for!
YOUTUBE
According to Business News Daily, YouTube currently houses 3o million visitors daily. Need we say more? This platform offers a unique approach to marketing, allowing you to give consumers an exciting look at your business in action.
Your business’ YouTube account can be made as professional, informative, and engaging as you wish. This social networking platform uses video to showcase your business in an authentic way that helps the public feel more connected to your brand. But what all can you do with it? Let’s take a look.
1 Create unique content highlighting anything and everything you offer: From specific products and announcements to day to day looks inside the workplace, share videos of your business in action with millions of people all over the world. Check out the example below for how Flex-Line Automation uses YouTube to highlight unique content.
2 Interact with your audience using the comments: Find out what viewers are saying about your video in the comments! You can even separate the ones you’ve responded to from the ones you haven’t!
3 Share videos directly to other social media platforms your business operates: Easily share your videos directly from YouTube to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, text message, and more!
4 Maximize advertising with the YouTube Partner Program: This program gives your business the opportunity to earn money as you gain premium subscribers.
Shown above is Flex-Line Automation’s YouTube channel. Here they post a wide range of video content from branding, partner highlights, and holiday fun!
From the moment you define your target audience, use this guide to social media platforms to help you decide what your best option is. By strategically placing your message in the right place, you’ll have the best shot at reaching who you intend to!
