Choose the Social Media Platform that Works for Your Business and Target Audience
Communicating through social media has become one of the easiest ways of sharing information. Social media has also become a key component in marketing efforts. There are multiple social media platforms to reach your target audience, but which platform is the best for your business? The social media platform you should use for your business is dependent on the type of business you have, as well as the goods and services you offer.
If you need help trying to figure out where you should be spending your money in social media marketing, give Catapult Creative Media a call at 225-590-3310 for professional social media marketing and management services.
First, Identify Your Target Audience
One of the most important aspects to consider when you are focusing on marketing online is what platform your target audience is on. Younger users will be more populated on Twitter and Instagram whereas older users will be on Facebook, and a largely mixed age group of mostly females on Pinterest.
However, the purpose of your post will make a difference on which social media platform you should use. Social media for business purposes is very strategic, and choosing the right platform is a part of that strategy.
Speaking Directly to Your Audience – Facebook/Twitter
Facebook has been used as a marketing tool for years, and it’s still helpful when you are trying to reach customers who are in their late twenties or older.
Facebook allows you to create a business page for your company and advertise on that page. In addition, Facebook also allows you to boost posts on your business page, which makes it a strong platform to promote your business on.
A boosted post is a post on your business page that can appear higher up on your target audience’s news feed because you pay a fee. Boosting a post can help you get the attention of your target audience who may not follow your business page on Facebook yet.
Twitter has become a highly popular social media platform amongst people in their mid-twenties and younger. Twitter is a great way to connect with your target audience in order to expand your business and increase brand awareness. Brand awareness is familiarizing customers with your business brand. The more your clients know about your products and services, the higher the chance that they will purchase from your company.
Twitter allows you to say exactly what you need in a short, impactful status. Recently, Twitter has changed its character count from 140 characters to 280 characters. This change allows you to add a few extra words to your message on Twitter, which gives you more room to post links to your website in addition to your message.
For Community Events or Important Updates, Facebook Is Best
If your company hosts local events or needs to provide urgent information to your page followers, Facebook is still the most reliable social media platform. Announcing your business will be closed on a specific day or announcing events that your business is a part of, Facebook’s event page and ability to share posts allows you to gain the most traction within the local community via social media.
This is because of how Facebook’s friend/ follow system is set up. Unlike the other social media platforms where people connect with others across the world, Facebook still remains a tightknit community platform where majority of people’s friends are relatives, friends, and people they know in their area. Hence, others in the community.
Twitter Is Best for Brand Identity
Twitter can be a powerful tool for gaining brand exposure and humanizing your brand. Because brand posts are spread best through likes and retweets, posting fun, interesting, and relevant content is key. Users will not go on Twitter to check up on local events going on or updated business hours, so use the platform for more clever, non-business posts. Interact with your followers, create a brand personality, and get creative.
Being Visual – Instagram/Pinterest
Millennials and younger generations are moving away from using Facebook. This is primarily why both Instagram and Pinterest are popular among younger generations.
Instagram is an interactive platform that provides a way for you to show your products off in a visual fashion. Along with normal posting, the platform also has another feature called stories. Instagram stories are posted images and videos that cannot be viewed by your audience after 24 hours.
Stories are a great way to make sure that your business shows up on Instagram frequently with different content. Once an Instagram story is posted, your story moves to the front of all other peoples’ stories, which makes it easier for your audience to see. Instagram stories also offer options to vote on various items, add locations, and add links. Voting has added to the interactive feature and can benefit you greatly if your target audience is using Instagram frequently.
Like Facebook, Instagram Is Best for Interacting with Users That Follow and Are Familiar with Your Community
For visual posts to announce company events or updates, Instagram is your social media platform sidekick. To increase exposure, your followers will not be able to share your posts. This is something to keep in mind when you are deciding what to post. To increase followers and brand traction, like Twitter, hashtags and promotional events for your followers is the best strategy.
[RELATED: Are Hashtags Still an Effective Marketing Strategy?]
Again, remember that Instagram posts cannot be shared, so gaining a strong social media following will be a bigger challenge compared to the other social media platforms. However, because Instagram is owned by Facebook, you can also share your Instagram posts on your Facebook page to double cover the amount of exposure your posts receive.
Pinterest Is the Social Media Platform for Visual, Sharable Content
What makes Pinterest such a unique social media platform is that you do not need a strong following to get thousands of reposts on your content. Because it is a platform for ideas, inspiration, and interests, you can easily find your niche on the platform.
Pinterest allows users to find new ideas and save them by “pinning” the images on boards. You can share blogs, infographics, industry tips, and so much more on the platform. And best of all, you can link all your posts (or “pins”) back to your website. Pinterest is a great way to find new products and services as well as do-it-yourself, or DIY, projects. Pinterest also specifically targets a largely female demographic, which may be your business’s ideal consumer market.
Like Instagram, Pinterest is a predominately visual social media platform, allowing you to share images of your products or services. It captures the attention of the audience through visuals, and then it links out to other sites. This would be a great place to promote the best image of your products and link it to your website.
All you need is to optimize your titles and descriptions for Pinterest’s search engines and have relevant, appealing content that people will want to saved and share to their followers. You may need a search engine strategist to help, but it is one of the best ways to get exposure from users across the world that are interested in industries like yours.
Need Some Help? Call Catapult Creative Media for More Information
That was a lot of information we unloaded, but we promise it is worth it. For more help with choosing the right social media platforms for your busines, schedule a free consultation with our brand strategists today at 225-590-3310.
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Patsy Hartsell is a senior at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She is pursuing a degree in mass communication with a concentration in advertising, and a minor in English. She loves coffee, but loves cute coffee mugs even more.
Work with Catapult Creative Media Inc. Catapult Creative Media Inc. is a digital marketing and design agency serving clients over the United States but is proud to call Baton Rouge, Louisiana home. Founded in 2007, Catapult provides digital, social and mobile marketing solutions backed by relevant strategy and measurable results. Catapult works the web to their clients’ advantage, launching them to their next level of success.
