January 10, 2022
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5 min read
Choosing the right social media platform for your business in 2023 is a tall order.
The problem is, there are now hundreds of social media apps to choose from and no business has the time to be on all of them effectively.
So how do you choose? Especially if you only have time to focus your marketing efforts on one, maybe two, platforms?
This post will break down the five major social media platforms you should be considering and how to choose the right one so you can:
After you read this, we promise you will be able to confidently pick the right social platform for your business.
The first step to choosing the right platform for your small business is knowing who your target demographic is. This includes your customer base and the people most likely attracted to your brand, products and services.
To determine who your target audience is, you need to know:
Having a clear understanding of these things will help you draw an accurate picture of who you are trying to connect with.
Also Read: How To Work With Social Media Influencers
Once you know who you are trying to reach, you need to define your ultimate goals.
For most businesses, the primary goal of social media is to drive sales, book appointments or funnel traffic to your website. But for some, social media is about more than just direct conversions.
Some businesses use social media to build a loyal community surrounding their brand and values. For others, social media is a tool to provide direct customer service or engagement.
Which social media platform will work best for your needs will largely depend on your goals.
While most of these social media platforms offer small businesses both organic (unpaid) and advertising (paid) options for marketing, the route you take will depend on what you can afford to spend.
For example, Facebook is a massive platform with untold reach, but recent changes to the algorithm have made it difficult for brands to get their organic content in front of new eyes. Facebook advertising is also relatively affordable, so a combination of both paid and organic content might be the best route on this platform.
Meanwhile, the TikTok algorithm promotes content that people engage with quickly. So even if your brand is new on the platform and only has a few dozen followers, if your content is good, it can go viral more quickly than a post on Facebook might.
Another thing to keep in mind is that spending money saves you time. Going the organic route requires a ton of thought and consistency and can take hours out of your week to create content that your audience wants to engage with.
So, if you want to save some cash, focusing on organic content over paid initiatives will make more sense. Just be prepared to spend a lot more time on your marketing.
Also Read: Small Business Marketing Ideas For Smaller Budgets
Now that you know who your audience is, what your goals are and how much money you can spend, you can decide which platforms best fit your needs.
While there are hundreds of social media apps to choose from, we wanted to break down the top five: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Facebook is probably the most recognized social media platform around today. Almost every business has a page that allows them to connect with their network and build a community of supporters who know where to look for news and updates about your brand.
However, the sad reality is Facebook organic reach is at an all-time-low. In fact, since 2017, branded content on Facebook has fallen more than 45%. The truth is, if you want to have your content seen by more people on Facebook, paid social campaigns are the way to go.
That being said, having a Facebook presence is still an important part of your social media strategy. It offers a strong boost for SEO purposes and creates a sense of validity for your brand.
We do recommend having a page, but as the trend towards paid involvement grows and frankly, becomes necessary, posting regularly doesn’t need to be at the top of your priority list.
You might just be screaming into the void.
Also Read: Boosted Vs. Paid Posts: What’s The Best Strategy?
Twitter is used by millions of people each day to interact with their favourite brands. Twitter organizes the content on their platform with the use of hashtags and offers insight into what topics are currently trending.
Twitter is a great place to see what topics are popular on any given day. Twitter is also used by many businesses as a way to provide 24/7 customer support. Customers can tag businesses about their products or services and ask questions.
Depending on what your ultimate social media goals are, Twitter can be an effective tool for businesses.
TikTok is an app known for its short-form video content. TikTok is especially popular among a younger demographic, particularly 12-24 year-olds.
TikTok has one of the most advanced algorithms used by a social media platform yet. Which means it does an excellent job of offering up relevant content to its users. It also means brands or personalities that might not have a lot of followers can still get millions of views on their videos.
TikTok is an excellent platform for businesses who want to leverage the power of social media without spending a lot of money.
Also Read: TikTok Guide For Beginners
Instagram is a rapidly growing highly-visual social media platform that focuses primarily on video and photo content. As of July 2021, 31.4% of Instagram users were between 25 and 34 years old, with the second highest demographic of users being between 18 and 24 years old.
Instagram is a great platform to nurture an audience of loyal followers and share insight into who you are as a brand and give customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business.
Instagram has recently added a new feature that allows users to shop products directly within the app. Instagram also recently launched Reels, a short-form video content feature similar to TikTok.
YouTube is a video social media platform that is also considered the second largest search engine in the world. YouTube can be an effective video platform for your small business. Lifestyle, fitness and wellness brands have seen huge success on the platform and ‘How To’ videos are the most commonly searched videos.
While organic content can do well over time, YouTube also has a paid advertising option that allows small businesses to advertise before certain videos. Depending on your budget and who you want to reach, YouTube might just be the right place for your business.
No matter which app you decide to focus on, in 2023 the content you create needs to be high-quality and engaging for your endeavours to be successful.
Do your research and find out what your audience likes to see and emulate that content for your brand. There is no secret sauce when it comes to social media.
Just time, creativity and a whole lot of research.
And, if you don’t have the time to invest in these platforms yourself?
Hiring a social media manager might be just the lifeline you were looking for. A social media manager stays on top of changing trends and creates the content for you, so you can focus on your business.
Check out our social media management services here or connect with us on Instagram.
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