How to Choose the Right Social Media Platforms.

When it comes to social media, one of the most important decisions you’ll need to make is deciding which platforms to utilize. More often than not, when small businesses decide to invest in social media marketing, they decide to follow the status quo and jump on the social networks that they think are the most popular at the time. However, this isn’t necessarily the best strategy to employ. Before you select a network, there are two main questions you need to ask yourself: 1) Where does my audience ‘hang out’? and  2) How do I communicate on the platforms? 

 

It makes no sense to be on a social media platform if your target audience isn’t there; this will get you zero results. You have to first understand your customer - or potential customer, as well as understand the platforms and the type of audience using each. For example, if you sell toothpaste created specifically for cleaning dentures, then Snapchat shouldn’t be the first choice for your brand, since most of their audience is under the age of 25. The best suited platform would possibly be Facebook, as the their active user base spans a wider age range, which includes your intended audience. 

 

Knowing how to communicate with your audience on the various platforms is another key to success. Having a good grasp of the users on the platform’s modus operandi and ‘jargon’ will guide your content development efforts and ultimately increase engagement and brand awareness. Twitter, for example, is very conversational and in-the-moment, so you’ll build great relationships by joining in on conversations that align with your brand and that your target audience is interested in. 

 

All that being said, remember that nothing is set in stone, and there’s nothing wrong with experimenting (as long as you don’t neglect your core audience). You should check in on the networks from time to time, and look at updated stats, to make sure you don’t get left behind when the platforms’ audiences move around (they always do).