Target your audience and market your brand with the right social media.
By Abigail Thorpe
Facebook and Instagram might be the giants of the social media platforms—and like we discussed in previous posts, you should absolutely take advantage of them for marketing your business—but there are a lot of other good (and bad) platforms out there. The question is, which ones to focus on?
You don’t want to put all of your eggs in one basket and rely only on one social media platform, but it’s also important to carefully choose where and how you focus your time, energy and money. You can’t do it all, so put your resources into the platforms that will deliver the best results; whether that’s new customers, branding, or greater reach and influence.
Eighty-one percent of U.S. consumers have at least one social media platform, and over half have two or more. So if you’re on two or more platforms, there’s a pretty good chance you’re reaching who you need to.
YouTube isn’t just a place to watch that hilarious video clip that went viral—it’s also a big player in the social media field. It has 2 billion monthly active users, which means you’ve got access to a big pool. Video is getting bigger and bigger when it comes to marketing, and the best part about YouTube is it’s owned by Google, so you’ll have access to Google’s advertising platform, and if you pay attention to keywords, your ranking can go up pretty fast.
Pinterest is a highly visual platform, and lends itself best to businesses who have a creative side. Its users are primarily female, so keep this in mind when considering using it for marketing purposes. If your business is in the lifestyle, design, food or wedding industry, this might be a great opportunity to expand your business and grow your brand image.
Twitter has been around for a while now, and it’s definitely not for every business or purpose-—t’s like a never ending conversation you can’t keep up with. However, it does have 336 million monthly active users, and is a great place to do research and find out what is happening in your industry, gain followers or influencers, and track what people are wanting.
Sometimes it feels like Snapchat got big and then went silent. Maybe it’s because half of its users are between the ages of 18 and 24, and it appeals to a pretty young audience in general. But if that’s your target market, then it might just be the best fit for your business. It’s not small—with 350 million monthly active users—and its stories can be a great way to influence your customer base.
These are by no means all of the platforms available to you, but they’re some of the big ones. So how do you decide which to focus on? Set your goals, determine your target audience, and do some research to see which platforms and channels that audience is already interacting with. It’s easier to gain the attention of an audience that’s already there than to build one. Ask yourself what type of content your brand does best with, and pour your energy into that. Need some help getting started? Rocket Fish Digital is here to help.