There are sooo many benefits to a business’s presence on social media.
Your target customers are reminded of your business every single day, every time they view, like, or share one of your posts (even if your posts aren’t about your business!). This leads to warm fuzzy feelings about your business which translates into customer traffic and sales! Social media platforms are like 24/7 marketers that are F-R-E-E, free! You’re able to communicate with customers if they’re having problems with your products or services, build relationships with them, and obtain their trust.
Using social media platforms also increases your business’s SEO (that’s Search Engine Optimization); simply put, the more often your business’s name/branding is on the web, the more likely it is to show up at the top of a basic Google search. A whopping 87% of small businesses claim that using social media helped their business. However, deciding which platforms to devote your time and energy into can be somewhat confusing. Don’t worry, we’re here to help!
Let’s start with Facebook
Facebook is a definite must for any business. As of April 2016, 1.59 BILLION users were active on the platform! It’s the most used social media site across all age groups, used by 64% of Americans ages 12+. Every single time someone likes your page or one of your posts, all of their friends see that, and they’re likely to check out your business and like it themselves. Facebook also has an extremely affordable targeted advertising option (I’m talking like $5 a day); they let you choose who your ad shows up for based on location, age, gender, interests, and more so you can advertise to EXACTLY who you want to. Plus, you probably already have a personal Facebook account so you don’t even have to sign up for anything more! If you don’t believe me just take a look at this graph:
Facebook is almost off the charts! (When I first saw this, I was like “where is Facebook? Oh wow, allllll the way up there!” So do your business a favor, and set up a Facebook business page.
Ok, how about Instagram
Instagram is (pretty much) 100% a picture-taking App. So if you don’t have a smart phone, or your product/service can’t be photographed, you might want to skip this one. It’s also largely (70%) being used by women ages 18-35; if that’s not your target market, then heave a sigh of relief and move right along. However, if you ARE looking to target that group, keep reading; Instagram has 58 times more engagement per follower than Facebook. According to a November 2015 study, 60% of Instagram users said they discover new products on the platform, and users are 2.5 times more likely to click on Instagram ads than any other social media ads! And look at that graph above again, Instagram is pretty much #2 (Ok, maybe it’s #3, but Snapchat is a little tricky).
New to Instagram this August, Instagram Stories allows users to post even more photos and videos. Just like Snapchat, the images/videos can be edited with emojis, text, or drawings, and disappear after 24 hours. Stories from the Instagrammers you follow show up at the top of the app, above the normal Instagram block feed. If you’re unsure of whether or not to make your business a Snapchat account, first try out Instagram Stories – the feature is well on its way to taking over for Snapchat.
Next up, Twitter
Twitter is ALLL about connecting with the brands you love. Nearly 6,000 tweets are sent PER SECOND in the Twittersphere. It’s the perfect place to share news about your products, your brand, your business, or your industry. Short, sweet, and to the point, tweets are snappy little updates about the latest trending news. Add in an image, a link to your blog post, and some #hashtags to be found, and you’ll have yourself a gaggle of happy little followers in no time. Twitter users are 3 times as likely to follow a brand than Facebook users, with 49% of Tweeters are already following brands and companies they enjoy. Twitter is for discovering new products, learning about the brands you love, communicating with them, and providing opinions about those brands/products, all in 140 characters or less.
Now it’s time for Pinterest
Pinterest is another image-based social network. Infographics are PERFECT for Pinterest. When users click on the image, they’re directed to the site the photo came from and BOOM, more users on your site. It’s used largely for online shopping; however, informational posts are also key. In the past 6 months, 93% of Pinterest users have shopped online. It’s like, the place to be for saving things you’d like to purchase. The platform is home to 1.4 BILLION wedding idea pins. It’s not only for women either; 1/3 of new users are men. So take a pic, post it to your board, and watch the pinners pin! Users referred to an online store via Pinterest are 10% more likely to make a purchase than users of other social media networks. AND (more importantly), an astounding 93% of
pinners use the platform to plan or make purchases. If your business sells like literally ANYTHING, you need a Pinterest page.
Moving on to LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the online networking hub. Users can connect with other professionals, businesses, and specialized groups, have an online resume, and seek out potential employees. One in every three professionals IN THE WORLD is on LinkedIn, including 40 Million students and recent graduates. For Business 2 Business, LinkedIn is a must for sharing industry news, helpful articles, and business updates. Rather than focusing on your customers, LinkedIn should be used for growing your business network and connecting with the people who can propel you forward.
Oh boy, the big question mark, Snapchat
If you’re unfamiliar with Snapchat, I’ll give you a briefing: you take a picture, add a little text on top, maybe some emojis, send to all of your friends or only a select few, and it disappears in 1-10 seconds (or 24 hours if you add it to your story). Again, this one is 100% a mobile app. Snapchat is THE fastest growing network and the second most-used after Facebook. Mainly a hip, young person thing, 60% of users are between 13 and 24 years of age, followed by 25-34 year olds at 26%. But don’t’ let that scare you away just yet, 28% of teens ranked Snapchat as the most important social network. If you’re targeting the new generation of consumers, Snapchat is the platform to look into. As of April 2016, users watch 10 BILLION videos a day on the platform. Here’s the real kicker, an impressive 58% of college students would likely purchase a brand’s product or service if sent a coupon via the app. However, Snapchat may see some backlash from Instagram’s new Stories feature which is eerily similar. If you’re still on the fence about Snapchat, I’d recommend testing out Instagram Stories first.
And finally, YouTube
I’m sure you all know what YouTube is, but just in case: it’s for videos. YouTube reaches more 18-49 year olds than any cable network in the U.S.! With 4 billion daily video views, it’s no wonder that users find it more engaging than cable. If you’re going to make a video for your business, I’d recommend putting it on YouTube. After viewing an ad for a game on the platform, 64% of gamers downloaded the game.
Final Thoughts
DON’T STRESS IT! Choosing the right social media networks for your business is daunting. But keep in mind 3 key things:
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- Your product/service
- Your target market
- The type of content you’d like to produce
If you can’t photograph your product/service, then perhaps visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat just aren’t for you. Keep in mind your target consumer as well. If you’re customers are mainly 35+, then it wouldn’t make sense to have a Snapchat account considering the majority of users are under 35. And finally, consider your content. Videos are not for Pinterest, and shopping is not for YouTube. Go for what works for your business, otherwise you’re wasting your time.
Questions?
Have questions about this post or anything I discussed here? Send me a message!
