How much time do you spend on social media?
Well, according to Statista, online users across the world (which are 3.196 billion) spend 135 minutes per day on social media.
From scrolling Instagram feed while standing in the grocery line to posting check-ins on Facebook during dinner – social media has become an inextricable part of our lives.
People have already become social media addicts. They spend most of their time browsing different social media platforms.
But who’s really cashing in on this addiction?
Of course, businesses!
Marketers are always found where most of the crowd is. And these days, the crowd is mostly on social media.
The rampant growth of social media has fueled the demand for social media marketing. Today, almost every business has acknowledged the dynamic capabilities of these platforms.
According to Hubspot, 92% of marketers believe that social media is extremely crucial for the success of their business.
Another study by QuickSprout showed that 24% of businesses saw a direct increase in revenue with social media marketing.
You can’t run ignore this.
To establish a successful business online is a challenge in itself. And not harnessing the benefits of social media marketing can really put your business on the backseat.
But you need to master social media to generate revenue with it. And to start with your social media marketing, you need to know which channels will work great for your business. According to Yasmin Bendror, it’s better to excel in one or two channels instead of wasting your time and energy on every new kid on the block.
Without further ado, let’s see which social media channels are best for your business
To choose platforms for your social media strategy, there are few factors to consider.
Audience & competitors
When it comes to choosing social media channels, you really need to ask two questions –
- Where is your audience at?
- Where are your competitors?
Obviously, the primary goal of implementing social media marketing is to garner leads and conversions. And you cannot do that on social media channels that don’t have your target audience.
Now research the demographics of every channel. This will help you know which channels have your target audience and which don’t. You should also research your competitors and see on which channels they are promoting their services.
Business type, resource and time
Now to excel in one or two social media channels, you need to have the right resources and plenty of time. The amount of time and the type of resources you have at your disposal can really influence your channel selection. Also, the type of business you run.
For example, if you run a B2B business, you might want to focus on LinkedIn more than other platforms. On the other hand, if you are a B2C business, you can really connect with your audience on Facebook and Instagram.
Your goal
What is your goal for social media marketing? Is it to create awareness or drive more traffic to your site or increase revenue? Every business has different goals. Depending on your goal, your channel selection differs. Social media channels such as Instagram and Snapchat are great for increasing awareness for B2B business. However, these channels work like a charm for e-commerce businesses looking to sell their products.
Untapped opportunity
Do you see any untapped opportunity in the world of social media? As a matter of fact, social media is a vast world. And not every business is using every channel. There can be a channel or two which your competitor might not be using. This means you might have a chance to sneak through the window and mark your territory on a channel unexplored by your competitor. This will help you reach out to your target audience before your competitor does.
Different social media channels
It’s time to learn about different social media channels.
Facebook is one of the oldest social media channels that also has the largest number of active users. It has more than 2 billion monthly active users. When used properly, Facebook can work wonders for small to large-scale businesses.
Facebook statistics:
- More than 68% of US adults use Facebook on a daily basis. In fact, 51% of US adults visit the site more than a couple of times a day.
- Facebook has a 77% engagement rate which is, by far, the highest.
- Facebook is more popular among people in Indonesia, Brazil, and India
- The younger user demographics of Facebook includes 12% female and 19% male.
What type of content works on Facebook?
Facebook is a complete social media channel. It works great for almost every type of business. Creating and sharing videos, latest news, and audience-centric content can get you the most engagement.
However, over the past few years, organic reach on Facebook has declined significantly. And since it is the first choice of many businesses, it might be difficult to cut through the noise.
Just behind Facebook is Instagram with 1 billion active monthly users. It is yet another popular social media channel that is a part of almost every marketing plan.
Instagram Statistics
- Instagram sees high women engagement. In comparison to 30% men, 39% of women use Instagram
- Instagram is also highly popular among teens. More than 63% of teens use Instagram
- Instagram is extremely popular among millennials
What type of content works great on Instagram?
- High-quality videos and images.
- Instagram Story: interactive content and genuine behind-the-scenes footage tweaked with Story stickers, and.
- Informational videos and tutorials
Twitter has a following of more than 126 million daily users. It works great for both B2B businesses as it can be used to share news update, a tech update, and blog posts.
Twitter Statistics
- 80% of activities on Twitter happen on mobile.
- 12% of US adults use Twitter as their prime source of news
- 32% of Twitter users have college graduate degrees
- 25% of U.S. male adults and 24% of female adults use Twitter on a regular basis
What type of content works on Twitter?
News updates, blog posts, and GIFs work great on Twitter.
LinkedIn is a professional network and is great of B2B business. Even though it’s not old, it has garnered a lot of attention.
LinkedIn Statistics
- LinkedIn has more than 500 million users
- It has more than 1.8 million active groups
- Medical and finance are two popular industries on LinkedIn
- It has an equal percentage of both male and female users
What type of content works on LinkedIn?
Professional resources, company news, tech updates, job postings, and blog posts work great on LinkedIn.
Pinterest is yet another popular social media channel. It has more than 250 million active monthly users. Unlike other channels, you cannot have direct communication with your audience on Pinterest. Having said that, you can still get your message across to your target audience through interactive content.
Pinterest statistics:
- Pinterest is more popular among millennials. 50% of millennials use Pinterest every month
- More than 40% of users on Pinterest have a yearly income of 100,000
- 98% of Pinterest users seek creative ideas on Pinterest
- It is extremely popular for style, fashion, travel, food, and lifestyle
What type of content works on Pinterest?
Vertical images and infographics work great on Pinterest
Over to you
Choosing the right channels is extremely crucial to channelize your energy, time and money in the right direction. Once you have carefully chosen your social media platforms, create an effective marketing strategy. Create and publish content. Measure your results and update your strategy accordingly.
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