Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Periscope, YouTube – the list goes on. But how do you choose the right social media platform for your business. Do you have to have a presence on all of them?
The short answer, NO.
Too often do business owners see the promise of social media and decide to saturate every platform with their business. This normally results in a couple of days of great content on each platform until you realise that social media isn’t as easy as initially thought.
The posts start to become further apart and lack quality, until eventually you’re only posting on one page, leaving inactive accounts on other platforms.
These inactive accounts are extremely detrimental to your business. When potential customers inevitably come across them they are left wondering if your business is still active.
They may attempt to communicate with you, even asking about purchases, but because you’re no longer using the accounts the messages are lost in the massive web of the internet.
So how do you choose the right social media platform for you?
The first thing you need to do is ask what message it is you want to be communicating to your audience, what is the page trying to achieve. Are you attempting to sell a product? Trying to get people through your business door, or maybe just trying to get some valuable exposure.
All are valid reasons – and each dictate what platform you should use and how you should use it.
If you’re trying to sell a product it is best to use platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Both of these very visual platforms allow for call to actions. Whether that be a direct online shopping function on your Facebook page or a link provided on you Instagram.
If you’re merely wanting to communicate with your audience, maintain a following and keep them coming back for more, Snapchat is the way to go. With the 24 hour story function you can post new content daily and if it’s engaging enough you’ll keep your audience coming back for.
This isn’t to say you can’t be on multiple platforms. Social media is an extremely valuable tool for businesses. When done right can achieve great things, but too often business owners just don’t have the time.
Social media managers and applications like Hootsuite can help you expand your market, but until then, focus on one or two platforms and watch your customer base and engagement grow!
Contact the Media Team Today for More Information!