We’ve talked quite a bit about social media these days, from the hottest trends in video to some of the most underrated features in Instagram, so now it’s time to focus in on which social media platforms you should be using for your business. The answer: it depends on your organization and your audience. With so many platforms available, selecting the best fit can feel a little overwhelming.
Follow these steps to help you determine the best social media platforms for your organization.
Step 1. Understand your business.
Start by narrowing down your social media goals. What are you trying to achieve? Maybe you are looking to expand your audience or educate your current customers (or a little bit of both). Starting with your end goal in mind goes a long way into helping determine which platform to use.
Also, make sure you really understand your organization’s tone and voice. Are you professional and serious? Or maybe fun and lighthearted. How will this translate across social media?
Step 2. Get to know your target market.
Get those marketing personas ready! Understanding your audience is the first step to knowing how to reach them on social media. This is where those personas that we’ve talked about before will come in handy. This is also a friendly reminder that just because [insert social media platform of the moment, i.e. TikTok, IG, Twitter] might be super popular right now, it doesn’t necessarily mean that is where you will find and connect with your customers and prospective customers. Don’t believe us? Check out these stats from HubSpot:
- older generations have increased their Facebook use in the past four years. In fact, the share of the Silent generation using Facebook has nearly doubled.
- Twitter appeals to younger audiences. In fact, 38% of Twitter users are between the ages of 18-29, and 26% of users are 30-49.
- Instagram also appeals to younger generations, with 35% of users being ages 25-34 and 30% being 18-24.
When in doubt, dive a little deeper into the data. More than likely you are already using one or two social media platforms, so take a look and see who is currently using and viewing your content. But don’t stop there. Do additional research around your target audience and learn as much as you can about them. Need a place to start? Check out this 2021 Social Media Trends report by Hootsuite and this helpful infographic by Social Media Today.
Step 3. Make sure you are listening.
Listening or monitoring social media platforms helps you to understand more about your target audience and how to effectively engage with them. This means following hashtags and keywords related to your product or service, checking out mentions of your organization and of course, it doesn’t hurt to scout out and follow the competition. There are some great listening tools available that make following all the different social media platforms a lot easier. Check out this Hubspot article which walks through 15 different tools.
Create a plan and stick to it
A successful social media program takes time and dedication. So, once you have done the research and determined which platforms you are going to use, the next best step is to set some goals and create a plan to achieve them. Get your team onboard and involved, assign tasks and go for it. Of course, if you need help along the way, we are here for you. Don’t be shy – contact us today!