Social media is a great way to build a strong reputation and attract new customers. However, each platform serves different needs. A huge company can sustain a presence on every popular social media site, but small business owners can’t. Get the best out of social media by picking the platforms that are right for your particular business.
Why the Right Social Media Platform Matters
Selecting the right platform can be one of the most important small business marketing decisions. If you spread yourself too thin, your content on every platform will suffer. Pick the wrong platforms entirely, and you might reach a wide audience, but it will be the wrong one. When you pick the right platforms, though, everything comes together in a way that builds upon itself, creating a positive feedback loop that will continue to work for you for a long time. There is no one right answer to which platform that is; it’s down to the needs of your unique business.
Audience First
The most critical thing to know when selecting platforms is where your ideal customers are. Each platform attracts more of some demographics than others, and a social media platform dominated by teenagers is not where you want to go if you’re selling to senior citizens. Questions like “What’s trending?” and “Where are my competitors?” are worth asking, but they have to come second to audience selection. The demographics, intent, and habits can have huge differences between platforms. Audience research is critical. Ask yourself the following questions before diving in:
- What is my audience’s age range?
- What are they looking for? Do they want information, inspiration, or something else?
- Does the audience on a platform lean toward people making purchases for themselves or people making business purchases?
- Does my audience use mobile or desktop more?
- What content does my ideal audience find most engaging?
Match Content Marketing Goals to the Platform
Each platform emphasizes some content types but not others. You can find platforms for everything from short-form videos to long essays. Once you know your ideal audience is particularly active on a platform, you’ll have to consider whether you can engage in the kind of content marketing that the platform rewards. Business goals are also related to the type of content that will best serve you. Lead generation might be easiest with one type, while brand awareness could be achieved most easily with another type. Because small businesses lack the massive budgets of huge corporations, they need to focus on what they can do with their limited resources and time constraints. Consider whether you can sustain a particular type of content creation for years to come.
Making the Decision
A lot of small business owners dive into platform research with a passion, but then they find it difficult to make a final decision. That in itself can leave money on the table. Alternatively, it can cause owners to spread themselves thin on too many platforms. Focus on consistent posting to one or two platforms to start. Remember to set easy-to-measure goals ahead of time so that you notice problems early, allowing you to adjust tactics as needed. You might even discover that switching platforms is smart. However, try to avoid hopping from platform to platform based on brief trends or short-term imperfections. Making a thoughtful choice and analyzing results with care will allow you to build a long-term social media marketing campaign that works for your business.
