Social media marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to gain valuable data and reach new clients that should not be overlooked as part of an overall marketing strategy. It makes good business sense to connect with your target audience in the very place where they are choosing to spend their time. Social media is the essential tool that makes it possible to connect with your audience.
There are many benefits for businesses to use social media, including building brand awareness and presence, building credibility, developing relationships, gathering marketing research and increasing website traffic and optimising search engine searches like your google rankings.
Navigating the social media world can be overwhelming. To help you, here are the top six social media platforms that you should start with as you build your online presence. If you do not have an online presence, your business may suffer. It is highly recommended that your business work with a professional agency to help manage your online presence. It is also important to undergo social media training before you engage on these platforms.
Top six social media marketing platforms
1. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the most important business platform for business to businesses (B2B’s) among the different social media sites. People are relying more and more on the digital world for networking and finding new leads, and as a marketer or business owner, this is a great place to start. For company spokespeople and CEO’s, LinkedIn is a great platform that helps you show off your credentials, build authority and trust, all while connecting with potential partners, journalists and clients.
2. Facebook
As of the third quarter of 2018, Facebook had 2.27 billion monthly active users.
That’s a huge audience, and it’s one that’s constantly growing. If your business doesn’t have an active Facebook presence, you are missing out a huge opportunity to reach your audience. Facebook also offers targeted ad options that allow you to carefully target the people who see your posts, which can help convert more viewers into clients.
3. Instagram
As of June 2018, the mainly mobile photo sharing network had reached 1 billion monthly active users, up from 800 million in September 2017. The app is one of the most popular social networks worldwide and a great tool to tell your business story visually. A picture is worth a thousand words!
4. Google+
Do you want your business to show up on Google? Adding a Google+ page is going to be key to that. When you post on Google+, it immediately gets indexed and shows up in search results, making it great for search engine optimisation and your visibility in the search engines.
4. YouTube
YouTube can be a good option if your business has a number of video tutorials or product demos. You can use the videos to build product understanding and trust, branding yourself as an expert in the field.
5. Twitter
Twitter is on the bottom of the list because it’s the least helpful of these, but it can be beneficial for those businesses that have frequent updates and wants to engage more with their audiences. It is often used as a complaints outlet, so be aware that it will take strict monitoring and management. Engagement is in real time and your company would have to respond promptly to any engagement from your audience. It can also potentially flare up into a crises and it is advisable to get a professional to help you and to give you some social media training before you start. It’s also free and easy to use, so you might as well add it to your branding efforts. As of the first quarter of 2018, Twitter had 336 million monthly active users worldwide.
Don’t let the social media world pass your business by. Contact a professional agency to help set up your profiles and implement your social media strategy to enjoy the benefits of these marketing platforms for your business.