Most people are aware of the potential that social media has to offer when it comes to growing their businesses. It can be challenging, however, to know which social media channel will be most effective for a specific business and why.
Some would suggest that every business should have a presence on every social media platform available while others have seen first-hand, how focusing on the right channel can lead to fantastic results.
Here we share some thoughts and ideas on what you should consider when choosing social media channels for your business.
Know Your Customer
One thing every business, both big and small, should know is who their customer is. This includes age range, income range and even gender. Knowing who your average customer is will greatly impact which social media channels you should use. For example, Instagram has been proven to be much more popular with younger females. You will find an entirely different audience on LinkedIn. When you’re hoping to reach your target customer through social media, you need to know who they are.
Your Product or Service
Another important factor in choosing the best social media channel is deciding where your product or service will be seen in the best light. If you are offering home décor services and products for example, you will probably want to focus on social media channels that are big on images and photos. Businesses that sell informational products may not rely as heavily on images and will see better results by getting their messages across in short bursts, such as Twitter.
Take Them for a Test Drive
Fortunately, setting up a social media channel is quick, easy and free most of the time. You risk nothing by setting up several different channels and then trying some different strategies with each. It won’t take long to identify which channels are getting you the best responses.
The Big 4
It’s been said that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ are by far the biggest and most well known social media channels out there and that most businesses are safe with those 4 platforms. However, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and Four-Square have all shown to be valuable when it comes to connecting and networking through social media. If in doubt, start with the big 4 (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+) and then work from there.
Strategy and Time
Remember that success with social media does not necessarily happen over night. It can definitely take some time to find the best strategies that work for your specific business. Stick with it and you’ll soon begin to see what works.
For more hints and tips on social media marketing and how to integrate design and print marketing, call Printing Solutions at 480-596-6300.