With all the different social media platforms out there that are available for business owners to use, “Where do I start?” is a common question. Most businesses and nonprofits understand the value of using social media to reach customers, but have to realize that all platforms may not be for them.
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are great places to start because it’s easier to get your message across and create engagement. Snapchat, Pinterest and even Instagram can be more difficult to capitalize from, as these platforms are image-based and may not work well for some businesses. For example, a plumbing business will most likely not see the benefits of using a platform such as Instagram, whereas a flower shop could see a tremendous increase in exposure and engagement by posting pictures of floral arrangements.
Social media can be utilized more effectively depending on the type of business and the goals of the business owner. Sometimes, it may come down to increasing your creativity when presenting your business to the world.
So what are the top platforms and what do they do? Here’s a breakdown of each:
Almost everyone is on Facebook and this gives you a great opportunity to develop and hit your target audience because you can engage with them in a direct way. Consider advertising or paying to promote your page on Facebook and you can gain a lot of exposure for your business.
Twitter is a great social-sharing tool. Relevancy, personality and brevity are the keys to making your voice heard. However, typically you must post multiple times a day to be seen/heard. Hashtags play an important role in Twitter, so try to use them frequently.
Instagram is completely image-based; it can be a good choice for businesses that rely upon visuals to get their message across. You must post from your phone, but using hashtags can help you gain a lot of exposure.
Users pin and re-pin posts to Pinterest boards, which when used properly, can drive traffic to your website. Pinterest is also image-based and differs from other popular search engines that favor content. Pinning and re-pinning frequently is necessary to stay current for a given search term, regardless of the popularity of your content.
LinkedIn focuses on business-to-business connections and is equivalent to good old-fashioned networking. This can help you connect to a wide range of people and give your business exposure to a large number of professionals and other business owners.
Google+
Google+ is great for content-rich posts like promoting a blog or driving traffic to your website. Keywords and search engine optimization are central to the appeal of Google+. Link often to content on your own website to direct this search boost where you want it most.
Using social media shouldn’t cause anxiety, but it often does just that when business owners try to do too much. Start slowly, and build your message on one platform at a time.