Every small business knows that social media is a powerful way to connect with customers, boost brand awareness, and increase sales. However, not all social media platforms are good for your business as not all will help you achieve your goals.

Keep reading to find out the FIVE FACTORS you need to consider for using the right platform for social media marketing.

Identify Your Target Audience

Begin by identifying your target audience. The more you know them, the better will be your selection of a social media platform. Define your market by gender, age, occupation, location, buying habits, and lifestyle choices. This information will help you choose the platforms that you can find in this market. For example, on TikTok for Millennials and teens or Facebook for Baby Boomers.

Consider The Nature of Your Business

To settle on the right social media platform, assessing the nature of your business is essential! If your business is in the business-to-consumer category, Facebook and Instagram will be your best bet for boosting its visibility. On the other hand, if your business falls in the business-to-business category, LinkedIn will work best for your business by helping you to build a connection with other enterprises. 

Analyze Your Competition

Researching your competitors’ social media activities can also help you settle on the right platform for you. ‘Spy’ on their social media pages to see the type of content that they post. Establish their frequency of uploading content and the rate of engagement with their content. This will give you a hint of which particular social media platform has the best returns. You can choose that same social media platform to promote your products as well! For example, if you find that Facebook works best for them, create your page and direct your marketing efforts here.

Identify Your Social Media Marketing Goals

Your reasons for having a social media platform will influence your choice of a social media platform to market through. Facebook and Instagram offer the best platforms for a business whose desire is to engage more with its followers through sharing content. Those prioritizing customer support will find Twitter a better fit!

The Type of Content You Post 

The content you curate will determine the social media that makes the right fit for your business. If using video content, choose the YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram platforms.

Other Tips to Keep In Mind

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You don’t have to be on every social media platform

Since not all social media platforms may suit your business, being in the platforms where your target market spends their time is a better strategy! 

Best practices you can implement to maximize platform value for your business.

Create high-quality, visual content to get the most of your social media marketing. If you choose Facebook, for example, posting original and engaging photos of your product can exponentially drive up your engagement levels! It is because visual content tends to grab more attention. 

Provide excellent customer support through your social media platforms. 

This will increase your accessibility and improve your credibility because you address questions, complaints, and concerns readily. 

Consistently posting valuable content is essential. 

This is a key tactic for your business to generate more leads. When done right, your content will connect you to your prospective customers. 

Capitalizing on platform strengths

There are ways of capitalizing on the strengths of social media platforms to drive better engagement rates and establish relationships with your prospects. Some of these are: 

• Incorporating social icons into your email templates is an example of how to capitalize on the strength of your social media platforms. It will encourage more social shares of your pages.
• Cross-channel promotions are another great tactic to capitalize on the strength of whatever social media platform you have chosen to market through. For example, your business can create a hashtag on Twitter while simultaneously running a contest on Instagram or Facebook. 

Get the best Digital Marketing Agency in Los Angeles behind you TODAY!

Every business needs to invest in social media marketing to promote its growth because it increases visibility, leads, and conversions. However, selecting the right social media platforms is paramount. Use these tips we have shared to choose the right platforms for your social media marketing for the successful growth of your business! Good luck! 

Give us a call today at 310-340-0619 today and claim your FREE Digital Marketing Audit today! We’ll talk soon.