Social media has changed the way we do business in many ways. It’s hard to imagine doing business without it these days. With all of the available social media channels out there, though, it can be tough to know which is best for you. In this post, we’ll go over some of the most popular social media channels. We’ll examine what they have to offer small businesses so you can choose the one that’s right for you and your company.
1) Facebook
With 1.86 billion monthly active users, Facebook dominates all other social media channels. According to Hootsuite, 53 percent of U.S. businesses use Facebook as their primary social media platform.
2) Twitter
Twitter has been a small-business marketing favorite for years. It’s an easy channel to use and promote, and it’s especially useful if you’re trying to get in front of a younger audience. While Facebook users tend to be older (the average age of a user is 43), Twitter users are likely to be younger (30, on average). If your target customer is aged in 20s or 30s, then Twitter may be one of your best bets.
3) LinkedIn
It’s a professional social network, so it’s a great place to connect with other professionals and potential clients or employees. You can also share your posts on LinkedIn through LinkedIn Pulse, a blogging platform designed for professionals. Here, you can connect with influencers in your industry and use it as another opportunity to grow your personal brand. Linkedin is particularly useful for B2B (business-to-business) companies because of its focus on industry-specific news and publications.
4) Instagram
Nearly 300 million active users visit Instagram every month. It’s one of best social media channels to use if you want to sell your products. It’s a visual medium, so you can easily use images or videos to market your business. Because Instagram is so photo-centric, it lends itself well to brands that produce a lot of visual content. If you have a product that would work well in an Instagram post—say clothing or shoes—you should definitely consider using it on your page. A service that is visual is perfect too, pet groomers, nail or tattoo artists or hair and beauty is well suited to Instagram.
5) Pinterest
Pinterest is one of those social media sites that can either become a big time consumer of your time or it can provide invaluable exposure to new customers. For some businesses, Pinterest is an indispensable marketing tool that drives thousands of dollars in sales. For others, it’s one social media channel they wish they never had to use. The biggest reason why some businesses loathe Pinterest? They simply don’t understand how to make it work for them.
How much time should I invest in my social profiles?
Depending on your business and customer base, it’s safe to say that you’ll want to spend at least an hour a day posting and responding. If you’re just starting out with social media, take baby steps. Invest 30 minutes per week sharing content and interacting with others until you feel comfortable increasing your efforts.
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