Social Media for Small Business, Social Media Strategy
Which Social Media Network Is The Best First Step?
Sep 19 2017
With so many options, how do I know where to begin?
Deciding which social network to start on for your business really depends on your business goals & objectives, your resources, clients, and lots of other factors including what it is you are selling.
It’s smart to choose just one or two networks and focus your attention on maximizing your efforts here rather than spreading yourself too thin by trying to be present everywhere.
Here’s a look at pros and cons of the top three social networks for your business:
Pro – Facebook is the largest social network with an astonishing 2 billion active users. This user base far exceeds any other network right now. This means there is potential for mass-reach of an audience all over the world.
Con – If you’re are not spending on ads on Facebook you’re probably not getting much visibility.
The take-away – Facebook is a great starting point for your business regardless of what you are selling or what industry you are in. It can be a hub for general business information, what you do, who you are, where you are, and business hours, as well as updates on sales, events, and product information. Your Facebook business page can also be a place where you can show off your business personality with images, videos, and posts that represent the voice of your business.
Pro – Instagram provides good organic reach without paying for ads. Meaning people will naturally see your posts in their newsfeed. Think about Instagram as a way to build brand awareness and brand equity.
Con – Organic Instagram posts do not have clickable links. If your goal is to send traffic to your blog or drive people to your website, you cannot do that through Instagram without running ads.
The Take-away – Some businesses get great results with Instagram, again it depends on your product or service. Imagery is a powerful tool in expressing your business personality and your expertise. Because of this, Instagram is a great platform for building brand loyalty.
Pro – LinkedIn is a natural choice for your business presence especially if you are a B2B organization. It’s a great place to grow a relevant network and share your industry knowledge. It lends to writing articles and posts as well as commenting on other people’s ideas or issues and can elevate you as a thought leader.
Con – Advertising on LinkedIn is higher than on any other platform.
The Take-away – Having a business page on LinkedIn can be incredibly powerful, especially for B2B organizations. LinkedIn allows you to connect with others that are interested in what you are talking about and provide you a platform to be a leader in your industry.
Keep in mind that your social media pages often show up at the top of a search result when someone is searching for you online. Visitors may look here first to understand more about your business even before checking out your website. Whichever social networks you chose to start with for your business, dedicate time to making sure this platform reflects your brand personality and is both informational and entertaining. This may be a potential customer’s first impression of your business, and they are likely to return to your social sites on a more regular basis than your actual website.
There’s a perception that social media changes so fast that you can’t stay on top of it. But, social networks don’t come out of nowhere and take over a market. They need time to grow.
As a smart social marketer, you don’t need to be obsessively looking at social networks to see what is the next big thing. Rather, stay connected to your customers and understand where they are spending their time and energy, and make sure you are meeting them there.
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Also check out:
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