You’ve probably heard me say this before, but one of the most common Social Media Marketing mistakes I see small businesses make is trying to be everywhere. The truth is, one or two well-managed platforms is better for your business than five or six neglected platforms.
So how do you choose?
I’m not going to lie, Twitter is my favourite platform and I think every business should be using it. The beauty of Twitter is that beautiful supportive communities can be built around your products or services. It can also be a great platform to help you grow your business. Did you know that it’s the second most effective platform to hire a new employee? This is due to the fact that you can easily reach out to top talent without having an existing relationship.
LinkedIn is a very interesting platform that I would highly recommend to B2B types. If you provide services, LinkedIn is the ideal place to promote them. If you provide products, however, LinkedIn might not be the best platform – unless, of course, you sell office products! It’s important to remember that most people on LinkedIn will be there for business reasons.
Did you know that Brits spend more time on Facebook than any other platform? And it’s crucial to note that if you use Facebooks ads, you could reach 37 million users! The only problem with Facebook as a promotional tool is that most of the users are looking to check in on friends and family or to be entertained or educated. Entertaining and educating your followers is important on all platforms, but especially on Facebook. People don’t go to Facebook to do business or to buy things. This can actually make it a very powerful tool, if you have the right kind of product and market it in the right sort of way.
People head to Instagram to be inspired. They expect to see ‘perfect’ lives and stunning pictures. They expect to see creativity and aesthetic. Your grid should be consistent and pleasing to look at. It’s also important to note that Instagram is focusing on Reels in 2022, with many new features to make Reels more accessible and by prioritising them in the algorithm. Instagram Reels is a great tool to show your products in inspiring ways! It is also a very good platform for you to know what your clients are thinking, both polls and questions in Instagram Stories tend to get high engagement allowing you to include your clients in your business decisions.
TikTok
TikTok has blown up massively during the pandemic and has become Gen Z’s go-to platform. The beauty of TikTok’s algorithm means that one of your videos could go viral even when your account has no followers. It’s a great platform to bring the ‘behind the scenes’ to light by showing your followers how your products are made and showing them the face behind the business. The benefits of using TikTok are immense but it is a very demanding platform with most Social Media Marketers advising you to post two or three times a day. Some businesses I follow, who usually post daily, didn’t post for three days over Christmas and it took them a good few weeks to get their views back up.
People tend to pop over to Pinterest when they have an idea and need more inspiration- 89% of Pinterest users are looking for purchase inspiration! Although Pinterest follower counts tend to be quite low, engagement rates are high and people like being redirected to your website, shop or blog. What makes Pinterest so special is the long shelf life your posts get. A post’s shelf life is how long the platform gives you to get engagement before they decide it’s not worth putting into people’s feeds. Tweets have the shortest shelf life (only 18 to 60 minutes) while Pinterest Pins have a shelf life of four to twelve months.
Do you have to choose?
No, of course not. Each platform has its unique advantages and can be used for different purposes. Being on all platforms and managing them all well, is of course the ideal option – and I can help you to do just that!
Option 1: I can manage all of your platforms for you;
Option 2: I can manage the platforms that have the most benefit for your business while you focus on building up the other platforms;
Option 3: I can manage the platforms you struggle with while you focus on your favourites.
Let’s grow your business together!
