What Social Channels Should My Business Be On?
There are a multitude of social media opportunities to post content and interact with customers and prospects. So where should your business put its time and energy? The answer lies in your audience. Where are they, and how do they want to consume content? Let’s break down some of the channels and where your audience might be a fit.
LinkedIn
Many people assume that businesses should only focus on LinkedIn, especially in the B2B space. But is that the case? It depends on your audience. Where do they want to connect with you? LinkedIn is great for targeting businesses and contacts with specific roles/titles and in specific industries. But how much time are they spending on that channel? Do some research to see how active your prospects are on the platform before you invest all your resources there. Also, understand that to “influence” business on LinkedIn, you need to provide content that shows knowledge and expertise. You need to share articles of value, and you need to interact with others who have influence in your space.
Facebook
Selling B2C? Many assume Facebook is the place to do it. It has a wealth of demographic info and reach. But what does your audience look like? Are they in a certain age group? If they’re 40-60, they are likely more active on this channel. In fact, the average Facebook user in the U.S. is 40.5 years old. Other countries trend much lower. In addition, how serious is your audience taking their Facebook use? Will they want to connect with your business there? It again depends on the content you provide. You must be thinking from audience’s perspective when you post on any social media - but especially so with Facebook.
Twitter
Is Twitter good for business? This is a hard sell in my opinion. Twitter is about personal branding and interaction. If you’re going to be active on Twitter, be ready to post 2-3 times a day to move up in the algorithm. In addition, your content must be focused on engaging conversation. That means you must be ready to react and respond, and also be cognizant of your brand interaction at all times. This is a platform where the CEO or key contact(s) may be better as the account holder than the business is.
Instagram
This is another age-specific platform - but just like Facebook - it’s critical to be apart of for certain audiences. What is that audience? Adults between 25-34, which is a range almost any business should want to be reaching. What should your content be for this channel? Photos and video that are both engaging and conversational. Easier said than done I know, but it matters, and it will only matter more as time goes on.
TikTok
Before you laugh, consider that businesses successfully using content and/or influencers on TikTok are getting huge views and ROI. That’s because users are spending an average of 52 minutes per day on the app. So much so that there are posts just reminding people to take a break. The 80/20 rule doesn’t even apply here, because 95% of your content must entertain. If possible, it must educate as well, but in an entertaining way.
Need more insight on these channels and how they can benefit your business? We’re happy to help. Contact our content queen Abby Wheeler at awheeler@marketretrievers.com or call 615.587.7266 to talk social!