Pick the Right Social Media Platforms for Your Business
We all think we need to be everywhere all at once. That we want everyone to see what we are doing at all times. Here is where you find out that you DO NOT need to be on every social media platform available.
This is also where you will find out how to pick the right platforms that fit your business and your business needs. Here are some important questions to ask yourself when planning your social media marketing:
What do you know about your target audience?
If you do not yet know the characteristics and trends of your target audience, check out this post on how to get in the mind of your target audience. (no, your target audience can’t be everyone)
If you are at the point of knowing a general idea of who your target audience is and who your ideal client will be, you are already one step ahead.
Next step is to get inside their minds and ask yourself what platforms they would spend most of their time on.
Disclaimer:
You have the choice to use whatever platform you would like, just know, that if your audience does not use that platform, you may have a slower growth rate than if you spent more of your time on a social platform your audience uses frequently.
There is nothing wrong with practicing your social media skills on another platform and trying to introduce your audience to a new space, but make sure you aren’t taking the time away from the important channels where your audience can engage with you the most.
To get good results from a social media platform, you have to be consistent and have a good strategy, which can take some time to build.
What is your goal with social media?
Yes, we all know that we need to be on social media to promote our businesses, but what is your goal? Knowing your goal will help you when deciding what platform is right for you.
Is your goal to:
Connect with other businesses?
Educate your audience?
Showcase the work done within your business?
Promote your product or service?
Every platform has its advantages and disadvantages, and some have been around for some time where some are fairly new. Take time to learn the key features each platform has to offer and ask yourself if these features will help you achieve your goal.
Will this fit with your schedule?
Social media is an amazing tool to help you connect with your audience, but you must be willing to put in the work.
The algorithm on some social media platforms requires you to have a consistent planning schedule, and what I mean by that is, if you originally plan to post 6-7 days a week, you have to be able to carry out that schedule for you to notice results.
Here are some key points to get your started:
Start with platforms that you are familiar with. Get the ball rolling and then spend time learning and experimenting with other platforms
Get to know the trends of your audience. Where are they? What are they doing? What are they looking for? What do they need right now?
Find what platforms will help you meet your goals (selling product, brand awareness, service education, etc.)
Don’t be afraid to change your mind down the road. This is your time to try things out, experiment, get to know your own trends and habits. You are going to find that some things may work for others but not for you. You can change your style later on if need be.
Do what works for you and your schedule. If you work full time running your business, you might not be able to commit to running social media 7 days a week. If you are only able to make time for your social media platforms 4 days out of the week, then stick with that.
You will start to pick up new skills and learn new traits about your audience along the way. After a few months of consistent posting, you may learn that your audience is online the most Wednesday’s at 6 pm. Which can then turn into the night that you post your most important content.
Important note to remember:
Everyone will experience different results with different timeframes. Try not to compare your progress with someone who might have been working on their social media strategy much longer than you have. This is the time for you to learn and connect with your audience while being able to market yourself digitally.
