Which Social Media Accounts Does My Business Need?
These days, it seems like there are dozens of social media platforms out there (and yes, there are). Not all social media platforms are created equally, however, and a combination of time and technology can ultimately render some irrelevant (remember MySpace?). With businesses, though, social media is much more nuanced as brands are usually attempting to extract loyal followers, brand recognition and even revenue from their marketing efforts. Many businesses wonder which social media platforms are worth their time and which should be avoided. The answer is complicated and depends upon your business: below, we will attempt to clarify these questions so your business can make the best selections.
YouTube
Many people do not think of YouTube when they hear the phrase “social media”, but it was one of the first platforms through which videos could be shared and viewed by millions of users around the world. Businesses that wish to incorporate videos in their digital marketing strategies will ultimately need YouTube – even if those videos are being shared via other platforms. With the ability to earn ad revenue off of your videos, businesses can also generate passive income from their most popular creations.
One of the newer yet more popular social media outlets, Pinterest allows both users and businesses to set up profiles for their products and interests, pinging a website or business’ offerings to the world. Users can pin any and all items they see on other users’ profiles to their own, while also having the option to sell select items via the Pinterest interface (using Etsy). Small businesses that offer handmade or customized products will find the most success with Pinterest.
The most popular social networking platform in the world, Facebook is a great selection for just about any business. With hundreds of millions of active users, Facebook pages can help businesses reach out to virtually any audience through targeted advertising and the recent addition of hashtags. Its versatile platform allows for sharing of multimedia, community interaction and a huge application database that can be utilized to expand Facebook pages into multi-functional social media marketing hubs.
Businesses that wish to build a social media marketing effort around viral concepts will fall in love with Twitter, which can be used to send out short blurbs on any and every subject. Rivalled only by Facebook in terms of active users, the primary component of Twitter revolves around hashtag usage. This allows businesses and brands to specifically target their messages to audiences that will be receptive, which gives many businesses the benefits of targeted advertising without any of the costs.
Any business that deals with business-to-business relations will appreciate the concept of LinkedIn, a social media platform designed for business professionals. Users of the site can network with potential employers, employees and vendors, making valuable connections as they build their reputation on the LinkedIn platform. Business pages can be used to accentuate your company’s offerings, connect with like-minded professionals, meet new clients and stay on top of the latest industry developments.
