Guide: Which social media platforms are best for your business?
When you’re looking to build your business, social media is a great tool to utilize. There are millions of users—aka potential customers—on any given platform daily. Social media is perfect for drawing the connection between your business and those in need of your goods and services. On the flip side, since there are so many social media platforms for business, it may be a bit difficult to decide which are the most conducive to help you grow and achieve short and long term goals.
Contrary to what some people will say, you don’t have to be on every platform to get the most out of social media. It takes a lot of time and consistency to reap the benefits of each platform. Instead, it’s best to join the platforms that make the most sense for your business and goals. To help you scope out the best social media platforms for your business, we’ve created this guide to get started.
Facebook ads are enough reason alone for business owners to jump on this popular platform. As one of the largest social media platforms out there with over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook makes total sense for creators and business owners looking to reach the masses.
Use Facebook for business if…
You’re looking to run targeted ads
Facebook allows you to create niche audiences for ads that you run on the site. While budgets for running effective ads may be costly, if it’s something you plan on doing further down the line, you might as well build the foundation now. Start by creating a Facebook business page to engage with potential customers now.
Connect with current and potential customers
No matter the platform, it’s always great to engage with your community. Facebook is great place for this as it’s a huge community of users for you to tap into and typically yields great conversation rates.
While Instagram may not be the best place to get high conversion rates to your website, this super mobile-friendly application is excellent for connecting with your customers on the go. Instagram, which Facebook now owns, also has many the same niche ad targeting capabilities. These come in handy when you decide to create an advertising budget.
Use Instagram for business if…
Posting on a consistent schedule doesn’t come off as daunting to you
Unlike some other social media platforms for business, Instagram requires a high level of posting to achieve growth and engagement to positively impact your business. If you’re not down for posting on Instagram regularly (generally five stories a day + daily in-feed posts + Reels and IGTV), you may want to hold off on this platform until you can give it the attention it deserves. Alternatively, you can implement a content calendar to push out quality content consistently.
You’re looking to reach a younger audience
While Facebook is popular among older age groups, Instagram is a goldmine if you’re looking to connect with Millennials. If Millennials are your core audience, Instagram is a great platform to join.
You’re planning to dive into running ads
As we mentioned, Instagram is owned by Facebook, so the ability to customize targeting parameters is pretty similar. To run ads on Instagram, you must have a Facebook business account, and your Instagram profile must be set up as a business page. Keep these things in mind if and when you decide to jump on the platform.
If you ever wished you could grab your phone and talk directly to your current and potential customers, we have good news for you—Twitter is the platform to help you achieve this. Although there’s clutter to push through, Twitter is a great place to spark an authentic conversations. It’s also one of the best social media platforms for businesses to grow a following.
Use Twitter for business if…
Building brand awareness (not necessarily sales) is a top priority
While platforms such as Facebook and Instagram may be helpful for creating sales leads, Twitter is better for building your brand’s name among potential customers. If you’re OK with growing a following that may not result in more sales in the short term, Twitter is the place to be.
You’re OK with the platform sometimes serving as customer service
People love venting on Twitter as much as they love sharing great experiences. Today, many people are more prone to running to a business Twitter account to ask for help before going to a web contact form or email. So much so that some companies create Twitter pages that are specific to handling customer service queries. Whether you intend to troubleshoot problems via Twitter or not, be prepared for customers to send in their questions regardless. And remember: It’s essential not to ignore them and respond promptly.
Bonus: You have a great sense of humor
It’s not technically required to have a comedic tone on Twitter. However, folks on this social networking site like to be entertained, even if it’s by a stuffy tech company.
Though many people look to Pinterest as the Google of DIY projects, it can be a great traffic source for your business. Similar to Google, Pinterest uses SEO to rank the importance of pins. So long as your pins are optimized for SEO, Pinterest is a great social media platform for businesses. Posting consistently is also an essential part of getting the most out of Pinterest.
Use Pinterest for business if..
You’re looking for a less expensive alternative to Facebook ads
There’s two times as much return on ad spending on Pinterest compared to other platforms. If you have a small budget for advertising, Pinterest is a great place to ensure you get the most bang for your buck. For course creators, Pinterest is a natural fit too, as many high-performing pins feature lists and tips, which can serve as great lead magnets.
Your business entails lots of aesthetically pleasing visuals
Great visuals are the name of the game on Pinterest. If your business is in the travel, beauty, and food industries, Pinterest is a great platform to use. It can appeal to those looking to be captivated by fantastic imagery, which these industries usually naturally deliver.
Of all the social media platforms for businesses that we mentioned here, LinkedIn is arguably the least effective for digital creators. However, that doesn’t mean that you should count the platform out—it’s useful for growing your business in other ways and establishing thought leadership.
Use LinkedIn for business if:
You’re looking to recruit extra help
As your business grows, naturally, you’ll need to take on employees to help you—even if it’s just on a freelance basis. While you can find candidates on any platform, LinkedIn allows you to search based on skill sets and titles that fall in line with the role you need to fill. And remember, outsourcing can be a great way to build your business without spending a lot of money.
Building a strong network is at the top of your goal list
The age-old saying is, “your network is your net worth.” This may not be true in the literal sense; however, creating the right connections can set you up for success in your professional life. Don’t be afraid to use great LinkedIn headlines to connect with other business owners and like-minded people. Plus, these connections can not only lead to guest posting, podcasting, or affiliate opportunities, but they can also help you connect with a whole new audience.
P.S. Curious about TikTok and Clubhouse? We go into each platform more in depth, so don’t be afraid to dive into those newer platforms.