There are some businesses that have been able to develop a large audience on social media in a short amount of time. Then there are businesses that didn’t create the right social media strategy or choose the right social network. For such brands, cost and returns meant they continued investing time, effort, and money into social media marketing campaigns without the desired returns.

It is important to realize that every business is unique. The right platform for some other business may be the wrong choice for you. The big question is – which social media platform is right for you? At Social Media LV, we have many inputs for you to consider when determining the best social media platforms for a successful social media strategy.

1. Consider Your Audience

Target audience is simply the most important factor to consider when choosing your social media platform. No matter how big a platform it is, if your audience is not active on the channel, you should not include it in your social media strategy. 

• An average internet user has 6.6 social media accounts
• While Facebook is the largest network, your audience spends most or all their time on LinkedIn, your social media strategy should focus on the latter platform
• Determine your niche because most businesses don’t sell to everyone

When you narrow down your ideal customer, you will narrow down your selection of social media platforms.

2. Consider Your Goals

Your business goals are unique and so should be your choice of social media platform. Consider what your goals are and then look for platforms capable of addressing those goals. 

Some of the common goals include:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Increasing community engagement
• Increasing B2B sales or lead generation
• Selling products or services
• Driving traffic to your website
• Building an audience and developing brand

Most likely you have a combination of these goals. It is further important to align with your social media marketing goals.

Some social media platforms are better suited for specific goals. For example, LinkedIn is more suitable for B2B marketing and Instagram is excellent for e-commerce businesses. Once you know your goals, you should narrow them down to determine smaller performance indicators. 

3. Conduct Competitor Research

Run a competitor analysis. This analysis will provide you with a wide range of information including the following:

• The social media platforms your competition is using
• The engagement level of their audience on each channel
• What is working for them and what is not?
• How long they have been on a platform?
• How often do they post their content?
• How many followers do they have and how fast they are growing?

While it is not recommended to follow whatever your competition is doing, it is always useful to find out what they are doing. This helps you make better-informed decisions.

4. Understand Different Social Media Platforms

Next, you should understand the different social media platforms and their uses. Consider the following points:

• Each social media network has its unique personality and method of communication
• Twitter is excellent for trending topics and conversations
• LinkedIn is perfect for sharing professional skills, company details, and professional experience
• Snapchat is known for its disappearing posts

You should study and understand the channels you are considering and ensure that you understand their communication modes. This will help you choose the ideal platform for your brand and communicate effectively.

5. Resources Available to You

Consider the type of content that you can create on a consistent basis. The type of content you create affects your choice of social media platform. If are good at listicles and have a deep blog, you can create links from Pinterest to generate traffic. 

If you are a small business and don’t have anyone interested in creating video content or even learning about it, you should consider whether to promote it on YouTube or not. If you are good at tweeting, make the most of it. 

When evaluating your resources, find answers to the following questions:

• Who will be creating your content and who will be posting it?
• How many social media channels can you manage?
• How much time will it take for your business to learn about a new social media channel?

Whichever platform you choose and whatever resources you assign to it, it is important to be consistent. It is important to realize that consistency is eventually what drives results on social media. 

So, these tips should help you determine which social media platform is perfect for your brand. For more information and assistance on the topic, feel free to contact Social Media LV at 702.202.4620. You can also write to us via this online form.