Everyone will tell you that you need to be on social media if you’re going to grow your business, but what does that actually mean these days? It used to be that people would have a website, perhaps a Facebook page with a few photos on it, and that would be enough to guarantee new business.
Today, social media has evolved beyond all recognition, and advertising your business is something that requires a lot more thought than sporadic posting and updates. To give you plenty of food for thought, we’re going to take a look at five of the most popular social media platforms, and tell you everything you need to know about them.
Instagram Is Great When Your Image Is Vital
Instagram is all about getting images to the masses, and there’s a real culture of likes and follows that come very easily. This means that you need to show something people actually want to see, and then show their friends.
If you run a corporate business like an accountancy practice or a law firm, then you don’t really need to be on Instagram. If you create bespoke fashion, are a travel agent, or are launching a new range of smoothies, then you certainly do need to be on there. In short, if your product is something that people can have fun with, you need to be on Instagram. Start following users who follow similar accounts, and you’ll soon build a following that numbers tens of thousands.
Facebook Is a Great Way to Do Just About Anything
Most businesses, well, most people in fact, will be on Facebook. It’s kind of become more than a social network, as it’s now the world’s biggest new distributor. Most users will tell you they spend more than an hour a day on Facebook, and it’s become the go-to platform for paid ads. This means that people expect to see them, and aren’t going to be instantly put off when they pop up on their feed.
If you find the right balance of value-added content like explainer videos, insider photos, and discount codes, and combine it with a well-thought-out number of paid ads, then you can really make Facebook work for you.
Twitter Is Ideal for Q&As and Customer Service
Twitter is essentially a micro blogging site that people use to share opinions and ask questions. Polls are common, hashtag topics can go viral with the click of a button, and people are increasingly turning to it as a way to get in touch with companies.
The reason for this last one is that unlike an email or phone call, what the user is saying is publicly visible to all the other customers of that business. Ideal for applying that extra little bit of pressure that will get them a response in two hours, not two weeks.
You can use Twitter to tease new content and collections, reply to your customers in a far more personal way than your mailing list, and to join in with relevant discussions. If you get it right, you can even drop in the occasional humorous reply that might just make your account go viral.
LinkedIn Will Help You Get Your Foot in the Door in the Corporate World
If you’re a corporate business, then you definitely need to be on LinkedIn; it’s essentially an electronic business card. If you ever hand them out face to face, then it makes sense for you to have the digital version in your back pocket too, right?
LinkedIn is far more about personal networking than any of the other sites. You might be able to get a thousand followers a day on Instagram, but if you get 500 connections in a year on LinkedIn, then you’ll be doing amazingly well. The thing to remember here is that they need to be people that you either personally know through business, or have been recommended to you by someone else.
It’s no good inboxing hundreds of people and trying to sell them something. Think of your LinkedIn profile as a networking event that you hold in the palm of your hand, and you’ll have a much better idea of how to use it.
Use Pinterest When You Want to Catch the Eye with Crafts and Home Interior Products
The final platform we’re going to touch upon is Pinterest, and it’s probably the most niche of them all. It’s mainly aimed at crafters, hobbyists, and creatives. If your business is in any way related to things people will want to add to their home, or places they would like to go on their travels, then you need to be on there. Start by creating half a dozen boards, and then get pinning so you can build a following.
If you are still unsure about how best to proceed with your social media campaigns, you can consult a digital marketing agency that will help you out together a successful plan for the months to come.