Which Social Media Platforms Should I Use For My Business?
When starting a business in 2022, many entrepreneurs are told three things: how great social media is for growing a customer base, the power of social media and influencer marketing, and how integral social media is to be a successful modern business. All these things are true, but it doesn’t mean every company or organisation must adopt every platform. That would involve wasting precious time, money, and resources. This is where the help of a creative digital agency can be beneficial; to determine a suitable social media marketing strategy. Some social media platforms are great for targeted B2B advertising campaigns, others require organic growth and developing a B2C marketing strategy followed by consistently posting relevant content.
If you and your business need some consulting about what social media marketing channels are the right path for your business, look no further than AWD Digital, our Melbourne based web agency. At AWD Digital, our team will develop a cohesive digital strategy for your business, utilise relevant social media channels and build engaging cross-platform B2B and B2C marketing campaigns that capitalise on our creative digital agency expertise.
One of, if not the most common avenues for social media advertising, is Facebook. The platform has dedicated business pages and features, detailed analytics services and of course Facebook Advertising. This allows your business to grow using two methods, creating an organic following through the posting of content – or reaching customers with the utilisation of targeted advertising. The engagement and conversion rates on organic content are lower than other social media platforms – however, Facebook has the largest potential audience for your business. The most popular social media app in the world, Facebook boasted 2.91 billion active monthly users in Q4, 2021. However, this may have reached a saturation point, with Facebook losing users in a quarter for the first time in history. Facebook is a suitable platform for both B2B & B2C campaigns, with an older average user base than some of the other platforms and extremely detailed analytics capabilities, the platform will have features and elements that will be suitable for most businesses.
Facebook allows businesses to interact with customers directly – letting them post comments, message your business, leave reviews, link to websites, fill out contact forms etc. Therefore, your business will benefit the most if you are an active Facebook participant; frequently posting content, responding to points of engagement, and developing posts that aim to enhance engagement as much as possible; inviting users to interact, share and comment.
TikTok
A common question we are asked at AWD Digital is ‘should my business be utilising TikTok?’ The answer depends on your business and what you are aiming to achieve. To get the best results from TikTok means developing a solely B2C campaign, creating short-form vertical video content and posting consistently. As described by the company themselves ‘Don’t make ads, make TikToks.’ Advertising on the platform is of a more limiting format in comparison to Facebook, and will most likely be directed to your audience on their ‘For You’ page. Meaning you must be engaging, trendy and fast-paced. Unlike Facebook or the other platforms mentioned below, TikTok will not be used as a search directory for your business. One misconception people have about TikTok is that only kids use the app, and while it is true the demographic is younger than Facebook, the app has an average user age of the 20s. While most of the users are between the ages of 13 and 30, there is a growing percentage of 30+ users joining the platform, and a large and diverse demographic opportunity available.
Instagram is a common platform for businesses to advertise as it has a variety of possible ad formats available: photo, video, infographic, story etc. The platform is effective at serving the dual purpose of advertising a series of products and growing a ‘community/ following.’ Posted advertisements will lead directly back to your profile for users to see your other content. Business accounts grew their following by 1.6% per month on average in 2021. Currently, Instagram has 1.2 billion monthly users, making it the 4th largest social media platform after Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp. 60% of these users are within the age range of 18-34 years old, (a generation that has the highest digital advertising conversion rate,) and has a roughly even split of male to female users.
YouTube
YouTube can be utilised in multiple ways by businesses. Solely for advertising, for growing an audience and creating content, or for integrating video content onto other platforms such as a business website or Facebook page. Having a business YouTube channel is recommended generally for the 3rd option even if you don’t plan on growing the channel much, simply as an easy way for your business to upload and share high quality, long form video content to other platforms. Google and YouTube advertising is very targeted and effective in comparison to traditional video advertising methods as you have far greater analytical data at your business’s disposal. However, to be advertising effectively, video, animation and video graphics formats must be used. A downside of the platform is organic growth on YouTube is far more difficult to achieve than on other platforms such as TikTok. For best organic growth results, a strong understanding of the platform and algorithm is required, alongside frequent uploading and user engagement.
LinkedIn is a social media platform used for B2B advertising campaigns. It has the most detailed and direct targeting analytics of any platform. Businesses are given the ability to target users based on features such as job title, experience, education, behaviour, or interest. After defining a ‘matching audience,’ LinkedIn allows businesses to send sponsored content directly to users via the ‘inMail’ messenger. Target audiences can be expanded based on the platform’s look-alike feature, which allows businesses to upload their email list and find potential customers with similar demographic features to their current matched audience.
We utilise several of these social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, however, these aren’t the only options available for your business. Other platforms such as Pinterest, Twitter or Snapchat may be more efficient in capturing your target audience; and of course, having an email marketing strategy and custom website design is essential for an online business in 2022.
To find out more about digital marketing strategies, get in contact with our creative digital agency and get a free 30-minute consultation to ensure your business adopts effective growth habits online.
Let’s grow together! Give us a call on 03 9001 6255, or fill out the form to book your free 30-minute workshop.