Nowadays we all know the value and power of a strong social media presence. Most brands are on social media, and it is a great way to quickly reach a wide audience with targeted communications. There are many times when owners of brands or even marketers will get on a platform simply because it is popular or trending. It is important to remember that you need to be creating targeted communication messages to your audience, and if you are on a platform where they are not, it won’t help you in the long run. So, let’s talk about how brands pick which platforms to use for their social media strategy. 

Let look at top 5 social media platforms and how they can help you and your business! 

Facebook 

Facebook is still the largest social media platform to date. It is a platform for brands and businesses to connect and build relationships with their audience. According to Statista (2020) 79% of 18–29-year-olds and 30–49-year-olds use Facebook in the US. Pew Research estimates that 74% of users visit Facebook daily. There are 2.7 billion users globally (Statista, 2020). Understanding which demographics are on Facebook will help you build a strategy that targets these audiences. 

Facebook could highly target its users since users add their personal details to the platform. When building advertising campaigns, you can set your target audience and easily manage your budget, nice features for a first timer! 

Here are some tips and tricks for Facebook! 

• Know when your audience is online – are they viewing Facebook on their morning commute, maybe they eat while scrolling Facebook? 
• Post videos and graphics to increase your engagement rate 
• Go Live and build a relationship with your audience 
• Create a Facebook Group to build and nurture your community 

Facebook is a great platform for any business in any sector! 

Instagram

Instagram is normally considered the “pretty” platform. Here you will see highly edited content with Instagram influencers. It is a visual platform used to share moments and communicate one’s point of view to the world. Instagram has one billion monthly active users (Statista, 2020), so figuring out what your audience wants to see can unlock a world of new viewers of your content.

Instagram is mostly used by women the age of 13-29. They like to see images that they can relate to or aspire to be. Instagram has changed its algorithm which means it can be somewhat difficult to reach your audience. Ways to avoid this are by increasing your ads on the platform and using a wide range of hashtags. Great sectors for Instagram are travel, restaurant, fashion, make up, food, motivational, and so on. 

• Share unique business POVs and the face(s) behind the brand
• Make sure to edit content to fit your audience 
• Find Influencers who fit with your brand (Macro and Micro) 
• Use hashtags to the best of your abilities 
• Use stories, reels, and highlights

Any business who has a target audience within this demographic should be on Instagram.

Twitter

Twitter is a great platform for real time conversations. It enables users to send and read Tweets on a global scale. For many users, Twitter is the platform for live updates for news, sports, or brand information. Most users follow brands on Twitter than on any other social media platform. 

According to Pew Research, 22% of US adults use Twitter with 32% having a college degree. This same study found that 44% of 18–24-year-olds use the platform. There are 152 million daily active users worldwide (Statista, 2020). This is a great platform for any brand in the news, sports, celebrity, or pop culture industry.

• Add a video or graphic to increase engagement 
• Use link shorteners to save character counts
• Be concise with what you post 
• Build relationships with influencers and brand ambassadors here

Any business who sends in the moment information should be on Twitter!

LinkedIn 

LinkedIn is a professional networking site focusing on B2B. It is all about building and developing professional connections. It is great for businesses to share their CSR campaigns, news, jobs, and any other exciting updates. LinkedIn is a very niche audience making it easier to target specific groups of people. The average age group is 25-30 being 44% of users and 51% are educated at a college level. The platform has 706 million members in 200 countries and regions worldwide.

• Have clear call to actions on your LinkedIn posts
• Use LinkedIn to find talent
• Utilize graphics and videos
• Limit emojis and anything that could seem unprofessional 

LinkedIn is a place for professionals to convene and meet. Remember to use this platform in a professional manner with a professional tone.

Pinterest 

Pinterest is a great platform for businesses looking to connect with women. According to Statista, 71% of global users are female and they make the purchasing decisions in their household. Statista also says that there are 322 million users globally with 87 million active users in the US. 

The platform is used to plan “life moments” such as weddings, parties, traveling, etc. It is also used to develop hobbies and passions like; arts and decor, cooking, sewing, and building their business, like you! 

• Use Pinterest to connect with your audience through positive posts and ads
• Help users plan life moments using your products or services 
• Use Pinterest during the consideration stage of the Buyer’s Journey 
• Pinterest introduced Mobile Ad Tools so that you can build ad campaigns right from your phone

If you are a DIY brand or one with unique ideas, Pinterest is the platform for you!

Remember that it is okay to start a social media channel and test different strategies. The great thing about social media is that it is ever evolving and ever changing. Maybe one trend isn’t your strong suit, but another one comes along that is more up your alley. But always remember your audience and the messages that they want to see.

If you aren’t speaking where people can hear you, how are you going to get your message across?