There are an ever growing number of social media platforms out there, and every time a new one emerges, brands race to jump on the bandwagon.
Sound familiar? If so, it’s not a wise move. It’s unlikely that you have the time and resources to be on every social media site, but you can’t afford to ignore them either.
So how do you decide which platforms are best for your business? It’s important to choose sites that will work for you, your business goals, and your customer’s needs.
Here’s a brief overview of the most significant ones:
Facebook: With 1.9 billion global users, Facebook is the most popular social media platform by far, and is the one platform on which you can’t afford not to have a presence.
Facebook isn’t about selling. It’s about letting customers get to know the people behind the brand. It’s about building long lasting relationships. However, there is some immediacy to it, as you can reply to customer’s questions directly, in real-time.
From an advertising point of view, Facebook is a ‘pay-to-play’ network, so you will have to invest money into advertising on it. But it is worth it. As the biggest driver of social-referral traffic, Facebook has power.
Twitter: Twitter is unique in that it’s inextricably tied to in-the-moment events, which is why it has proved its worth as a platform for breaking news.
Twitter is also a great way to connect with your customers. If you have an unsatisfied customer you’ll hear about it first on this social media platform, and this is your chance to excel at customer service.
Most users that follow a brand on Twitter do so to take advantage of offers and exclusive discounts. Bear this in mind when pushing your products.
Pinterest: Pinterest is a content-sharing service that allows members to pin photos and videos to their pinboards. Each board is linked to the pinner’s profile page so people can see the business or brand behind the photos.
The site, which has a predominantly female audience, is ideal for businesses for which visual imagery is a main feature or selling point, such as travel agents, interior decorators or fashion retailers.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn touts itself as a ‘professional social network’. People use it to research businesses, find jobs, and network.
It’s a great social media platform for reaching out to potential employers and getting into their Rolodex, so that when they need your services, there you are. But the network also hosts regular webinars and Q&A sessions, where you can solicit advice, ask questions and (more importantly), answer questions to demonstrate your expertise to potential customers.
Hotcow is a non-traditional creative agency that specialises in experiential marketing that goes viral. Our campaigns generate buzz through crowd participation, PR and content sharing. Contact us on 0207 5030442 or email us on info@ hotcow.co.uk.
