Social media has drastically changed in the last few years. What used to be a way for people to stay in touch with their friends, share little anecdotes and perhaps even slightly stalk celebrities, is now an extremely powerful way for businesses to connect with their customers and help build revenue.
Most businesses are starting to realise just how powerful social media can be as a marketing tool, but with so many platforms to choose from, it can be really overwhelming. Do you really want to spend all that time on every social media site, connecting with millions of people? Of course not! But which one do you choose? You don’t need to limit yourself to just one, either. This guide should help you determine which social media profile is most appropriate for your business. We compare the biggest social media platforms, and their pros and cons.
Facebook
Facebook is definitely the most popular social media platform and has the most active users compared to any other social media platform by quite some way. It is the only social media platform that is appropriate for every business.
Pros:
- You have the biggest audience on Facebook
- Spreading your content by word-of-mouth is powerful and easy on Facebook
Cons:
- The popularity can also be a negativity – with so many businesses on there, it can be difficult for a company to stand out
- Facebook has complicated algorithms which mean that not all your posts will reach your target audience
Twitter
Twitter is like a texting platform, as it only allows 140 characters per tweet. It acts as a place where users can access the latest news very quickly, with “trends” and hashtags leading the conversation. It is a perfect platform for those in marketing or sports, and of course, news.
Pros:
- Quick and easy to send out messages
- Powerful for marketing
Cons:
- It’s very busy, and your tweets can easily be missed
Instagram
This image-based social media platform is understandably suited to image-friendly businesses. It is the best platform for the artist-types, and you can gain more exposure for your business by using the appropriate hashtags.
Pros:
- More user engagement than Twitter and Facebook
- Content can be found easily with hashtags
Cons:
- If you don’t have products to photograph, it won’t be too easy to use
- Target audience is very young, so if this is not appropriate for your business, then you may not get much engagement
LinkedIn
This is a professional platform, which connects businesses with employees, and is extremely valuable for networking.
Pros:
- Lots of content, which can be viewed by anyone, including those who aren’t your connections.
Cons:
- It can take a long time to get connections set up before the conversations flow
Pinterest
Perfect for businesses in the fashion and beauty world, plus jewellers. This female-dominated social media platform is a quick way for people to share content and create boards for similar interests.
Pros:
- Inspiration-led platform, perfect for businesses who sell gifts
- Pinterest users often have a higher income
Cons:
- Not effective if your target market isn’t female
- There are still lots of businesses who are not on Pinterest
YouTube
It is the biggest video social media platform, and perfect if you have video content to share. Videos are the most effective content to share on social media. It is perfect for businesses who work in
the educational sector or have lots of creative and visual media.
Pros:
- As it is owned by Google, it is great for your SEO
- Videos make things more personal, as customers get to put a face to a company
Cons:
- Creating quality and professional videos can be quite expensive and time-consuming
- YouTube offer “related videos” at the end of each video, which puts off several users
What social media platforms have you used for your business? Let us know below!