One of the most common mistakes that startups commit in marketing is choosing social media networks without a proper strategy. Most of the time, they put effort into a social network, just because the competition is doing it…. Well, if all your competitors are on Facebook, not necessarily you should prioritize it too!
What is the social network about?
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Reddit, Pinterest, and Instagram, all are great content promotion and community building tools, but it doesn’t mean they all are great for your business too. You must know the fact that each social media platform has its unique characteristics. Knowing the details of what each network is good at can help you filter out the best platforms for your startup.
Best Social Media Channels for Your Business
Let’s know what some of the most popular social networks are good for:
Facebook works great for existing customers who enjoy visual posts like pictures and videos.
Twitter has more potential customers who respond well to links (e.g. blog links).
Pinterest has a predominantly female audience and is ideal for businesses for which visual imagery is a main feature or selling point, i.e. fashion retail, designers, food, etc.
YouTube is probably the most powerful tool for video content marketing, however, the key to success is to feature your product or service in an unforgettable way.
Linkedin is more for B2B startups for growing connections in the business world and utilizing them as necessary.
Google+ is though very generic, it helps more in boosting SEO results. So, if you actually care about SEO, consider working on it.
Instagram is crowded with photography geeks and it works great in a pairing with Facebook or Twitter for businesses to create and run brand awareness campaigns.
Reddit is more a mature niche networks and detests spammers very quickly. Unlike Twitter and Facebook, you cannot schedule stuff here. Something very specific, unique, and timely goes well with Reddit.
Tumblr caters to a young, laid-back audience that loves sharing inspiring quotes and funny pictures.
Now you know the basic characteristics of some major social networks, but still, they cannot give you a clear picture. You must collect some more information regarding each network and match it with your target audience.
To collect and analyze such information you may need to focus on answering the following questions.
- How much of my target audience is present on each social network?
- How much time my target audience spends on each network?
- What specific hours my target audience is online?
- Does this particular platform go well with my content?
- What content can I use on more than one platform?
- How much time and resources will it need to create result-oriented content for each social network?
- What amount of money I have to spend?
- What ROI I am expecting?
- What is the average ROI on each network?
Answering the above questions will pretty much figure out the important and not so important social networks for your startup. You must also consider the fact that small businesses may not be able to handle a consistent presence on more than four networks, so do keep a space for experiments.
It’s very normal to step back from a social network, assess, and choose the best option. Work with numbers as well as feedback from the audience and keep on altering strategy!
