A question for the ages: Which social media platform is right for my business?
Each platform has its pros and cons, and some will serve different target markets and brand initiatives. For example, two fast food chains can be battling for internet superiority on Twitter, tweeting back and forth at each other, but on LinkedIn they have a completely different tone and likely never mention each other.
We researched and designed infographics to assist you in deploying your online resources wisely. Even if you decide to pursue a presence on multiple social media platforms, you should understand why each platform requires a different approach and strategy. The result will be greater success and engagement with your online community and much more (learn more about Social Media usage in Canada).
Facebook
Facebook’s greatest strength is its network reach. Everyone has Facebook, including their grandmothers, which means your target market and various segments are likely engaging with the platform. To put this reach into perspective, Facebook is now being recognized as a major mobile browser in the USA.
The downside to this massive reach is that it’s become extremely difficult to grow organically, since there is endless content being loaded onto the platform and promoting organic growth isn’t part of Facebook’s business plan. The customers of Facebook are organizations who are looking to advertise on their platform.
This leads us to Facebook’s second main strength, which is its advertising platform. Currently, Facebook’s interface is the most developed social media advertising platform available; offering highly-targeted options, reporting features, and a fantastic retargeting and lookalike tool.
Facebook makes it easy for organizations to spend their marketing dollars advertising on their platform – though it is important for organizations to monitor their campaigns to ensure they are hitting their target ROI.
LinkedIn
A staple in the business world, LinkedIn is the clear winner in the B2B space and a social platform that every professional should have a finger on.
On LinkedIn it’s easy to reach professional decision makers, though it can occasionally be tough, as only 25% of the total user-base access their accounts on a monthly basis. While this stat is likely skewed since LinkedIn hasn’t publicly taken any actions to remove inactive/old accounts (like Facebook), it’s still worth noting that this may be the reason you haven’t heard back from someone.
Advertising on LinkedIn can push your content to quality targets, but it’s going to cost you. LinkedIn has the highest Cost Per Click (CPC) compared to all other social platforms. While there are targeting options, LinkedIn’s targeting is limited compared to Facebook, and doesn’t offer the same diverse audience.
On the other hand, organic content on LinkedIn still carries value and can be viewed in your connections news feeds even days after posting. Following a digital strategy that is engaging, and consistent quality posts you can earn a large LinkedIn following. Welcome next-level social verification.
YouTube
YouTube goes beyond a social network. It’s the second most widely used search engine around the world and ranks in Google organic search. Popular for educational and “How-To” videos, YouTube allows brands to showcase their products and services with the chance of a video going viral.
Considering 81% of consumers have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video, YouTube leverages the fact that consumers are becoming more visual and video marketing is essential in executing any digital content marketing strategy.
Instagram
A personal favourite of mine, Instagram continues to grow its reach and has become a giant in the social media game by establishing itself as the leading social platform for engaging and creative content.
Always innovating and evolving, Instagram boasts a young user base, with more than 90% of users being under the age of 35. This gives organizations the opportunity to connect with the most tech-savvy group on the planet. Over 33% of these users have used Instagram to purchase a product, whether that’s through an ad or Instagram’s shopping feature, from a brand. We’ll likely see this statistic grow as Instagram continues to expand their shopping feature to new areas in the app.
In a prior blog, we officially recommended only two industries to be on Instagram – though considering the benefits associated with Instagram – all organizations in all industries should strongly consider adopting a strategy for the platform.
Twitter
Notorious for memes, Twitter has gone through quite a few lives since its inception. Currently, Twitter is heavily news focused with an extremely informal tone when compared to LinkedIn or Facebook. With that said, Twitter is a channel where customers expect immediate responses to current events, trends, and questions.
Since Twitter has become a stream of endless content based on current topics, content is short-lived and requires daily upkeep, which can be a large draw on your resources. However, if you have the resources you can take advantage of the fact that 74% of users receive their news from Twitter.
While Twitter sounds like a sinkhole on your resources, there are tools to make the platform much more manageable. By utilizing a combination of scheduled content and daily management, Twitter can become a viable platform to reinforce your brand and remain top-of-mind with your audience.
Wrap Up
Now that you’ve got the run down on the top five social media platforms, it’s your turn to make the decision as to where you’ll deploy your resources. Regardless of the avenues you choose, remember to develop a strategy unique to each channel as users will respond to content differently depending on the social platform.
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*Download the full infographic.