Which Social Media platform is right for my business?
We all know Social Media is great for connecting with friends and family, or to search for people you haven’t spoken to in years! But can it also be used to generate business. So how do you go about doing it? The key to using Social Media to sell your product or service is to have a plan!! 75% of people use Social Media before making a buying decision, so why wouldn’t you have a plan for how you use it? It’s simple and logical right? To grow your business using Social Media you need to onboard new customers, and that takes time, effort and a decent plan! So how do you go about building a plan that will increase your followers and gain customers? Initially, you need to look at your business and confirm which Social channels are best suited to your offerings. Find out where your current customers spend their Social Media time and what influences them. Most businesses in recent years have tried to cover all the mainstream Social Media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. But if you don’t have a team of marketers to cover these channels you could end up with issues that cost your business in the long term as you lose out to the competition, or simply target the wrong people. In the ‘always on and always connected’ lifestyles that we lead, Social Media has meant people can share their thoughts and feelings with little effort, and it’s become the norm to follow, review and engage with your favourite brands. So, when you get a positive review, great! However… when you miss the post or don’t manage to respond within a short period it can become a real issue. So find the Social channels that are best suited to your business, and be prepared to respond in a timely manner when your customers and prospects engage you!What are the right Social Media channels?
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Instagram

Photo by Jennifer Kim
- Is your product or service visually appealing and easy to photograph?
- Are you able to show regular day-to-day experiences (people want to see what
- you’re up to)?
- Do you have the ability to share daily progress such as reviews, fitness progress updates, recipes, etc?
- Is your ideal customer is between the ages of 18-29?
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Facebook
- Raise brand awareness
- Build a community of loyal customers, supporters and followers
- Help with customer service and support
- Online selling.
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Twitter
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LinkedIn
- Your ideal client/customer is a professional, educated and between 25-60 years’ old
- You can produce blog posts, updates and good image/graphics
- You’re offering is a higher priced product or service, especially if it’s complex.
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Pinterest and Google+
Pick the right Social Media Channels for your company
Keep in mind what your team or you can handle, and where your ideal customer spends their time. Review the Social Media channels that make the most sense for your customers, products, and services – do your research and start slow. Remember, once you start, it’s a tap and you need to keep the content and posts coming to keep your audience engaged.
Photo by rawpixel