Which Social Network Is Right for Your Brand?
Social media has changed the way we communicate, but it's also become a channel for brands to connect with customers.
As a business owner, it's important that your brand is active on social media and taking advantage of this opportunity. The answer to which social network is right for your brand depends on your target market and a variety of factors:
Which age group do they belong to?
What kind of interests do they have?
Who are your current customers or clients?
What kinds of content would appeal most strongly to them?
Before you know what platform to post on you need to define your ideal customer profile. A customer profile (sometimes referred to as consumer profile) is a document that lists pain points, interests, buying patterns, and demographic characteristics of a company’s customers. Getting a clear understanding of your customer will impact virtually EVERY aspect of your marketing and sales process.
Once you have created you customer profile it will help inform which platforms you should use most frequently and the type of content in order for them to get value from following you on social media channels.
Top 10 social media platforms
Largest age group: 25-34 year olds
Who should use it: Bricks and mortar small businesses (think: local events and reviews). It’s also useful for creating different interest groups, customer service and social advertising.
Largest age group: 10-29 years old
Who should use it:Most brands that sell to a Gen Z or Millennial audience —73% of users feel a deeper connection to brands they interact with on TikTok vs other platforms
Largest age group: 25-34 year olds
Who should use it: Travel, beauty, fashion and health/fitness do well on Instagram. If your brand focusses on influencer marketing, posting user-generated content and using short-form video, Instagram is crucial.
Largest age group: 15-35 year olds
Who should use it: The industries with the strongest influencer media value on YouTube are tech, gaming, food and beverage, beauty and fashion. And as the second largest search engine in the world, YouTube content can expand your reach beyond the platform.
Largest age group: 50-64 year olds
Who should use it: Some of the most popular categories on Pinterest include fashion, food and drinks, beauty, home decor and travel. And while the majority of their user base skews older, Gen Z users are growing on the platform.
Largest age group: 18-29 year olds
Who should use it: The jewelry industry gets the most engagement on Twitter, as does fast-moving consumer goods, food, beverages and home. Twitter also enables brands to receive direct audience feedback and questions.
Largest age group: 25-34
Who should use it: Almost every business can benefit, but some of the top industries are tech & information, finance, healthcare, media & entertainment, marketing & advertising, travel and hospitality, retail, consumer goods and real estate.
Google My Business
While not a traditional social media app, Google My Business is an equally important platform because of the role reviews play in the buyer journey. When looking for contact info, 64% of consumers look for a business’ Google My Business page.
TripAdvisor
Largest age group: 25-34
Who should use it: If you’re in the tourism industry, from accommodation and transportation to destination experiences, Tripadvisor is a crucial platform to be on.
Platform to Watch: BeReal
Largest age group: Gen Z
Who should use it: That has yet to be determined. But if you want to experiment with authentic content and get in on the ground floor of a new platform, start experimenting on BeReal.
Social media is a great way to connect with your customers, but it's not a magic bullet that will make your business successful. Just like any other marketing strategy, it can be effective—or it can fail miserably. The key is finding the right mix of platforms and posting content that resonates with people in your target audience. It's also important not to rely too heavily on social media; no matter how many likes or shares you get on Facebook or Instagram, if they don't translate into sales or leads then those posts probably won't be worth much anyway!