When it comes to digital marketing, the social media platforms shine for the sheer volume of users they have at any one time.
Facebook alone can offer 1.84 billion sets of eyes on any one day. Instagram, there are 500 million daily active users LinkedIn, however, is a little different. This platform has just over 750 million members, with about 40% accessing it on an average day.
Twitter’s stats are probably even more impressive because, on average, there are around 6,000 tweets sent per second, which makes that 500 million tweets per day. But, unless you are already an influencer, this will be a difficult platform to get a hold in.
Facebook still reigns supreme for reach and engagement because people spend hours scrolling through their newsfeed. It is part of life for many. However, it does depend on who your market is.
Despite the popularity of Snapchat and TikTok, Facebook is still used by many young adults. A 2020 statistic showed that 77% of 18-34-year-olds used Facebook daily; others were 68% 35-54-year-olds and 52% 55+.
Facebook is constantly changing. In the early days, you only needed to have a business page, and if people followed you, your posts would appear in their feed. Facebook changed the algorithms, and now it is much more challenging to attain the reach pages once had. Facebook want you to “boost” your posts – (My advice – never do this!) or advertise (much better option). So now it’s the turn of the groups. And, if you want to get visible, this is the way to go.
So which social media platforms are best?
The question remains, what type of business do you have?
You can safely say that Facebook covers all types of business. Bricks and mortar, online, service, tourism, shops with both digital and physical products, you can work your Facebook to suit.
LinkedIn is also a strong contender for getting your message across. This platform is no longer used solely for the ‘professional’ but for practically all businesses. LinkedIn does not have the same number of active users; however, it is fast becoming more popular as its algorithms appear to be similar to the old Facebook.
Surprisingly, Pinterest is a great platform. People come on here to search for ideas, products and services, so if you have a business that is:
- Lifestyle
- DIY,
- Wedding,
- Food
- Travel
- Fashion
- Hobbies/how to’s
you need to be posting on Pinterest. Instagram is similar, but people are not necessarily searching for a product or service; instead, this is more of a ‘following’ place platform. Instagram is very much a visual, and so niches like food do well on here.
The key to all platforms is engagement. Remember, the words’ social media’ is precisely that – ‘social’. The more you comment, like, and post, the more you will be seen and establish yourself as an authority or expert in your field.
You don’t have to be on all the platforms. I would recommend choosing two geared towards your business, getting to know how they work and then doing what you need to do to make an impact.
As I said earlier, don’t use the Facebook boost option. You will have much more control over who sees your ads along with more bang for your buck if you go down the advertising route. For a beginners guide, have a look at this from Oberlo
I can certainly help you with your social media, along with your blog and newsletter. Please click through to my services HERE