Social media is a very powerful marketing tool

Today customers reach out to different social media outlets to make purchase decisions, to talk about what they like, to share what they love, and your brand wants to be part of that conversation!  However, before you take the leap into social media, you must first find out where is your audience spending time. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram?

Why is that? Your ideal client engages in social media for different reasons. Thus, it is critical you learn who is your customer avatar and what social media channel is your audience hanging out. Once you have that information, you can then learn about those specific social media platforms where your ideal client spends time and choose the one that fits your business goals.

True is, new social media channels are always appearing. However, today, I would like to talk to you about five social media channels I believe it is important you become familiar.

Meet The Guys

Instagram: It is an online mobile photo-video sharing and, social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos. These can be shared either publicly or privately. For companies, it has gone from “nice to have” to “need to have,” becoming a critical network. This year the social media platform announced that their Instagram community has grown to 700 million monthly active users. Instagram is all about creativity, good quality photos, and killer stories. It is also an attractive platform for fashion, influencers, and online shops. However, you can also see dental offices, non-profits, restaurants, and hotels thrive.

Twitter:  You have 140 characters to say something juicy and “tweet-able”! Like with any other social media platform, success will depend on consistency and transparency to build strong connections and social engagement. Twitter is a social networking platform designed for finding and sharing short updates to bring people together through topics of interest in real-time.

LinkedIn: Long gone are the times when LinkedIn served only as a tool for job hunting. Today the platform has become a resource for B2B marketers across the web, offering the opportunity to share content, ads and sponsored content.

Facebook: This big guy is an online social networking platform where people create profiles, share information such as photos, quotes, articles, and videos. For a business, it is a great platform to engage with an audience, but it is no longer a free tool. Facebook has changed and today, building a fan page requires a monetary investment. Welcome to Facebook Ads! Facebook has much potential, and it is recommended to set a budget for advertising. Lastly, note that your fan page will grow over time.

Pinterest: This is a social network that allows users to share visually, and discover new interests, something like a scrapbook. You can also join communities and share your finds with other users that may not be connected to you on Pinterest. This platform is also known to be the place to-go when searching recipes, fashion, DIY, infographics and more. How do businesses can use Pinterest? By building a profile with different boards, a brand can show customers about their products, team, behind the scenes, cause they support and more. Each pin can be linked to a URL, making it easy for people to make purchases and learn more about your brand.

Choosing The Right Social Media Platform For Your Brand or Cause

The answer is within your overall business and marketing plan, as well as your ideal client avatar. Do your homework and take the time to understand the different social media platforms. However, most importantly, do not spread too thin by being on all of them with little engagement.

It is better to focus on one platform. Implement a robust social media strategy so you can share your compelling story and build the strong relationships with customers that social media management can help you attain.  Lastly, do not forget consistency is essential for a successful social media implementation.

Let’s Work Together!