Trying to figure out which social network is the best place to spend your marketing dollars? You’re not alone! In 2016, 90% of all businesses use social media marketing. But, with so many social media networks to choose from, how do you know which one is most ideal for your company?
Do you post status updates on Facebook? Share company images on Instagram? Tweet on Twitter? The answer all depends on your company’s marketing needs and audience. Social media sites open the door to communicate with an endless amount of clients. The ability to reach customers both near and far increases the chances of completing a sale.
Are you ready to successful use social media marketing? Keep reading to figure out how to choose the best social media sites for your business.
A digital marketing campaign should involve social media
In today’s highly interactive world, success only comes if your company is engaged with the target audience. It would make sense that interaction is best done using social media, right? Social media allows for endless communication and interaction.
56% of adults use more than one of the five most common social media platforms. This means the potential to reach billions of people is real. Digital marketing campaigns are not one-size-fits-all. And there is no wrong or right way to use digital marketing.
If your goal is success, your digital marketing campaign must use social media.
Choosing is hard! And choosing the right social media network is even harder. With so many social media networks, how do you choose wisely? Let’s discuss some helpful tips so you can make an informed decision.
Know your goals
Many business owners flock to Google to research social media sites. But a flurry of results doesn’t get you any closer to making a decision. Instead of information overload, take a step back and consider your business needs first.
Think about these questions:
- What are your expectations of using social media?
- What do you want to accomplish?
- What tool is your team most experienced in using? Least experienced?
- Do you currently participate in social media networking?
Answering these questions will provide a clear picture for developing your digital marketing campaign. Though this part of the process isn’t exciting, it’s a must do.
What features are most important?
I know, more analyzing your own company which means boring stuff. Trust us! Take the time upfront to figure out your company’s real digital marketing campaign needs. It is so worth it. Wasting time and money on every social media site with no real benefit, doesn’t sound ideal, does it?
All social media networks offer specific capabilities. So which features are must haves for your company?
Consider your current pitfalls.
- There is no routine. Are you having trouble posting content on a routine basis? Maybe scheduled posting can help.
- Metrics are crucial. Do you need more metrics to measure social media success? Consider a tool that offer analytics.
- Let’s talk! Will your company be communication back and forth with customers? Choose a social media site with collaboration capabilities.
Create a list of your top ten must have features and highlight the top five. The social media sites you choose must address your top five needs.
If you can meet all ten of your needs, even better.
Now let’s talk about today’s most popular social media sites and their features.
Choosing a social media site
There are dozens of social media sites, but let’s focus on the top five, which includes:
- YouTube
Each of these networks has value in digital media marketing. Below we discuss the benefits and features of each.
Facebook has an average of 1.23 billion daily active users. This makes it the most popular social media network. The site also offers a variety of helpful advertising features.
Most notable is Facebook Ads. With this network, you can interact and advertise in the same location.
Two birds with one stone. Or should we say two goals with one network?
Benefits of Facebook include:
- Vast audience reach
- Easy to build consumer relationships
- Low-cost advertising
- Direct customer communication
- Supports variety of media types, such as memes, .gifs, and videos
Instagram is used by 700 million Instagrammers. Though Instagram may not be as popular as Facebook, it offers businesses a fun way to market.
Does advertising through images and videos sound exciting? With Instagram, your company can do just that.
Benefits of using Instagram include:
- Visually appealing
- Provides metrics for posts and followers
- Integrates with Facebook
- Offers direct customer communication
- The go-to place for sharing visual media, such as videos and images
On Twitter, 350,000 tweets are sent each minute. Your company should be part of that number! Tweeting is a simple way to communicate with customers.
Tweeting can also be a challenge! The 140 character limit will really work your marketing team!
Benefits of Twitter include:
- Ability to go viral
- Use of hashtags which are unique and fun
- Visual content
- Self-serve advertising with three options
450 million members use LinkedIn. Here you won’t find viral videos and posts. Instead, the network focuses on the professional side of social media networking.
The benefits of LinkedIn include:
- Relationship building is priority
- Professional networking
- Can be used for finding employees
- Great for B2B
YouTube
Almost 5 billion videos are watched each day on YouTube. YouTube focuses solely on advertising through videos.
Videos can be used as a fun way to interact with customers.
The benefits of YouTube include:
- Functions as search engine (SEO anyone?)
- Host and stream live videos
- High-volume traffic
- Integrates with Facebook
- Videos are visually appealing
Conclusion
As a business owner, you make hundreds of decisions each day. One of the most important marketing decisions you’ll make is what social media sites your company will use.
With a digital marketing campaign, your goals should be to:
- Communicate
- Integrate
- Interact
To meet these goals, don’t be afraid to use a variety of social media networks! Variety is the spice of life. It’s also the recipe for digital marketing success.
Want to ensure your company’s success in the digital marketing world? We are ready and willing to help! For more digital marketing campaign pointers and must-knows, check out our website!