How to choose the right social channel for your business

Social media is now an essential part of doing business. That doesn’t mean you need to be on every social media platform to get results. Ideally, with one or two focused networks, your message can reach your target audience in no time.

The question now is which ones to use and how to maximize your visibility. If you are clear on your social media goals, it won’t be a challenge to determine which channels would work best for your business. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when you’re deciding:

Where are your customers?

Before you even think of creating your business profile on a site, you need to think: Are my customers even here?

There is a lot of variation in the demographics of social networks and as a business owner, you need to find out where your customers are so you can reach them effectively.

According to a Pew survey in 2015:

• Facebook has wide, global usage, but fewer young people are staying active.
• Instagram is a favourite among teens and young adults.
• Twitter is home to many information junkies and tech savvy people
• Higher income, educated professionals can be found on LinkedIn
• Pinterest has a user base which is 80% female dominated, most of whom are from a higher income background
• Google+ is a network with a predominantly older male user base
• Vine is also a youth oriented platform
• Youtube has an equal number of men and women, but men are more active users with wider preferences

What kind of content you share

When it comes to content, it’s important to remember that if you really want it to go viral, you need to choose the best channel to do it. Not all platforms are meant to incorporate all kinds of media, and even great content can go M.I.A. when shared on the wrong platform.

Written content deserves the right kind of medium to ensure the right readership. Whether it’s short or long, articles and blog posts get a lot of visibility and shares through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

On the other hand, if your business has a lot of focus on product, going visual can open up endless possibilities for you. Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr are great for visually oriented social media accounts which are usually dominated by girls. They might not seem like your average social networks, but if Random House can use Pinterest to share new books with over 1 481 587 followers, then imagine what it can do for your business.

If you have great videos highlighting your product or business, don’t stop at Youtube. Sites like Vine and Vimeo can also be a great way to share product videos, DIYs, holiday messages, and so on. Videos can be a great way to connect with your customers, and big brands like Lowe‘s and Nintendo have been doing it right for years.

Your industry

There are a lot of companies that have dominated social media by matching their products and services with the right medium to showcase them. As a business owner, if you can find the one where you’ll be well-received, your content can get the spotlight it deserves and you will get the customer engagement you were looking for.

Here are some of the industry based trends across social networks:

• Instagram — art, food, retail, lifestyle
• Twitter — news, tech updates
• LinkedIn — B2B, recruitment agencies
• Pinterest — Retail, DIY, culinary skills
• YouTube — Luxury products, DIY, Home improvement (How to videos)
• Google+ — SEO, IT

Your end game

The key to managing social media accounts for a business, is to have the ones you need work for you. Instead of joining all of them, stick to 2-3 networks that match your needs, as well as your customer’s needs.

Facebook might be the largest social network, but it doesn’t guarantee the kind of visibility you need as a business. Its news feed gets flooded pretty quickly and your posts are likely to get lost in an ocean of status updates and family photos. However, when it comes to customer interaction and building long term relationships, there’s no doubt that Facebook is the one.

For product based companies, visual is the way to go. Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest have become the next big thing in product promotion. With brands like Nike and Starbucks winning Instagram through engagement, product promotion, and the right kind of photography, it’s no wonder that more companies are getting onto the image-oriented network.

If your business is up for constant interaction, Twitter is undeniably the best place to be. It’s an easy way to get tidbits of information to your customers in real time. Twitter has also become a great platform to run a support centre without any hassle.

If you’re in the SEO game and you need to be visible in search results, having a Google+ profile can make a huge difference.

LinkedIn is the largest professional network with a very specific purpose- traditional networking. Having a significant presence of decision makers on it as well as dedicated industry oriented groups, a lot of B2Bs have found it very useful to connect with potential clients.

Every network has it’s strengths and if you can find a way to integrate those uses with your needs, you will find that the social networking world can be a very friendly place.