I’m going to talk about something that scares away a lot of small business owners from the get go, but if you bear with me – I’ll go into details about some of the best social media platforms for your business, and even what kind of information you should post.
You know you should be posting on social media, but you don’t really have time. Maybe you’re not quite sure where or how to go about it.
If this is you, then keep reading.
In this post I’m going to give you a breakdown on some of the social networks that we see the most success from.
What is it?
Facebook is everything rolled into one. It has photos, chat, reviews, newsfeed, profiles, and more. People use Facebook for their personal lives rather than their professional one, so that that in mind.
Who uses it?
Facebook’s most active demographic is females ages 18-29. However 73% of all Australians are using it.
What should I post?
Behind-the-scenes photos, promos, deals, giveaways, and events.
What is it best for?
Local businesses, B2C (Business to consumer) businesses.
The inside scoop:
Social media usage amongst seniors has more than tripled since 2010, when only 11% were using social media. Today, we see upwards of 42% of seniors engaging on social media networks, and I don’t see this trend stopping any time soon. Talk to us about how we could help you with marketing aimed towards seniors.
What is it?
A micro-blogging website that lets people share their thoughts with the world. The catch is that you can only post a maximum of 140 characte.
Who uses it?
Twitters most active demographic is men and women ages 18-29, as well as urban residents.
What should I post?
Helpful resources, support responses, and utilizing hashtags.
What is it best for?
Great for B2C customers to show a personal touch, tech companies, online businesses
The inside scoop:
Twitter makes it easy to engage in social conversations and build your following. However, unless it is used in conjunction with other methods such as newsletters - it actually drives very little traffic, meaning less profits than other networks. This is why Twitter is starting to fall out of favour for a lot of small businesses marketing campaigns.
What is it?
Instagram allows you to quickly share photo, as well as apply filters to ‘beautify’ your photos.
Who uses it?
Mostly people under 35, with a whopping 68% of all users being female.
What should I post?
Instagram is very focused on quality. Inspirational quotes related to your industry, pictures, ideas, and even office shenanigans.
What is it best for?
eCommerce websites, B2C companies, eCommerce websites, lifestyle companies - oh and did I mention eCommerce websites?
The inside scoop:
Instagram has been our most successful platform by far, we have seen sales double just through the use of this platform when used properly. This is certainly one to consider if you are selling something that appeals to the masses.
What is it?
An online pin-board that allows users to ‘pin’ articles and photos that they like on boards that can be organized by category.
Who uses it?
Main demographic is women under 50 which is actually an older demographic than most of the other social platforms, definitely worth checking out if that’s who you are targeting.
What should I post?
The content that gets posted on Pinterest is really similar to that on Instagram - mostly photos, innovative ideas, and maybe even a good book.
What is it best for?
Best for those selling products to consumers, or design focused companies.
The inside scoop:
Pinterest can actually be utilized extremely well for tradesmen to showcase some of their portfolio or designs that they have done. Anyone with a portfolio that is catered towards B2C should check this one out.
What is it?
A professional social media website that allows users to connect with co-workers and other contacts. People post jobs, find jobs, and read industry related content.
Who uses it?
Young professionals, recruiters, employees, job hunters.
What should I post?
Posting on LinkedIn can actually prove to be quite difficult. Articles relevant to your industry, case studies, or facts and figured are quite if chosen correctly.
What is it best for?
B2B (business to business) companies, tech startups.
The inside scoop:
The best way to utilize LinkedIn is to connect with other industries and expand your network. From there you can post relevant information and convert these customers into customers.
FourSquare
What is it?
FourSquare allows users to share where they go. It allows users to “check-in” to locations and publically broadcast them, while redeeming FourSquare points.
Who uses it?
Urbanites, younger demographic.
What should I post?
Brick-and-mortar shops can post deals and promotions. Likewise, restaurants can do the same.
What is it best for?
It is best for restaurants and brick-and-mortar shops, but can’t really be utilized by eCommerce stores.
The inside scoop:
FourSquare is a less popular network, though still a useful one. Big brands offer deals through Foursquare but most small businesses aren’t really leveraging it at this stage. If you own a restaurant or a retail store however, it’s definitely something to check out however.
Note that it is does run in Australia even though this isn’t stated on their website.
Summary:
Keep in mind that what works for others businesses might not work for you, just like individuals, every business is unique and has its own characteristics.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what social channel you choose, if you aren’t posting valuable content, then you are wasting your time.
At StudioHawk we take our social seriously. If you are looking to accelerate or start your social presence online, please don’t hesitate to enquire about our affordable social media plans that are suitable for any kind of budget.
