Top Six Social Media Platforms For Your Business
Most people are aware of the importance of a strong online presence in today’s business world, but do you realize how powerful social media can be when properly used toward successful online marketing strategy? Well, that power can easily be summed up by noting that there are more than 3.5 billion social media users worldwide and that social media usage represents almost 75% of all Internet traffic. This means that if you’re not incorporating social media strategies into your online marketing efforts, you’re probably missing a lot of potential customers.
Of course, if you’re going to find success with social media marketing, you need to know which social networks attract your target market, so that you can get the biggest bang for your marketing buck. There are dozens of social media platforms to choose from, so we tend to steer our clients’ online marketing efforts towards the biggest networks, as they have the broadest member base. When considering your social media marketing strategy, you might want to investigate the following companies first:
With more than 2.2 billion monthly active users (MAUs), Facebook is by far the largest social media network on the planet, and also has the broadest usage by all age groups. The strength of Facebook’s social media marketing potential is evidenced by the fact that more than 65 million businesses promote themselves on the site through their own Facebook pages, with more than six million of them boosting their efforts with paid advertising.
Facebook is easy to use and showcases almost all forms of online content, from text messaging to live video streaming. Successful marketing efforts on Facebook need to focus on personal interactions as the site’s algorithms reward content that gets people to react by liking or otherwise responding to content. With only a few exceptions, all businesses should have a well-managed Facebook page if they want to employ a successful social media marketing strategy.
More than 1 billion MAUs share photos and videos on this popular social media app, which allows companies to brand themselves with an Instagram business profile. Business users can track the analytics of their posted content, schedule the release of posts, and use third-party tools in creating posts. Instagram tends to appeal to youth, with more than 70% of teenagers actively using the site, compared to only about 30% of those over age 50. While it’s a good idea for nearly any business to have a presence on Instagram, those serving an older market should expect to see more engagement coming from Facebook. Companies serving those in their 20s – 40s should consider putting equal weight into Facebook and Instagram, and to note where potential customers respond the best!
With about 335 million MAUs, Twitter is known for its strong emphasis on real-time information and for its focus on breaking news, sports, entertainment, celebrities, and politics. Each post, or “tweet” is limited to 280 text characters, though users can add links, images and short videos. From an online marketing perspective, the platform has become especially popular as a customer service channel, particularly for companies that want to release real-time info to their customer base. In fact, Twitter and companies are continuing to find new ways to expand the site’s use in this regard. Twitter is most popular with those 18-29, followed by teens. Just over 25 percent of those ages 30-49 are on Twitter, with the number falling below 20 percent with those over the age of 50. Many social media marketing tools allow businesses to push content to Facebook and Twitter simultaneously, making it very easy to include Twitter in their marketing strategy.
LinkedIn is considered the social media platform for “professionals,” and garners 294 MAUs from individuals seeking to network, build their personal brand, and share information. Companies use the site to promote themselves as thought leaders and to attract potential employees. With healthy usage percentages from all working-age groups, LinkedIn offers a number of marketing tools, including display ads, personal ads, and company content promotion. Businesses using LinkedIn as part of their marketing strategy should be prepared to target other businesses and potential employees, leaving the primary focus on potential customers to other platforms.
Snapchat
Similar to Instagram, Snapchat allows users to share photos and short videos, but all posts are temporary—After a “Snap” has been viewed, it disappears. With about 255 million MAUs, Snapchat also appeals primarily to the younger generations. Almost 70 percent of teenagers use Snapchat, and more than 60 percent of those in their 20s, but only about 25 percent of those 30-49 use it, and only about 12 percent of those over 50. Snapchat holds greater benefit for businesses looking to advertise than those looking to engage with customers directly and should only be approached by businesses looking to develop a targeted campaign for a younger market.
With 250 million MAUs, Pinterest attracts users who are interested in learning new things or otherwise seeking inspiration. In fact, the company claims that 78 percent of its users say that they find content promoted by companies on Pinterest to be useful, a statistic reportedly much higher than can be found on other social media sites. Pinterest is popular with all age groups, but as with other social media, the percentage of users drops after age 50. Another important thing to note is that female users outnumber male users by almost three-to-one! Pinterest is less location-centric than platforms like Facebook, and it offers greater opportunity to those who wish to advertise nationally than to local businesses seeking to engage with their communities.
Or Turn to Professionals for Your Social Media Marketing
As marketing experts with a solid track record of helping healthcare companies build powerful websites and online marketing campaigns, Moxxi Marketing can help your company figure out which social media platforms may best serve your online marketing needs. To learn more about how Moxxi Marketing can help you with your healthcare-related online marketing, Contact us today at 239.228.8837.