By Ross Young
One social media platform isn’t necessarily better than another for your business. Rather, it’s about discovering which social media platforms are a good fit for your business and developing an appropriate content strategy.
We work with businesses that revel in the madness of TikTok, while others prefer the concise, business-to-business benefits of structured LinkedIn posts.
Here, we explain how to utilise social media platforms for your business and look at some of the possibilities and opportunities for you to consider.
Choosing the best social media platforms for business purposes
If you remember one thing from this article, it should be this: you don’t need to be on every platform to make an impact with your audience!
In fact, maintaining a presence on too many social media platforms can actually be detrimental to your brand. It can cause you to stretch yourself too thin and post content that isn’t well suited to a particular platform.
It’s for this reason that we always advise our clients to begin by discovering where their audience is at. TikTok, for instance, is a great place to get in touch with younger audiences, while LinkedIn is tried and tested for enriching your B2B contacts.
Don’t worry – we can help you identify your target audience if you don’t know where to begin, but this should always be your starting point when considering how best to utilise social media platforms for business purposes.
Quality content always usurps the quantity of content
We often get asked how often one should post on social media for optimal results. Well, how long is a piece of string? It's really difficult to say!
Some business owners get caught up in thinking that they must post something on social media every day to stay present and relevant. As a result, the quality of their posts deteriorates as they struggle to post content that their audience finds engaging.
Therefore, we always say that quality usurps quantity as far as social media posting is concerned. It’s much better to craft one or two relevant, high-quality posts every week than to pepper your audience with daily ramblings that don’t hit the spot.
Again, we can help you devise a content posting schedule to ensure that your business features prominently on your follower’s feeds without going over the top!
Differentiating between personal and professional
Another key thing to understand about social media platforms for business is that the platforms that you use for your business might well be different to those that you’re familiar with in your personal life.
While you might have 1,000+ friends on Facebook, your business might not benefit from a Facebook page. Rather, the niche you’re in might be better suited to Instagram or LinkedIn.
Although getting started on a new social media platform might seem daunting, it’s actually a really formative step for your business as it means that you’re able to engage with your target audience.
You need to avoid the mistake of setting up socials for the sake of it. Rather, invest in a platform that allows you to speak directly to your audience, as this will reap the rewards as far as your online business development is concerned.
The verdict: Which social media platforms should I use for my business?
The bottom line is that every business is unique, and the optimal social media platform for one will be different for another. You might, for instance, revel in the B2B nature of LinkedIn, which you supplement with a brand awareness campaign on Instagram.
Other companies might be more interested in cultivating a TikTok presence in an attempt to engage with a younger target audience.
The key thing to remember is that you need to consider what works for your business and which platform enables you to reach your target audience. Whether it’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or a combination of these platforms, that’s okay!
At Magic Word Media, we help lots of businesses utilise social media platforms for business, to effectively target and communicate with their respective target audiences.
For example, Tom Evans (General Manager of Hintlesham Golf Club) comments on how Magic Word Media’s Sophie helps to manage the club’s socials:
“Sophie is fantastic. Her relaxed and efficient approach suits our business. We've seen brilliant results and lots of very positive comments about our social media material. She has lots of fresh ideas, and it's like having a social media manager onsite 24/7.”
If you’re keen to maximise the way that you use social media platforms for business and would like us to take your socials to the next level, get in touch with us today – we'd love to hear from you!
T: +44 1473 526424
Best social media platform for business FAQs
Which is the best social media platform for a business?
This depends on your business. As mentioned, you can use one or several social media platforms for business, provided that you effectively connect with your target audience. The likes of LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook can all be effective tools for your business.
What is the best social media marketing for a small business?
Whether you’re a small, medium, or big business, the principal remains the same – you need to determine where your audience hangs out before creating content to put on the relevant socials.
What is the most used social media for B2B?
If you’re specifically looking to nurture B2B relationships, LinkedIn is the best platform for you. Known as the professional network, LinkedIn is used by 93% of B2B content marketers, so it’s an ideal platform if you’re looking to grow your brand in this way.
How do I grow my business on social media?
There are lots of ways to grow your business on social media – publish quality posts regularly, engage with your audience via likes and comments, and follow a content schedule. You can also hire us to take care of your social media management if you’re serious about growing your business online!