If you’re anything like me, choices can be confusing. When I walk into Sephora looking for a fierce new shade of red lipstick, my eyes quickly glaze over when I notice the 813 options calling my name. Most business owners I chat with have a similar feeling when it comes to social media. Which platforms should you sign up for? Do you need to have a Snapchat account (what the heck IS Snapchat?!)?
Today, I’m outlining each popular social media platform and giving you complete clarity as to which ones you need to focus on.
Grab your pen and a notebook and get ready to take some notes, girlfriend. We’re going to get down and dirty with social media and by the end, you’ll have a great idea on which ones will best for your brand.
So let’s get to it!
While Facebook is the most widely used platform, studies have shown it’s not necessarily the best when it comes to sales generation. Often, people are browsing Facebook to see what their friends are up to, what messes celebrities are getting into, or, (let’s be real), what their ex-boyfriend and high-school arch nemesis are doing with their lives. It’s largely about mindless browsing.
Don’t get me wrong, Facebook can be GREAT for business, and it’s important to have an account, largely for social proof. Plus, Facebook ads make generating sales more possible (try operating simply on your organic reach, you’ll likely find your posts don’t go too far). Creating visually appealing ads and using strong targeting to send your content right to your ideal clients is a great way to drive traffic to your website and land new customers.
Regardless of what type of business you run, you should probably be on Facebook. Interestingly, the number of teenage Facebook users is on a steady decline, so if they are your target audience, you might not want to focus heavily on this one.
Here are a few tips for using it to boost your business:
- Post your best content on Thursdays or Fridays (they’re said to have the best engagement)
- Use visual content generously
- Give people value (tips, tricks, freebies, all the good stuff!)
- Ask questions
- Use FB ads strategically
- Pay attention to how your posts are performing, and use that data for future posts
Instagram is one of my favorite platforms! I think it’s a fun way to connect with your ideal clients and see what other people are up to (on the personal side, it seems to be a lot more positive than Facebook, which I LOVE. I’ve never read a single nasty rant on Instagram- yay!).
Females dominate Instagram, and there have been over 20 billion images shared on their site.
If you run a business that is image friendly (a flower shop, a dog walking service, a bakery, etc.), or you have a strong brand you want your audience to connect with (a fitness coach, a photographer, a personal stylist, etc.), Instagram is a wonderful way to wow potential clients and make them feel connected to you.
Want to dominate Instagram? This will get you started:
- Use hashtags wisely (use things you ideal clients will search for)
- Put time and effort into your images (Instagram is all visual, so crappy images don’t work!)
- Make yourself look fab (Maybe you work from home in yoga pants all day, if you go out one evening, post a shot of your swoon-worthy shoes. No one needs to know you aren’t a fashionista 24/7!)
- Be sure you’re connecting with the right audience (If you want to attract social butterflies that are single and always ready to mingle, don’t post images of your baby and your Friday night Netflix binges. Your target audience won’t relate. Confusing branding is a death sentence.)
Twitter is a little different than other platforms as it’s used much more frequently. People log into their Twitter accounts much more on a daily basis, and if you’ve ever looked at Twitter, you know it moves at lightning speed.
That being said, many users aren’t actually posting anything. They come to Twitter for information. They follow brands, and love taking advantage of the special promotions they find in their feed. They retweet articles and quotes, and enjoy looking at images.
Fun fact- In 2014, Katy Perry had the most Twitter followers.
If you often run fun promotions, are in an industry that provides great information (news, entertainment, sports, etc), or have lots of great blog posts to share, Twitter would be a great addition to your social media arsenal.
Twitter tips:
- Tweets are limited to 140 characters, so be straightforward (no room for fluff!)
- Aim to post at least 3-4 times daily
- Share up to the minute articles and news (if B. Spears shaves her head again, and you post about it 10 minutes after the story breaks, it will already have been Tweeted a zillion times)
- Don’t be too self-promotional (share other users content- retweet, baby!)
LinkedIn is a great platform for professionals, and it has the oldest age demographic of any other platform. It’s primarily made up of college grads, and business owners. The average income for LinkedIn users is roughly $109,000.
While this is a great networking tool, it’s likely not going to be a place you find a new client for your yoga studio. Not directly, at least. LinkedIn is great for business to business marketing, and as with anything else, the more people you know the more chances you’ll have to get new business. Because this site is primarily used by professionals, you probably won’t find yoga loving stay at home moms using the site.
Fun fact- less than 15% of LinkedIn users log into the site daily.
If you want to use LinkedIn for business, this will get you started:
- Post regularly about what you’re doing and who you’re working with
- Interact with other users (just don’t be a stalker)
- Join a few groups (Like any other group, be helpful. No one likes someone that’s all take and no give!)
- If you have employees, get them on LinkedIn too (people tend to follow multiple people in an organization)
Each morning, around 5AM, you can find me snuggled beneath my down comforter, scoping out Pinterest. Fact is, the majority of women are doing the same exact thing, at some point in the day, at least a few times a week. It’s functional. It’s pretty. It turns you into a freakin’ superwoman. Frankly, I don’t know how people survived without it.
To all you moms that raised children in the pre-Pinterest area, I want to take a second to give you a giant fist bump. You cooked dinner, came up with ideas for the school Halloween party, and completed spring cleaning without the use of a single organized board. You’re my hero.
If you have any desire to market your business towards women, Pinterest is probably a safe bet. People on Pinterest want to be inspired. They want to be wow’d with tips and tricks that will help them design their dream kitchen, or build a strong brand, or serve a mean spread at their Super Bowl party. If you have content, services, or products that people would find valuable, start pinning.
To use Pinterest effectively, try this:
- Pin high quality images
- Create boards your ideal clients would want to look at (pin lots of other things, besides your own)
- Use hashtags wisely (only use one or two, max)
- Have really organized, specific boards
- PPPPPssssst!! Long infographics tend to get lots of views because they look different than the other pins, which naturally piques a person’s interest as they’re browsing!
Google+
Google+ is a tricky one.
While it boasts a large number of profiles, many of them are inactive. This is largely because a Google+ account comes with a Google account now, so many people that simply want to use Gmail get profiles that they never actually use.
It’s used by men more than most other platforms, so it’s a good place to target dudes, if they’re your ideal audience. Techies and marketing gurus spend a lot of time on Google+, so if your business is related to marketing or technology, you may find your ideal clients here.
Google+ has communities that are great for networking (which I’m a big fan of) so it’s a good bet for business owners, regardless of who your ideal clients are, or if they’re using the platform. It’s a great place for business to business marketing, as it isn’t really somewhere the general population seems to go. Facebook still rules when it comes to fun, friendly social media for non-business owners.
Think Google+ is the place to be? Get started with these tips:
- Be strategic (Google+ is HUGE for SEO. If you get a lot of +1’s (Google’s version of a FB ‘like’), your search rankings will skyrocket)
- Encourage customer reviews
- Post often, with quality content
- Use hashtags, but be mindful about what you’re using (basically, don’t just use them to use them, make them super specific)
Before you go skipping off to sign up for a new account, I have a few simple tips that will help you dominate social media marketing, regardless of which platform you’re using.
Which social media sites do you regularly use to promote your business? Are there any places you know you should be, but you’re not currently using? Tell me your troubles in the comments, my dear!
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