- You know you need some kind of social media presence for your business but what should you use?
- You already use social media in your personal life but how should you use it in your work life?
- How do you keep up with social media trends while also running the day-to-day aspects of your business such as prospecting for new clients and taking care of existing ones?
Do these questions sound familiar? Read on to find out how to evaluate the different social media platforms available so you can find the best fit for your business.
There are a lot of established social media platforms in the market and it often feels like new ones are popping up each week. It is unlikely that you can be great on all of them – it takes a huge amount of time and resources. The best thing to do is to pick one or two that you can be outstanding on and focus on these.
But how do you know which platform is right for you and your business? Here is an overview of each of the main platforms and how they can work for you.
Facebook is an extremely powerful platform. In New Zealand, there are an estimated 2.6 million users (roughly 58% of the population) with a skew towards females aged 18-29. It has the most users and is the most frequently used of all the social media platforms.
Facebook is about building relationships through long-term commitment, not an immediate sale. The idea is to show your brand’s personality and build a community presence. Although you can also get immediate feedback and reply directly to people’s comments and questions.
On Twitter people want ongoing conversation and real-time interactions. It is very much ‘in the moment’. This is the social media tool for you if you frequently have things to say, prefer to reach out directly and are ready for people to reply to you.
In New Zealand, Twitter has an estimated 330,000 users and is dominated by young adults in the 18-29 age range with a female skew. Another point to note is that Twitter users tend not to be as concerned about privacy as users on other social media networks.
LinkedIn is known as the professional’s network. In New Zealand, it has an estimated 600,000 users who are mainly educated professionals with higher-than-average incomes.
LinkedIn is the ultimate networking site and a great way to reach out to people so that when they need your services you are right there in front of them. Most businesses on LinkedIn tend to be service providers as opposed to retailers and manufacturers. You can also join groups and discussions with other like-minded people – these can be used strategically to showcase your expertise in your chosen field.
YouTube
YouTube is the top video network worldwide and when used effectively, it can be a very powerful, exciting tool. In New Zealand, YouTube is second only to Facebook with an estimated 2.5 million users with an age range of 18 – 54.
The key thing to remember when using YouTube is that no one will watch a boring video – you need to think of new and creative ways to showcase your products or brand in order to engage the viewer and potentially create that next viral moment.
Pinterest is a pinboard-style image and video-sharing network. It is predominantly female (the most skewed of all the social media networks) and in New Zealand has an estimated 250,000 users.
If you think Pinterest is right for you, you need to have a lot of rich visual imagery – for example, beauty, fashion and food brands work well in this space.
If you are having trouble deciding where your content best fits or where to start, an experienced marketing consultant can help by providing a well-thought-out strategy to maximise your communications on social media. Get in contact with us here to find out how Energise can help you.
Photo via VisualHunt
