Which Social Media Platform is Right for Me?

We know that not all social media platforms are created equal – at least not as far as branding needs are concerned. Each network boasts different benefits, limitations and demographics, which means some platforms are better suited to your brand than others. Before you devote hours to a network that yields low ROI, let’s take a look at the ins and outs of the major platforms and see if you can’t find your match.

Is Twitter Right For Me?

Twitter may limit you to 140 characters, but it certainly isn’t limiting your ability to market. Twitter’s ideal for broadcasting your message on a national or global scale. It’s easy to use, and more importantly, it’s easy to engage others and build communities. This is key. Your brand presence on social media is not about advertising, it’s about relationship building. Twitter enables you to increase visibility and promote thought leadership. That’s pretty awesome. With roughly 550 million registered users, Twitter gets you 18% of the Internet public. If we parse it down by age group you will get in front of 31% of 18-29 year olds online and 19% of 30-49 year olds. More importantly, however, Twitter users are dedicated and engaged. Almost half are online perusing their feeds daily and another quarter check in once a week.

Is Facebook Right For Me?

Yes, it’s true. Facebook remains the Goliath of social media beasts with 71% of Internet users (about 1.15 billion) calling the platform their social media home. However, having all those eyes in one place does not necessarily translate to an ROI panacea. Roughly 70% of marketers have used Facebook to gain new customers and 47% of Americans say their purchasing decisions have been influenced by the network. Of course that sounds alluring. Before you craft your Facebook persona, however, be aware that with changes to Facebook’s rules and algorithms have made it very difficult to reach people organically. Just because someone likes your page does not mean he or she will see your posts. Recent results show that organic reach is now in the single digits. If you’re willing to dip into the budget and spend some cash to “boost” your posts, Facebook can still make an impact for you. Strong across every age group, income bracket and any other demographic grouping you want to sparse your data into, Facebook will certainly put you in front of eyeballs you want to be in front of if you’re willing to pay for it (and many of those sets of eyes, by the way, log on up to 5 times a day!)

Is LinkedIn Right For Me?

Statistically, 22% of Internet users are incorporating LinkedIn as part of their professional networking activity. As social networks go, LinkedIn is unique in that it performs especially high among people with a college degree or higher and among those with an annual household income of $75,000 or more. It’s also the only platform that performed stronger in the 50-64 age group than the 18-29 folks. (While we’re at it, it performs strongly within the 30-49 bracket.) This group is online for a specific purpose; therefore you need to tailor your message to fit the space. LinkedIn is great for the professional community, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, sales professionals, recruiters, and career-minded individuals. Craft a detailed professional bio (profile), connect personally to people, participate in professional groups and industry conversations, and gain “endorsements” for areas of expertise. Don’t expect to be seen daily, however. Only 13% of LinkedIn’s users are stopping by daily. Over half of subscribers stop by less than once a week.

Is Google+ Right For Me?

Google+ is gaining steam and some experts predict it will outpace Facebook by 2016. While that remains to be seen, it is true that Google now boosts 1 billion enabled accounts, a 33% increase over the previous year. Not bad for a three year old that was once seen as just a haven for techies and Google employees. Google+ benefits go beyond its circles and pages. As a Google offering, you get a tremendous SEO boost by being active on this network – that alone makes it worth a consideration. You can also incorporate your entire Google presence including YouTube and Google Local for a robust presence.

Is Instagram Right For Me?

Don’t underestimate the power of being visual. You know that old adage, a picture’s worth a 1000 words. Well, meet Instagram, a powerful tool to visually promote your brand. Make sure you utilize hashtags to garner more visibility. More importantly, you’re not sharing your images in a vacuum. You can like, follow and comment your way to a strong, engaged community. Instagram draws 17% of Internet users (although it does pull nearly 40% of the 18-29 year old Internet users.) Of course, there’s more to a platform than its subscriber numbers. How active those members are is important and in this, Instagram is golden. It’s a well-used network with almost 60% of its subscribers logging in daily and 20% checking in weekly.

Is Pinterest Right For Me?

Get this: 50% of Pinterest pinners created a pinboard specifically to make a purchasing decision. Pinterest, popular amongst women (33% of those on the Internet), is turning the Internet into a giant wish list (and for some, apparently, a shopping list.) Pinterest is a good traffic generator, especially for brands with products to promote. Make it easy for your customers and prospects to do the pinning-work for you. Using the “Pin It” button on your website is a great way to have others broadcast your images on their Pinterest boards. Don’t be surprised if your pins take a little extra time to get noticed. Half of all subscribers log-in less than weekly.

To save time and maximize your social media ROI, be sure to choose the platforms best suited for your brand, business, and target audience.

And if you want to save even more time, let’s chat about how a Ghost Tweeting expert can take away your most time-consuming social media marketing tasks, and attract more attention than ever. Contact us for a no-obligation chat, and we’ll answer all your questions.

Sources:
Demographics of key social networking platforms
Social Media Facts and Statistics You Should Know in 2014
How Social Media Influences Purchasing Decisions

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