Does this sound like your schedule? Do you spend your days floundering around the various social networks posting, commenting, sharing, and liking?
We can’t.
Just like with traditional advertising, you get better results when you don’t stretch yourself too thin. Investing in 10 great ads over 10 days in one newspaper gets you better results than posting one ad in ten publications. And on social media, if you try to have a presence on too many networks, you dilute your efforts and end up delivering – and receiving – very little.
What if you could find the one network that was perfect for you, so you could devote ALL of your social media time and energy there? Imagine the power you could deliver! And all of that stress and guilt and confusion? It would all be gone.
Can you – as an entrepreneur looking to attract ideal clients, increase brand recognition, and build your business – really choose just ONE network?
.
Yes, you can.
In my research of entrepreneurs on social media, I’ve seen that the most successful ones (in attracting new followers, driving website traffic, and gaining paying clients) spend most of their time on one network. They may dabble in others, but they focus their marketing efforts on ONE social media platform. And they kick butt there.
How can you choose the best social network for you?
Determine:
- Where is your target audience?
- What is your social media style?
Your sweet spot – and where you want to spend most of your time – is where these two intersect.
WHERE IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE?
Here are some demographics of each network:
Twitter is popular with: Journalists, Mom Entrepreneurs, Female, Affluent, Most ages 18 – 49
Facebook is popular with: All ethnicities, Seniors, Significantly female
LinkedIn is popular with: 30 – 64 year olds, higher income, suburban and urban residences, well-educated adults looking to improve their careers
Instagram is popular with: Youth, 18 – 29 years old (83% of U.S. teens in wealthy households are on Instagram), non-whites in big cities, fitness enthusiasts
Google+ is popular with: Creative people (writers, photographers, musicians, painters), local businesses, unconventional entrepreneurs
Pinterest is popular with: Women, college graduates, fashion & beauty enthusiasts
WHAT IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STYLE?
Twitter: You love a cocktail party, where you can chat briefly with someone fascinating, and then move on to someone else, learning lots of interesting tidbits of useful information, and spreading your message to lots of people. You are sociable, personable, and engaging, and you love to talk. But when you think of writing an entire essay or article, you feel stressed out. Quick sound bites are more your style.
Facebook: Your business brand is really the same as your personal brand. You love to share your successes and challenges with your connections, whether they are professional contacts or family and friends. You naturally promote your value just by being your genuine self. Checking in online once or twice each day is ideal for you.
LinkedIn: You are a professional, through and through. You like to network with like-minded colleagues. In fact, you feel right at home at a professional conference. You love learning and sharing best practices in your industry, and positioning yourself as an industry authority and thought leader, sharing quality insightful content with your prospects, clients, and colleagues.
Instagram: You love to be trendy, and you love sharing your life – everything about it, from your home and family outings to the behind-the-scenes antics of your business. Since you are the face of your company, everything you do is a visual representation of your brand. The more people peer into your life, the more they fall in love with you and your mission.
Google+: You enjoy being a member of an active, vibrant community of people who share a combination of business posts, personal interests, and entertaining viral content. You are also someone who loves to be efficient with your time. Feed two birds with one crumb? You’d rather feed three!
Pinterest: You are very visual and creative, and love browsing museums, libraries, bookstores, and antique shows. You enjoy setting goals and creating vision boards, and you are motivated by successful, inspirational people.
What if you find that your target audience is all on a network that is NOT your style? Delegate your social media marketing, and spend your time on the work that you do best and brings you the best results. Many of our Ghost Tweeting clients spend their time on their favorite network and then outsource the rest to us.
To preserve your sanity, free up quality time, and reduce your social media overwhelm, find your favorite network and stick with it!
Want to figure out where you should spend your marketing hours and dollars? Schedule a free consultation with the social media marketing pros at Ghost Tweeting.
