Did you know?

Smartphone/tablet ownership has rocketed with in excess of 2 billion in use daily. The demand for great content has never been greater. On average, internet users have 5 or more social media accounts and 90% of retail businesses alone use 2 or more platforms for marketing purposes.

Which Social Media Platforms Benefit my Business?

This is a common question being asked by new and existing companies worldwide and cannot be answered in just a few words. I would firstly advise that you carry out the relevant research before diving in the deep end.

Research Guidelines to Help:

Purpose

Identify your short & long-term goals and decide whether to send out a general message or focus on forming close-knit business connections. Target specific local circles or increase recognition worldwide; once you are happy with your research, craft a social media strategy according to your purpose.

Time

If you have time to manage your social media effectively, you may want to join more platforms and create more content on a regular basis. You will need to consider how many hours a week you are willing to commit and how much time it takes you to create content for your platforms. It is not uncommon for businesses to outsource social media responsibilities to freelancers because it is extremely time-consuming if you are looking to implement a results-driven social media strategy.

Budget

The most admirable thing about social media is that the platforms are free to use unless you decide use paid advertising schemes. Regardless of your marketing budget, you too can benefit from social media. It requires a high dose of research and commitment on a daily basis.

You Decide your Results

Over 60% of marketers are using social media for 6 hours a week and 91% of them have confirmed increased brand exposure. 41% use social media as a marketing tool for 11 hours per week or more, whilst many also use social media for over 20 hours a week.

Below I have chosen 3 of the most popular social platforms for business in 2016 and provided reasons for why each platform may be relevant to your marketing goals:

Facebook | Largest social network on the Web and dominates B2C space

Facebook provides a casual and friendly social environment for businesses to promote products and services through content creation and post sharing. A comprehensive social media marketing strategy, knowledge on how to create quality regular content and a monthly budget is required if you wish to maximise B2C marketing on Facebook. Recently Facebook Professional Services emerged from behind the social media scenes and has proven to deliver effective solutions as a local business directory.

Twitter | Communicate your message with short sharp updates & interact with brands worldwide

Twitter is commonly known as a microblogging site and is a perfect platform for marketers who wish to collect instant and regular feedback from audiences. Currently there are over 310 million active monthly users on Twitter and this means you can gain ‘instant global recognition’ at the touch of a button. The updates are called Tweets and consist of 140 characters only. Excellent for on-the-go entrepreneurs to build a loyal community and if you are looking to increase exposure and website traffic fast, you have the option for paid Twitter Ads.

LinkedIN | The Facebook for professionals is a business-oriented site ideal for B2B networking

LinkedIN falls into the category for precise business networking and engagement. With over 450 million users; LinkedIN provides a valuable platform that allows you to tell your company story, connect with potential clients and gain easy access to vendors, suppliers, manufacturers, and other third party resources in one click. LinkedIN provides the options for businesses to benefit from the many B2B networking features, B2C tools, quality lead generation and recruitment abilities.

The majority of business brand owners nowadays are aware that having a website and a connected social media circle is almost crucial for online marketing success. It is true to say that everyone will endure a different social media experience but in order to be successful online, you must understand how it works and prepare to commit the time and content required to get results.