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Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms for Your Business

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Love it or hate it, when designing a marketing campaign, the modern entrepreneur cannot rely on a website alone. Social media is key.

More than 80% of every generation uses social media at least once per day, and 71% of consumers are more likely to make purchases based on social media referrals.

Unfortunately, however, there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for social media marketing strategies. It's essential to tailor your approach based on your target audience and company mission. This involves identifying the most effective way to engage, communicate, build trust, address your audiences’ needs, or entertain, considering their characteristics.

1. Identify Your Target Audience

Whether you are starting a new business or developing a marketing plan for your existing one, your strategy should always start with clearly defining who your target audience are, and hopefully you've been working on this since you began to carve out your business plan. While it’s feasible that both 20-year olds and 80-year olds might buy your product, they won’t respond to the same marketing, so you’ll need to separate your customers into different customer persona types and design your approach accordingly. A good place to start is by defining social media behaviours by age group, as different demographics tend to favour different platforms:

• Baby Boomers:

• Gen Xers:

• Millennials:

• Gen Zers:

2. Define Your Objectives

The next step is to consider what you are hoping to achieve through social media. Defining clear objectives will help you select the right platforms and tailor your strategy accordingly. 

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that making a sale is the only goal of using social media, there are other objectives which make a great contribution to your company success:

• Brand Awareness:

• Customer Engagement:

• Sales and Leads:

3. Assess Platform Features

Each social media platform offers unique features and tools for businesses. Assessing these features in line with your objectives will help you leverage them effectively:

• Instagram:

• Facebook:

• Twitter:

• LinkedIn:

• TikTok:

• YouTube

4. Consider Your Industry

Different social media platforms cater to varied audience demographics and interests, making them more effective for certain industries. By aligning with the right platform and getting your messaging on point, businesses can effectively reach their target audience, enhance engagement, and achieve their marketing goals.

• Instagram

• LinkedIn,

• Twitter’s

• Pinterest,

• Facebook,

5. Evaluate Resources and Time

Managing social media requires time and resources. Evaluate what you can realistically commit to and plan your strategy accordingly:

• Content Creation:

• Community Engagement:

• Analytics and Optimization:

6. Stay Updated on Trends

Social media is ever-evolving. Staying updated on trends will help you adapt your strategy and stay ahead of the competition:

• Video Content:

• Temporary Content:

• Social Commerce:

Conclusion

Choosing the right social media platforms for your small business is an important strategic decision that can significantly impact your brand’s online presence and customer engagement. 

There are few other areas of business that change so frequently, and will require you to measure, assess and adapt as continuously, however if you stay on top of the trends and evolution you’re business will reap the rewards! 

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