BIRD’S EYE VIEW
Every business is different. There are a few things you must do before you decide which platform is the best for you. First, look at your social media from a bird’s eye view. Social Media is a way for your current and future customers to visit your business 24/7. They can essentially browse your business from various angles (different platforms) at any time of the day.
With that thought in mind, make sure their visit is welcoming, and full of value every time they (virtually) step inside your internet world.
So where should you start when it comes to finding the best platforms for your business?
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Who are your customers?
It always amazes me how that one question can cause a person to stop, narrow their eyes and contemplate. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone whip out a list of characteristics or statistics that describe their customers.
Years ago, when I was a full-time author, that question stumped me. As I was selling my young adult books on Amazon, I had no way of knowing who was buying and reading my fiction stories. I was in the blind. I figured I was writing fiction stories for young adults, so I’d cater my social media and marketing for those intended. But it bothered me that I didn’t know who my true audience was, and therefore, I created a survey and placed the link at the end of my books.
Within a month, I had made a shocking discovery. My target audience was NOT young adults. What!? My mind was blown. I learned that my target audience was women between the ages of 45 and 65. The exact opposite of who I thought my readers were.
Sure, I had some young adult and male readers, but the actual information in front of me was shocking. Revealing these facts provided me with a different perspective on how to market my books.
Once you understand who your target audience is, you can decide which platforms are the best for your business.
THE RIGHT PLATFORMS WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Being on a platform that your audience hardly uses is similar to a pet shop owner trying to sell products at a power saw convention. It’s not a smart strategy and one that will leave you mostly unsuccessful with your reach.
After you’ve created your customer profile, you’ll then want to understand which platforms your customers spend their time.
And make sure you’re there!
Start by reviewing the purpose and strength of each platform. Then ask yourself a few more questions:
- What are my company goals or objectives on social media?
- Do I want to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or establish authority in my industry?
- Will the social platform help me achieve my goals?
- Let me weigh objectives against strengths on each platform.
- Do I have any competitors doing well on the platform?
Once you’ve taken the time to answer those questions, you’ll have a better idea of which platforms will work for your business.
So how many platforms are there? Hundreds. I’d start with the most familiar. Here’s a list of some you may want to check out for your business:
- YouTube
- Vimeo
Facebook: Facebook is the largest and growing social media site in the world. This site makes it easy to cultivate business relationships.
Twitter: Twitter is a micro-blogging site. It allows you quick, instant updates that go to your followers. It only allows 280 characters, so be creative!
Instagram: Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by Facebook. Look at it like it’s the visual magazine for your business.
YouTube: YouTube is an online video-sharing platform headquartered in San Bruno, California.
Pinterest: Pinterest is a photo sharing site that allows you to create theme-based collections of images called “boards.” It is also one of the largest search engines and is often overlooked by businesses.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a social networking website for people in professional jobs. Users can make connections with other people they have worked with, post their work experience and skills, look for jobs, and look for workers. It’s a great place to post information about your company.
Vimeo: Vimeo is a video hosting, sharing, and services platform headquartered in New York City. Vimeo operates on an ad-free basis.
Reddit: Reddit is a social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website.
In our next blog, we’ll talk about Social Media Branding and Goal Setting. I will give you insight on ways to brand your business across all platforms and set SMART goals.
We’re here for you and your business.
If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to build theirs!
