Social media is one of the best and most efficient ways to accomplish your biggest goals: increase brand awareness, lead generation, and customer engagement. But it’s important to remember that not all social media platforms are created equal; each channel attracts a different kind of user with different content. Depending on your business, some social media platforms may be worth investing in than others. It’s essential that you learn these differences to optimize your brand’s online presence. 

Before you decide which channels to put your company on, consider these critical questions to help you choose the best social media platforms for your business:

  • Who is your Target Audience? 
Take the time to really research your target audience, your client demographics, and where your ideal customers are living on social media. The findings will help you make the most of your marketing budget. For example, is your target audience primarily male or female? How old are they? What are their education levels, and are they living in suburban, rural, or urban areas? These demographics will help you narrow your social media platform choices, as your target audience will often spend more time on some channels than others. 


  • Where are your competitors posting?
Research your competitors and look at where they’re posting. Look at their social pages, what they’re posting, how often they’re posting and interacting with customers, and then decide which platform seems the most “successful” for them. This will give you a fantastic idea of how your brand will fare on that channel. You’ll also get ideas on improving your social media presence based on how your competitors are doing!


  • What is the nature of your business?
What kind of business do you run – a business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C)? B2C organizations will want to have more visibility of products and services while interacting more with customers. Social media platforms with videos and photos, like Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube, may be ideal for you. B2B organizations that focus more on targeting potential or current clients and businesses may want to use LinkedIn to help network while building personal connections. 


  • What kind of content do you want to post?
The type of business you have will help you decide the content you want to post. For example, B2B businesses will probably want to post industry updates or company news, which is more suitable for platforms such as LinkedIn or Twitter. If you’re going to share video-based content, ask yourself if you want short-form videos, which are fantastic for younger demographics using TikTok and Snapchat. YouTube is excellent for longer videos, and even Facebook videos can generate large amounts of engagement. And if you want to use photos and images to inspire customers, Instagram and Pinterest are hugely influential.  


  • What are your social media goals?
Lastly, determine what your social media goals are. Different platforms are better for accomplishing different goals. Twitter is great for enhancing customer care and feedback. In contrast, Instagram is great for compellingly showcasing your products and services while increasing brand awareness, and Facebook is good for social media ads. Of course, each platform has its cons, so be sure you go over the positives and negatives of each so you know how you can best achieve your goals. 

Mountain South Media is a full-service digital marketing agency and a division of The Smoky Mountain News and Smoky Mountain Living magazine. We provide reliable, experienced expertise to ramp up your online marketing with various services from website design, search engine optimization, and social media management. 

Visit our website to learn more, or call us at 828.452.4251 to learn more. Your online marketing specialist is one click away!