Social Media Platforms
Photo by Alexander Shatov
Which social media platform is right for me?
BeReal, Post, Discord…Tiktok, YouTube, Reddit…Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
New versus old. With so many different place, how do I know what is the right platform for my startup?
It depends. Older platforms are undergoing changes, and new ones are becoming more popular. It used to be so much easier. It started with posting a few words - due to character limits. Next we had to include photos to grab attention, and now videos. And while it may seem plenty of companies are posting a lot of content, those that are getting the most out of their efforts in terms of engagement are those that go into it with a plan.
It is important to carefully evaluate all the alternatives when selecting where you will spend your valuable time and money. Simply posting content and forgetting about it isn’t as effective as having an active presence. Social media participation requires thought, planning, engagement. An active presence includes making connections, having conversations with your followers, and ongoing maintenance - continually providing content, responding to questions and supporting those who have issues.
Given how much credibility customers put in opinions and reviews during their purchasing process, you’ll see how important it is to be actively engaged wherever you are present. Afterall, there are now more than 4.2 billion active social media users which spend an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes on social every day. And 71% of small-to-mid-sized business use social media for marketing.
Social media platforms are dynamic. As a result, when determining which platforms to place the bulk of your content, time and attention, add a little time to research and plan for the future. Keep your eye out for new emerging platforms that may be a target to add to your portfolio.
The most important element to consider when planning your presence on social media is where your customers already have a presence. Go after the low hanging fruit.
Since Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube have been around for awhile, let’s take a look at a couple of the newer platforms.
New Platforms
BeReal
BeReal is a social media app that sends a push notification to all users at a random time each day prompting users to post one unfiltered photo within two minutes of notification receipt. It uses the front and back cameras to photograph whatever you are doing at that time, and there are no filters. The point is to capture users in the moment to obtain authentic photos - whether you are doing something fun, having a good day, or not. There are no followers - you have friends and only that group can see your posts.
Post
Post, a Twitter-like platform, is a ‘civil place to debate ideas; learn from experts, journalists, individual creators, and each other; converse freely; and have some fun.’ Users can write posts of any length, and can contribute money to other’s posts via a ‘tip’ jar.
Hive
Hive ‘combines concepts from Myspace, Instagram, and Twitter to create a unique digital experience’. It offers a chronological feed that does not use an algorithm to prioritize certain accounts over others.
Platforms - Active Users
While these platforms are new and growing, you may be surprised to hear that Facebook is still the number 1 platform - the largest with 2.91 billion active users.
Top 10 social media platforms by usage (in millions) from Hootsuite:
Facebook - 2,910
YouTube - 2,562
WhatsApp - 2,000
Instagram - 1,478
WeChat - 1,263
TikTok - 1,000
FB Messenger - 988
Douyln - 600
QQ - 574
Sina Welbo - 573
By the way, Twitter ranked 15 at 436 million active users when this list was published in 2022.
As you can see from above, depending upon your business focus, Facebook is definitely a platform to consider. Running ads on the platform is a great way to start to drive engagement. While Facebook has the most active users, the most popular platform is WhatsApp likely due to its versatility - an all-in-one tool. The app provides businesses with the ability to directly connect with customers.
For those targeting a younger audience (GenZ), look to TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook as they are the platforms of choice for this age group. For an older audience, consider Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Content and Participation
Short-form video is still the trend when it comes to sharing content. Attention spans continue to shrink, driving the popularity of viewing content in a quick and easy manner - driven by the popularity of TikTok. This applies to many of the main social media platforms as well, such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Use your videos to educate. While short-form videos are the trend, it is best to customize your content to take advantage of the benefits of each platform resulting in an optimal experience for your customers.
When you start to see engagement, reach out to your followers to start a conversation. Add them to your CRM to leverage automation tools, moving them along the funnel. Remember, social media is for connecting. Generating conversations and building relationships with customers. Don’t stop there as this will also be a place for you to address customer issues. Customer service via social media has become a place for customers to reach companies to address issues. It’s important to monitor and address issues quickly. For those that escalate, move those conversations offline and connect directly to the customer for resolution. Finally, when you resolve the issue, create a post for your followers to see - let them know they and their issues are important to you.
When it comes to measurement, active participation takes time. Don’t worry about algorithms. They aren’t always the best judge of how well you’re doing. If you are making connections, if your followers are participating, if THEY are sharing your content with others, such as providing recommendations - you are doing well.
So don’t sweat it. Focus on one or two platforms, gain a following before moving onto others. While it might be attractive to be present in many locations, it doesn’t really matter if you are stretched too thin and can’t manage the activity for those platforms where you have a presence. You will be rewarded with a bit of persistence, maintenance, and creativity in your posts and responses.
Need help building your social media presence? Contact Us for a free 30-minute consultation.
FunFact Friday
Have you ever wondered what was the very first video that appeared on YouTube? Turns out it was “Me at the zoo”, posted on April 23, 2005. It was 19 seconds long, and featured one of the co-founders of YouTube, Jawed Karim in front of two elephants at the San Diego Zoo.