Social Media Platforms and Their Purposes
Today, I want to point out some top social media platforms and their purposes, specifically connected to why a business should use the platform.
FACEBOOK – Any business can benefit from a presence on Facebook. Many Facebook users and consumers reference a business’s Facebook page like they would reference a website. We are seeing this trend more and more across the social platforms, but the various details and capabilities on Facebook is more prevalent. The platform’s size, broad-based popularity, and functioning make it the go-to spot for companies of all shapes, sizes, and industries. Effective strategies to use on Facebook include implementing video elements in content and building direct relationships with your clientele. The biggest takeaway with Facebook and overall with social media platforms is to avoid talking at your audience and instead, actively engage with your audience.
INSTAGRAM – Many recent studies have shown that Instagram users feel more inclined to follow brands and businesses on Instagram compared to other social media platforms. Due to the extensive tools of engaging with your followers through stories, posts, reels, IGTV, Live, and IG Shopping, this social media platform is specifically important for Business to Consumer businesses by allowing frequent and different ways of engaging and informing. Instagram allows a business to create a developed presence easily through growing the follower base quickly utilizing tagging, hashtags, and the discover tab by posting relevant and trending content regularly. But also, because it allows businesses to actively engage with partners, influencers, and consumers in a “friend-like” setting. The biggest takeaway from Instagram is for businesses to push inspiration and information over sales to increase their authentic brand.
TWITTER – Businesses that will see Twitter as most beneficial include those that want to promote blogs, podcasts, other long-form content, as well as connecting with customers through effective customer relations or customer service and brand management. The biggest strategy as well as takeaway is to focus on building the brand’s voice and tone on Twitter instead of focusing on the visual elements like platforms Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok require more visual attention.
PINTEREST – Since Pinterest’s inception, women have been the vast majority of the site and app’s users. This has not changed much over the years. Service-based businesses or Business to Business companies do not usually benefit from Pinterest. Businesses focused on selling products, especially artists, interior designers or services surrounding home renovation or décor, and food accounts directly serve the needs of Pinterest’s primary audience. When using a Pinterest business account, ensure the boards are vibrant in colors and include vertical imaging. SEO-optimized text and connecting the content to outside hyperlinks will drive a business’s success connected to Pinterest. The biggest takeaway in regards to Pinterest would be to share pins and pinnable images that connect to the business’s blog while providing tips in connect to the product, whether that be a how-to, DIY, or recipe guide.
TIKTOK – TikTok, the newest platform we are mentioning today extensively for businesses, directly cater to a young generation. The majority of users fall underneath the Generation Z or younger generations with millennials and businesses catching up. Any business that has a fun and creative brand, can easily create video content for TikTok. On TikTok, you will not have the luxury of repurposing video content used on other social media platforms BUT KATE FACT: you should not repurpose any type of content across platforms. Each content created visually and textually should fit the platform it is shared on. The campaign and messaging can stay the same but the content itself should be formatted to be successful on each individual platform. Back to TikTok, research shows it is best to share video content that appears “rough-cut” to give off the illusion of authenticity. Businesses that directly want to market products or services to teens or young adult generations, should be active on TikTok. The biggest takeaway and the biggest question revolving around gaining followers or more importantly views and engagement on TikTok do not revolve around the caption to the video or related hashtags, but rather connected to the ability to attach sounds from the sound gallery that are starting to trend, use trending hashtags, and recreate the trend at the moment video content but with a connection to the business.
Other platforms that businesses can use for differing purposes include LinkedIn, YouTube, Discord, Snapchat, Clubhouse, Reddit, AND SO MUCH MORE! Coming soon is a blog post highlighting each social media platform …
