Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, 43things…the list goes on and on and on. Social media websites range from the heavy hitters that everyone seems to use (such as FB and Twitter), to smaller, user or purpose specific communities that you may never have stumbled upon. Well, first of all, no one is asking you to use all of them. Although the abundance of useless or oversaturated content may suggest otherwise, the point of being on social media is not to just be on social media.
Particularly from a business aspect, social media is there for your purposes.
It is a tool to help you connect with potential customers and gain visibility and connections. As the number of social media users in the general population have grown (over 73% of online adults use social media sites), businesses have jumped at the potentials for marketing and advertising that such sites present. Having a profile and posting content lets people know who you are or what products you have to offer, while gaining likes and adding people to your circle gives more opportunities for networking than ever before.
However, the growing demands and fast-pace environment of the social media landscape can often get overwhelming. The urge to keep up with the Jones’ and do what everyone else is doing without knowing why can get exhausting and take away from the actual growth of your business. With that in mind, look at social media sites purposefully. Decide which platforms best suit your needs, as well as your ideal audience. Do you want to have a full-blown profile that tells users all about your company and that sends out status updates? Do you have special offers or quick updates that you need the world to know about ASAP? Are you interested in getting customers feedback and involvement in spreading the word about your business? Each site has its own quirks, trends and demographics, and some might be better suited to your needs than others.
Facebook
The giant, Facebook is the most popular site with over 1 billion users, and 72% of online adults visit it monthly. Profiles and pages allow individuals and businesses to tell people about themselves, post news updates, show ads, pictures, videos, etc. Users can send out posts targeted to specific audiences or send information blasts that reach far beyond email marketing. 25 million small businesses have Facebook pages. Keep in mind, the top reason cited for unliking a business’ page is due to uninteresting posts.
Twitter
Twitter is a platform for short bursts of information, tag lines, promotions, conversations, and interactions with customers and fellow businesses. Surveys show that 72% of those on Twitter will make purchases from a business after starting to follow their posts, while 86% will listen to recommendations from friends as to which brands to follow.* Customers use Twitter both to learn about promotions and sales, and keep up with new products, but also to offer feedback and interact with the business itself, and on a more personal level.
Google Plus
Google+ is one of the newest “social media” platforms, but is quickly gaining ground.* More of a social network than a profile site, the platform exists in the context of Google’s far reaching other services, such as Gmail and Google search, bringing all of your online activities under one name. It also allows you to set up circles of specifically categorized people (from friends, to coworkers, to people interested in a specific topic), and thus postings or information can be shared more selectively.
Pinterest
Pinterest is the ultimate in short and sweet—categories of boards and pins allow users to post pictures, descriptions, and links to products, images, etc. Over 25 million people use the site, often specifically for finding recommendations and products. Pinterest accounts for over 25% of retail referring traffic, and users spend almost twice as much on products they have found through Pinterest, compared to Facebook. Many businesses in fashion and retail see their pins receive as many as 46 repins from the actively engaged community that Pinterest users create when following businesses and products.*
Instagram
Instagram, while on the surface appearing to simply be a conglomerate of personal photos of food and selfies, actually carries a strong business following as well. In just three years the site has gained over 150 million users. Over 1300 companies use Instagram. The top 50 brands that use Instagram average 722,000 followers, and 57% of users visit the site every day. Images are shared as well as liked, and hashtags carry brand names to users who don’t yet follow the brand themselves.*
Most importantly, make sure that your social media profiles are working for you. Are they bringing in business and developing a sense of community with your customers? Great. Simply keep in mind that is the goal—quality over quantity.