Selecting the Right Social Media Channels for Business

Which social media channels should I use?

Here at Not Greedy Media, we work with a range of businesses in Bristol and the South West and we get asked a lot about which social media channels are the right ones to use for business.

The answer is different for every company that asks us, unless they are very similar in sector and offerings. For example: the community based feel of Facebook might work fantastically for a holiday company, but it might not work quite so well for an IT support business. Something like LinkedIn and Twitter can work better for B2B (business to business service providers).

Nurture the right social media channels for your business

Owners of newly launched small businesses sometimes panic, thinking that they have to be on every single social media channel going — but, with a small team this is an extremely challenging task to set yourself. Especially, if you have little idea what makes each platform different…

Next comes frustration and confusion because nothing appears to be working despite the valuable time and money spent trying to increase engagement. It’s no wonder there are so many dead Twitter feeds and Facebook pages out there. Don’t let that happen to your business — appearing lifeless online can be more detrimental than you might think.

Find the social media channels that are most likely to work

From the very beginning you need to have a plan and you need to do a little bit of research to find the channels that are most likely to suit your business. Stick with them and nurture them and focus on making them grow first, before you start signing up to every social media channel going. Don’t go down the ‘all or nothing’ track. You just need to be strategic about it.

Firstly, you need to understand the top five social media platforms (below) and what sort of businesses they could work for:

1. Facebook

Facebook is great for content and pictures and videos and personal connection — it’s very community based and it can help you build up trust with your customers and potential customers. It’s great for inspiring responses with questions and emotive pictures and videos and can bring personality to your brand. It can also enhance your reputation, particularly if you use it correctly and responsively for customer service.

Facebook is the biggest social media platform out there and most people have instant access to it on their smart phones. When you consider that, every business should be using it.

2. Twitter

Like Facebook, Twitter is also well recognised and goes hand in hand with keeping up to date with current affairs, the latest debates, brands, key figures, celebrities. It’s worth remembering that a lot of people who use it go there to observe rather than engage in the same way they would on Facebook.

Many users on Twitter follow brands so that they can hear about the latest offers and discounts and it is a very good platform for those businesses who are trying to connect with brand advocates, look reactive and keep up to date with news, technology, marketing, sports and events, for example…

3. Pinterest

Pinterest is image based — think of it as a virtual pin board that can help you save inspirational pictures and quotes quickly, easily and all in one convenient place. It’s ideal for collecting visual ideas for hair styles, wedding planning, style ideas, interior design and fashion examples and inspirational quotes — it probably won’t surprise you that the majority of users are female.

Pinterest is great for ecommerce businesses and especially those ones that involve visual products or services involving aesthetics, style and design including: photography, travel, food, fashion, property, DIY and interior design.

4. Google+

From our experience Google+ is the one platform that a lot of small businesses choose to neglect because they don’t really understand it, or what it does. But, Google+ is one platform that you really can’t afford to ignore because it is fantastic for content sharing and improving your SEO (search engine optimisation).

Google+ is great for most companies and especially freelancers, bloggers and B2B networking and is another platform that most businesses shouldn’t ignore when you consider its great SEO payback.

5. LinkedIn

Known as a professional networking tool, a lot of people think that it is only for posting your CV and getting a new job, but for certain businesses it is great for networking with other businesses and developing your brand.

You can create professional conversations and opinion led articles within groups which will set you up as a knowledgeable expert or leader in your field. If you’re posting regular quality content this all helps to project you as a trusted and valuable source/business.

A lot of business managers and professionals use LinkedIn and this is why it is great for B2B businesses and freelancers, for example.

Don’t panic — get strategic with your social media

Make an Impact Online

In this article we’ve only briefly touched on the big five to help small business owners choose wisely when it comes to deciding on the main social media channels to be on. Of course, there are lots more social media channels out there and we’re not saying ignore them — just don’t get bogged down with the wrong ones.

If you are struggling to keep up with your social media or feel as though you are in need of some professional assistance when it comes to social media marketing, management and maintenance then give us a call at Not Greedy Media on: 07912297080, or email: hello@notgreedy.media.

See our blog for more informative articles on digital marketing and advice on how to boost your online channels and content marketing.