6 Tips to Choose the Right Social Platform for Your Business (2024)

With close to 200 social media platforms to choose from, and some sources saying you need to know more than 75 of them in 2020,1 how do you know which ones are right for your business? Where do you even begin?

Below are six tips for picking the best channels for your business, whether you’re just getting started or you’re looking to expand your existing presence. The important thing to remember is when you’ve selected the channels you want to pursue, pick one and get it up and running successfully before you open another one. If you try to launch multiple channels at once, your chances of success diminish. A lot.

Start with your audience

Audience is absolutely the most important factor when choosing a social media platform. Nothing else really matters, not even size, if your audience isn’t active on the channel. Facebook, for example, has more active users than any other network, but if your audience hangs out on Snapchat, that’s where you need to be.

That said, Internet users have an average of 6.6 social media accounts, so you should definitely consider other factors when determining where you want to have a presence.

Consider your company

Your products and services, your brand personality, your business type…they should all influence your channel selection. Highly visual brands, like graphic designers and artists, should explore DeviantArt, Dayflash, and Instagram, among others, while large B2B enterprises should definitely have LinkedIn at the top of their list.

But channel choices aren’t black and white either. Many large corporations have a visually stunning brand presence that shows well on Instagram, like Apple. Similarly, creative operations are still businesses, and they can benefit from what LinkedIn has to offer. Some channels have broad appeal, like Instagram, while others are more niche, like DeviantArt. You just need to weigh what makes sense for your business and understand that what your company does impacts the options available to you.

Research your competitors and others in your industry

One of the first steps I take when developing a social media strategy for a client is to conduct a competitive analysis. Among the many insights such an analysis provides are:

  • What platforms they’re using
  • What’s working/not working
  • How engaged the audience is on each channel

While you shouldn’t do something just because a competitor is, it’s useful to see what others in your space are doing, so you’re making an informed decision.

Align with your overall social media marketing goals

The reasons you’re on social media in the first place will also impact your decision. If you want to share content and engage with your followers, there are several networks that will work depending on the type of content you share. However, if customer support is a top goal for you, Twitter and Facebook should be on your consideration list before Instagram.

Understand the different platforms and their uses

Each social media platform has its own personality and ways of communicating. Twitter is great for conversations and trending topics, while LinkedIn is good for sharing professional expertise and company information. Snapchat was the first to introduce disappearing posts, but Instagram Stories are equally ephemeral.

Spend some time understanding the channels you’re considering and make sure you know the communication protocol. This will not only help you pick the best platform(s) for your company, but it will also help you avoid communication faux pas.

Keep in mind your available resources

As I noted in my post on how much time it takes to manage social media, social media is a commitment. You need to tend it, nurture it, give to it what you’d like to see come back to you. If you only have one person who can devote five hours per week to social media, you’ll want to limit your channels to one or two. If you have a full-time person, you can have several channels.

Just remember, social media will greedily soak up all the time you have and still make you feel like you’re not putting enough energy into it, so before you open a new channel, ask yourself if you have the resources necessary to be successful.

Bonus tip: Once you’re on more than one social media platform, make sure to tailor your content to the communication behavior and audience expectations for each channel. Don’t publish the same message across all your channels.

In my next blog post (Social Media FOMO: Do You Really Need a Channel for That?), I’m going to dive deeper into platform selection.

1List of social media platforms,75+ Social Media Sites You Need to Know in 2020,21 Top Social Media Sites to Consider for Your Brand

6 Tips to Choose the Right Social Platform for Your Business (1)

Written By

Marie Melgaard

Marie Melgaard has over 25 years experience in the technology industry as a skilled marketing and communications expert. With a background in corporate communications, social media and integrated marketing, she has a proven track record in building high-performing, cross-functional teams committed to advancing business objectives, increasing brand affinity and customer loyalty.Over the last 15 years, Marie has led a global Fortune 100, best in class social media program that represents some of the most successful product social channels in the industry. Marie is known for leading from the heart, described as being hardworking, genuine, and honest. She has a reputation as an inspiring, results oriented leader that positively impacts the business while empowering teams to achieve professional success.Marie has a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University and is passionate about Hispanics in technology, women in technology and mentoring refugees and youth.

Previous Post

Competitive Battlecards: How to Deliver Battlecards Sales Reps Will Love

Next Post

Practical ABM Tips for a Virtual World
6 Tips to Choose the Right Social Platform for Your Business (2024)

FAQs

6 Tips to Choose the Right Social Platform for Your Business? ›

To do this, you're going to determine which platform your audience uses by looking at the demographics of the users on each platform. You'll also want to consider how active your audience is on that platform. For example, while young Facebook users may have profiles, they're more active on Instagram or TikTok.

How to choose the right social media platform for your business? ›

To do this, you're going to determine which platform your audience uses by looking at the demographics of the users on each platform. You'll also want to consider how active your audience is on that platform. For example, while young Facebook users may have profiles, they're more active on Instagram or TikTok.

What are the 5 C's of a superior social media strategy? ›

The 5 Cs of Social Media -- Coordinates, Channels, Content, Connections, and Corrections -- are interconnected elements used to craft an effective strategy. Coordinates – This is the starting point for any organization's social media launch.

Which two factors should be considered when choosing the right social media platform? ›

Expert-Verified Answer. When choosing the right social media platform, two crucial factors to consider are the target audience and marketing objectives. Understanding the demographics, interests, and behaviors of the target audience is essential in selecting a platform where they are most active and engaged.

What is the most effective social media platform? ›

1. Facebook. Facebook is one of the top social media platforms for a good reason. It's an unparalleled giant with over 3.03 billion monthly active users. It stands as the undisputed leader, offering a platform that caters to a remarkably diverse range of users spanning all age groups.

What are the 5 P's of social media? ›

When it comes to social media marketing, the 5 P's of marketing—Product, Price, Promotion, Place, and People—form the foundation of your approach.

What is the rule of 5 in social media? ›

It suggests that for every 10 posts you make on social media, you should aim for: 5 posts that educate or inform your audience (e.g., industry news, tips, behind-the-scenes content) 3 posts that engage your audience (e.g., asking for feedback, running a poll, sharing user-generated content)

Which social media is ideal for business to business purposes? ›

LinkedIn

In terms of professionalism, no social network can beat LinkedIn. It's a thriving community of workers and business owners who share and connect on a professional level, making it much more formal than other social media platforms. Because of that, its users tend to respond better to B2B content than B2C.

Should my business be on every social media platform? ›

Although it sounds counterintuitive, pursuing an active presence across all social media platforms could be harming your brand development. Even if it isn't, it's almost definitely wasting your time. When planning your social media strategy, think quality, not quantity.

What social media platform do small businesses use? ›

Facebook: The All-Inclusive Hub

Whether your business operates in the B2C or B2B space, Facebook offers a platform for building connections and fostering customer relationships. It's the best place to reach older millennials, but younger audiences trend towards other social media platforms.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dan Stracke

Last Updated:

Views: 6258

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dan Stracke

Birthday: 1992-08-25

Address: 2253 Brown Springs, East Alla, OH 38634-0309

Phone: +398735162064

Job: Investor Government Associate

Hobby: Shopping, LARPing, Scrapbooking, Surfing, Slacklining, Dance, Glassblowing

Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.