If you own a business, you are often confronted with the twin questions of whether you should be on social media and what social media network is best for your company. While there is not one stock answer to this question, there are some pathways you can follow to determine if a social media presence is a good investment for your company and which social media platforms are best suited to your business.
Does My Business Need To Be On Social Media?
According to the latest census report, there are 332 million people in the United States. A staggering 302 million of these people have social media accounts. Every 9 out of 10 people in the United States are on social media. That is a large part of the population to ignore by neglecting to establish a social media presence.
Should you be on a social media network? Yes. Every company would benefit from a strategic social media presence. Whether you are a real estate agent highlighting your properties or a national membership association strengthening your ties with members, a social media presence is always beneficial.
What Are the Popular Social Media Platforms?
We must understand the social media options before determining which social media network works best for your business.
Meta
Every conversation about social media needs to start with Meta. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. It is the most significant player in the social media industry, and Meta products occupy three out of the five top positions. One of the great benefits of having a presence on Meta is the ability to cross-post content and leverage the various platforms to get the most out of your ad dollars. According to Statistica, Meta found its largest audience with individuals aged 25-34 years – women accounted for 11.8% of this age group and men 11.7 %
TikTok
TikTok ranks third among popular social media platforms. According to Statistica, as of July 2023, there were approximately 122 million users on TikTok. Women outpace men on TikTok, comprising 60% of the users vs. 40% of men. Most TikTok users are between 18 and 34, with 18 – 24-year-olds making up 36% of users and 25 – 34-year-olds 32% of users.
X/Twitter
Rounding out the top five is X/Twitter, with over 95 million users in the United States, according to Statistica. In contrast to the other networks, men outpace women on X and comprise 63% of the users.
What Social Media Platform Is Best for My Business
Now that you know you need to have a social media presence and have learned a little more about the most popular social media platforms, the next step is determining which social media platform is best for your business. A business can establish a presence on many social media platforms, from TikTok to Pinterest and everything in between. Determining exactly what social media platform best suits you and your business combines several factors.
Identifying the Best Social Media Platform Based on Your Line of Business
Each social media platform has different distinct, albeit sometimes overlapping, characteristics. Establishing your social media presence on a platform that aligns with your line of business helps launch your social media presence.
Are you in a highly visual industry, such as a local florist or home builder? The clean visuals of Instagram make it a natural starting point for your business. Engaging Reels using trending music will allow people to discover your company. Cross-posting to Facebook is easy and quick through the Meta scheduling tool.
Does your business involve a high volume of instruction or movement? TikTok would be a great launching point for your business. People turn to TikTok to watch, learn, and for entertainment. Reposting to Instagram Reels or other short-form video platforms like YouTube Shorts can be done to increase your reach. This excellent tutorial highlights a few ways to leverage video content across platforms.
Is your business in media or podcasting? X is an excellent platform for interacting directly with your listeners and viewers, having meaningful conversations with like-minded people, and generating new leads. That said, X has many pitfalls – primarily the time investment required to make a difference. If you are considering X as your social media platform, we recommend reading this quick article to ensure it is the right fit for you and your business.
Matching Your Social Media Skills with a Social Media Platform
Maintaining a presence on social media takes time and effort. Identifying the level of effort you can put into the platform and your individual strengths are essential first steps in assessing which social media platform will work best for you. As previously mentioned, a platform such as X requires a high level of daily interaction. If you don’t have a few hours to spend on X, that might not be a good fit for you.
Do you enjoy making videos? Then YouTube Shorts or TikTok is a natural space for your business.
Love chronicling your day on Instagram Stories? Seamlessly transfer that energy by creating an Instagram account for your business and post regularly to Stories for your business.
While many social media scheduling programs can support you in posting to social media, some level of daily engagement will be necessary to grow and maintain a solid social media presence. Social media is a crowded space – you must stay engaged to keep an active and loyal audience.
Wrapping Up – How Do You Choose What Social Media Network is Best for Your Business
We have highlighted some of the most popular social media platforms and what might make them a good fit for your business. But choosing the right platform comes down to YOU. What are you comfortable with? How much time do you have to allocate to each social media platform? Establishing your business on a platform you cannot maintain is not a good investment of time and resources.
If you are ready to establish a social media presence for your company, we are here to help you! Contact our marketing experts today to discover more about our social media management packages.