Whether you’re in marketing or running your own business, it’s always a good idea to play to your strengths. We’ve all wasted time and money fighting uphill battles in our businesses. It’s always easier when you align your business with what you do best.
Your social media strategy is no different. When you align your business with a platform’s strengths, achieving your goals becomes a reality.
In this post, we’ll explore the strengths of some common social platforms and why certain types of businesses do well on them.
Instagram: Why People Love It
Instagram epitomizes the fact that a picture is worth 1000 words. It’s like Facebook without the long, drawn out posts. Instead, Instagram focuses on visual stimulation, and allows customers and businesses tell their story through images and videos.
Who Uses Instagram
Instagram has over 500 millions users.
According to Pew Research, 59% use it everyday. It skews female, but only slightly. 55% of users are ages 18-29, but older millennials and gen Xers aren’t far behind at 28%. A little over half of users make 50K+ annually.
Businesses That Should Be Using Instagram
Businesses who have a visual story to tell should undoubtedly be using Instagram, and can even encourage customers to help them tell that story.
If you’re one of these, Instagram is likely your perfect match:
- Landscapers
- Construction
- Toys
- Creatives
- Cars
- Clothes
- Pet Care
Facebook: Why People Love It
Everyone loves connecting with people and brands that interest them. Users read news and comment on posts. They share to make someone laugh or spread social awareness. Facebook drives over 2/3 of all social media traffic. 84% of users share to show support for social causes.
Who Uses Facebook
Facebook has over 1 billion users.
71% of American adults are on Facebook. They skew female, may be any age and are fairly evenly split down income and education lines.
Businesses That Should Be Using Facebook
B2C Businesses are finding the greatest success with a Facebook social media strategy, with 77% acquiring customers through this platform. And if you’re a non-profit on a mission that people can get behind, Facebook gives you incredible power to get the word out and build support.
Among the industries that get the best results for their social media strategy are:
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Tech/Software
- Healthcare and Health
- Non-profits
- For profits who also support social and environmental causes
LinkedIn: Why People Love It
LinkedIn is a community for professionals to connect and share industry ideas, best practices, and tips. It allows people to follow and even interact with influencers in their industry to stay current. Users are more selective about who they add to their circle, so it feels very exclusive.
Who Uses LinkedIn
Over 100 million people are on LinkedIn.
Only about 25% of social media users are on the site. 80% of users believe that networking is important. LinkedIn skews male, and while the ages on the site vary, LinkedIn has a higher 50+ population than other sites. They’re likely to be college grads with incomes typically exceeding $75K.
Businesses That Should Be Using LinkedIn
B2B businesses find great success on LinkedIn. 82% of B2B use it for marketing purposes. 46% of their social traffic and 80% of their social media leads come from this platform. If you’re investing in influencer marketing, LinkedIn is the platform on which to get influencers’ attention to solicit their help in sharing your brand.
Your Social Media Strategy Doesn’t Stop Here
Twitter, YouTube, Quora, SnapChat, Pinterest and others can be very effective in your social media strategy as well. The best social media marketing strategy for your business will occur when you identify the strengths of various social media platforms and align their strengths with yours. By doing this, you bring yourself one step closer to achieving your marketing goals.
About the author
Leigh M is a full-time writer who specializes in Business and Health related writing for businesses and professionals who are looking to promote their brands through engaging and informative books and copy. She is bilingual, has MBA level education and a strong medical management background.
