Did you know that a properly executed social media strategy can drive more traffic to your website and enhance lead generation? There is an overabundance of social media channels, from LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok, to name a few. With all of these options, it can be overwhelming to determine what platform to choose to build an online presence. Here are several factors to consider:
- What are your social media strategy objectives?
- Which channels is your target audience using?
- Which channels is your competitor using?
- What kind of content do you want to create?
- Do you have the manpower to manage multiple channels?
Let’s dive deeper:
Determine your social media strategy objectives
It’s important to determine your social media strategy objectives. Once identified, you should align those objectives with well-established platforms that have a large following. It is a best practice to research the social media advertising platforms that suit your budget. You will want to choose the most effective platform that will raise awareness and extend your business services reach. If lead generation is most important, then LinkedIn might be a good fit since that platform is the renowned B2B champion in lead generation through group participation and advanced search filters. Facebook and Twitter can also be very effective.
Research your target audience
Research the specific channels that your target audience is using based on social media demographics. You may want to consider Sprout Social to help you to conduct an analysis of your current followers and to outline the key demographics of various social media platforms. The research will ensure that your chosen channels facilitate the most relevant approach of your target audience based on demographic data.
Research your competitor’s social media channels
Research the social media channels that your competitors use. Know the type of content they post, what gets the most likes and shares, and the frequency to which they post. You may even want to “follow” them on social media. This will help you gain valuable insight that you can replicate for your social media strategy. Consider using a specific tool to analyze your competitor’s top-performing social content based on the most shares and engagement. Facebook and Twitter will enable you to track any mention of them across the internet. Here are several strategies that will help you to work smarter.
Know the type of content to suit your target audience
Know the kind of content that you want to create. Whether it’s company news, industry updates, or video content. B2B audiences tend to gravitate to LinkedIn or Twitter. This, of course, depends on the industry. Keep in mind that video content generally appeals to a younger audience. In which case, YouTube, with over 3 billion searches per month or even TikTok, would be ideal. If image-based content is preferred then you may want to consider Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook. Again, make sure that you use a platform that will appeal to your target audience. If you want to share editorial content, then consider Medium, 95% of its readers are college graduates, and a little over 40% earn six figures or more. LinkedIn is a great industry trusted leader for editorial content and it can expose you to over 300 million users.
Determine if you have the manpower to manage multiple channels
If you decide that you want to use multiple social media channels, there are tools to help you maximize time and allow you to schedule multiple posts in advance across several social media accounts. ContentCal, Mailerlite, and Lightful are some that come to mind. Do your research on the most popular, effective, and budget-friendly tools for you.
In the past few years, social media usage has increased across all generations. Stay up-to-date with the latest social media strategies for your business.
