Depending on your target audience, the answer for most small businesses in today’s marketplace is a resounding – yes! If you target audience includes Gen Z (born 1995-2010), Gen Y (born 1980-1994), Gen X (born 1965-1979) or even, to an increasing extent, Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) – this is how they engage and connect, search for products and services, get answers to questions, review and recommend and receive recommendations.
Social Media is now more than just a way for friends and family to keep in touch – it’s a digital marketing platform that if you don’t utilise will just leave your business behind. And if you’re not on social media, you can be sure that your competitors are.
What are the best social media platforms for your business?
Again, this depends on who your business is targeting and where they connect. We’ve included a quick rundown of the top social media platforms in Australia and who they work best for.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a social media platform for professional connections. A place to network, join industry groups and connect. This social media platform is ideal for business professional services such as lawyers, accountants and B2B products and services, such as consulting services.
Facebook
Facebook can work for almost any type of small business but the key to success is consistency and posting relevant and engaging content. While recent changes to Facebook have made it harder to gain ongoing wide reach, it is still possible and worthwhile – even without spending money on Facebook advertising campaigns. Facebook is ideal for small businesses from all industries due to its worldwide popularity and that is unlikely to change any time soon.
Pinterest
Pinterest is growing in popularity and with good reason. Research shows that people buying through Pinterest pins spend more than through any other social media platform. This social media platform has grown, making it easier to share links, tag, message and connect. Pinterest is ideal for B2C products and visual services such as photography, interior design and stylists.
Twitter
Twitter is based in the ‘now’ – known for its ability to keep followers up to date in real time. A great way to inform followers of upcoming events, product launches, and to share content – yours and curated. Ideal for businesses like event organisers, public relations agencies, market stall holders and the like.
YouTube
Still the largest video sharing social media platform in the world, YouTube is a great platform for small businesses wanting to share content and information in a video format. Any type of businesses can utilise YouTube with company introduction videos and product or service overviews. YouTube is ideal for businesses involved in technology, videographers and anyone who can offer product or service tutorials to add value to their offering or inform their customers.
‘Businesses don’t have a choice of whether or not to do social media, their choice is how well they do it’ – Erik Qualman, Socialnomics
A social Media following, reach, engagement and sales generation won’t happen overnight – it takes time to build. And it also takes a commitment and an investment to consistently build and post the right content, as well as staying on top of social media trends, guidelines and regulations. At Website Design Centre, we understand that this investment in time and money can be difficult to achieve, which is why we create a service offering to manage social media for you. Our social media managers can act as an expert extension of your business to ensure that you get the most from social media. Contact us today to learn more.
