Let’s Be Social: How to Choose The Best Social Media Platform For Your Business

Using social media to generate revenue for your business can be daunting, especially with all the different platforms out there. Most companies find social media a success when they focus their efforts on one particular platform- but which one to choose?

While each social media platform has their pros and cons, here’s some food to get you thinking about which platform you should pursue.

Facebook

Let’s face it, Facebook is the mammoth of social media. Most businesses are already using Facebook Pages and are building up their presence. But is it right for you?

Facebook is great for companies willing to go the extra mile in connecting and engaging their customers. It’s the perfect platform for hosting contests, sharing pictures and talking back with customers. So when can Facebook not be right for your company?

Well, the Facebook community is one that is always connected and always ‘online’. If you aren’t ready to make the commitment to engage your customers on a daily basis, try not to focus so much on Facebook. Posting sporadically will not aid your image, and won’t give your company a robust image. Not too mention the urge to promote will be on your mind, so the few posts you will update will most likely be company related. Facebook is a party, people go on Facebook to escape, so if your company oasis isn’t going to be ready, choose something else!

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a network of professionals for professionals. It’s a great community full of experts ready to expand their business connections. So how can this help your business?

LinkedIn is great for people who represent themselves and not so much a brand or company. Real estate agents, teachers and journalists are some good examples because in these professions, they represent themselves. Sure, they work for companies, but their leads are going to come from the connections they make, and not through the company. LinkedIn is great for establishing yourself as an expert in your field and connecting with people in your industry.

On the flip side, it is very people-oriented, and if you aren’t ready to put yourself out there, this may not be right for you. As well, if you want to represent your company and not yourself, this is not the platform for you.

Google Plus

Google Plus is a new and relatively new platform for businesses. However, just because it’s new may not mean that it won’t be worth it.

While there aren’t as many people on Google Plus (yet,) the people there are very niche-oriented. It’s best to go where your customers are, and if they are using Google Plus, it’s best to target that market.

Google Plus is easy for those who don’t want the high commitment level of Facebook, but who want the same kind of connection and engagement from time to time. Good for small businesses just new to the online world, this is perfect because all users will be new to Google Plus.

Pintrest

Pinterest is the latest social media platform that is taking the online world. But will you benefit from using it? Is ‘pinning’ material to your virtual pinboards going to further your business?

Well, it honestly depends on the industry that you are in. If your company is very visually-oriented, Pinterest will be great to showcase your material and inspire customers. The more inspiring your material, the more other people will pin the material to their own boards, and it all links back to your company.

The best industries are industries such as the craft industry, artists, photographers and models, jewellers, any company that has rich, visually appealing work. This is just a small sample, but Pinterest is the most ideal platform for these industries.

Twitter

Twitter is information overload of social media. It’s all about how much information can you share in so many characters. It is very news-oriented, perfect for magazines, charities, clubs or events.

As a company, you’ll want to Tweet several times a day to make sure your posts are generating the high level of traffic. Much like Facebook, using Twitter properly can be time-consuming, but worth it once you’ve targeted your niche.

Hopefully this article gives you an idea of what social sites you want your company to be on. It can be daunting, but just find out where your audience is and play to them. It’s not about being the best with every tool; it’s about picking the right tools and using them at a world-class level.

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• Social Media Marketing in Toronto: Helping Businesses Grow
• 3 Critical Reasons Why CEOs Must Participate in Social Media [Recent IBM Study]

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MC

Using his previous Marketing experience with Social Media strategies, MC provides creative solutions for all customers.