Social media has become essential for brands to say in front of their audiences. With more and more social channels to work through, it can be difficult for brands to know how to best spend their time and money. Following these four rules will help brands discover which channels are best for them and what to post on those outlets so their company excels on social media.
Rule 1: Do not try to be on every social media outlet.
With the massive growth of social media outlets, no business has the time to be on every single one. The key is deciding which channels work best for each brand and the story it is trying to tell.
If a company cannot dedicate the time or the money to pay a marketing agency to manage their social channels, they will end up doing a very poor job. Like most things in life, quality beats quantity. It’s much better to have a proactive strategy for a few platforms rather than sparse communication on multiple platforms.
When choosing which channels to use to communicate, brands should keep their audience, their message and their resources in mind.
Rule 2: Know your audience.
If a brand is trying to target young adults, it needs to be on Snapchat. If a business is tailored to baby boomers, it needs to be active on Facebook. Once a company defines its audience, it can figure out which social media outlets it should be active on. Here are a few examples on audiences on each outlet:
· Facebook—Facebook has the broadest audience of all social media platforms. According to Sprout Social, Facebook’s leading demographic are adults who have graduated college. If a business is reaching out to an older audience, Facebook should be their main social channel.
· Pinterest—If a brand is trying to appeal to millennial women either single or with families, Pinterest should be a high priority.
· LinkedIn—For professional communication, LinkedIn is a necessary tool. B2B businesses should definitely have an active presence on this platform.
For more information on each channel, use this guide to help determine which is best for certain audiences.
Rule 3: Have a clear message.
Many businesses will post because they think that posting something is better than posting nothing, but that is not always the case. Posting relevant, helpful content is key when sharing on social media. Before sharing something on social media, a company should ask, “Why are we sharing this?” If the answer isn’t clear, it probably doesn’t need to be shared.
Rule 4: Be realistic.
If a business has defined its audience and message and has come to the conclusion that it should be active on five social media outlets, yet it has no social media manager to implement, then there may need to be a further conversation.
Companies need to realize the value of an active social media presence and acknowledge that it is a necessary component within a company’s marketing. This means that funds and resources need to be dedicated to social media. If a business cannot dedicate a team member, outsourcing social media to an experienced agency is a great option. If neither of these can be done, a company may only be able to be active on one or two outlets.
Do you need help deciding which channels are best for your business? The Storyteller Agency can help. With extensive experience in managing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn accounts, the Storyteller team can determine the best strategy for your business’ social media outlets. Contact us today to get started.
