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QUICK - How many social media platforms can you name in 10 seconds?? GO! ⏱️
How’d you do? The first time, I froze at 6 🤣🤣 There are just so many today and if you’re anything like us, you bounce from channel to channel for multiple clients plus your own content!
So, let’s be completely honest, social media has become a 100% necessary tool for businesses. It’s the most organic way to connect with your target audience, build brand awareness, and drive growth.
✨ However, with the many social media channels available, it can be overwhelming to determine which ones best fit your business.
Let’s explore the digital landscape of social media and provide valuable insights to help you choose the right social media channels for your business or brand. The channels you choose should align with your:
brand
goals
target audience
Your Go-To List of Top 10+ Social Media Channels
Active users: over 2.9 billion monthly
Demographic: a diverse range of demographics
Known for: being the largest social media platform
Facebook offers robust advertising options, making it suitable for businesses targeting a broad audience.
Active Users: over 1.3 billion monthly
Demographic: appeals to a younger demographic
Known For: emphasizing storytelling through captivating images and videos
Instagram can be a valuable channel if your business relies heavily on visuals, brand aesthetics, or influencer collaborations.
Need help in that arena? We've got easy-to-edit & post Canva templates for you in our Etsy shop! Be sure to check out the multiple niches, design aesthetics, and even Reels templates too.
TikTok
Active Users: over 1 billion monthly
Demographic: Gen Z and millennials
Known For: short-form video content
Businesses targeting younger audiences can leverage TikTok's viral potential to create engaging and entertaining content.
FUN FACT: More time is spent on TikTok (average 45 min/day) than on Instagram or Facebook (both averaging about 30 min/day) or any other network for that matter. Don't get lost in that rabbit hole. 🕳️
Active Users: 900 million users
Demographic: B2B businesses and business professionals
Known For: being the professional networking platform
LinkedIn offers opportunities for thought leadership, lead generation, and industry networking.
YouTube
Active Users: more than 2 billion logged-in users each month
Demographic: popular with every age group
Known For: second-largest search engine in video form (behind Google, duh)
YouTube is an excellent platform for businesses that can leverage video content to educate, entertain, or demonstrate their products and services.
Active Users: over 450 million monthly
Demographic: Millennials
Known For: inspiration and discovery
Pinterest is especially suitable for businesses in industries such as fashion, home décor, food, and lifestyle, allowing them to showcase visually appealing content and drive traffic to their websites.
FUN FACT: 45% of Pinterest users have a household income of over $100,00 👀
Active Users: 330 million monthly
Demographic: journalists, influencers, and thought leaders
Known For: real-time updates and concise format
Twitter is ideal for businesses seeking to engage in conversations, share industry news, and provide customer support.
Snapchat
Active Users: 319 million daily active users
Demographic: the young crowd
Known For: super temporary content
Snapchat offers unique advertising options and amplified reality features targeting our younger generation.
BONUS: Google Business Profile
(Formerly Google My Business)
If you're a business, you must treat this one as a social media platform. You simply cannot avoid it.
So many people don't even know they can (and should) post on GBP regularly. What it does!? It helps you rank higher and multiplies your website traffic 😉
Fun fact:
You don't even have to have an actual location for your business. We don't, at least not as of now, and still have and maintain a profile that brings in website visitors every single month. Oh, and our latest client also found us on there 😁
TREND ALERT! NEW SOCIAL PLATFORM! Lemon8
A TikTok sister app where "Instagram meets Pinterest."
Lemon8 is a community where people discover and share content related to beauty, fashion, travel, and more in an authentic and diverse environment.
Have you tried it yet? 🍋 See what fresh content we're releasing there @elasmarketing and look out for a blog post to learn more about it!
✋🏻 NOW see how many social media channels you can name in 10 seconds - easy!
And to put it all into perspective, see our analogy here 🍌 that may or may not include bananas.
Alright enough monkeying around, let's get back to business ⬇️
5 Things to Consider When Choosing Social Media Channels for your Business
1. Understand your target audience:
demographics
preferences
social media habits
Easily choose the platforms where your audience actively engages and aligns with your brand's messaging.
2. Identify your business objectives.
This could be brand awareness, lead generation, customer engagement, or sales.
Select channels that can effectively support these goals based on their unique features and functionalities.
3. Consider the type of content your business usually creates.
✨For example:
Visual content > Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube
Text-based and professional > Twitter and LinkedIn
4. Look for platforms that provide robust analytics and measurement tools.
Being able to track and analyze your social media performance is essential for optimizing strategies and making informed decisions.
5. Evaluate your available resources, including time, budget, and team capabilities.
Some platforms require more investment in content creation, community management, or advertising. 🚨 I see this OFTEN overlooked. Do you actually have the time or do you need an extra hand with your social media management? 👉🏻 Schedule an onboarding session here and let's see what we can accomplish!
Navigating this digital world requires a thoughtful approach to selecting the right social media channels that align with your business objectives and target audience.
✨ There’s no need to be on all of them at once. Choose 1-2 to master and build up from there!
By truly understanding each platform’s unique features, user demographics, and individual strengths, you can make informed decisions and optimize your social media presence. 🔥📈
What social media channel do you want to learn more about?
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
LinkedIn
written by Terra Werner and Daniela Schrittenlocher
@ELAS Marketing Services LLC
Follow @elasmarketingservices for daily tips, facts and honest social media & marketing talk on Instagram.
Email us at hello@elasmarketingservices.com with questions or topic requests.