Nowadays, almost all businesses need to take advantage of social media in order to stay relevant and guarantee future success. There are a few difficulties that come with developing effective social media platforms though, and can be even more intimidating to those who are unfamiliar with these applications.
The first main struggle is actually having the knowledge to start an account, create content, develop impactful captions, and understand hashtags. The most popular sites to begin an account are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Linkedin, Medium, Snapchat, and Pinterest. If you search these accounts online, there are constantly helpful online questionnaires, classes, and lectures that help professionals get started. You can try Udemy, Linkedin, Masterclass, ect for some great online social media courses.
Secondly, be aware if you have the time to post on social media and create these accounts, because sometimes a company absolutely needs to hire a marketing manager. Some marketers will freelance or only work part-time, which is an affordable option for those who are not large corporations. Many marketing consultants are even willing to train and help businesses understand how to run their accounts independently.
Another difficulty is choosing which platforms are the best, which is highly dependent on the type of business and target market. The below list will explain the most social media accounts, and when they are an effective tool.
Facebook: Facebook is one of the most original social media platforms that exist, meaning it is able to corner all age brackets. It is most popular among 25- 49 years olds, and 56% of the following base is male. This is a great platform for any business, and they do not have a confusing algorithm that many professionals do not have time to fully understand.
Instagram: Over 90% of Instagram users are under thirty-five, making it an effective platform for trendier brands to advertise themselves and create a following. Not only do almost all younger individuals have an account, but most apparel, media, and entertainment brands focussed on this target market do as well. A company must have enough content to stay relevant on their followers' home page, because the algorithm has made it more difficult for people to even view their posts.
Twitter: 44% of Twitter users are between the ages 18-24 years old, being a great platform for younger audiences. Professionals also utilize Twitter in order to watch important updates from other companies, politicians, and organizations. Most companies will have a Twitter page (80% of users are under 50) so that they can stay relevant with written updates and by sharing their blog posts.
TikTok: About half of TikTok users are under thirty years old, which makes sense as this platform has only existed since 2019. This is for a young target market, who are specifically interested in trendy videos. Utilize the possibility of hashtags, advertisements, and the musical trends.
Linkedin: Almost all individuals have a Linkedin account, especially if they are a professional. However, it is also possible to start a company account on Linkedin, which is helpful when employees are posting their own jobs and can directly connect it to your company page. It is also a great tool to post the most professional updates of your brand and connect with clientele.
Medium: If a business has created a company blog on their website or a separate landing page, then they may want to consider posting this content on Medium. Medium is an American online publishing platform that invites individuals to post articles, and follow other accounts.
Snapchat: The largest Snapchat demographic is 18-24 year olds and then grows gradually from there, which means that this is a great platform for a young target market. On snapchat, you can post photos and videos on a 24 hour lasting story for others to watch. This can be a difficult platform to maintain, and is best if the business is consistently at events or hires a young employee to be involved in the account.
Pinterest: 60% of Pinterest users are women, and make a range of age demographics. This is a creative platform in which people can save accounts, view advertisements, and get inspiration for their daily lives.
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Daniel James Consulting is a Full-Service Business Consulting Firm based in New York that designs solutions tailored specifically to the needs of your business in order to ensure you achieve continued success by designing, developing and implementing plans, metrics and platforms, be it a one-man operation, non-profit, startup or large organization. Our packaged solutions or a la carte selections include Website Design, Marketing & Advertising, Search Engine Positioning, and Graphic Design. Business Management Solutions are also available for companies of all sizes. For more information please visit: www.danieljamesconsulting.com