Which Social Media Platform is Right for Your Small Business?

It seems like virtually every business is on social media and they are right to do so. Millions of people access social media everyday through computers, phones, and tablets. Which is exactly why businesses are taking advantage of these free communication tools.  There are lots of social media platforms to choose from but what some business owners don’t realize is that they don’t have to be on all of them. Here’s some info to help you find which platform is right for you.

Facebook is by far the platform with the most users. Business owners use it to either increase their web presence or for direct advertising. People can link to their product pages or buy ad space directly from Facebook. However businesses tend to favor increasing their audience than making ads. Active users who frequently like and share content end up being more profitable in the end. Marketing was usually managed by third party marketing firms but people are starting to hire social media managers internally. Internal management tends to result in a more personable image since the person writing posts lives in the area and knows the demographic better.

For business owners Twitter and Facebook generally achieve similar goals: increasing presence and advertising. Sharing content and posting original Tweets is the best way to gain a following, but remember to get creative with your Tweets because you are limited to 140 characters. Twitter is a great tool to direct contact, you can Tweet directly at a business or person and usually get a response. You can even Tweet at your favorite celebrity and get a response. These two platforms are also used as a form of public relations since they are a direct connection to customers. Businesses can refute negative feedback with public or personal responses.

Many businesses are utilizing Google Plus because of its growing user base and access to other tools, making it a quick and effective for communication. The platform is accessed through Gmail which creates many different ways to share ideas between different people. A favorite from Google Plus is the hangout platforms that allow people to instantly message each other. Plus it includes a calendar that is used to schedule events and reminders, which can be used to create projects that are then assigned to specific people. On the employer side the main benefit is streamlining company communication.

Another social media platform that most businesses are using, or at the very least their Human Resources department is using, is LinkedIn. The platform connects businesses with people working in that field. Employees and employers can establish a connection and communicate with each other about potential job opportunities. LinkedIn is used alongside a strong email marketing campaign to recruit new hires when needed. It is a simple and effective tool to vet new hires because LinkedIn profiles are basically online resumes. LinkedIn is not as popular as Facebook so you won’t be able to find nearly as many people but it is increasing in popularity and this particular social media platform looks like it is here to stay.