Use this Platform Map to navigate your social media presence.
Nowadays, there are quite a few social media platforms to choose from… and we know how overwhelming choosing a platform can be for business owners. So, we wanted to help! If you need a clear way to decide what platforms are best for your business, use our Platform Map to guide you.
Facebook has nearly 3 billion monthly active users worldwide, making it one of the largest social media platforms. It also boasts an incredibly diverse range of advertising options, which allows businesses to target their ads to specific demographics, interests, behaviours, and locations. The platform also allows businesses to set their own budgets, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes. Additionally, it offers a variety of ad formats (images, videos, carousels, stories etc.) giving you plenty of flexibility with ad creative. Facebook also provides detailed analytics and insights on page performance and ad campaigns to help you make data-driven decisions and optimise your campaigns.
Facebook can also provide your business with the ability to create and engage with communities through Facebook Pages and Groups. These are amazing for building a loyal customer base, fostering meaningful relationships with customers, and providing customer support. Facebook even has integrated e-commerce features, such as Facebook Shops and Marketplace, which allow you to sell products directly on the platform.
Pinterest is perfect for visual discovery. Users search for and discover ideas and inspiration for various industries, such as home decor, fashion, recipes and travel. This visual nature of the platform makes it ideal for you to showcase your business’s offerings through high-quality images and videos. Pinterest users often have increased purchase intent due to a lower focus on the ‘social’ aspect of the platform. According to Pinterest, 89% of Pinners use the platform for purchase inspiration, and 83% have made a purchase based on the content they have found on Pinterest.
Pins also have a longer lifespan compared to posts on other platforms. While posts on some platforms can quickly disappear from users' feeds, pins can continue to be discovered, shared, and engaged with for months or even years after they were initially posted. Users on Pinterest often use the platform to search for ideas related to their specific interests or hobbies. This allows you to be highly targeted in niches and industries by creating content that will resonate with your exact audience.
Pinterest isn’t just about direct sales, it’s also about building brand awareness and inspiring potential customers. It also provides a range of analytics and advertising tools that can help them measure the performance of content and track key metrics.
TikTok
TikTok has a vast and rapidly growing user base, with over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide, being particularly popular among younger audiences, aged 16-24. TikTok's algorithm is designed to promote content that is engaging and resonates with users. Typically, successful content is short, user-generated videos, allowing for more authentic and personalised interactions with audiences. This can help you showcase your brand personality, connect with your audience on a personal level, and build emotional connections that encourage brand loyalty.
The platform provides a wide range of creative tools and features (filters, music etc.) that allow you to create engaging and unique content. TikTok also has a thriving influencer culture, with popular TikTok users gaining large followings and significant influence over their audience. This presents opportunities for brands to collaboratively promote products and services, tap into the influencer’s audience, and benefit from their authenticity and engagement.
The platform offers various advertising options, including in-feed ads, branded hashtags, branded effects, and brand takeovers. However, it’s important to note that the minimum ad spend on TikTok is higher than most other platforms, therefore, an increased budget is necessary. TikTok's analytics and insights can provide you with real-time feedback on the performance of content (views, engagement, audience demographics). So, TikTok is definitely a platform that is worth using for businesses.
Twitter is another amazing resource that can be utilised by businesses. With over 330 million active users worldwide, your brand could gain access to a great potential audience. One of the perks of Twitter is that it is a 'real-time' platform, meaning that individuals are more likely to interact and engage with content immediately. This makes it ideal for content surrounding news, current affairs, topical events and trends as it's so fast-paced. It also makes it perfect for assisting customers and quickly responding to questions or complaints.
Another useful feature is Twitter’s paid advertising options. The platform allows you to target and reach your target audience based on their interests, demographics, location and behaviour. Twitter also provides in-depth analytics, ensuring brands to stay informed when understanding the effectiveness of their tactics and presence.
Instagram boasts over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide, spanning various demographics, including different age groups, genders, and geographic locations. This provides you with a broad and diverse audience to target and engage with, depending on your target market and customer base. Instagram is perfect for influencer marketing, allowing your business to gain access to larger followings. Instagram Stories have become immensely popular on the platform, these are great for sharing behind-the-scenes content, product launches, special promotions, polls, and more. The interactive nature of Instagram Stories allows you to engage with your audience in real-time and create a sense of urgency for followers to take action.
The platform also offers various shopping features, such as shop-able posts, product tags, and Instagram Shop, which allow you to sell products directly on the platform. Along with a variety of advertising options, the platform allows businesses to reach their target audience with targeted content and strategy. Instagram is a great way for businesses to interact with their audiences, through comments and direct messages. It also provides you with analytics and insights on account performance (follower growth, engagement, impressions etc.).
LinkedIn is a dedicated professional networking platform, making it an ideal place for you to connect with potential clients, partners, and employees. It provides a platform for individuals and businesses to showcase their professional skills, experience, and accomplishments, and build meaningful relationships with peers in their industry. The platform allows for targeted B2B marketing, sharing valuable content, promoting products/ services, and establishing thought leadership in their industry.
The platform is a powerful tool for recruitment and allows businesses to post job openings, search for qualified candidates, and connect with potential employees, all features that assist in streamlining the hiring process and ensuring you find the right talent. Company pages are great ways to showcase products, services, values, and company culture.
LinkedIn offers businesses the opportunity to join and participate in industry-specific groups and communities. This allows businesses to engage with like-minded professionals, share knowledge, and build a community around their brand. These groups can be valuable for networking, gaining insights, and staying updated with industry news and trends. Businesses can also gain insights into their target audience, competitors, industry trends, and customer preferences through LinkedIn's analytics, research reports, and trend analysis tools.
Google is the world's most popular search engine, with an overwhelming majority of the search market share. This makes it a critical platform for businesses to optimise their online presence and be discovered by potential customers. By having a strong presence on Google, businesses can increase their visibility, reach, and potential for attracting organic traffic to their websites. Google also offers a robust advertising platform, Google Ads, which allows businesses to create and manage targeted online advertising campaigns.
Google offers a wide range of analytics and insights tools, such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console, which provide us with valuable data and insights about website performance, user behaviour, and search visibility. Google constantly innovates and integrates its services with new features and capabilities, providing businesses with a cutting-edge platform for online presence, marketing, productivity, and more.
If you’re a business interested in strategically identifying which platforms work best for you, reach out to our team today.