Social media consumes a lot of time day in and out, for personal and business users alike. Trying to be present on all social networks can leave you stretched too thin, providing little value to your clients. So, how do you determine which networks are the best for your business?

Facebook

Facebook is the largest of the social media platforms. Facebook has a massive user base meaning every business should be on it regardless of industry, location, etc. Facebook is relatively easy to setup, and user-friendly for those with less social media experience. It’s versatile and photos, videos, text, and articles all convert well. Having your business on Facebook is great for SEO, driving website traffic, and increasing brand exposure and engagement.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is excellent if your target customers are in the corporate world, whether CEO or employee. Service based businesses such as coaching, consulting, copywriting, web development, business development and others perform well on LinkedIn giving you access to an unlimited supply of individuals in your target audience. With millions of users on LinkedIn be sure to stand out from the crowd. Answer questions, join conversations and give value to your connections to stand out as an authority in your industry. LinkedIn is a great way to receive referrals and recommendations for your business.

Google+

Google+ is growing steadily and offers circles which is a unique way to group the people you follow into categories including friends, influencers, clients, community, etc. The best feature of circles is that you can notify your followers of your posts but also email them which is an untapped goldmine of opportunity. Google+ is excellent for improving your SEO and increasing brand exposure and customer engagements. Some other cool features are communities and hangouts.

Twitter

Twitter is practical, useful and fun. It can be a challenge to get your point across in 140 characters but practice makes perfect. Twitter is higher maintenance than some of the other networks, as the updates and posts go by quickly so it’s essential you tweet more often, and share the same information a few times in different variations. Use catchy, intelligent language in your tweets, and follow and engage with key influencers or potential customers. Photos, videos, and text are all effective on Twitter so be sure to utilize all 3 in your tweets. Twitter is great for brand exposure, customer engagement and driving traffic to your website.

YouTube

Nearly one out of two people on the internet, use YouTube to view a wide variety of videos so there is a high likelihood that your ideal target market is already using it. Consumers love to watch personal brands share their knowledge through video. Screen sharing and self-made videos are all popular on YouTube. Your customers love to hear your story, but they’ll love seeing it even more. Because YouTube is owned by Google, its great for SEO and brand exposure.

Pinterest

Pinterest originally started by attracting artists and creatives but has proven to be a powerful tool for businesses selling their products or promoting their services. On Pinterest, users can create boards to highlight their knowledge or save information about services, products or photos they’re interested in. Pinterest is great for entrepreneurs, artists, creatives, service providers and e-commerce related brands. Photos and videos are the most effective type of posts on Pinterest. Increase your website traffic and brand exposure with Pinterest.

Bottom line, you want to be where your audience is. After reading these guidelines if you’re still having trouble determining which network is right for you, reach out to Think Big Studios. We’d love to help!