The pros and cons of various channels
Social media is an ever-present in modern life.
We live in a day and age where everything is online.
And while we talked about business websites in our last post, that alone won’t cover it.
Social media is the go-to marketing and conversion tool for many.
Your business would be brave to ignore it.
And the landscape of social media is constantly changing.
It looks very different to when we covered customer acquisition channels in 2021.
In particular, Gen Z are growing as a consumer segment and their behavior is harder to predict.
But newer channels offer excellent opportunities to crack this tricky customer profile.
And other older platforms like Facebook are still providing value in specific circumstances.
This article will take a look at each of 5 social media platforms well positioned for business use, and delve into their strengths and how to market your business through them.
Facebook targeting keeps paid ads powerful
While it’s less popular among the youngest generation, with higher representation from 25 up to 50s, Facebook remains a major player for several reasons.
Of course, one of those is that almost half the world’s population is on Facebook!
Beyond that, the power of its analytics and the advanced ad targeting which they make possible allows for precise control over targeted ads. Facebook is a great place to run well-structured campaigns aimed at a clearly defined demographic.
This allows businesses to build tight-knit communities, establishing more direct lines of communication with customers. And customers remain the name of the game—no one beats Facebook when it comes to converting leads ready to make a purchase at nearly 40%.
Where Facebook has adapted to the preferences of modern users is in the success of video content, which reaches more than double the viewers of photos, alongside its integration with Instagram.
Instagram leads the way for visual brands
If your business can tell a story through pictures and videos, Instagram may well be the place to tell it. Short, authentic stories told through video often receive great engagement, and fashion, fitness, food, and travel are among the niches that perform particularly well.
Instagram also has great in-built shopping features that are well-designed to capture conversions from its 2 billion active monthly users.
Influencers in these spaces can make for great business partners, with affiliate schemes common and often successful. Finding content creators that can incorporate your brand naturally into their content will typically pay dividends.
TikTok the key to going viral with Gen Z
TikTok boasts 1.6 billion users and skews towards younger generations, making it a great option for engaging with youthful consumers taking their first steps as adults with purchasing power.
It runs best on short content that can be consumed in moments, and the potential for any account to go viral can deliver incredible short-term ROI.
Even if you don’t have the capacity to create your own original TikTok content, it’s worth being aware of the trends that often start on the platform. Piggybacking on them can be a savvy move for any business looking to stay relevant.
YouTube delivers evergreen awareness
The key to understanding YouTube’s potential is recognising its use as a search engine. This is where people go to find reviews and tutorials, and YouTube videos often appear at the top of Google results.
And unlike with many other platforms, YouTube results are less prone to recency biased—relevant content is far more likely to be discovered whenever it was posted. If you want to generate long-term traffic from educational content, this is the channel to use.
Equally, product-based businesses can find a lot of success in creating unboxing or tutorial content, whether you sell shoes, games, or cleaning products.
LinkedIn remains the B2B destination
The most distinct platform on this list is also the most professional, and making use of LinkedIn’s USP, as well as the intent of its users, is key to maximising its potential.
A highly-trusted platform with a focused and engaged user base, LinkedIn is great for B2B connections and executives looking to cultivate a professional personal image.
But while it stands out from the rest, there are signs of a shift towards the other platforms, particularly in terms of content type. Videos on LinkedIn are generating up to 5 times more engagement than other types of content.
If your business needs to connect with corporate clients, this could be the way forward.
Whatever platform you choose, understand its strengths and weaknesses and plan your marketing accordingly.