6 Social Media Sites For Small Businesses
“Which social media site should my business be on?”
This is the most frequently asked question I hear from small business owners. You can’t ignore the social media platforms, but then again you don’t need to be on all of them!
Maintaining a social media site for your business takes time and resources. You don’t have an infinte supply of both. However know that your customers are on these platforms and you should be there too. As of January 2014, 74% of online adults use social networking sites, PewResearchCenter. So you really need to be there too.
Start by asking yourself two questions:
Which social media sites are your customers using?
You need to be where your customers are. Find out where they get their information on-line. Which social media platforms do they subscribe to? Send them a survey, or simply ask them. Then go to that platform, build a business presence and start a conversation!
What sites are easiest for your business to set up and use?
Each one of these platforms needs a staff member or yourself to take ownership. Each social media platform needs someone to write, create images, post content, monitor and measure for success or failure. Customer comments need to be screened and replied. A conversation has to take place. Maintenance is the key word here. Social media platforms cannot be created and then left alone. They are a lot like babies, once you make one; someone has to take care of it.
Here are my top six recommendations for small businesses and why your business should be active on at least one or more of these six sites. I can’t tell you exactly which ones are right for you without knowing more about your business and your customers’ behavior. However, you can start by choosing a few, experiment with them and see which ones give you the best response
1) Facebook
is used by more people than any of the other platforms today. As of the third quarter of 2014, Facebook had 1.35 billion monthly active users. It is the best platform for building brand awareness and community.
2) Twitter
comes in second place. As of the third quarter of 2014, the microblogging service averaged at 284 million monthly active users. However, Twitter users “use” more frequently than Facebook users. So, if your business relies on reporting “in-the-moment” developments, and frequently, this is the best platform for you. It goes without saying, Twitter is a high maintenance platform.
3) Pinterest
is now the third most popular platform. As of October 2014, Pinterest had 47.89 million unique visitors from the United States. 21% of all US adults use Pinterest, with 84% of those users being female. Pinterest is perfect for e-commerce businesses. Any brand that targets women and has products that are highly visual should build a business page on Pinterest.
4) Instagram
ranks a close third as well. In 2015, the photo sharing site is projected to reach 45.8 million monthly active users in the United States. The most important thing to remember with Instagram is the age demographics of Instagram users; 43% of the users are between the ages of 18-29 years old. So if you have a business that is “image” friendly, and targets young customers, start taking photos of your products and post them on Instagram.
5) Google Plus Local
posting on Google Plus maximizes your visibility on Google search pages. It’s a huge SEO boost to your business’ presence on the internet. Customers are also drawn in by you providing key business information — such as location and directions, phone number, photos, reviews and more. Every small business should take the time to post on Google Plus Local.
6) LinkedIn
is a popular platform with a great number of users. During the third quarter of 2014, LinkedIn had 332 million members, up from 296 million members in the first quarter of that year. However, this site is a professional networking site it is not designed to grow your customer base. LinkedIn simply does not have the daily traffic like Facebook and the others on my list. I recommend every business owner become a member and put his/her personal profile on the site. But don’t waist too much time on LinkedIn.
This is the most frequently asked question I hear from small business owners. You can’t ignore the social media platforms, but then again you don’t need to be on all of them!
Maintaining a social media site for your business takes time and resources. You don’t have an infinte supply of both. However know that your customers are on these platforms and you should be there too. As of January 2014, 74% of online adults use social networking sites, PewResearchCenter. So you really need to be there too.
Which social media sites are your customers using?
You need to be where your customers are. Find out where they get their information on-line. Which social media platforms do they subscribe to? Send them a survey, or simply ask them. Then go to that platform, build a business presence and start a conversation!
What sites are easiest for your business to set up and use?
Each one of these platforms needs a staff member or yourself to take ownership. Each social media platform needs someone to write, create images, post content, monitor and measure for success or failure. Customer comments need to be screened and replied. A conversation has to take place. Maintenance is the key word here. Social media platforms cannot be created and then left alone. They are a lot like babies, once you make one; someone has to take care of it.
Here are my top six recommendations for small businesses and why your business should be active on at least one or more of these six sites. I can’t tell you exactly which ones are right for you without knowing more about your business and your customers’ behavior. However, you can start by choosing a few, experiment with them and see which ones give you the best response
1) Facebook
is used by more people than any of the other platforms today. As of the third quarter of 2014, Facebook had 1.35 billion monthly active users. It is the best platform for building brand awareness and community.
2) Twitter
comes in second place. As of the third quarter of 2014, the microblogging service averaged at 284 million monthly active users. However, Twitter users “use” more frequently than Facebook users. So, if your business relies on reporting “in-the-moment” developments, and frequently, this is the best platform for you. It goes without saying, Twitter is a high maintenance platform.
3) Pinterest
is now the third most popular platform. As of October 2014, Pinterest had 47.89 million unique visitors from the United States. 21% of all US adults use Pinterest, with 84% of those users being female. Pinterest is perfect for e-commerce businesses. Any brand that targets women and has products that are highly visual should build a business page on Pinterest.
4) Instagram
ranks a close third as well. In 2015, the photo sharing site is projected to reach 45.8 million monthly active users in the United States. The most important thing to remember with Instagram is the age demographics of Instagram users; 43% of the users are between the ages of 18-29 years old. So if you have a business that is “image” friendly, and targets young customers, start taking photos of your products and post them on Instagram.
5) Google Plus Local
posting on Google Plus maximizes your visibility on Google search pages. It’s a huge SEO boost to your business’ presence on the internet. Customers are also drawn in by you providing key business information — such as location and directions, phone number, photos, reviews and more. Every small business should take the time to post on Google Plus Local.
6) LinkedIn
is a popular platform with a great number of users. During the third quarter of 2014, LinkedIn had 332 million members, up from 296 million members in the first quarter of that year. However, this site is a professional networking site it is not designed to grow your customer base. LinkedIn simply does not have the daily traffic like Facebook and the others on my list. I recommend every business owner become a member and put his/her personal profile on the site. But don’t waist too much time on LinkedIn.
