Your success on social media starts way before you upload a profile pic or share your first post — it starts with picking a platform that’s right for your business. This might sound like the easy part, but it isn’t. Not every platform is right for every brand, and many social managers discover that after investing lots of time trying to make it work (aka, the hard way). So we put together this list of the major social platforms, what they’re good at, and what they’re not. Weigh the pros and cons of each to decide where your brand needs to be.
Facebook is the most popular social platform with more than one billion users. That means FB allows you to reach more people than any other platform — and your brand should definitely be there. Other pros: It provides advanced analytics to help track your success, and there’s a variety of options for paid advertising. And now for cons: Since there are so many brands on Facebook, it’s easy to be ignored. And if you want to really expand your reach, you’ll probably have to invest money in ads. But overall, skipping Facebook isn’t really an option. Just make sure you stand out.
High five to Instagram: They recently reached 500 million users. IG is a great platform for reaching millennials and mobile users. And the biggest pro: sharing photos and videos offers the best opportunities for engagement. As for cons, Instagram’s recent shift to an algorithmic feed could limit the reach of organic posts, and as of now, advertising options are limited. There also isn’t much room on profiles to promote your business other than through your content. But if you can consistently share high-quality visuals, get on the Gram.
There are a lot of people on Twitter — 310 million to be exact. While its popularity seems to be stalling, it’s impossible to deny its power for spreading ideas. It’s highly interactive, so it’s easy to get feedback from your audience fast. On the other hand, since there’s so much content on Twitter, you have to update your account frequently to stand out. It also isn’t the easiest platform for new users to pick up on and the 140-character limit can be challenging. But if you’re up for that challenge and have the time, get on there and start tweeting.
Snapchat
Snapchat is the new kid in the social media platforms class. It has 100 million daily active users and it doesn’t show signs of losing momentum anytime soon. It gives users a way to share spontaneous photos and videos. And it’s the platform to use if you want to reach a young audience. The biggest con is that its users consume content fast — that means it requires a big time commitment to stay relevant. And to make it on Snapchat, you have to be creative. It’s easy to be boring and boring brands are ignored. If you’re looking to reach a younger audience and put your creativity to the test, consider joining. If not, move along.
Now that you know where your brand should be, subscribe to Mopro on YouTube to get our latest social media management tips. And call 844-207-9038 or email hello@mopro.com to learn how we can make you look awesome online.