Most startups have two major challenges: limited cash flow and very limited manpower. While the internet has created a low barrier to entry for e-commerce businesses, allowing people to start companies with just an idea and a laptop, it's also created a world where new social media channels are popping up all the time..
How does a business devote their limited time and resources to the social media outlets that will be most beneficial?
It requires some homework upfront, but that due diligence can save you hours in payroll costs and even eliminate unnecessary roles for your team if your focus is only on the platforms giving you a direct ROI.
From Snapchat to Instagram, here's a look at how you can find the best social media platforms for your business.
Snapchat
60% of snapchat users in the U.S. are under the age of 24 and with more than 100 million users consuming 30 minutes of content every day, it's a goldmine for businesses targeting millennials. Companies creating unique video content, releasing behind the scenes footage, new collections, or conducting interviews with prominent figures can capitalize on this free marketing opportunity and gain a loyal following.
Related Article: 7 Powerful Video Marketing Tips?
Facebook
American women and men between the ages of 25 - 54 make up 32% and 29% of Facebook users, respectively. And only 9% of users are between the ages of 18 - 24. For companies whose target customer is under 24 years old, the most effective use of company time may be to forego Facebook altogether or to create a company page in order to to have a presence, provide important contact information, and use it strictly for their robust advertising platform, while not investing in any manpower to publish new posts regularly.
Related Article: Social Media Defied By Facebook?
On the other hand, if your company targets a slightly older market, it could be very valuable since 44% of users check Facebook several times per day.
Instagram
With 500 million users on the app and 59% of those users checking the app every single day, it's no doubt that Instagram has great reach. However, with their latest algorithm change, users no longer view the content in chronological order and rather through an algorithm determined by Instagram, much like Facebook's algorithm, that not many people understand.
This change takes more control away from the companies posting content and makes it hard to determine how many people will be exposed to your posts. Not to mention, without any clickable links associated with each individual post, getting customers to your site from the app is a challenge.
Related Article: Instagram For YOUR Small Business?
Instagram may best be used as a brand building tool if you have a decent following and post beautiful images or videos, but if you plan to use it as a marketing tool, you will need to devise a strategic plan to capitalize on the half a billion users.
Pinterest
For female-focused companies, Pinterest is the way to go because of its significant reach among women; 42% of online women are Pinterest users. 34% of users are between the ages of 18 - 29 and 28% are between 30 - 49, which creates a wide demographic of women who can be reached on this platform.
Related Article: A Social Media Guide For YOUR Start-Up?
If your products include fashion, art, home decor, food, or anything else that you can create beautiful images of, Pinterest should be your go-to destination to drive targeted traffic to your site. And with the Pinterest buy button, you can make it easier than ever to make a purchase with a click of a button.
Of course, staying on top of the ever-changing social media landscape is an immense task all on its own, but one worth investing the time in. If you are an early adapter of a new platform that becomes popular, you can be one of the first to gain a lot of followers easily. And often platforms like musical.ly pop up, an app that allows users to create 15 second music videos with their favorite songs, that just might be the perfect fit if your company is tied to the music industry.
Guest Authored By Jia Wertz. Jia covers the art of entrepreneurship and e-commerce growth strategies", she's the CEO of Studio 15, a socially responsible fashion brand. After leaving behind a 15-year career in the corporate fashion world, Jia started a company that focuses on doing good and supporting women. It’s Studio 15’s mission to promote and collaborate with other female-owned businesses and donate funds to support female entrepreneurs in Uganda. Previously She led the Sales Development, Operations and Communications Departments for bebe stores, Corporate Operations at Sephora and managed the western district for Aldo Shoes. She's a regular contributor at Forbes, Huffington Post, and Thrive Global, among other publications. Follow Jia on Twitter.
Related Article: YOUR Social Media Bandwagon?
"Finding where your company fits on this spectrum and spending majority of time on the two or three platforms that will yield the best results is a far more advantageous option than trying to capitalize on all platforms and getting mediocre results.."
Authored by:Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends. My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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