Which social media platforms should you use for your business?

Social media is any digital platform or tool that allows users to quickly create and share content with the public. Virtual communities are therefore established and this connects like-minded people so that they can interact with one another. There are lots of different networks and it’s important that you find the right platforms for your business as each one has a mission, purpose and unique audience.

Facebook (Meta)

Founded in 2004, Facebook’s mission is “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.” People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.

Facebook is a powerful tool for small businesses. As of February 2022, the platform has over 2.91 billion active users and its Facebook Ads and free Business Page technology allows you to focus on very specific users. You’ll be able to access audience insights and demographics through your Facebook Business Page, helping you to develop an effective marketing strategy and better target your campaigns.

The Facebook Business Page is a free tool and allows you to list basic contact information and engage with new and longtime customers through sharing posts. The technology available means that you can better understand your audience, boost traffic to your website and improve your search engine optimisation (SEO) – All for free or very little cost through Facebook Ads.

Instagram

Instagram is a visual community platform and was founded in 2010. Its mission statement is “to capture and share the world’s moments.” The focus is on creativity and sharing ideas through images, videos and photos.

There are 1.3 billion Instagram users worldwide in 2022 with over 500 million people checking their Instagram accounts daily. With a dedicated Instagram strategy, there is huge potential for increasing your brand awareness by engaging with your target audience on this platform. Research Instagram Demographics 2022 to gain an understanding of who is using the platform. This shows that the majority of users are between 25 and 34 years of age at 31.5%, followed by 18 to 24 year olds at 30.1%.

Determine who already buys from you and look at the type of content your customers post and engage with – then use this information to create your social media strategy. Knowing your audience is the key to your success.

You have 150 characters or less to write a short and sweet Instagram bio to describe your business. You can add one link to your bio and this could go to your website or latest blog post page.

Look at other brands for inspiration. You will notice that many successful Instagram accounts have a recognizable visual identity – a consistent visual look that has a specific colour palette or recurring theme that runs throughout. A restaurant might take photos of its food, a fashion brand might take photos of its clothes, etc.

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