It seems like a new social media channel appears every week. Most don’t take off, but every so often, a new craze comes out of nowhere and takes over the internet (we’re looking at you, TikTok).
So, which of these platforms should your business be on? Which one speaks to your clients the most? Should you be on all of them to make sure? Or pick one and put your entire budget into that?
In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the top five major social channels – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn – exploring how businesses can harness their potential to drive engagement, build brand awareness and foster meaningful connections with their audience.
Facebook stands as the juggernaut of social media platforms, boasting a staggering 2.9 billion monthly active users and generating a revenue of $117 billion. Despite less appealing to the younger generation, it remains a vital tool for connecting with a diverse audience, particularly among older demographics. With over 200 million businesses leveraging its expansive reach, Facebook offers unparalleled marketing potential across various industries, from financial services to e-commerce.
Facebook’s versatile format for businesses supports various content types, including text, video, images, and stories. However, the algorithm prioritises content that fosters meaningful interaction with audiences, underscoring the importance of engaging and relevant content.
From a marketing perspective, Facebook offers robust advertising tools that enable precise audience targeting based on interests, demographics, behaviours and connections. This segmentation capability ensures that ads resonate with the intended audience, driving higher conversion rates and return on investment. Additionally, Facebook’s algorithm identifies similar audiences through lookalike targeting, further enhancing the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
Despite recent algorithm changes and privacy updates, Facebook remains a cornerstone of social media marketing, with millions of businesses leveraging its vast user base to expand their brand’s reach and engage with customers. By effectively understanding the platform’s features and leveraging its advertising tools, businesses can tap into Facebook’s immense potential to drive brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales.
Who uses it: Facebook boasts a diverse user base with a significant presence across all age groups. While it’s still popular among older demographics, younger users are also active on the platform.
Who should use it: Businesses targeting a broad audience or seeking to engage with older demographics should leverage Facebook for marketing. It’s particularly effective for brands looking to establish a strong online presence and connect with potential customers through targeted advertising.
Instagram is a visual paradise for businesses seeking to captivate their audience through compelling imagery and storytelling. With an impressive 2 billion monthly active users and revenue of $24 billion, it has emerged as a powerhouse in the social media landscape, second only to Facebook.
Originally conceived for artists to showcase their work, Instagram has evolved into a platform that celebrates visual content, making it ideal for demonstrating products and services. With features like shoppable posts introduced in 2018, businesses, particularly those with a product focus, have found immense success on Instagram.
The platform offers diverse content formats, including images, long videos, reels, and stories, catering to various audience preferences. Moreover, the availability of Instagram Business Profiles provides valuable insights and analytics for businesses to track their performance and optimise their strategies.
One of Instagram’s key strengths is its appeal to younger demographics, with over 67% of 18–24-year-olds using the app daily. This demographic presents a lucrative opportunity for businesses looking to engage with a tech-savvy and socially active audience.
Understanding Instagram’s algorithm and user preferences is essential for businesses aiming to harness its full potential. Crafting visually captivating content that resonates with the target audience is crucial for driving engagement and building brand loyalty.
Additionally, Instagram’s e-commerce capabilities, influencer marketing opportunities and support for various content types like Stories and Reels make it a versatile platform for businesses to promote their offerings and connect with their audience on a deeper level. By leveraging Instagram’s visual storytelling capabilities and staying attuned to evolving trends, businesses can unlock new avenues for growth and success in the digital realm.
Who uses it: Instagram attracts a younger audience, particularly those in the 18-34 age range. However, its user base is becoming more diverse, with increasing participation from older demographics.
Who should use it: Businesses with visually appealing products or services should use Instagram for marketing. It’s ideal for brands looking to showcase their offerings through visually compelling content and engage with a younger, more visually oriented audience.
YouTube
YouTube is the unrivaled giant in the realm of video-sharing platforms, boasting a staggering 2.2 billion monthly active users and generating revenues of $28.8 billion. Since its inception in 2005 by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, YouTube has transformed into a dominant force in the digital landscape, captivating users of all ages and covering a diverse array of genres, from gaming to education.
The appeal of YouTube lies in its incredible reach and versatility. With billions of videos watched daily, YouTube has become a social media platform and the second-largest search engine globally after Google. It offers a vast content repository catering to a wide spectrum of interests and preferences.
For businesses looking to harness the power of video marketing, YouTube is the place to be. By leveraging the platform’s partnership program and monetisation features, businesses can generate revenue through ad placements on their videos. Additionally, advertising on YouTube provides an effective way to promote products and services and expand brand reach.
Understanding YouTube’s algorithms and search engine optimisation (SEO) principles is crucial for maximising visibility and engagement on the platform. By creating compelling content tailored to their target audience’s interests and preferences, businesses can captivate viewers and build a loyal subscriber base.
Moreover, YouTube’s influence extends beyond its platform. Videos are often shared across various social media channels and websites, amplifying brand exposure and driving traffic back to the YouTube channel.
Ultimately, YouTube’s vast audience, diverse content offerings, and advertising opportunities make it an indispensable platform for businesses seeking to connect with consumers through the power of video storytelling. By embracing YouTube as part of their digital marketing strategy, businesses can unlock new avenues for growth and engagement in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Who uses it: YouTube boasts a massive user base spanning all age groups and demographics. While it’s particularly popular among younger audiences, older demographics also frequent the platform for entertainment, education and more.
Who should use it: Businesses looking to leverage the power of video content should prioritise YouTube for marketing. It’s an ideal platform for brands seeking to reach a diverse audience through engaging video content and capitalising on the platform’s extensive reach. Although creating the videos is time-consuming and possibly costly.
TikTok
TikTok has swiftly emerged as the young pretender in social media, boasting over 1.2 billion monthly active users globally since its inception in 2016. Despite its initial appeal to younger demographics, TikTok’s user base now spans all age groups, making it a fertile ground for brands seeking to connect with diverse audiences.
The platform’s meteoric rise can be attributed to its unique focus on short-form video content, often featuring challenges and trends that captivate users and spark virality. Brands can leverage this dynamic environment by creating engaging short-form videos tailored to their target audience’s interests and preferences.
One of TikTok’s standout features is its unparalleled engagement metrics, with users spending an average session length of 10.85 minutes – double that of its closest competitor, Pinterest. This high level of engagement presents an unequalled opportunity for brands to capture audience attention and drive meaningful interactions.
TikTok’s influence extends beyond its user base, with monthly U.S. users surpassing 100 million and reaching 37.36% of the country’s mobile internet users. While the platform initially appealed to Generation Z, its user demographics have evolved, attracting a diverse range of age groups and interests.
For businesses looking to tap into the power of TikTok, creating authentic and engaging content that resonates with the platform’s vibrant community is key. By embracing TikTok as part of their social media strategy, brands can unlock new avenues for visibility, engagement, and brand advocacy in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Who uses it: TikTok initially gained popularity among Gen Z users but has since attracted a broader audience, including Millennials and even older demographics. It’s particularly popular among those seeking entertaining, short-form video content.
Who should use it: Brands targeting younger demographics or seeking to inject creativity and humour into their marketing efforts should explore TikTok. It’s ideal for businesses looking to connect with a younger, more digitally savvy audience through engaging video content and viral challenges.
LinkedIn is the quintessential platform for professionals, offering a tailored space for B2B interactions and networking. With a staggering 830 million monthly active users, LinkedIn has transformed from a mere job search engine to a business growth and professional development centre.
At its core, LinkedIn is about fostering meaningful connections and leveraging those relationships to drive business opportunities. Whether through personal profiles or company pages, LinkedIn provides avenues for brand visibility, thought leadership, and lead generation.
LinkedIn offers marketers tools to enhance business ROI, including Sponsored Content, Sponsored Messaging, and Text or Video ads. Crafting valuable content that resonates with the platform’s audience is key, alongside researching to understand what types of content perform best.
LinkedIn’s advertising options, such as delivering customised ads directly to users’ inboxes, provide targeted opportunities to reach decision-makers and influencers within your industry.
The platform’s evolution includes native video posts and live video broadcasts, adding a dynamic dimension to content sharing. B2B marketers particularly favour LinkedIn due to its audience of business professionals, with HubSpot reporting LinkedIn as 277% more effective for lead generation than Twitter and Facebook combined.
LinkedIn is a vital tool for B2B marketers seeking to expand their network, establish thought leadership, and drive business growth in an increasingly digital world. By harnessing the platform’s robust features and engaging with its diverse community, businesses can unlock a wealth of opportunities for success and professional advancement.
Who uses it: LinkedIn is primarily used by professionals and businesses for networking, career development, and industry insights. Its user base comprises various professionals across various industries and job functions.
Who should use it: B2B businesses and professionals seeking to establish thought leadership, build industry connections, and generate leads should prioritise LinkedIn for marketing. It’s an ideal platform for businesses looking to engage with a professional audience and showcase their expertise through informative content and networking opportunities.
Lost in the world of social media? We can help!
From the visual storytelling prowess of Instagram to the professional networking prowess of LinkedIn, each platform presents distinct strategies and best practices for businesses looking to elevate their social media presence.
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a newcomer to the social media scene, hopefully, this guide helped you decide which platform your business should be on. If it left you even more confused, then here’s the good news – we can do it all for you.
We’ve been helping businesses around the world navigate the choppy waters of social media for years now, and in that time, we’ve figured out what works and, more importantly, what doesn’t. We don’t use the scattergun effect; we aim and shoot, choosing our targets carefully and finding what’s right for your business before pulling the trigger.
We put you where your audience hangs out, ensuring your message is crystal clear and resonates no matter which platform they use.
So, take all the work and stress out of it and let us do the job for you. All you have to do is sit back and relax… and maybe make the occasional TikTok video dancing in your garden. Sorry.
