How do you decide which social media fits your business? Our guide outlines what to consider about your target group, and 9 social media platforms you should know.
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Quickly learn via YouTube how tiles are laid, get ideas for interior design via Instagram and Pinterest and keep up to date with the latest political developments via Twitter. Social media often play a major role in our private lives and Facebook and Co. are becoming more and more important in everyday work. For this reason, we take a quick look at nine different social networks and show which channel is best suited for you and your company. But to find the best network, you first need to know your target group exactly!
Identify your target group to decide which social media fits your business
If you and your company are considering using social networks, you should first define your target group so you can decide which social media fits your business. Because not all age and gender groups are represented on all channels and not every network is equally suitable for every industry.
It can also make a big difference whether you are in the B2B or B2C segment. In the first step, for example , define the target group using the persona principle , in order to formulate the goal of your social media strategy in the second step. This can range from increasing brand awareness through recruiting to sales support or your customer service.
Only when you have completed these two points can you filter out the appropriate ones from the following social media channels. And then: just try it out! Every community is different, learning by doing is popular here!
9 social networks you should know
The largest and most well-known social network is Facebook. Although the US company is often criticized for its data protection, over a billion people still use this social media channel every day. Facebook is also a popular channel for companies because all age groups are on this channel. A fan page is almost a must in the digital age.
If you have a budget for your social media strategy, you should definitely also consider Facebook Ads. This target group-specific advertising ensures that you can maintain direct contact with your target group. However, it is now difficult to generate reach without spending money . Young target groups in particular are withdrawing from this network.
On Twitter, users twitter the latest news and developments in 280 characters. Even politics is decided in times of Donald Trump via Twitter. And if you want to quickly find out about the Brexit vote or other current news, you no longer have to switch on the television for a long time, but get information in real time via Twitter.
This also has great advantages for companies. Because this social network enables you to communicate with your customers in real time. This also presupposes that you have enough time to respond to inquiries and also to post the latest developments. But if you do it cleverly and spend enough time, you can generate more traffic for websites and blogs with this channel.
This social network is very visual. You can share pictures and videos with your followers or around the world via Instagram. The various filter functions ensure that almost every picture becomes a masterpiece and therefore this channel is very popular with young and old, with the proportion of young users between 14 and 29 years predominating with 71 percent.
The channel is also becoming increasingly important for business. If you and your company are active on Instagram, you should consider cooperating with so-called influencers, because they are the stars of the social media channel that has been part of Facebook since 2012.
Snapchat
This social media service, launched in 2011, is particularly popular with young people. Because Snapchat makes it possible to provide snapshots (or videos) with the help of filters, texts, your own drawings or emojis and send them. The messages are only visible for up to ten seconds, making it a fast-paced social media channel. There have been so-called Snapchat stories since 2013, in which snaps are visible for up to 24 hours.
This social network also thrives on visualization, since you use Pinterest to pin images on a digital pin board. You can comment on external pins and also attach them to your own pin board. In contrast to Instagram, the images are usually more staged and more reminiscent of an advertising catalog. Therefore, the social media channel is also a visual search engine, where you can get inspiration for new living or DIY ideas, for example. A great opportunity, especially for manufacturing companies, as numerous areas of interest and professional areas are now represented on this network.
This is about business connections. LinkedIn is the largest business platform among social networks and quasi professional Facebook. Unlike Instagram and Snapchat, this network is not popular with young members, but rather of greater interest from the age of 30.
Tumblr
This social network is ideal for blogger beginners. Because Tumblr makes it easy to publish texts, images, quotes, links, video and audio files . Blogging is also very simple and can produce a great viral effect that helps you with search engine optimization (SEO). If you are thinking about a corporate blog but have no blogging experience yet, you should think about Tumblr. But keep in mind: The target group is still relatively young.
YouTube
This social network belongs to Google and has over a trillion users every month , who either upload videos themselves or choose from the plethora of videos on a wide variety of topics to pass the time or learn something. There are no limits to your fantasies. YouTube is also playing an increasingly important role in search engine optimization, as videos – instead of websites – are often displayed in the search results, especially in tutorials. Since all ages are on this channel, you should definitely consider using YouTube for your business.
Vimeo
The Vimeo social media channel, founded in 2004, is a video platform – similar to YouTube. The uploaded videos usually have a better quality, since you can only upload videos if you have been largely involved in the production. An ideal option for artists. The platform is free to use, but you can also publish paid content.
