How Different Social Media Platforms Can Benefit Your Business

With social media now acting as a major marketing tool for many businesses and organisations, social media is now no longer just an option but a necessity. With a number of platforms out there and multiple ways of communicating your audience, there’s no reason your business shouldn’t be looking to social media to make an impact.  

However, the world of social media can be confusing, especially for those new to the world of social media marketing, with so many options out there what’s best for your business and where do you start? 

 Let’s look at the 4 biggest social media platforms and how they can benefit your business.  

Facebook

The most widely used social media site for both personal use and business purposes, Facebook allows you to share text posts, videos, photos, links and message with your audience, without a character limit. Optimised for both desktop and mobile devices, Facebook can be accessed anywhere, not working best on one device over the other, giving it a wide reach. Over the last few years Facebook has also become much more visual with companies choosing to share images and videos in order to reach out and captivate new audiences.  

Twitter 

With a 140 character limit, Twitter is the best platform to use for delivering short, snappy messages to your audience. While you might not use it to post vast amounts of information about your brand, you can use it effectively to quickly engage with audiences. Many often follow brands on Twitter in order to keep up to date with people and businesses whenever changes might occur, whereas one of the best ways brands use Twitter is to deal with customer service queries, allowing customers to have their questions answered in real time.  

Instagram 

Instagram is a photo and video sharing app that allows you to post eye catching and interesting images with your followers. Predominately used on mobile and tablet devices, Instagram works well for businesses looking to share product photography, behind the scenes photos and even photos of people modelling your products, helping generate interest in your brand. You can also link to your website or your products in your posts which can allow those who have just discovered your Instagram to visit your website, resulting possibly in new customers.  

Snapchat 

One of the newest social media platforms available, Snapchat is actually one of the most rewarding platforms out there for businesses looking to engage with audiences in real time, especially when looking to reach out to younger audiences. Through Snapchat you can share behind the scenes images of life in your business, from the inner workings of the office to sneak peaks of any new products you might be offering, there’s plenty of opportunities out there to make the most of Snapchat and it’s ‘real time’ exclusiveness. 

Understanding social media platforms and which one suits your business best is the first step to creating a social media marketing plan that really works for your business and while it might be difficult at first, once you find what works you can start benefiting from whichever platform suits your brand best. Social media is an effective tool and should be incorporated in every business plan, so don’t hesitate, get to know your social media platforms and start engaging with the best audience for your business.