Social media seems to be everywhere nowadays. Whether it’s used for personal or professional purposes, there’s no denying the influence that social media has on society. Social media is so influential that many companies now use various social media platforms to market to and interact with consumers. There are many different social media platforms, each with its own unique uses and advantages. This guide to some of the best social media platforms for marketing will help you sift through the sites to find the platforms that work best for your business’s marketing strategy.
A picture is worth a thousand words, so it stands to reason that Instagram is one of the best social media platforms for marketing. Instagram is a popular choice for marketing to consumers of all ages and backgrounds, thanks to the fact that people of all different demographics use Instagram. Companies commonly use Instagram to share photos and videos of up-and-coming products or to provide insider information regarding a current promotion.
The uptick in social media influencers has also helped make Instagram a popular platform for marketing. Partnering with popular social media influencers and encouraging them to post photos using the company’s products helps widen the audience base for that company. Consumers are heavily influenced by celebrities, and seeing an influencer use a certain product increases the likelihood that the consumers themselves will also purchase that product.
Snapchat
What once began as a fun way to share photos back and forth with friends is now a highly profitable platform for social media marketing. Snapchat allows companies to contact consumers in a quick and fun way. Photo filters and public stories provide consumers a fun way to interact with the company while also allowing them to get in on the action themselves.
Companies will also frequently post Snapchat stories that provide a behind-the-scenes look at upcoming product launches or promotional events. Snapchat is especially effective when used in tandem with event marketing. Companies leverage Snapchat for their marketing events through unique geofilters, fun photo walls, and pre-event promotional posts.
Certain social media platforms are more effective at marketing to consumers within a specific demographic than others. Facebook is one such platform. Though it was originally devised as a means for young adults and college students to interact with each other, Facebook is now more commonly used by older adults and individuals within the baby boomer generation. However, it’s still highly effective at marketing to consumers within this specific demographic.
This type of consumer generally prefers one-on-one conversation with company representatives and places a high importance on quality customer service. These elements are easily achievable through Facebook, as it allows companies and consumers to speak directly to one another through comments or private messaging. Facebook also lends itself to slightly longer posts than some other social media platforms, allowing a company to provide detailed information to its customers, yet another factor that older consumers value.