We know that social media can feel like a minefield! With so many platforms to choose from, it’s easy to feel you’re obligated to use and show up on every single one, because more accounts = more reach = more business, right?

Wrong. We’re here to encourage you to choose quality over quantity, selecting one or two platforms to engage on well before you try to cover every single base.

Because, there’s…

TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, just to name the biggest and most popular. It would be a full time job to keep all of these active, updated and engaged. So, our advice? Be selective!

It’s important to choose the best social media platforms for your business, because by being selective with the platforms you invest your time and effort in, you’ll be able to give each one the attention required to really nurture your profile. It’s this quality and commitment that will build authentic and meaningful relationships with your audience.

In today’s blog, we’ll be sharing how to decide which platform(s) are right for your business, and which are best left to experts AKA: your teenage kids!

Know your people:

First and foremost, consider where your customers are active on social media. There’s no point in starting a YouTube channel if none of your customers or clients regularly engage on that platform. They won’t flock to your channel just to support you, you need to find them and engage with them where they already are

Start by talking to your customers, and simply asking them what platforms they use. A little market research before going through the effort of setting up an account could save you a lot of time and energy. You can also search different platforms for mentions of your business name; this might help you find where people have already been talking about you.

Find new people:

Of course, starting where your current customers are is a fantastic place to begin, but it’s also important to consider where your future ideal clients are hanging out too.

Are your ideal clients male or female? 25-34 years old or nearing retirement? Are you a B2B business or do you speak to the end user? Take some time to refine your ideal client and research where they’re most likely to spend their scroll-time.

e.g. If your ideal client is a male in his 60’s who enjoys fishing, you probably don’t want to spend your time trying to find him on Instagram, because chances are he isn’t there!

Make sure you also tailor your language to fit the platform too. Typically users are more informal with their language on Instagram than they might be on LinkedIn, for example, as it’s considered a more professional space.

Know where your competitors are:

Not only will you want to know where your existing and dream clients are, you’ll also want to know where your competitors are spending time, to make sure you aren’t missing out on hot-spots for your ideal clients.

That being said, keep an eye on how active your competitors are and what kind of engagement they get on their posts, don’t simply follow where they go. They might be wasting their time and not have done the research! Just because they have a profile on a platform – doesn’t mean you necessarily need one.

Start slow:

Pick just one platform at a time, so as not to spread yourself too thin. If you try to create and engage with too many new profiles at once it’ll be unsustainable, and more than likely end up dormant, with months between each update. Walk before you can run, my friend.

Slow and steady wins the race in this game! Wherever you choose to spend your time growing an audience, make sure you are intentional with your efforts. You’ll need to invest time in this, it won’t happen overnight (sorry)!

Once you have a well established presence on one platform, you’ll be able to consider setting up the next; but as a rule of thumb, we always recommend doing one well, over doing many half way!

Thank you to our guest Blogger Chantelle Davison – Choice Words By Chantelle