With any small business, social media is always going to be an important element of your overall marketing plan. With so many options to choose from, you may be wondering, what is the best social media for business? And the answer is…it depends. It depends on how you want to represent your brand and who your audience is. Read on to learn more about the 7 best social media platforms for business and what each one can do for you.
1) Facebook
Monthly Users: 2.7 billion
Great for: Businesses of any size and in any industry wanting to reach the most users of any of the social media platforms.
Example of a business knocking it out of the Facebook park: Oreo
With 2.7 billion monthly users in 2021, Facebook is a near-requirement for almost any business, regardless of size. The largest demographic of users is females between the ages of 25 and 35. Keeping your business’ Facebook page updated with both organic and paid posts is a great place to start if you are trying to build brand awareness. Facebook for Business has other helpful tools as well, such as the ability to create events, reach targeted audiences, and review analytics.
2) Instagram
Monthly Users: 1.61 billion
Great for: Businesses with visuals, designs, or graphics that can showcase their goods, services, or brand identity.
Example of a business knocking it out of the Instagram park: Bark Box
The largest group of Instagram users are between the ages of 25 and 34, with the majority (57%) being female. Owned by the same parent company as Facebook (Meta), there are lots of opportunities to cross-promote your brand on both platforms. Similar to Twitter, Instagram hashtags allow businesses to join communities and conversations with an interest in, or connection to, your company or industry.
3) TikTok
Monthly Users: 1 Billion
Great for: Businesses looking to establish credibility with a younger demographic and for Influencers (authors, tv personalities, and bloggers) who want small bites of their content to go out to an enormous global audience.
Example of a business knocking it out of the TikTok park: The San Diego Zoo
According to Hootsuite, a social media planning platform, TikTok is best for:
• Brands marketing to customers 35 and under
• Brands targeting women, especially those between the ages of 18 to 25
• Brands with (or that wish to build) a strong presence in Asia or the Middle East
If you have a brand, company spokesperson, or enthusiastic employees that can inspire short, entertaining videos, and you are looking to reach a younger, predominantly female audience, then TikTok might be a good fit for you. You never know – one of your videos could start trending, bringing lots of attention to you and your business.
4) Pinterest
Monthly Users: 431 million
Great for: Businesses who wish to showcase visual representations of their products or services, but especially those in food, home décor, photography, and design industries.
Example of a business knocking it out of the Pinterest park: Wholefoods
Pinterest users skew heavily female (60%) with the largest age demographic (38%) being women between the ages of 50-64. But wait! Pinterest reports their fastest-growing audience segments are males and GenZ users, as both groups grew 40% over last year. As Pinterest relies heavily on photography and design, this platform is a good fit for businesses that rely on visual representations to reflect who they are as a brand.
5) Twitter
Monthly Users: 353 Million
Example of a business knocking it out of the Twitter park: KFC
Great for: Financial institutions, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and any other business that would benefit from posting frequent, short company and industry updates.
With a slightly older demographic (63% of users are between the ages of 35-65) and skewing slightly more heavily male (68%), Twitter is a simple and direct way to stay connected to customers, clients, and other stakeholders. With less emphasis on visuals, Twitter can be a very helpful tool for businesses looking to reach their audience by creating hashtags, connecting with others in the same industry, and joining conversations. Twitter can also be an excellent platform for resolving customer service issues, as many consumers choose to contact companies via a public platform such as Twitter to prompt a fast response.
6) LinkedIn
Monthly Users: 350 Million
Great for: Reaching a B2B audience or professional audience base and recruiting employees,
Example of a business knocking it out of the LinkedIn park: General Electric
What is LinkedIn? As described on its website, “LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet. You can use LinkedIn to find the right job or internship, connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career.” LinkedIn is also a place for your business to reach new clients and customers, recruit new employees, and connect with others in your field. It is a great place to share information, blog posts, and infographics, all of which help to build relationships and your reputation within your industry.
7) Snapchat
Monthly Users: 238 Million
Great for: Businesses looking to reach a young audience in fun and creative ways.
Example of a business knocking it out of the Snapchat park: Taco Bell
With the youngest age demographic of all the social platforms listed here (75% of users are between the ages of 13 and 24), Snapchat can be a very effective way to reach teenagers and young adults who want to be kept up to date about current trends. A video and image-based app, Snapchat is a good fit for brands that want to portray a lighthearted, trendy, and fun image. Snapchat was one of the fastest-growing platforms among a young demographic…that is, until TikTok came along.
The Words@Work team can help you determine which social media platforms will work best for you. We’d be happy to create a social media marketing strategy tailored to your specific business goals, so give us a call at 207-797-0147 or use our contact form to set up a consultation.