Social media can be a bit overwhelming for companies just now joining the party. Regardless, it’s a necessity in today’s world. With the popularity of several platforms on the rise, it may be time to put your party pants on. In the U.S. alone, 81 percent of the population has a profile on at least one social media site, and more than half have profiles on two or more sites. For some perspective, that’s 264,681,066 people (81%) with a profile on at least one site, and 163,383,000+ people (50%) having a profile on at least two. When you look at social media with the numbers behind it, you’ll undoubtedly see the opportunity that exists.
Now that we’ve looked at the numbers supporting the popularity of social media, let’s dive in to the specific platforms that can benefit your business.
For several different reasons, Facebook comes in at number one. First and foremost, the platform has an amazing 1.32 billion daily, active users, making it the most widely used social platform. So, while there is no lack of audience to reach on Facebook, deciding who you want to target might seem a bit daunting. Facebook Advertising can help you with this problem. As the most developed social media site, Facebook’s advertising platform allows you to target an audience using interests, demographics, and even certain behaviors. Facebook makes sure only the people you want to see your ads will, and optimizes your budget to do so. This makes it the most valuable platform form for your business.
Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, is the next most popular platform. Although their numbers of daily active users are lower than Facebook’s — around 500 million — Instagram can still be extremely useful to you and your business. As opposed to setting a budget to get your materials in front of the right people, Instagram has a better organic reach, meaning you are reaching your audience without having to pay for it. This platform allows you to post photos and videos, which is good for your business as people remember 80% of what they see, dissimilar to what people read or hear.
The last platform worth mentioning is Twitter. At 330 million daily users, Twitter has a different type of viewer interaction. With no ability to post photos or videos like Facebook or Instagram, Twitter also has character-limited copy, allowing you to “live-tweet” and receive real-time updates. Twitter is perfect for personal engagement with your target market. Consumers, especially the millennial generation, like to interact with the brands they are buying and are more likely to recommend your brand to another person if you have engaged them in some way. It allows for quick customer service and the ability to create a personality for your brand.
While there are many other effective social media platforms to choose from, all different in their approach to reaching customers, these three are going to be your best bets. Take the dive into social media and watch your business be submerged in success.