Social media has played a big part in the search marketing industry for many years but it’s a platform that not every business is confident using. It’s a common sight to see a company with social channels yet the last post they made was a long time ago and the channels only have a small following. Social media can massively benefit your business if you do it correctly, but if done the wrong way then it’s only going to reflect badly on your brand.
There are 7 social media platforms that can be used to the advantage of many companies but they all carry their own advantages and disadvantages. It’s almost certain that we all have at least one social channel, so most of us know how to use them for personal use. When it comes to using social media for your business it’s best to seek advice from agencies like Click Consult, who have a team of social media experts and can manage your channels in a professional way.
The Good
Facebook and Twitter are two of the biggest and most used social media platforms and are both easy to set up and use. As the layout of both channels is fairly simple you can access them on a number of devices such as desktop and mobile, meaning you can keep your followers up to date even when you’re on the go.
Not all brands can benefit from social channels like Instagram but if for example you own a clothing brand then it’s the perfect platform for you. Instagram is becoming more and more popular and attracts a wide audience. The aspect of only being able to share images and content means you can target your audience with high quality images that can promote your brand and it can also be used as a sales platform.
The Bad
Although social media carries a host of good factors, it isn’t all good. Channels like Twitter and Facebook are very popular which means your posts can easily get lost in the many tweets and posts that are being made on a regular basis. For marketing and promotional videos YouTube is obviously the go to, but using poor quality imagery and video footage isn’t going to represent your brand in a positive light.
LinkedIn was created with a B2B focus in mind so businesses need to make the most of this; however this also means that your audience is much smaller than some of its rival platforms like Twitter. We’ve spoken about how good Instagram can be for brands and how it can be used as a sales platform but as links can’t be used in the caption, it means the user will have to go looking for the link if they want to buy the product. For some users this may be a hindrance and result in them looking elsewhere. You may check the addiction statistics to see the details.
Does my business need social media?
Millions of people all over the world use social media and it’s definitely something that should be utilised by brands. Using social media is a great way to build brand awareness and engage with your audience but not using it properly will only reflect badly on you. If social media isn’t your strong point then it’s best to seek professional advice so you can be assured your channels are being run correctly.