Which Social Media Platform is Best for Your Business?

social media

With a multitude of social media platforms available, it may be difficult to know where to start. But the start is something you must do.

In today’s digital age, it is almost criminal to have a business with absolutely no online social presence. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last 10 years you’ll know that social media is not limited to “the kids”, now all kinds of people of all ages have some kind of account online on some social media platform. So what’s stopping your business from getting social, or build the presence on specific social media platform?

Depending on your company, different platforms will compliment your business best. Facebook is a good place to start but there are other avenues that you can experiment with.

Here’s a run-down of some of the familiar and not so familiar…

Facebook

The most popular of platforms, businesses can set up their own page which effectively acts as a website on Facebook itself. Customers can ‘like’ the pages and therefore will be able to follow post and keep up to date with the latest business news. It’s a great place to establish yourself in the wider community and build meaningful interaction with your customers. It also provides an opportunity for customer service issues to be dealt with.

RelatedHow to Use Facebook for Business: Facebook Marketing Tips and Tricks

Twitter

With a more concise limit on characters on Twitter, businesses have to express their point in 140 letters. This cuts out the waffle and adds relevant hashtags that companies can follow. With the emphasis weighted more to what’s trending at a certain time, businesses can seize the moment using it to their advantage. It is also a great way to follow supporters of your niche. Like Facebook, customers can tweet the company with any customer service issues they may have.

Related: 5 Ways to Boost Your Customer Experience with Technology

Google+

Looking to improve your search engine results? Then Google+ should be at the top of the list as Google will take into consideration Google+ presence when ranking sites. Google+’ s circles allow you to customize your content by creating different groups of followers that you can tailor different content too.

social media platform

Linkedin

This is a business networking site which can be used as an online CV, with some companies asking for Linkedin profiles rather than traditional CV’s. You can follow like-minded people and their communities through Linkedin groups. Your posts will also link back to your own website.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual-based platform where users pin images to their own boards. Users can re-pin your business’s content which allows content to be seen by their followers and so on. Companies can advertise the results/solutions of their work by employing the world of the visual, providing a fresh perspective on marketing.

Tumblr

Tumblr is a simple blogging platform where company news, articles could be distributed. You can follow associated blogs, comment and like posts. Tumblr is also great for posting and sharing photos if your business is visually based.

By employing just a few of these social media platforms, traffic can be driven and linked back to your own website which has the potential to convert into earnings.  Even if your business is not predominantly visual, you can use the platform such as Pinterest and Tumblr in creative ways to allow you to reach a demographic you may not have reached out to before. So get posting, tweeting, pinning and blogging to get the business flowing your way.

About the author: James Cartwright of Wisteria (www.wisteria.co.uk) – Wisteria Chartered Accountants are an independent firm of specialist tax accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers, based in London.  The company provides a wide range of services to businesses, including tax compliance and tax planning services.  Wisteria is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Taxation.