top social media platforms for small businesses
Creating content and posting on social media is a job that small business owners often take on themselves. But managing social media across multiple platforms is a job in itself! We outlined which social platforms small businesses can use and how to use them.
how many people use social media?
90% of the US population, or 302.35 million people, use social media regularly. If your company does not have an active social media presence, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to connect with new customers and create lifelong customers.
which social media platforms should your business use?
There are over 100 social media platforms that exist today, but six are larger than the rest. We’ll give you a brief overview of each one and how your small business could use it.
Founded in 2004 and released to the public in 2006, Facebook is still the most popular platform with 74.2% of adults in the US using it. Over the years, Facebook has transformed from a place to chat with friends and family to a behemoth of a platform where you can share articles, connect with brands, participate in group conversations, discover new products and services, and so much more.
Brands today use Facebook in a few different ways:
Customer service support
Engaging customers
Staying active in the business’ community
Businesses promotion
Sales or lead generation
Not far behind, 60.7% of US adults use Instagram. It is certainly more popular than Facebook for younger adults, though, with 70.8% of its global users being under the age of 34. Because Facebook bought Instagram back in 2012, the platforms have become more similar than different. However, Instagram still only supports photos and videos, making it a much more visual platform.
Many brands use Instagram the same way they use Facebook, especially because the platforms are well integrated with easy sharing capabilities.
X
41.8% of adults in the US use X, which is a huge number of people, but significantly less than Facebook and Instagram. Most social media is fast paced, but that’s especially true for X where content needs to grab attention and be easily consumed in just a couple seconds.
Brands most often use X for:
Customer service support
Engaging customers
Business promotion
Widely known as a platform for business professionals, more brands are leveraging the power of LinkedIn. Over 137 million US members use the platform every day, and it is best for B2B businesses. LinkedIn is great for small businesses owners and managers to use for networking with distributors, partners, etc. but it’s not as useful for reaching B2C customers.
LinkedIn is frequently used for:
Networking
Business promotion
B2B sales or lead generation
Snapchat
This bright, yellow app was rebranded and launched in 2012 and began to gain popularity in the US in 2014. It quickly became widely used between friends and friend groups that were sharing moments when they both were and weren’t together. Now Snapchat had a robust ads platform, discovery tools, and more.
Many brands use Snapchat for:
Engaging customers
Business promotion
Sales or lead generation
TikTok
TikTok rocked the world when it was launched by ByteDance in 2012, and then the US when it launched in 2017. It’s a short-form video-sharing platform that appeals to small attention spans and fans of the late video platform, Vine (RIP). Videos on this platform are fun and very innovative as everyone competes to create the next new trend. They also have a great algorithm that keeps you scrolling.
The downside of investing time in TikTok for small businesses is that videos are seen around the world, so you might reach a lot of people, but not people in the community when your brick-and-mortar store is located. In this case, a lot of video views does not necessarily translate to new customers.
Brands use TikTok for:
Business promotion
Brand awareness
Other notable social media platforms include YouTube, WhatsApp, Reddit, and Pinterest
what should you post on social media?
This varies greatly depending on what service or product your business provides and what platforms you decide to use. We recommend posting a variety of content including static images, videos, carousel images, and links. After some time, you’ll likely notice that one or two types get more engagement. From there, you can increase that type of post and cover different topics.
Whatever you post, make sure you have a good balance between promotional posts and engaging/entertaining posts.
how often should you post on social media?
According to Hootsuite, you should post anywhere from one time per week to twice per day depending on the social platform. But the most important aspect of posting on social media is consistency so your followers know what to expect.
For example, if your business features a new muffin every week, you should reveal that muffin on the same day every week. Or, if you have a discounted service at an auto shop every month, announce it on a video on the last day of the previous month so customers can schedule their appointments as soon as the promotion begins.
In addition, create a social posting schedule that you can stick to. These days, when people discover a new brand, they often go to social media first. A consistent posting schedule shows them that you’re organized and with the times.
The most important thing when creating social media content for your business is to have fun! Your customers will be able to tell if you’re having a great time talking about that new handbag or if you can’t wait to get off camera. So good luck, and have fun!
