It seems like every day there’s a hot new social media platform that’s promising to be the next big thing. Sometimes, these quirky little apps catch on like fire (think Snapchat) and sometimes they fizzle out within a week (remember a few months ago, hearing how Peach was going to be the next big thing? Not so.) Figuring out which social media channels you should add to your arsenal can be very confusing when there are so many options available. You don’t want to manage fifteen different accounts, but you want to seem like you’re hip and up to date on the fast-moving world of social media.
Data has shown that in 2016, more companies are focusing on the big social media players, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. As little niche apps show up, it’s much more likely that they will be acquired by the giants rather than flourishing on their own. Sites like Twitter and Facebook want to maximize the amount of time you spend in their app or on their site, so they want to offer as much functionality as possible. As an example, we see that in the addition of live streaming capabilities on Facebook. Instead of jumping off Facebook and logging into a live streaming app like Periscope, you can do everything within one app.
This is great news for companies who use social media as part of their marketing plan. (And if you don’t, well, we need to talk.) It means you can streamline your social media channels and put more time into creating meaningful connections and content rather than scrambling to get updates up on a dozen different apps.
The most important piece of information to consider when choosing which social media channels work best for your business is to consider your audience. In particular, the age groups. If you’re marketing to younger generations, some of the newer apps, like Snapchat, may be more relevant. But data shows that adults age 65 and up are one of the fastest growing age groups on Facebook. You need to know where to find you current and potential clients.
The second aspect to consider is your content. It would make sense for a company with a highly visual product, like a clothing line or a home decor company to focus on an app like Instagram. However, a business like a mortgage company may not make a big impact on Instagram, but could flourish on Linked In and Twitter. Though almost all the big social media sites have tools that could be useful to any type of business, it’s important to focus your efforts on those that make the biggest bang.
So before you go crazy making a new account for every single social media app that comes on the scene, take a deep breath and consider how important of a tool it is for your business. Is it going to be beneficial to your social media strategy?