Social Media is the perfect way to reach millions of people, so it's no surprise companies have begun to take advantage of using social platforms to market their business. It is rare to go on any social media site now and not be able to find a business, which is why social media is an integral part of any business. The only problem is that you have to find which one(s) will best fit your business, because these sites can be used for different purposes.
Most Popular
When it comes to popularity, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and more recently, Snapchat. With these sites, you can connect to friends and family, making it easier to spread the word to more customers. LinkedIn is a site that was made specifically for businesses in 2003. Since it is probably one of the most well known B2B sites, it is one of the best platforms to use for networking.
Facebook is becoming more tailored to businesses, because you can have a personal page as well as a business page. You will be able to promote your business in order to get more traffic and "Likes", and you can also get your business to pop up for people who would be most likely "Like" your business. You can both set up a budget and pay to get more exposure, or just market on your own by advertising as much as possible. Video is becoming extremely popular on social media but especially this platform. Businesses can also go live and automatically set up a live Q&A for those watching.
Twitter has also followed suit and has begun to add platforms for businesses to market themselves. They allow you to set up a budget to get your ads out there, as well as other companies on Twitter that will offer to promote your business on Twitter for a fee. It's a great way to connect with your buyer personas and an opportunity to make your presence known. Add a hashtag for an event and watch as people share it. You can retweet another companies tweet and tag them and increase the chance that they will follow you back and at the same time create engagement.
Instagram also has a platform for businesses. In this case, it's a lot like a popularity contest. If you get so many "Likes"/Followers then you can end up on the Popular page where anyone can find you. This is the platform that many fitness models and artistic companies have gotten major exposure from, due to the video capabilities.
Less Known B2B Sites
Google+ is another goodie. It doesn't get a huge amount of attention but can have a major impact on your business. It looks for optimization of your page, profile and content. It's also a nice way to save time and some extra money in your pocket, because you can meet face-to-face with their 15 person HD video meetings from Google Hangouts. Google+ isn’t just another social media platform, but a powerful weapon in your SEO arsenal.
Pinterest is a site that was recommended as a way to promote a business. If used correctly, it is a very effective site because it allows you to display all of your products. It is basically like an online store where people can view your merchandise before they start shopping. Other users can also share your products to get even more exposure.
The most important thing is to create a presence for people to find you. If you aren't on social but your buyers are, you could be missing out on perspective leads for your business that might just find another company that is on social. So which platform is right for you? The best way to determine that is to try them all and see the results.
The world of Social Media is expanding and going from not just social, but also a great tool to utilize for your business. If you use the correct site for the purpose of your business, you can thrive off of these sites and turn your small business into an empire.
