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What Social Platform Should You Be Using?

MOMENTUM Business Support Digital Marketing
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When it comes to getting social and marketing your products and services there are so many platforms to choose from. To avoid falling into the trap of wasting valuable time and effort, it’s best to stick to the ones that produce the greatest results for your business.

Without taking the time to trial and test the various social media platforms, it can be hard to know which one/s are right for you. This blog works through the most popularly used sites in the business community, with the aim of helping you to identify which are best to use for your business.

Facebook

Facebook is still the most popular and widely used social media platform and despite negative press and general opinion, it continues to grow. It has the broadest audience and in particular boasts the largest ‘65 or older’ group. It has a fairly even gender, income and location (rural, urban, suburban) split too. The types of posts preferred by Facebook users are also reasonably evenly divided across video, image and text.

It is however one of the more difficult audiences to grow, with an average of 6 interactions per post, per 1000 followers! Don’t let this put you off though, just understand it may be a slow burn as you build your audience and you might have to put a little more effort into getting seen and heard.

Twitter

Whilst Twitter’s overall worldwide user numbers are lower than Facebook, this social network is one of the more popular in the UK. Again, the gender split is quite even but the age of users is generally younger; 18 – 50yrs with the biggest segment being 18 – 29yrs. Twitter users tend to be in the higher income brackets (although this is considered to be due to an increase in high profile users such as celebrities and politicians) and are more likely to have college or university degree level education.

With it’s high use of #hashtags, ‘twitter hours’ and daily trends, this is one of the easiest platforms to get noticed on. It’s fast paced though, so you’ll need to put out much more content and keep an eye on when your audience are most active to ensure your content is reaching its full potential.

LinkedIn

The most ‘professional’ of the social channels, LinkedIn’s audience tends to be more urban and the higher income earners have more presence and activity levels on here. There are slightly more male users, but not significantly, and whilst the highest number of users are 18 – 29yrs, there’s also a good number in between and in the 65+ group here too. The UK has one of the highest user counts on LinkedIn worldwide, so this is a very popular platform.

LinkedIn personal profiles are about growing your direct network. It’s personal – no business names or brands to hide behind. Bear this in mind when sharing content and when giving opinions on others’ posts. It’s a great way to build your network within your industry as well as with potential customers.

Instagram

Instagram has 12% more female users than male, and the largest 18 – 29yr user base. There are few differences between the location, income and education levels of its users. Behind Facebook (in the UK) it’s the second most popular social channel and the next fastest growing platform with more than half of the accounts being accessed daily. Instagram supersedes all other networks with a massive 5% post interaction rate (yes – massive! The other platforms here averagely achieve between 0.1 – 0.5%).

This platform is ideal if you have products or high-quality images to share – it’s all about pictures! Like Twitter, the high use of #hashtags help get your content seen. It’s also easy to find and follow accounts that you’re interested in seeing or to help them see you.

Pinterest

Income and education levels aren’t significant on Pinterest. The key demographics to consider here are; the user base is predominantly female, and the age range is quite broad, 18 – 64yrs. Users also tend to be from urban or suburban locations. Although one of the less commonly used networks when compared with others, it’s still considered one of the more engaging and is accessed more regularly than LinkedIn!

Similar to Instagram, Pinterest is about pictures and imagery. However, it’s actually used more as a ‘how-to’, DIY or creative source. Careful use of keywords and good descriptions for each of your posts will help them get found by users searching your topic. The more unique, relevant and helpful they are, the more they will get ‘pinned’.

Summary

All social media channels offer an effective way to connect with your potential clients and customers, but with only a limited amount of time, it’s best to stick to the ones that are likely to produce the greatest results for your efforts. We would recommend focussing on one first, then maybe adding 1 or 2 more as you become more proficient.

  • Facebook – the most varied demographics, particularly ideal if you have a mature crowd to please.
  • Twitter – great to attract higher income earners and easiest to get noticed on.
  • LinkedIn – personal network building with a larger male user base.
  • Instagram – images, images, images!! With a focus on younger audiences.
  • Pinterest – great for engaging with crafty and creative women.

Regardless of the platform you choose, it’s really important to interact and not just offload or ‘shout’ – keep the social in social! Be responsive, offer relevant promotions and provide educational content. Be genuine, add value and be courteous (unsurprisingly, the thing least likely to attract fans and followers is bad mouthing competitors!).

If you have any questions or would like to chat through your social media plans, we’d love to hear from you: Call 01903 688789 or Email makeithappen@mbsmih.com .

Facts and figures supported by research from Informatics, Sprout Social and Smart Insights.

Following & Followers – Twitter for Beginners Part 2

MOMENTUM Business Support Digital Marketing, Twitter For Beginners
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CHECK OUT PART 1 HERE:  https://momentumbusinesssupport.com/2016/03/choosing-your-name-and-setting-up-your-profile-twitter-for-beginners-part-1/

So, your Twitter account is officially up and running. Now, you need to start following some accounts and gaining some followers of your own.

First of all, let’s take an overview of the difference between “Following” and “Followers” on Twitter.

Following: This connects you to other users on Twitter, but it doesn’t necessarily connect them back to you, (unless they follow back). When you follow someone, their account appears in your following list. You’ll be able to see their Tweets, Retweets, Likes and updates on your feed, and they can send you direct messages.

You can learn a lot from following other accounts that are similar to yours. This will help you gain inspiration, ideas and advice. It’s also good to look at your competitors to see what they’re up to when you feel like you’re lacking inspiration.

Followers: When a user follows you, their username appears in your list of followers, adding to your overall number of followers. They will see your Tweets, Retweets, Likes and updates, and you can send direct messages to them.

Reach out and welcome your new followers by sending them a direct message or tweet, introduce what you do, don’t be shy! Who knows… they could be your next big client.

In order to get followed, you have to follow. Following other users is a great way to get noticed and you will likely get followed back by some of the accounts you have hit follow on.

But remember – just because someone follows you, doesn’t mean you have to follow them back. Some people follow back everyone who follows them; others are more selective and careful about who they follow. It’s down to your personal preference and what type of content you want to be seeing when you look at your Twitter timeline.

But bear in mind, following a lot of accounts without having many of your own followers doesn’t look great. For example… Following: 4,529 Followers: 60.

To avoid this, keep an eye on your Following numbers. Regularly go through your ‘Following’ list and keep it fresh and up to date. Unfollow any that you’re not getting any value from and any accounts that aren’t following / interacting back with you.

If you’d like any help, support or advice with getting started on Twitter, we’d be happy to chat through this with you. Email makeithappen@mbsmih.com or call us 01903 688789.

Choosing Your Name And Setting Up Your Profile – Twitter For Beginners Part 1

MOMENTUM Business Support Digital Marketing, Twitter For Beginners
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The first thing to tackle when coming into the world of Twitter is choosing your username (twitter handle @xxxxxx) and setting up your profile.

Ideally your username will be the same as your business name. If the name you want has already been taken, consider a relevant variation. For example, if @janessalon is unavailable you could try @janesbeauty or @janeshair. Other examples to consider are any recognized ‘handles’ or straplines you have on your email or website; if your email is styleme@example.com, you could use @styleme as your Twitter username. Be careful though, don’t get too creative as your Twitter presence can influence your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). A relevant keyword or your business name will have a positive impact, something completely random such as @jshab (Janes Salon Hair and Beauty) will only hinder!

A couple of other things to consider when choosing your Twitter name: Be sure to make it as short as possible. Twitter currently only uses 140 characters, so if you want others to respond and network with you, don’t take up half of their content space with your name; Be professional. Don’t choose rude, offensive or questionable names. They might seem clever at the time, but if you want others to interact with you, keep it clean!

Once you’ve got your name, you need to get the rest of your profile set up. Select the ‘Edit profile’ button on the right hand side – just below your header photo.

You’ll need to choose a profile picture and a header photo. Obviously, one is much smaller than the other, so we recommend using the profile photo space for your logo or other distinguishable brand image, and the header photo (much larger) to visually convey what your business does. For example, if you’re a restaurant you might consider using a good quality (visually appealing) image of your kitchen / counter / tables / patrons.

Next, on the left hand side, you will need to choose your name. You have 20 characters, so if your business name is less than this, great. If not, it’s time to get creative again. But remember, don’t make it too ‘clever’, otherwise you run the risk of not being found when others search for you.

Then, complete your bio – this is really important. You need to concisely show what your business does in 160 characters or less. Keep it simple, look at similar companies for inspiration and use hashtags (we’ll talk about these in a bit more detail in the next blog) for any key service or product offerings. Just below, you can also populate your location and your website address. Finally, don’t forget to choose a theme colour that links to your brand and business colours.

Now you’re ready to go! If you’d like any help, support or advice with getting started on Twitter, we’d love to hear from you. Email makeithappen@mbsmih.com or call us 01903 688789.