Determining the right social platform

How do you ensure that your company is competitive in an increasingly digital landscape? You may want to try increasing your online visibility. As a business or organization, a social media presence plays a key role in sharing your company’s values, driving consumers to a website and developing brand loyalty. With nearly half of the world’s population using some form of social media, it is the perfect place to introduce your company to potential clients and strengthen relationships with current ones.

Managing social media profiles can be time consuming so how do you choose where to focus your efforts on social media? Our Social Media Account Manager, Jennie Nguyen, gives her advice on selecting the best social media platform for your organization.

Look East-social media imageWhat are the most important things to have in mind when determining which social media platform an organization should use?

Nguyen: “Goals and audience. It’s important to identify your organization’s goals for online engagement. Establishing goals will help you evaluate which platforms are best suited for your organization. It’s also key to identify your target audiences. You can’t reach everybody and each platform’s user profile differs. Narrowing your audience and incorporating your goals will help determine which conversations you can best contribute to and which platform is best for your organization.”

Which platforms do you recommend for different businesses?

Nguyen: “First, Facebook is not dead. There’s been a lot of commotion around Facebook‘s data and privacy breaches, but all is not lost, especially for brands and advertisers. The main thing keeping Facebook alive is its user base of 2.3 billion monthly active users, 1.5 billion of which access the platform daily. So, as a general rule, I think every brand/business should have a Facebook page. It can act as a mini website as it provides all the important information and also allows for engagement with consumers.

As for different platforms for different businesses, it really depends on who you’re trying to reach and what your key messages are. Retail brands will want to focus on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, which can not only inform, but can also provide inspiration that will encourage adoption of their products. Hospitality brands, like restaurants and event venues will want to have a strong presence on Instagram to inspire potential customers but will also want to consistently manage their Facebook and Yelp presence, where customers can leave reviews and potential customers can ask questions. Service based businesses can get the most bang for their buck on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn for both finding and connecting with customers and professional networking.”

Why is having a strong social media presence important?

Nguyen: “Because that’s where everyone is – more than 2.3 billion people are on Facebook alone! Brands that aren’t on social media are missing out on a really inexpensive and effective way to reach a lot of people. In today’s environment, it’s a very effective way to increase brand awareness/recognition. How often do people recall billboards or TV commercials these days? Especially when commercial-free streaming services are so popular. Additionally, how accurate are the ad metrics to measure success?

Like most millennials, I spend a lot of time on my phone, so show me an Instagram ad a few times and there’s a really good chance I’ll ask my friends or coworkers if they’re familiar with a brand. If they’re not…well, they are now thanks to the ad that targeted me.”

Which social media outlet is your favorite and why?

Nguyen: “Instagram is my favorite. I think it’s a great platform for storytelling. While Instagram’s focus is visual – that’s what most people recognize – it allows for additional context with the caption that’s not limited like Twitter is with character count (Instagram allows 2,200 characters). Instagram has also expanded on the Stories feature with polls, questions, music, quizzes, group chats, etc. that increases the level of engagement with followers. Also, I find it aesthetically pleasing and I love sending ridiculous memes to my friends.”

Look East Social_5 quick tips_SEO

Defining your business model (B2B or B2C), goal setting and audience targeting are the best first steps to creating a social media strategy. Facebook is one of the most used and influential sites, so it’s a good place to start your social journey. LinkedIn and Twitter are growing as business development platforms for B2B organizations and Instagram is very popular among consumers.

Look East offers full-service public relations and strategic communications services including media relations and digital engagement. Let us help you optimize your social media strategy by contacting us at letstalk@lookeast.com.