The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Social Media Platforms
Let’s start with some quick facts:
In the United States, people check their social media accounts an average 17 times per day.
There are 2.3 billion people active on social media in the world today—and that number is growing.
91% of retail brands use a minimum of two social media platforms in their marketing.
Ad spending on social media is expected to exceed $35 billion by 2017—a massive growth from $8.3 billion in 2015.
Clearly, social media marketing is here—and it’s here to stay. Smart and savvy business owners in the 21st century recognize the incredible power and potential of using social media to market their services. But which social media platforms are best suited for YOUR business?
Different platforms are suited to different businesses and marketing techniques. Today we’re going to break down some of the most popular types of social media platforms and discover how they are used by businesses.
Facebook – The largest social media platform in the world, Facebook has 1.71 billion users and 40 million active small business pages. Of adults in the United States with Internet access, 72% report visiting Facebook at least once per month. Facebook ads are an effective and popular form of low-cost, targeted marketing; 2 billion businesses currently use the advertising feature on Facebook.
Instagram – Instagram is a visual social media platform where photos and videos are shared with followers. 50% of Instagram users follow brands. Most Instagram users are young—90% are under the age of 35.
LinkedIn – LinkedIn is a business platform where professionals can interact with one another and businesses can create connections and contacts.
YouTube – Youtube is a video-sharing platform with more than 1 billion users. Businesses can share videos or use the advertising feature to reach viewers with short ads played before YouTube content.
Twitter – Twitter is a text-based social media platform that allows users to share short messages or “Tweets” of 140 characters or less. The platform has 320 million users and is often used by businesses and brands to interact directly with customers.
Pinterest – Pinterest allows users to save images and ideas that they like to personally curated pages. These images are called “pins” and the user’s collections of pins are called “boards.” 66% of all pins come from brand websites. Additionally, Pinterest users are frequent online shoppers—93% report having shopped online within the last six months.
Not every social media account is beneficial for every type of business. While all this information may seem daunting, social media can be a powerful tool when used correctly. Our experts at Go West Marketing can work with you to build the right social media plan for your business so you can take your profitability and prestige to the next level. Let’s get in touch and discuss your options! Send us a message today to get started.
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