It is clear that social media has become essential for navigating today’s business world. An online presence can make or break a company. But how do you know which platform to use, and what can these websites do for your business?

Let’s start with the basics.

What is social networking?

Essentially social networks are a place for people to share ideas and connect. An increasing number of people go to social media to get information and make decisions about the people, groups, or brands they associate with.

Why should I use it?

With more and more people turning to social networks when searching for goods or services, it is vital that one is able to be found and respected as a brand. Social networks make you much more visible in a search engine. Businesses can take advantage of services that allow them to advertise to their target audience, keep an eye on the competition, and possibly most importantly, to engage the audience. This engagement provides transparency which will strengthen the trust between you and your consumers.

How do I start?

The point of having social networking pages is to engage the audience. Best ways to do this are to post relevant content and links, respond to comments and questions, post about upcoming events, live-stream or ask questions!

But what if you don’t know which social media outlets to use?

Choosing The Right Social Network(s) for your Brand

Narrowing down the best platform for your business is easy once you know what to look for.

First, think about how much time/resources you can put into managing your social media accounts. Creating and maintaining a page for your business ranges in the amount of effort and time required depending on the platform, and different social networks work better or worse for various industries. It is better to have a well-kept presence on the sites that show the best return-on-investment, than to have tons of poorly-managed pages across the web.

Next, determine your audience. You will find that each social medium has its own age-range and specific user base. Knowing who you want to reach will lead you to the right social media outlet.

Now that you have these factors in mind, it’s time to discuss the pro’s and con’s of various social media outlets

Facebook:

A Facebook page is the biggest must-have of social media. Facebook is possibly the most versatile and well-known social network of all. Anyone who wants to have an online presence should have a page, even if it is just used to post general information and updates periodically. It is one of the more low-maintenance platforms, with features that allow you to conveniently schedule posts ahead of time. It even allows you to create a page designed specifically for businesses that display important information like business hours and contact links.

Twitter:

Twitter is another extremely popular platform. Twitter is best for directly communicating with your audience as it is essentially designed around user interaction.Twitter typically requires a little more attention and energy to keep up with followers, but Twitter has invaluable benefits as a tool that can be used to make your consumers feel engaged, strengthen brand loyalty, and gauge exactly what your consumers want from you.

Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Periscope, etc:

These are all visually-based networks.They can be used for posting updates or for live-streaming which greatly engages an audience. Any of these are good for foodies, artists, or any visually driven industries, but the effort required to create new and exciting content can be overwhelming unless your industry is suited for that type of media.

Whether you decide to create several regularly updated accounts, or put the time into just keeping one Facebook page, social media impressions are extremely valuable to a business. Make yourself known and get posting!

If you don't have time or energy, let the pros handle it! JanMar Agency is here help. Call Us! 409-502-8221 or email JaneseMaricelli@hotmail.com