Large, medium or small, if you’re in business, then you’re likely all too aware of the importance of social media in your online social marketing strategy. But which is best for your business?
Try this.
Dig into LinkedIn for a period of time, say 30 days. Set the limits. Learn from the experience and then decide if it’s a worthwhile place to spend precious time. Then move to the next platform, Twitter, Google+, etc. and review your results compared to your efforts. Try new things, new tools and new approaches. Everything changes fast in the world of online marketing and what worked in 2014 may not work as well in 2015.
Ultimately, the platform which works best for your business really depends on your goals.
It’s important to have a presence online and keeping an eye on the accounts and maintaining a unified online presence is a big job. By defining your goals at the onset, you’re making it easier to choose where to be. Consider answers to these questions to help refine your direction:
- Are you trying to attract new customers?
- Do you want to grow the number of professional contacts for your business?
- Are you trying to build or strengthen a relationship with existing customers?
- Do you need a resource for news or updates about your company and your industry?
- Do you want to collaborate more with your staff and simplify other internal processes?
The advantages of Big G
G+ has tools that are intuitive and easy to use, no matter where you are. Google+ has a private sharing tool for the users of your organization through a function called Restricted Posts. You can conduct unlimited hangouts and video gatherings that are fully integrated with Yahoo and google Calendar, Gmail, and Google Docs. And, of course, there are promises of more great benefits to come.
The popularity of Facebook
Long-term relationship building can happen here. Facebook has more than 900 million people that are active on their website – Facebook users like and comment 3.2 billion times every day. You can create unique ads or post offers that fans can claim to engage fans to participate on your page. Facebook tries to help your business create exposure by making friends eligible to view other fans’ interaction on your page.
The coolness of Twitter
Twitter is a tool for breaking news. If you run the kind of company that works off of its reputation or its ability to break news in real-time, then opt for Twitter. Begin by searching for and following people in your niche. Keep your profile active by sharing developing projects, news, and events with your followers. They want the inside scoop on your business – and you should think of every follower as a potential customer. All the biggest brands have turned to the platform to get the opinions of their customers, and many are reporting great results from doing the legwork to gauge the pulse of their client base.
The connections of LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional social network designed to help you develop key partnerships with other businesses in your niche. Forming alliances with your competition is actually vital for getting ahead. The more connections you make in your industry, the higher the potential to grow and expand your business. If you are seeking a professional network that can grow your business through alliances and professional partnerships, LinkedIn is for you.
The measure of online social success
Once you have selected your social network or networks of choice for your online marketing efforts, dedicate time to developing relationships with people on the platform you’ve chosen. Be vigilant in tending to your account daily. And, by all means, stay consistently responsive to your customers. If your social media presence takes off in a big way and you see significant ROI for the time you put into it, it could be time to hire some help.