As of 2019, there were roughly 3.5 billion social media users around the world. Over the years, social media usage has grown exponentially, becoming arguably the most popular online activity currently.
Today’s businesses recognize social media platforms as powerful tools to get their brands visible to the masses. Many companies have had mixed results when it comes to utilizing social media for business.
So what are the best social media platforms for business at the moment? What social media pros and cons should you be aware of as you join these platforms?
This comprehensive guide discusses the benefits and drawbacks of five of the most popular social media platforms in 2020. Read on to learn more.
Social Media Pros and Cons
The key to getting the most out of your business’ social media presence lies in adopting the right platforms. Each platform has its unique advantages and disadvantages. In this section, we look at the five best social media for business and how each can benefit your business.
Facebook has been the most popular social media platform in the world for years. Currently, it has well over two billion active users. Almost every social media user has a Facebook account, which makes the network the leading platform for businesses.
Due to its extensive appeal, Facebook allows you to turn your client base into a community. You can create a Facebook page and post appealing behind-the-scenes images of your company. You can also inform your followers of new deals on your products and services.
Another advantage of Facebook is that it’s remarkably easy to create an account and a business page. Once you’ve done that, you can upload photos and start reaching out to other Facebook users to gain followers. Remember what you post on Facebook should be about your business 99 percent of the time.
Posts, videos, photos, and contests work exceedingly well on the platform. You can also use the platform to promote fresh content on your website, boosting your traffic.
But Facebook does have its drawbacks too. Firstly, the platform demands interaction with followers, so you need to have the personnel to engage potential clients on the network. Moreover, Facebook is best suited for smartphones, and this can have an adverse effect on your business’ Facebook page.
With over 330 million active monthly users, Twitter is another attractive social media platform for both small and large businesses. The network provides its users with new content and information from all over the internet. There’s hardly a brand in the world today without a twitter account to keep its customers updated.
One of the biggest benefits of Twitter is that, while its audience isn’t as broad as that of Facebook, the platform is among the most accessible. Also, Twitter allows you to be concise, informative, and engaging in just one tweet. As people retweet what you’ve written, you get to appeal to a broader audience.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of Twitter is that it limits you to 280 characters when you’re messaging. That means you don’t have lots of room to get your entire message to your followers if you wanted to post something broader. Moreover, everything gets posted on the timeline chronologically, and that makes it easy for people to miss your message.
Instagram may be a relatively young social network, but its growth has been exponential. Today, the network has over a billion active monthly users, most of which are 25 or younger. For brands targeting young, hip demographics, Instagram is thus the best social media platform.
Short videos and photos containing short text do very well on the platform. Instagram also integrates with your Twitter and Facebook accounts, meaning you can use the same content across multiple networks.
The vast majority of Instagram users are in urban areas, so if your company focuses on digital tech and fashion, this platform is ideal for you.
One of the drawbacks of Instagram is that you need to have decent photographing skills to excel on the network. Also, Instagram doesn’t allow much space for you to describe your photos outside of photos.
Of all the social media platforms on the planet, LinkedIn is by far the best when it comes to professionalism. The network has a thriving community of approximately 303 active monthly users, all of whom are either workers or business owners. Users connect on a professional level, which makes this platform more formal than other social networks.
As you’d expect, LinkedIn users generally respond better to B2B content as opposed to B2C posts. In other words, a company that seeks businesses as clients will usually do better on LinkedIn than a company that markets directly to consumers.
Most influencers and decision-makers of the business world are on LinkedIn, and if you can effectively get your message to them, your chances of getting another sale are high.
A minor drawback of LinkedIn is that it has fewer followers than the platforms we discussed above. Therefore, your reach may not go as far as it would have on Facebook or Instagram, for instance. Also, there’s far less interaction on LinkedIn compared to most other platforms.
YouTube
With approximately 2 billion monthly users, YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. Music and comedy do particularly well on this platform, although that doesn’t mean companies can’t use the platform to promote their business.
So how do you make the most out of YouTube when trying to reach your audience? Well, you have a variety of options. You can make instructional videos, product reviews, and other similar kinds of content for your target market.
The best part of using YouTube is that your videos also show up in Google search results, boosting your visibility. You can also promote content on different social media platforms.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of using YouTube is that your videos need to be high-quality, entertaining, and informative. That means spending more money and resources.
Choose the Best Social Media Platform for Your Business
The social media platform you choose for your business can play a significant role in the success of your social media marketing strategy. The thing to keep in mind is that there are social media pros and cons for every network out there. Go for a platform whose strengths can benefit your company for years to come.
Are you looking to get more clients through social media platforms? Contact us today for help.
