How to choose the best social media platform for your business

What if I told you there’s a place where all your dream clients hang out?

A place that knows no geographical constraints; people are only drawn together in clusters of similar interests, problems, and connections.

It sounds like I’m describing a Utopia, doesn’t it? Well, I’m not. I’m referring to social media platforms.

However, it’s not like you will simply log into any social media platform, and voila! All the dream clients that you can imagine. Not all social media platforms are created equally; each caters to a specific audience and has unique characteristics.

That’s why it’s essential to know how to choose the best social media platform for your business, and that’s what we’re going to cover today.

So let’s dive in.

Quick Summary

In case you are in a hurry, here is a quick rundown of what to consider when choosing the best social media platform(s):

Target audience
Business type
Time
Budget
Organic growth
Competitors
Most popular platforms

The top 5 social media platforms to generate leads for your business are:

TikTok (organic + paid ads)
Instagram (organic + paid ads)
Facebook (Groups + paid ads)
YouTube (organic + paid ads)
LinkedIn (organic + paid ads)

For more info on how to use these social media channels to generate leads, be sure to watch my free Masterclass training here.

No, not all social media platforms are the same. Each platform has unique affordances that suit certain types of businesses better than others – hence, you don’t need to be on every social media platform.

For example, if you’re a solar business trying to find leads, you would waste your time growing a presence on Pinterest (a platform for style inspiration and recipes).

Why? Because the aim of the game here is to get your business in front of your ideal clients (target audience), and people do not use Pinterest to look for solar options.

Another reason you don’t want to be on every platform is; you don’t want to spread yourself too thin. You will have far greater success nailing an excellent strategy on a few platforms rather than burning the wick on both ends trying to manage ten others.

1. Business type

What type of business do you have? What products or services are you offering? How can you showcase them best? Ask yourself these questions when deciding what best social media platforms to use.

For example, if your business type is freelance content creation, consider platforms such as Instagram, Medium, and TikTok. Or, if you’re a B2B business looking to target professionals, the right platform would be LinkedIn, as it is a professional networking site.

However, there is no hard-and-fast rule for this. If you’re confident that your dream clients are on an unconventional platform, then by all means, do that. Again, to reiterate, the main goal is reaching your target audience.

2. Target audience

You could join the largest social media platform out there, but if your target audience is inactive on such a platform, you won’t have a successful social media marketing campaign.

Are you trying to reach a younger audience, or are you looking to target professionals?

Snapchat, for example, has over 375 million users worldwide. Still, if you’re looking to Target professionals and other businesses, your audience is on Facebook or LinkedIn instead, so that’s where you should be.

If you want to learn more about using LinkedIn to your business’s advantage, click here to watch my Free masterclass training.

3. Time needed

As I mentioned, you don’t want to spread yourself too thin when using social media. A strong presence on one or two social channels is better than having a weak presence across many.

To maintain a strong presence, you must consider how much time and resources you can dedicate to each media channel you use.

Some social media channels require more work than others.

For example, you must create videos regularly on YouTube to increase brand recognition. Do you have the time and resources to dedicate to creating videos? If so, great. If not, it might be better to start with other channels instead.

As a minimum, for any social media site or channel you join, you need to be:

Posting content regularly
Engaging or responding to any messages, comments, etc

Tip: if you don’t have the time to post on social media, you can always outsource or hire people to help you (learn about our done for you lead generation services)..

4. Budget

If you have the marketing budget available to invest in social media, you can use paid advertising to help you generate leads.

Paid advertising, when used correctly, can be incredibly effective in helping you find and reach out to your ideal customers.

Facebook and TikTok are the leaders in paid advertising on the social media network.

This is because:

They have the highest number of users on their platforms
Their algorithm and targeting options are much more intelligent than those on other platforms
It’s easy to get started, with support for all kinds of advertising campaigns
Supports short-form video content formats

If you have money to invest, Facebook and Tik Tok are the best for social media lead generation, allowing you to reach many people and scale up your marketing campaign.

It is worth noting that you CAN reach your dream clients with the right paid ads strategy without wasting money. Click here to see how.

5. Organic growth

As a new business or small business, you may have no or minimal advertising budget for social media. In that case, you must grow your online presence organically.

The good news is that this method, even though it doesn’t have the scalability of Facebook ads, still produces excellent results.

One of the most impressive platforms for organic growth is TikTok. In recent years, TikTok has developed into one of the most remarkable social media platforms for lead generation because it is easy to go viral. Moreover, it is set to become one of the leading search engines, alongside Google and YouTube.

That said, YouTube is another excellent social media channel where you can generate high-intent leads organically.

6. Competitors

Suppose you’re running a consultancy business looking to get new leads, whether as an insurance agent, marketing specialist, or financial advisor, with over 8 billion people worldwide; chances are someone else has the same idea. Better yet, they’ve likely figured out which social media platforms work best.

Should this put you off?..

Not at all!

Instead, it is an opportunity to conduct a competitor analysis. Here you will look at what platforms they are using, what is and isn’t working, and how effective their social media strategy is engagement-wise.

Especially if you are starting out with your social media strategy, this is a highly effective way of setting yourself on the right path.

7. Most popular platforms

Although so many social media platforms and lead-generation channels exist, certain platforms serve most business goals well due to their extensive and diverse user base.

For example, both Facebook and TikTok combined have over 4 billion users. That is half the world’s population on just two platforms.

This is good news as you don’t need to search through the long list of social media channels to join.

The big ones are:

TikTok (Over 2.5 billion active users)
Facebook (Over 2 billion active users)
YouTube (Over 2 billion active users)
Instagram (Over a billion active users)
Twitter (Over 450 million active users)
LinkedIn (Over 134 million active users)

To make things easier for you, here’s what I usually recommend to my clients (assuming your target audience is on these channels too):

Join Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn
Post social media posts regularly on all these channels (you can use software to post simultaneously and save time)
If you have a budget for advertising, run Facebook and TikTok ads. If you have a small (or no) budget, generate leads organically on TikTok and LinkedIn alone.
Once you’ve mastered these social media channels, create videos, and join YouTube too (it’s the world’s second-largest search engine, so you’d be crazy to miss out on all this potential free traffic).

Remember, joining and being active on social media is just the start. The next step is to generate leads on social media and convert these leads into paying customers. Click here for more.

In Conclusion

Choosing the right social media platform for your business can go a long way toward generating the right kind of leads. And, once you’ve learned how to use these channels to your advantage, your growth potential is unlimited.

However, it’s more challenging than it sounds, and there are many things to consider when choosing the right social media platforms.

Consider what type of business you have, who you want to target, how much time you have to spend, how much you have to invest in paid ads, what platforms can deliver organically, what your competitors are using, and what platforms are a must across the board.

If you want to learn more about converting your dream clients into paying clients, check out my free masterclass.

FAQS

What are the factors to consider when choosing a social media channel?

Selecting the right social media platforms for a business can be challenging. Several factors must be considered to ensure the chosen platform aligns with the’s goals and objectives.

One of the primary factors to consider is the target audience. A business must identify its target audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors to select a social media platform that caters to that audience’s preferences.

The purpose of the social media platform is another essential factor to consider. Each has its unique features and benefits that can help a business achieve its goals.

What is the difference between a channel and a platform?

The terms channel and platform are often used interchangeably in social media but have distinct meanings.

A channel is a specific communication medium or tool that allows businesses to distribute their message or content to an audience. Examples of channels include email, direct mail, social media, and TV ads.

On the other hand, a platform refers to a technology or software that enables businesses to create, manage, and publish content to multiple channels. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are examples of platforms.

In summary, a channel is a specific communication medium. At the same time, a platform is a technology that enables creating and managing content across multiple channels.

Understanding the differences can help businesses make informed decisions regarding the suitable communication medium, content formats, and technology to reach their target audience.

What are the top three essential elements in effective social media marketing?

Effective social media marketing (SMM) requires several elements, but three are essential.

Goals: A clear set of goals is necessary for SMM to be effective. The goals should be specific, measurable, and aligned with the business’s marketing objectives. With clear goals, it is possible to evaluate the success of a more successful campaign.

Audience: Businesses must identify their target audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors to create content that resonates with them. Understanding the audience’s needs helps generate and improve social media campaigns’ effectiveness.

Content: Creating high-quality content is essential for effectiveness. Compelling content can increase engagement, improve brand awareness, and drive conversions. The content should be engaging, informative, and shareable. It should be tailored to the platform and the intended audience to ensure it resonates with them. Try to use relevant content where you can.

Of course, SMM is a bit more complex than that. One can not simply boil it down to three main elements and expect results, especially if you are new to this. However, with that being said, focusing on your goals, audience, and audience will have you on the right path.

When trying to determine the right social media platforms why should a company think about its goals?

A company should consider its goals when determining the right social media platforms because specific and measurable goals should drive marketing efforts.

With clear goals, choosing the right social media platform that aligns with the business’s objectives is easier. Different social media platforms have unique features and audiences, and selecting the right platform that aligns with the company is essential.

For social media postings, for instance, if a company aims to build brand awareness, it should focus on social media platforms with a large, highly shareable audience, such as Facebook or TikTok. However, platforms such as LinkedIn may be more appropriate if the company aims to generate leads or engage with a professional audience.

Understanding the business’s goals helps identify the right platform and create a strategy that aligns with the objectives. It also helps to evaluate the success of social media campaigns by tracking metrics that align with the business’s goals. Therefore, considering the business’s goals is essential when determining the right social media platforms.

Ashley Davis

Ashley Davis (or ‘Ash’ for short) is the CEO & Founder of Skyline Social. For over 15 years, he has been helping business owners with lead generation. Ash specializes in helping businesses get high-quality leads, appointments and clients each month in an automated, scalable and profitable way. You can watch his free Masterclass training to learn more.