As a modern business person, you understand that you need social media as an avenue for sales. But how can you be sure your efforts are making an impact?  

To get the most value out of your social media campaigns, you must ensure that you’re posting and interacting on the correct platforms – something that will be different for every business. But, with so many social media networks available, how do you know which one to choose to have the most impact on your social selling? It’s a simple question with a not-so-easy answer, and we understand the struggle!  

You know as well as we do that running a social media account is no small feat, so you want to guarantee you’re making the effort on the correct platforms. After all, you want to ensure you are not wasting your valuable time. 

To set you up for success, we explain the process that helps you determine which social media networks will yield the best results. And it all starts with five strategic questions. 

1. What are my goals? 

Every social media endeavor needs a solid marketing strategy, including goals. But remember that these goals differ from your overall business goals and are specific to the ROI you want on your social selling. Most businesses’ top social media goals are to raise brand awareness, generate leads, and increase engagement. Below are the three goals we will look at to determine how to best strategize for maximum performance on a chosen channel. 

1. Increase brand awareness. You’ll want to stick to the larger, well-known platforms with big audiences, such as Facebook, to get the best results in brand awareness. As social media is often pay-to-play, increasing brand awareness jumps tenfold when paid promotion enters the equation, so you want to be mindful of which platforms offer that option. If you’ve chosen to niche yourself, you can set yourself apart from the crowd and use your uniqueness to your advantage. It might be the perfect time to gain awareness on smaller, more targeted platforms such as TikTok for younger audiences. 

2. Generate more leads. Platforms that offer targeted campaigns work exceptionally well to deliver ROI through more leads. Your chosen social media platform will become the place where conversion happens and leads turn into customers or clients. LinkedIn will be your go-to if you are in the B2B realm, as it has a plethora of relevant groups, discussions, and advanced filters to help you find the best prospects. The platform also offers highly-developed ad-targeting. Facebook and Twitter are incredibly effective for B2C and cost less per click than most ad campaigns.  

3. Expand community engagement. Social media is a two-way street, so having a goal of continuous conversation online is vastly important. Platforms that offer groups like Facebook and LinkedIn are highly coveted for getting in on meaningful conversations. No matter your platform, there are multiple ways to engage and nurture future and current customers. 

When reviewing your social media strategy goals, consider which platforms make the most sense for you, your business, your industry, and your customer base. If you can’t develop a viable explanation for why a particular network will help further your goals, then it is probably a platform you don’t need to be on. 

2. What content types will I use? 

There are a few different types of content, each with its unique purpose and fit in social networks. You can post images, videos, blogs, and editorial content or posts relating directly to business updates and promotions. One crucial step in choosing the type of content you want to post is taking inventory of the content you already have available. Remember that you can repurpose much of the visual content you own for social media, such as blogs and promotional materials. Here’s a closer look at how the different media perform on social media: 

1. Images: Images are wonderful for B2C and product-based companies looking to show off their merchandise and inventory. Pinterest and Instagram are the optimal platforms for image-sharing as they allow you to display your images in a way that helps support your brand story. 
2. Video: Video content is currently the most engaging and shared content across all social media platforms, and it’s no wonder – videos make your brand come alive. In regards to choosing a social media platform video, it all depends on your demographic. Short-form content aimed at younger audiences performs best on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, while longer videos with universal appeal belong on Facebook or YouTube. 
3. Blogs and editorial content: Blogs and editorial content are a great way to showcase your expertise on social media. For that, a platform like LinkedIn is perfect. The lesser-known platform Medium is another place to publish your content for it to be viewed by over 150 million high-earning users. 
4. Company information: Updates like company news and industry trends are best for LinkedIn and Twitter, as they are the strongest mediums for engaging other professionals. Any industry-specific content like this is best kept off the more visual platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok. 

3. What channels are my competitors on? 

Keep your social media friends close and your competitors even closer! So look at your direct competitors to get a clear view of how your industry is working on social media. What channels are they on, and what types of content are they sharing? How often are they posting, who engages with them, and what are they saying? These precious insights will lead you down the right social media path. 

4. What channels is my audience already on? 

Social media isn’t a case of “if you build it, they will come.” If there is already a big audience for your industry somewhere, you need to be the one to come to them. The great news is that if there is already an established network, you can strategize how to fit into the conversation. This endeavor helps you to be more targeted with your approach and gives you the most relevant prospects. 

5. What is my bandwidth? 

Social media management is no small feat, so the channels you choose and the content you post need to coincide with your available help. Do you have a social media team or enough people to manage the channels you want to be on? How much time do you or they have to devote to each channel? Who creates the content regularly? You must thoroughly examine these questions to execute your social media strategy on the appropriate channels properly.  

Make the most of your posts. 

Now that you know what questions to ask yourself to uncover the best social media channels for your business, it’s up to you to make your posts count. Take your time to research what your specific audience is engaging with and where. If it feels overwhelming, talk to a professional social selling team about how they can help. You have valuable content — all it takes is the strategy behind posting it to ensure you are seen. 

What social media network does your business use the most? What types of content do you post there? Leave us a quick comment! We are excited to hear your story and input. 

Photos by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels, Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels, and Anna Shvets on Pexels