The best social media channels - what, why and to whom? 

Social media is a hard word. Social media channels reach millions of people, who could all be potential customers, regardless of industry.   However, It is not advisable to be everywhere at once, so it makes sense for a company to choose the best social media channels according to its target group.  If the target group is, for example, middle-aged men, it is not advisable to spend time on Snapchat.  Facebook will be a great venue though to find that market.

We are far from able to count the number of social media channels one hand and yet, new channels are springing up every day. With so many channels and their possibilities, it can be surprisingly difficult to stay on top of things. Kubla has listed some of the most common social media channels, around which to build a company’s strategy.

Kubla recommends selecting only one channel at the beginning

Once you manage one channel, you can move to the next. If you try to juggle too many balls, it is doubtless more than one will fall and simply become a big mess.  The best social media channels offer such tremendous marketing opportunities that proper management of one channel is guaranteed to be a hit at the box office.

When you start using only one channel, you get the most out of the channel. For the best results though, you have to know it like the back of your hand.  Social media channels are also changing at such a rapid pace, one channel would be much easier to manage than four.

1. Facebook

Almost every company now has a Facebook page, and no wonder since nearly every American is there! This is also why the competition is so fierce. As an advertising platform, Facebook offers almost all features from Chatbot to good analytics. Facebook’s age distribution is slightly older than other channels too, which is why Facebook is a solid choice for companies that strive to reach middle-aged women and men. Among the age groups on the rise are over 45 years old.

2. Instagram

Instagram users are increasing in all age groups, but primarily ages 15-29. Inspired by their kids, parents are also migrating to enjoy the features and ease of Instagram, which is why Instagram marketing also hits the middle-aged sector. Instagram’s liked Stories feature deserves special mention, as interesting stories effectively drive potential customers to the advertiser’s online store or pages. Facebook and Instagram also work well together since Instagram marketing originates from the Facebook platform.

3. YouTube

Social media channels also include YouTube, the world’s most popular video playback service. If your company relies heavily on video content, they should use YouTube as the dominant main channel in conjunction with other outlets.  YouTube videos, which are loved by search engines, are especially used by 16-29-year-olds. However, when setting up a YouTube channel, keep in mind that the quality level of videos has been raised so high that you shouldn’t push just any junk into it.

4. LinkedIn

LinkedIn specifically reaches narrowly-defined target groups and B2B customers. With LinkedIn, it is possible to target advertising directly to the company’s decision-makers. However, instead of a marketing platform, LinkedIn often works better as a networking channel: you can connect with many influential networkers with whom you can create partnerships and direct sales.

5. Twitter

On Twitter, one can forget about jargon: the app lives off fast and concise messages. Especially business related to entertainment, sports or politics benefits from Twitter as a social media channel, as long as the content is interesting. Twitter leaves room for creativity, personality, information and discussion with potential customers. Did you know that this app reaches over 700 million monthly users worldwide? Wow!

6. TikTok

This app is newer but growing quickly in popularity among Americans of all ages.  It brings organic visibility to the company’s fun content.  Some companies produce casual content on TikTok, to get the attention of young people and draw them to the company and its products or services. On TikTok, a dance teacher can publish dance videos and take part in challenges, through which she can spread awareness about her dance lessons. Tik-Tok consists of short video clips, which can be educational and are often hilarious. 

7. Snapchat

It is still possible to scrape together organic visibility on Snapchat too instead of paid advertising. Companies use Snapchat to spread awareness. You can share images and short video clips that are only visible for 24 hours. Snapchat is TikTok’s more relaxed channel, where visuals don’t play as big a role as on Instagram.  When publications disappear, you don’t have to spend the same amount of time on them as you do on permanent publications.

The best social media channels should be chosen based on the target group and goals

Where Facebook is great, Instagram usually isn’t and vice versa. Social media channels should be chosen carefully according to whom you want to reach and what your marketing goals are.

Defining marketing goals is important, including:

• raising the profile of the company
• driving traffic to an online store or website
• customer engagement
• increasing interaction
• collecting feedback
• conveying brand values

If the goal is to direct traffic to an online store, for example, Instagram is a better channel choice than Twitter. While you want to increase the interaction between potential customers and the company, depending on the industry, Twitter may work better than Instagram. In order to be able to choose the right channel, you need to know the social media channels and your own target group.

The best social media channels as part of marketing your business

Are social media channels overwhelming? Kubla will help you choose the channel that works best, start marketing smoothly and get the results you need to reach the stars! We offer social media marketing as well as social media managing.

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