Social media platforms – there’s just so many nowadays. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and what’s that one all the kids use – Snapchat? So it’s no wonder that one of the questions we get asked ALL the time is “What social media platforms should I be on?

And the answer… drum roll… is… “it depends”. Well, that’s not what you wanted to hear was it? But as with pretty much everything in digital marketing, there are no silver bullets and no one-size-fits-all approach. So it really does depend.

But what does it depend on?

Customers

In short, the social media platforms you should be using should be dictated by your customers. So if you haven’t done your customer research properly, you should probably take a little step back before doing any social media at all. Google is a great place to start your research, but tools like Facebook Audience Insights can provide you with heaps of data on where your target audience spend their time online.

Time and Money

It also depends on you and your business. Realistically, can you afford to put the time aside to effectively manage many social media platforms? And if not, can you afford to outsource it?

 Skills

If you do decide to keep it in-house or do it yourself, do you have the skills to do it properly. We always say that bad social media is worse than no social media, so perhaps consider skilling up on your chosen platforms. (Hey, we actually know someone who teaches social media marketing….it’s us).

So which ones should I sign up to?

As we mentioned, your research will help you here. If your customers are spending lots of time on Facebook, you should be too. Facebook has a growing older demographic so could be great for reaching the grey market. If Instagram is where they hang out, then head over there. Instagram is full of young, savvy, and impressionable consumers. If your target market spend their days tweeting then join the conversation. Twitter has an interesting varied demographic, but they sure as hell are opinionated. And if you are a business-to-business company targeting professionals, then you’ll want to invest your time in LinkedIn.

Just whatever you do, PLEASE DON’T schedule the same thing to all your social media platforms, then sit back and think you’ve done your social media marketing for the month!

And if you have been considering those social media courses, just give us a shout.