Are you just getting your business on social media and wondering if you need to be on every network? Do you have an established presence on one or two networks and wonder if you should add another?
There are a few reasons why it is important to have your business prominent on several social media networks. Let’s take a look.
1. Not All Users Are on Every Network
You may be asking, “If my customers aren’t on every social media network, why should my business be on every social platform?” The answer is as simple as a single word – reach.
When you establish a social media presence, one of your top goals is quickly and effectively reaching your target audience. But not all members of your target audience are on every network. According to the Pew Research Center, as of September 2014:
- 71% of online adults use Facebook
- 23% of online adults use Twitter
- 26% use Instagram
- 28% use Pinterest
- 28% use LinkedIn
With such a large potential audience, if you do not have a Facebook company page, be sure to establish one. Today.
While Facebook is the predominant leader, there are a significant number of users on the other networks (and those numbers have grown since 2014). Focusing on only one network means you could be missing out on a portion of your target audience, potential leads and ultimately sales.
2. Engagement Methods Differ
Despite the fact that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networks are all under the same umbrella term of “social media,” that does not mean they all have identical functions or audience. What users do with social media – and how they do it – differs across each platform. Engagement methods that drive these different social media communities differ as well.
For example, Twitter is the network your customers use if they want to engage your business in a live and direct discussion, while LinkedIn is where someone goes to view the latest company updates or inquire about a job or internship opportunity with your business. Instagram provides a visual window into what you do, while Google + and Facebook give you spots to share largely informal and fun updates about your company.
Having a presence on only one of these platforms drastically limits what you can do with social media.
3. Search Engines Now Show Social Results
For some time now, the big search engines have included social media sites in their search results. It’s another great way for your company to show up in search results, as well as new ways for potential customers to find your website and learn about your organization.
Having more than one social network you post to increases your “social SEO” and the opportunity for your content to pull up on Google, Bing or Yahoo.
While it is not imperative that you have a footprint on every social media network out there, it is definitely beneficial to be on as many as makes sense. Think about which network is best for your business and utilize it to its fullest potential.
Have questions about social media marketing? Send them to the team at Market Vantage!
