It seems like a new social media platform pops up each year ensuing a craze where everyone jumps on the bandwagon. As a brand, this creates the dilemma of whether or not you join the platform. It doesn’t make sense to join every platform out there, but which platform should you be joining? Here are some points to consider when picking social media platforms.
Target Audience
Surprise, surprise! Target audience is probably the most important factor to consider when picking your social platforms. Once you have determined who your target audience is you can pick the social media platforms they use the most. For example, if your target audience is Gen Z utilizing Instagram and TikTok will be more beneficial than Facebook or X (Twitter). Facebook and Instagram are arguably the most popular platforms because they make it easy to target posts and ads, but adding other platforms into the mix is always a good idea. Essentially you want to be able to reach your target audience wherever they are online so you should be utilizing every platform available to you.
Content
What kind of content is your brand putting out and what performs the best? It’s a good idea to utilize lots of different types of content, but certain content will perform better with your target audience. Once you realize the type of content performing well you can use the information to pick platforms. If reels perform really well for you try creating a TikTok account and post them there. Chances are if a reel is performing well on Instagram it will perform well on Tik Tok and vice versa. Remember this is just a basic analysis of performance. If you’re looking for viral content you have to heavily tailor it to your audience and platform. If your brand is putting out carousels or graphic posts often you could consider Instagram and Facebook. These types of posts typically perform well on these platforms.
Brand Voice
What is the tone or voice of your brand? If you are the type of brand constantly replying to consumers and engaging in conversations, arguments, etc you want to be on a platform that makes that easy to do. X is becoming well known for being the platform where brands are constantly interacting with consumers and Instagram is starting to get that reputation as well. If you want a more laid-back tone with little interaction you may consider platforms that give you the option to ‘like’ a comment without having to respond to everything. Of course, you should be engaging with your audience, but how you engage and how often you engage with them can reflect in the platforms you use.
Time
How much time do you have to foster engagement on each platform? If you’re looking for platforms that make responding and interacting easy I recommend Instagram and Facebook. These two platforms are tried and true and for good reason! You can connect your accounts together so that whatever you post on one is automatically posted to the other. This is a great tool to utilize so that each post is always going out when it needs to. If you have more time to dedicate to engagement you may consider X or TikTok. These platforms allow you to create a new post with each response you make.
Bandwagon Platforms
As I mentioned earlier, new social media platforms pop up all the time. The issue is no one can predict how long these platforms will remain relevant. The BeReal craze has died down now and isn’t as popular as it once was. Recently Lapse, a digital camera-style app, has become popular among college students. There is a lot of buzz around it right now, but how long will it last? As a social media manager, you need to research these platforms and decide if it is feasible and worthwhile to join new platforms. Keep these tips in mind when making these decisions and factor them into your social and engagement strategies.
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