Social media has grown in importance and business owners can’t afford to not be on social media, especially if they want to reach current and potential customers. However, with the wealth of new social platforms coming on the scene, businesses need to carefully consider investing in these channels, and when they do decide to create a presence, they need to stay committed to it.
Be sure to have a good plan that is based on realistic goals, matches your business objectives AND is something that can be delivered consistently (e.g. a weekly coupon.) Don't start something on social media and then abandon it. It affects your brand and makes you look unprofessional or uncommitted.
Here are some sites to help you decide which social network or combination of social networks that might be the best for your business needs.
Top 6 Social Media Sites for B2B
- Facebook: 1.5 billion users to date, primarily a consumer-focused experience. Businesses that sell directly to consumers may want to consider using Facebook to interact with customers in a less formal way than on their corporate site.
- Twitter: There are 1.3 billion registered users for this premiere micro blogging website, with 210 million who visit the company’s website on a monthly basis. Twitter goes beyond just social networking to provide an outlet for real time news, trending topics, and chats. Businesses can use for branding, customer support, networking and lead generation.
- LinkedIn: A business professional social network with 300 million users, with 3 million of those being businesses. Users create profiles and invite other people to be "connections" rather than "friends." Individuals can display profiles, promote their businesses, post job ads, or apply for jobs.
- Google+: When Google+ first came on the scene, it was touted as the Facebook killer. While it didn’t dethrone Facebook, G+ has turned into a social platform that has been adopted by many in the technology sector, as well as being used as an SEO option for marketers. This is because G+ is tied into Google’s search and other products.
- Pinterest: A visual discovery site with more than 150 million users, primarily female. Users can share, save, and categorize images of everything from how to plan trips to creating projects. Businesses that use Pinterest use the "Pin It" option and for the SEO value it adds from searches.
- Vine (Twitter-owned): Users can record, edit, and share six-second, looping videos from their phone using stop motion animation. Vine has become very popular among advertisers, as it has the potential to create viral videos very quickly.
- YouTube: YouTube isn’t just for consumers anymore, as businesses are utilizing the video sharing community to promote products, answer questions, and more. 1 billion users visit the site per day, with 4 billion videos being viewed on a daily basis. Also owned by Google, YouTube is an ideal platform to bring your business to life using videos that inform and educate your potential customers about your brand.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few of the social media platforms; new platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, and others can also be an option for your business, depending on your brand and your audience. It is important to understand that each social network has its own unique feature set, audience, and even culture. As such, in order to create an effective strategy, a business should create and capitalize on the opportunities that each one provides.
ChangeU: For your independent study…
1. Statistic Brain: http://www.statisticbrain.com/ Statistics and facts on business, consumer, sports, financials, world news
2. Social Media: What Most Companies Don't Know: http://goo.gl/QqHnGN
By Meghan Ennes, Harvard Business Review
