Businesses often feel they need to be on every social media platform to get the best results. In reality, the focus should be on your own target audience, not everyone else.

Which social media platform(s) does your audience use? Who are you trying to reach?  An example, a lifestyle brand relying on visual presence, images, videos etc would choose a predominantly image based platform like Instagram whilst a business offering professional services would be better suited to business focussed networks like LinkedIn.

Each social media platform attracts a slightly different audience. Also a consideration is the age of your audience to help choose the right platform.  Facebook is especially popular with all age groups whereas TikTok attracts a younger audience with short form video content.  Knowing the difference of the various platforms makes it easier to choose where to post and what type of content.  And, if you’re unsure, a social media marketing agency like Hollywood can help you choose the right platforms and create a clear strategy for your business.

Why Being on Every Platform Isn’t the Answer

Trying to be active on every platform can become overwhelming and managing multiple social media accounts takes a lot of time and effort to keep them fresh with regular posts and to maintain the interaction with your followers.  Most businesses see better results if their focus is on two or three platforms that work for their brand.  It’s easier to keep fewer platforms up to date with regular posts of quality content rather than offering up weak and inconsistent posts over every platform which your audience are less likely to engage in.

Having a clear social media strategy is far more effective than having multiple platforms that you struggle to keep up with.

Start by Understanding Your Audience

You need to understand where your audience spends their time online.  Each platform has its own audience and style of interaction, so choosing the right one really matters

For example:

• LinkedIn – professional services, B2B

• Instagram – lifestyle brands, visual products

• Facebook – local businesses and communities

• TikTok – younger audiences, short video

Align Social Media With Your Business Goals

Simply posting on social media in isolation is not enough, it needs to support your wider business goals.  Before choosing your platforms, It’s worth thinking about what you actually want social media to achieve for your business because having clear objectives will help create the right type of content whether it be brand awareness, driving traffic to your website and generating leads, enquiries and building a community around your brand.

Consider the kind of content realistically your business can regularly create on a regular basis. Visual brands with strong photos and video may naturally favour platforms such as Instagram or TikTok, while businesses that share advice, industry insights or behind the scenes content may perform well on LinkedIn or Facebook. Having a clear strategy in place helps you choose the right platforms.

Choose Quality over Quantity

As tempting as it is, posting on too many platforms can become difficult to maintain and produce limited results. Concentrate on the platforms your audience already uses, posting consistent activity on two or three platforms giving you the time to respond to comments and build on a stronger engagement with your audience. Identify which platforms will likely deliver the best result for your brand.

The Value of Local Social Media Expertise

Many businesses try to manage their own social media but as your business grows then working with a local social media marketing company can bring strength to your social media as they know your business and how people in your area engage online,

Taking the pressure off your team by working with a local agency who can help with developing a strategy, planning content and who understands your business and the local market you operate in.

When It’s Time to Work With a Social Media Marketing Agency

Managing your own social media can be time consuming and other tasks may take priority which means your posts become inconsistent and audience engagement becomes quite low, showing there is no clear strategy in place.  Appointing a social media marketing agency to support your business will help with content creation, keeping the content fresh and active is important for your audience engagement and supporting you with managing the accounts, freeing up your time for other priorities.

Final Thoughts

Your business gets the best out of social media by focussing on the platforms that matter most to their audience.  Being everywhere isn’t the answer. Consistency over a sustainable number of platforms, staying visible, sharing interesting and useful content will deliver far better results.

With a clear strategy in place, social media marketing can become a powerful tool for supporting and growing your business.