So you've tailored your content for your audience but what social media channels are right for your content? Well, whether you spend all your time on Facebook watching Unilad videos, use Instagram to look up cute puppy photos or even go on Twitter to give Game of Thrones spoilers, the key is to pick channels your audience is on and making sure what you produce is done in the right way for that channel...:
1. Facebook, the ultimate weapon in your arsenal
Your ability to reach your audience organically is limited (if you have 1000 likes on your page only 20 people will see what you post!), but there’s no denying Facebook is a great place to find niche communities in groups and dedicated pages. Coupling this with it's powerful ad manager tool, if you have a bit of money to put behind posts you can target exactly the people you want to be consuming your content. Recently FB is tending to their native player videos as well as their instant articles (which is bemoaned by a lot of publishers) but be warned- it doesn’t like external links to rival sites such as Twitter & Youtube. TIP: Get 10 likes in 10 minutes for your piece of content to be seen by more people (this is why you alway see baby pictures on top of your feed). -Does the platform Mattr?: 5/5 for potential reach, ⅖ for growing a sustainable audience, ⅕ organic reach.
2. Twitter, your collaboration real time partner
For truly “snackable” content, Twitter is a brilliant platform for building your company as a thought leader in your community. Start simply by looking at your competitors, following their followers and researching hashtags that they are all using and are relevant to you (check out Audiense to help you pin point the right people). Twitter also enables you to take part in relevant conversations (by using hashtags) and connects you with other influencers in your community almost instantly (granted, if they interact with your content back). Twitter users prefer imagery over all kinds of media and although but Twitter does also allows for longer form video content. However, it can be difficult to get decent interaction, that's where our trust pal the gif breaks out in all it's glory. TIP: Saturday mornings are the best time to post as there is a 20% spike in users during that time. - Does the platform Mattr?: 3/5 for potential reach, 3/5 for growing a sustainable audience, 3/5 organic reach.
3. Linkedin, the B2B king
Linkedin is aimed at the professional demographic, therefore is another excellent tool for positioning yourself as a thought leader (as well as finding the who's who in your industry). Find your the right people (e.g the CEO of your ideal company) see what groups they belong to, join in with their conversations and make an impression! It sets you up really well for the inevitable cold call. LinkedIn is also the perfect way to keep you up to date with what’s happening in your industry from a peer to peer perspective. TIP: Follow this guide to learn how to post in multiple Linkedin groups. - Does the platform Mattr?: 3/5 for potential reach, 4/5 for growing a sustainable audience, 3/5 organic reach.
4. Instagram, where visual is key
Instagram is hyper visual, hyper real time (even with their latest algorithm change - see what that is HERE) and is a really great platform to build a “cool” buzz around your brand or business. You need to invest a good amount of time in creating visually striking images, researching relevant hashtags in your area and interacting with other users content. We've found using 'in the now' photos work real well for us as a company as it's attracted creatives in the UK to engage with us and given us the human touch that many small businesses lack on the platform. TIP: Posts like “Double Tap X if you agree” and “Tag someone you know like this” works really well when you have a good few followers (2 - 5K). - Does the platform Mattr?: 4/5 for potential reach, 3/5 for growing a sustainable audience, 4/5 organic reach.
5. Youtube, where creative does all the talking
It may be the second largest search engine in the world but Youtube should be treated as a social platform which can yield amazing business results. So how should you use this platform effectively for your company? Well, firstly, you need to take your time planning your content on Youtube. Consistency is key. We've learned from our Star Wars Changed My Life series that people will always be wanting more from you, so unless your content idea is something that is easily scaleable, has a healthy life span and has room for collaborations with influencers then seeing your subscriber numbers grow will be a tough job. That being said, the platform has a whole host of benefits for those that crack it, from owning your audience (one of the only platforms left where your content reaches your subscribers organically), as well as creating a second revenue stream and showing off your creative prowess. TIP: Add the Tubebuddy (subscription service) extension to Chrome to easily optimise your content on the platform. - Does the platform Mattr?: 5/5 for potential reach, 3/5 for growing a sustainable audience, 2.5/5 organic reach.
6. Snapchat the newest kid on the block
It's time for people to take notice of Snapchat, not only does that platform boast more video views than Facebook, but it recently announced that it has over 150 million daily users - beating Twitter. So it looks likes the new kid on the block has taken on the two biggest names in the game and starting to give them a run for their money (no one is getting Winklevossed here). TIP: Want an easy way to grow your Snapchat followers? Download your Snapcode and make it your profile picture. - Does the platform Mattr?: 4/5 for potential reach, 3/5 for growing a sustainable audience, 2/5 organic reach.
Got more social media platforms we should be talking about? Then drop us an email! We may be a London production agency but we are all ears for your opinions and suggestions and want to collaborate you! Make sure you sign up to our mailing list in the footer too!