Which social media platform should I be using for my small business?

Sometimes in your business you are the manager, the marketing team, the inventory boss and the sale rep. There doesn’t seem to be much time for much else. Now there’s the social media thing- should you get onto it? Is it right for your business model? Can you afford not to be online?

Some social media managers may suggest you jump onto as many as you can, however, this may not work for your business at all. Before you can decide which one is for you, ask yourself the following.

Questions to ask before jumping on board

• Would my business actually benefit from an increased web presence? Increased awareness in general?
• Do I need to attract business from outside my local area?
• Are my competitors on social media platforms and how are they performing?
• If not, do you want to be the first in game in your area?
• Are you an expert in your field of business? Do you have knowledge to share?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, you should really consider getting on board the social media train. Which one? It all depends..

Which ones to get onto?

• What do you provide beyond your goods and services?

If you do delivery services, an online component can be very useful in attracting more customers or if you provide a niche service that is not readily available, an increased web presence will be more than relevant.

• What is the personality of my business? What is your personality?

Some businesses don’t think their business type is suitable for social media but the personality of your business may actually be very ideal for the online world. You may not think the little local pizza place needs a social media account but having one with your outgoing personality may garner you quite the cult following. Such cult followings can be very beneficial when you wish to expand your business.
Some business brands and personalities do not transfer well across all social media platforms so be choosy about which you adopt.

• How much time will you realistically be able to spare a week for this?

Even if you feel you cannot spare a couple of hours a day for social media, you can still get on to it. Platforms like Twitter do not require whole hours of a day to manage or interact on. You just need at least five minutes here or there throughout the day.

There are so many considerations to think about before getting involved but these questions are a good starting point in working out whether social media has a place in your marketing plan. If you need help answering these questions or working out where to go beyond here, feel free to drop us a line.