Which Social Media Platforms Should You Use for Online Marketing?

Facebook remains the king of social media platforms. There are nearly 2 billion active users on Facebook. But, it’s not the only social networking site out there.

LinkedIn is still going strong and was recently purchased by Microsoft. Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Reddit, and Google Plus are also attracting millions.

Which of these social media sites should you focus on for your online marketing campaign? Spreading yourself too thin is a possibility for entrepreneurs. Instead, devote your energies to two or three platforms.

Use the following tips to determine which social media platforms will best help you connect with your target audience.

Facebook

Due to the sheer number of users, Facebook should definitely be a part of your social media marketing (SMM) strategy. As mentioned, they have almost 2 billion active users. Almost everyone seems to have a Facebook account.

It’s estimated that about 77% of all female internet users and 66% of men have a Facebook account. Though, the numbers shift depending on your target age group. About 87% of people 18 – 29 have a Facebook account. The numbers drop to 73% for those 30 – 49 years old.

You can target just about any demographic through Facebook, as a part of your SMM campaign. Though, you should still include one or two additional sites in your strategy.

Twitter

Twitter has reached 313 million monthly active users, which makes it the third most popular social networking site after Facebook and YouTube. For the 18 – 29 age group, about 37% of the population has a Twitter account. Twitter is well-rounded. A nearly even number of users are men and women.

As with Facebook, Twitter covers a wide range of users. Though, younger generations are more likely to have a Twitter account. Due to the ease of sending out tweets, it remains a popular option for entrepreneurs that want to quickly build a social media presence.

Twitter is very beneficial for entrepreneurs that are just starting out or those that want to specifically target a younger audience.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn  now has over 500 million active monthly users. Nearly half of people with a college degree have a LinkedIn account. LinkedIn is well suited for B2B marketing, as well as for marketing professional services or products.

LinkedIn users tend to skew into the higher income brackets and are more likely to have some level of higher education.

Pinterest

Pinterest is another option, depending on your target audience. They have over 276 million users. 42% of women have a Pinterest account, while just 13% of men use this site. Pinterest remains heavily geared towards women.

If your products or services are targeted directly at women, then Pinterest may be a beneficial site to include in your SMM strategy.

Which Sites Should You Choose?

You should think about your target audience. Who do you want to reach? You won’t get anywhere by targeting the entire population. Focus your efforts on specific segments of the population.

As your brand grows, you can increase your presence and target larger groups. But, you will still use individual campaigns to target these groups.

Two to three sites, including Facebook, are a good starting point for most entrepreneurs. If you feel that you can handle the demands of keeping up with more than that, then go ahead. Just know that an SMM campaign should remain consistent. Create a schedule and stick to it.

If you’re finding it hard to market your products or services through social media, rethink your strategy. Use these suggestions to choose the right social media sites. For additional online marketing techniques, such as a complete lead generation system, click here to learn about my done-for-you system.