One of the best things about digital marketing in 2019 for your business is that there are so many amazing tools and platforms out there to utilize when it comes to spreading content on marketing platforms. The amount of content and value you can add to a market is immeasurable – the sky ‘s the limit and businesses are testing those limits every single minute of every single day. You can share content on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, email, chatbot, Vimeo, and probably a bunch more places I’ve never even heard of.

The worst part about digital marketing and having a digital presence for your business?

That there are so many tools and platforms to utilize when it comes to spreading content on marketing platforms.

Wait, what?

This is another case of the old “double-edged sword”. While the prospects and possibilities are endless, there are so many opportunities to spread yourself and your message so thin that it hardly resonates with anyone. Too often people feel forced into choosing platforms without really thinking about the how’s or why’s of their own audience on that platform.

So how do you choose the best platform or marketing channel for your business, your audience, and your message? Here is a four-step process to help you decide:

1) Put Yourself In Your Customer’s Shoes

In order to reach your ideal customer, you need to think like your ideal customer. Look at what platforms your customer is on (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc) and be there for them. Not “be there” in a superficial gonna-broadcast-out-a-message-and-never-actually-engage-in-a-meaningful-way sense, but actually be there … creating content that your audience will be interested in, commenting on relevant posts/threads, and actually becoming a part of that community.

2) Use Each Platform The Way it’s Meant to be Used

See how your ideal customers are using different social platforms. Take their lead. If your ideal customers are IG Story-crazy, maybe it’s a good idea for you to be using them too. If your customers are all-in on a specific Twitter #hashtag, join that conversation, too. Making the jump into LinkedIn content? Well, comment, comment, comment, and produce, produce, produce!

When you use the platform like a native would use it, you’ll fit in more naturally, and actually build a community (or become part of an existing one).

3) Learn From Others

Simply enough, check out what other people in your industry are doing. You can always learn from what the intel is showing you.

4) Look to Where You’re Already Being Shared

It’s more difficult to build traction from nothing. But if you start out by being where your content is shared, liked, viewed, or forwarded, you’ll be at an advantage.

Use the search functionality on all major social platforms to search for your brand terms, product names, and company name (or location for location-based businesses) to find the platform that is already talking about you.

When you’ve found it, start to engage with people that have already liked your content and brand, and post content more frequently there.

So you’ve decided to really make a push into social media, now what?

Good question. No matter what, be sure that whatever platform you choose is a place where you can share some serious value with your audience and is a place that you can devote time and energy to.

 

Social media isn’t a here-today-gone-tomorrow thing. It’s something that should become part of doing business for you, and ideally it’s part of a well-rounded inbound marketing strategy that is designed to attract the right customers to you, nurture and engage with them, and help support them through the buying process.

 

If you need help evaluating social media platforms and developing a social media or inbound marketing strategy, drop us a line. We’re here to help.