Business and social networks: which is the most suitable platform for your business?
When running a business, which social platform should be used so as to obtain advantages for the company? Let’s explore the most popular channels together and try to clarify what to use and when.
Twitter can be used by almost any business; it is more efficient when several Tweets are published per day, it allows you to reach international users easily and it is quick because posts can contain a maximum of 140 characters.
Instagram is the favoured choice of businesses operating in the fashion, luxury goods, food and lifestyle sectors. Its main focus is on the sharing of images or videos and it allows you to use hashtags to help others make contact with you. Recently, the platform has also offered the chance to create ads, subject to payment.
LinkedIn is used above all by professionals who want to get in contact with others in the same field, but also by those looking for or offering work. The ideal way to become known on this social network is to publish between two and four weekly posts and show that you are active in groups or in discussions.
Facebook is designed for all kinds of companies and is useful when you want to publish at least one or two posts per day. This platform features tools such as insights which allow you to monitor the how pages are performing and there is the option to create ads, subject to payment.
Google+ is aimed mainly at bloggers and businesses who want to establish informal contact within their own sector. The style of the posts is more formal compared to that of Facebook and hashtags and key words assume greater importance.
You Tube is a platform for sharing videos. Through its use, even small businesses can become known and get to know others, but to obtain the best results it is essential to be able to produce sufficiently professional and/or suitable videos as far as content is concerned.
Pinterest is another tool which focuses on the publication of images, categorised and presented on ‘noticeboards’ according to theme. Businesses who use this channel generally do so to share photos and brief product descriptions related to the fashion, food or design sectors.
Foursquare is the social network of choice for shops, restaurants and tourist attractions and is used to share information regarding the business, as well as on the area in which it is located. Furthermore, customer feedback can be obtained, so as to demonstrate the standing of your business to other users.
Following this brief intro to the most commonly used Social Networks, it is important to point out that in order to choose the most suitable one for your requirements you must first ask yourself:
- What are my competitors doing?
- Who is my target audience?
- What objectives do I want to achieve?
- What financial resources are available to me?
Once these questions have been addressed, it becomes much easier to identify which channels to adopt for your business. Considering that a lot depends what your competitors are doing, finding out more about their strategies can be a good way to position your business in the marketplace.
Social Networks constitute instruments of inestimable potential for any business. However, to ensure that they are really useful, they must be managed properly over time. Consistency in publications, interesting subjects and the right communications strategy can make all the difference.
In addition, it is also necessary to have the conviction to win customers’ loyalty through virtual channels, and the ability to consolidate relationships by exploiting technology. Of course, doing this is not simple, but with a little effort, impressive results can be achieved.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
