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Social Media Marketing 101: Getting to Know the Right Platform to Promote Your Content
Social media marketing remains one of the most effective promotional strategies because over 60% of the population is on social media. Because everyone’s on social media, reaching out to specific audiences and growing an online business is much easier.
While marketing on ALL social media sites may sound like a great idea, it could backfire on you. That’s because people’s preferences differ, and so do the social media platforms they use. That’s why conducting market research is vital to know your ideal customers before implementing your social media marketing campaign.
TikTok and Whatsapp, for example, appeal to the younger demographics, while Facebook and Twitter are popular among older millennials. Instagram is where all the influencers are, and Pinterest? It’s a blogger’s playground!
One of the most important factors to consider when marketing on social media platforms is determining which ones your target audience uses. You won’t get results by marketing on Instagram if most of your customers are on Facebook.
Knowing the different social media platforms helps you create the right type of content form for maximum impact. In this guide, let’s get to know the various social media platforms and formats you should know about to boost your marketing efforts:
Getting to Know the Right Platform to Promote Your Content
Interest-Based Social Media Platforms
Some social media sites are used to find infos and inspiration on various hobbies, including travel, cooking, interior designing, fashion, lifestyle, shopping, gardening, and pets, to name a few. Most of these sites have tools to create attractive visuals and on-brand content. Interest-based social media sites include:
- TikTok
- Blogs
Pinterest and Instagram are best for sharing beautiful images, and there are tools within these platforms to curate your content. TikTok lets you share interest-based topics in short videos, and you can boost the posts with descriptions and hashtags. This way, like-minded individuals can search for your content by hashtags and follow your profile.
Blogs are best for people who love to read text content or look at beautiful images. You can write a combination of short and long-form blog posts to educate, entertain and inspire readers.
Social Media Sites for Professionals
Some social media sites are used strictly for business and everything that involves networking, recruiting and hiring talents and building B2B relationships. These sites include:
- Indeed
- MeetUp
- GlassDoor
- Discord
- Slack
LinkedIn remains the biggest social media platform for professionals and brands looking for talents to hire and build a professional portfolio. Indeed and GlassDoor are job markets where employers can find the best talents to hire. Discord and Slack are often used for business communications between professionals and companies. Twitter and Discord have communities for business-minded individuals looking for relevant conversations about business and specific industries.
Private Communities
Many social media platforms have their own closed groups or private communities where members can sign up and join the conversation. Members are often screened before signing up. In some groups, users must answer questions and then stick with the community guidelines otherwise, they could be booted out of the group.
Moderators or admins will then review the registration of new members for approval. Social media platforms that offer this feature include:
- Facebook Groups
- Slack
- Discord
As the community admin, you can use the closed group you’ve created to share your insights and expertise, start conversations on relevant topics, answer questions, and foster community among members. You can set the rules and screening to filter spammy content. Prioritise on growing your list and use the community to promote your business.
Discussion Boards
Discussion boards, aka online forums, are explicitly made for inquiring minds who want to learn and share information in an online community. Most of these platforms present different niches and interest-based topics. Popular discussion forums are:
- Quora
- Discord
Growing a community should be a part of your marketing efforts because this will cement your authority in your niche industry while presenting plenty of promotional and moneymaking opportunities along the way!
Audio Social Media
These are social media sites with a strictly audio-only format. It appeals to people who prefer live conversions on specific topics. But more than listening to convos and expressing different views, audio format is used by content creators for networking and monetising content. Some of the most popular audio social media platforms are:
- Clubhouse
- Twitter Spaces
- Facebook Live Audio Rooms
- Spotify Greenroom
Creating engaging audio conversations will help cement your place as an authority in your niche industry. It’s also an excellent format to introduce your business, present your products, and provide valuable content to your target audience.
You can use your platform to broadcast breaking news and announcements, AMAs, interviews with popular personalities, host industry panels, and so much more.
Live Streaming Sites
Livestreaming refers to broadcasting live videos online via specific social media platforms. Live streams are popular among young users who are into gaming, entertainment, interviews, launches, and demos. Popular social media sites with live-streaming features are:
- YouTube
- Instagram Live Rooms
- Facebook Live
- Twitch
- TikTok
You can use this platform for hosting virtual events, webinars, and workshops. You can also stream AMA sessions, conduct demos and interviews, give recos, etc. The goal is to provide livestream videos worth tuning in to gain viewers.
Video Social Media
One of the most popular forms of online content is long and short videos, and that’s the reason why video social media sites are quite popular across different demographics. Below are some of the most popular video social media sites:
- YouTube
- Vimeo
- Instagram Reels
- TikTok
- Facebook Watch
The trick to attracting viewers is to post videos on the right platforms. It’s equally important to post the proper video format and length. For example, TikTok and IG reels are best for short videos, while YouTube and Vimeo are better for long videos. Your videos should be engaging, entertaining, and inspiring to attract a following. You don’t have to push a product with every video. Focus on the value and, perhaps, add a bit of humour or wittiness to the script.
Disappearing Video Content
Content with a short shelf life is very popular on social media. These posts are typically short and disappear after 24 hours. The idea here is to make a brand relatable. Disappearing content formats are popular on the following platforms:
- Instagram Stories
- Facebook Stories
- LinkedIn Stories
- Snapchat
What’s great about videos with a short shelf life is the minimal prep. You don’t have to create a polished video because the format is designed to capture in-the-moment happenings. You can use this format to share teasers, present product demos, showcase behind-the-scenes content, or make important announcements.
Shoppable Social Media Platforms
These social media sites feature products you click on and buy within the platform. LTK is one of the first to feature shoppable content, and it’s easily one of the most recognised platforms for buying and selling affiliate fashion-related products. Other social media sites followed suit. These days, many social media sites have built-in shops:
- LTK
- TikTok Shop
- Facebook Shops
- Instagram Shops
- Pinterest Product Pins
Platforms with shoppable features can earn commissions per click, tag products to share with your audience, and make product drops for higher sales. If you have a product catalogue, you can use these platforms to direct viewers to your profile. If you don’t have products to sell, you can use these platforms to drive traffic to your website.
And there you have it, our list of the many different types of social media sites to focus your marketing efforts on. Whatever business you are promoting or the goals you’re trying to achieve, there is a perfect social media site that’ll help spread the word about your business, build credibility, and attract a loyal following.
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