We’re long beyond the days when social media platforms like MySpace and Facebook were used by those in college and teens to meet friends. While the latter is still widely used for this, any business and candidate looking to thrive in modern society must have a presence here and on at least a handful of others.
The benefits of social media for businesses provide far-reaching benefits. According to HootSuite, a popular social media tool company, marketers are seeing greater customer insights, increased brand awareness, run targeted ads and much more. But the problem nowadays is there are so many platforms to choose from and, based on what you’re trying to accomplish, Facebook may not always be your best bet. To help you sift through, we’ve broken down the top platforms to use for various business reasons.
Marketing a business
Making people aware of a business or service is tricky, but social media makes it easier to build awareness and prove conversions. In order to do this effectively, go where your audience is. Forbes says Snapchat is a goldmine for targeting millennials, Facebook is for a slightly older audience or building a company page, Instagram is a handy brand-building tool and Pinterest is great for female-focused companies.
Connecting with people
Social media is also a great way to network with other people. While Facebook has plenty of niche groups you can join, there are plenty of social networking sites you can join today to begin building your web of professionals. Sitepoint recommends AngelList for people looking to get into the startup game, Beyond for expanding a career and Data.com Connect for general discussion based on your industry.
Recruiting & finding jobs
LinkedIn is the king of business social media. However, recruiting and job-hunting efforts require a little more than a well-polished page. Since social media sites account for much of your own search engine results, Monster.com recommends keeping an eye on Google. In addition, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were all mentioned as profiles to keep a pulse on, because you never know when a recruiter is looking for someone like you or when your company needs to find great talent.
I subscribe to all of the big platforms. I’m not typically big on posting much, but it’s a great way to keep up on what’s happening in the world, check-in with friends and connect with coworkers in a professional setting.
What do you like to use and why?