Illuminating Impressions

Connect - Engage - Illuminate

Choosing the Best Social Media Platform for Your Brand

by Leave a Comment

Now that you have the general idea, and we’ve defined what we mean by organic, the next question would be, “Where?” Chances are, if I were to ask you to pick between Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and several others as your preferred social media platform, about half of them you don’t even have an account for. There’s a few you use sparingly, and one that’s your go-to almost daily. There’s an even bigger chance that part of what makes those your social media habits are influenced by your age, line of work, region, and interests.

  • Choosing a platform: Consider platforms you are already familiar with.
  • Influence of demographics: Your choice might be influenced by age, profession, and geographic location.

Who Do You Want to Reach?

Let’s flip that now. When you’re looking to build a following, what age, line of work, region, and hobbyists are you looking to get to join? That’s how we figure out where to focus your social media efforts. Each platform has different criteria for what makes decent, good, and great content. Their algorithms, and your likelihood of getting a natural boost, are all focused on different aspects.

Rather than trying to please everybody, all the time and getting burnt out, we recommend a focus on the one that’s most likely to have the demographic you’re looking for. Does that mean you can’t post on the others? Certainly not. Remember, this is all free. There is no drawback to posting everywhere you can. But you do want to optimize for your main one.

  • Target audience specifics: Consider age, profession, region, interests.
  • Platform criteria: Understand what each platform values in content.
  • Focus your efforts: Prioritize platforms where your target demographic is most active.

Different Social Media Platforms, Different Standards

We’re going to paint with some wide brushstrokes here just for some examples. Let’s start with Facebook versus TikTok. Take a second, close your eyes, and imagine them as people, just from the basics you know about them. I’m going to take a leap and assume that Facebook was middle-aged to retirement, reserved. TikTok was much younger and hyper. These are probably the most extreme two differences between all of them.

The fact is, the average Facebook use does in fact skew older than the average TikTok user. Can you post reels (15-30 second videos) on both? Sure. Will the same video get the same results on both? Absolutely not. Rather than stressing on making two different videos every time, focus on the one that your targets are most likely to be in. You can always cross-post and reuse the content for the other platform, and very possibly reach some people. But you can only produce quality for one at a time.

  • Platform demographics: Facebook skews older; TikTok skews younger.
  • Content adaptation: Adjust videos and posts to match platform preferences.
  • Cross-posting: Reuse content across platforms to maximize reach.

Specific Differences

Even a detail as small as the size of the video can make a difference in making the algorithm like your content. One might prefer a perfect square, while others prefer a vertical rectangle. How much of the video is a person on the screen versus graphics popping up, or even if it’s just natural audio or has specific trending audio laid in can all affect how “perfect” your content is for that platform.

Here’s the good part though: something produced with quality is still quality. Just because one platform thinks it’s “great” and another just thinks it’s “good” doesn’t matter so much. Good is good. So let’s go back to our last example, FB vs. TikTok. Ted owns a home cooking diner, serving chicken fried steak and pie, along with classic country breakfast. Jack owns a nightclub, with flashing neon lights and a dance floor with European techno music. I think you can see where I’m going with this. Who will do better on which platform?

Picture the person again that you did when you imagined Facebook as a person. Can you see them at the club? Probably not. But you can see them enjoying coffee and pie. So where do you think Ted should focus his efforts, to find people who would enjoy his business has to offer?

  • Video format preferences: Different platforms favor different video shapes and sizes.
  • Content quality: High-quality content performs well across platforms.
  • Targeted content: Tailor content to fit the expected audience’s preferences.

Long-Term Strategy and Adaptation

There are a lot of facts and figures and statistics to look at, and a true breakdown will depend on many factors including location. Facebook users will be more numerous in a more rural area, and you’ll find older than average TikTok users in a larger city. In the city, the older people are around more young people and exposed to more new things. So there’s no hard and fast rule.

Part of what we do is help to analyze these factors and see what’s really going to give you the most likely benefit for your efforts. We help you learn how to develop content for that, first and foremost.

  • Geographic considerations: Different platforms may dominate in rural versus urban areas.
  • Demographic adaptability: Older and younger users might cluster differently depending on the platform and location.
  • Analytical support: Use data to refine and adapt your strategy.

But there is no reason not to post it on anything else you want to. Focusing on your “main” social will take a lot of pressure off of having to optimize for all platforms. Next week we’ll look at some other factors to consider.

Continuous Improvement and Diversification

As you delve deeper into social media marketing, it’s essential to not only stick with your primary platform but also keep an eye on emerging trends and changes in user behavior across all platforms. This proactive approach ensures you’re not missing out on potential opportunities to expand your reach and connect with different segments of your audience.

  • Stay updated: Keep track of emerging trends and platform changes.
  • Expand your reach: Consider multiple platforms to connect with a broader audience.
  • Segment connection: Engage various audience segments by adapting to their preferred platforms.

Why Diversify Your Social Media Presence?

While focusing on one platform can help streamline your content creation process and ensure quality, diversifying your presence can protect your brand from changes in platform popularity or algorithms. By establishing a presence on multiple platforms, you can engage with different demographics and hedge against potential drops in user engagement on a single platform.

  • Risk management: Protect against the volatility of social media trends and platform changes.
  • Engagement optimization: Tailor strategies to different platforms to maximize engagement.

Evaluating Your Social Media Strategy

Regular evaluation of your social media strategy is crucial. This means analyzing which types of posts generate the most engagement, tracking changes in follower demographics, and staying updated with the platforms’ algorithm updates. Utilize analytics tools provided by the platforms, along with third-party tools, to gain detailed insights and adjust your strategy accordingly.

  • Performance analysis: Regularly assess what works and what doesn’t.
  • Demographic tracking: Monitor changes in your audience profile.
  • Algorithm updates: Stay informed about updates to each platform’s content delivery algorithms.

Planning for the Future

Choosing the right social media platform for your brand involves understanding where your target audience spends their time and adapting your content to meet the specific criteria of that platform. However, maintaining flexibility and a willingness to adapt your strategy based on performance metrics and changing trends will ensure sustained success in your social media efforts.

Read other blog posts:

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

two × 1 =