—
Networking and marketing your business is no longer as difficult and costly as before. Social Media has changed the way of advertising a business because of its broad audience reach, with 4.2 billion social media users around the world.
It’s easy to think of the number of followers you can get on social media. However, your online presence and engagement will depend on the platforms since each has its unique characteristics with pros and cons.
Undeniably, Facebook is the biggest social media platform today, with over 1.8 billion users every day. The platform is big with even bigger potential for marketing your business. It has a large population dynamic that business owners could not afford to overlook.
However, this platform is not for everyone. Like any marketing platform, it also comes with a price. Here are the pros and cons of using Facebook to boost your business.
Pros:
1. Facebook is easy to manage. It is one of the easiest and fastest ways to communicate and drive in more sales. Once you’ve established a Facebook page, the customers can now communicate with you through chat or comments. Likes and shares can also encourage engagement.
2. Customized demographic. Facebook makes it easier for business owners to customize their FB pages to a certain demographic. For example, clothing stores can select that their page is for selling clothes online. Business owners can also customize the age or location of their targeted audience when running ads.
3. Facebook has a larger reach. As mentioned, over 1.8 billion people use Facebook every day. This means that those people are your potential customers. Having a wider reach will help you get the word out for your business.
4. Running ads is affordable. Unlike using traditional advertising platforms, running ads on Facebook is more affordable and has greater reach. For as low as $5, you can already run an ad on Facebook. further, you can also customize the number of days that your ads will run and the demographic of the users whom you want to see your products.
Cons:
1. Creating a page can be time-consuming. Unlike other social media platforms, maintaining a Facebook page can be taxing. First, you have to set-up the photos you will use as a header and profile picture. You also have to select the time you are available for business. Aside from that, messages on your page do not go directly to the Messenger app but to a Page Manager app.
2. Risk of fast decline. The review section of FB pages can be both good and bad for the business. If you get good reviews, then the page will surely be recommended. However, bad reviews and negative comments can affect your page’s effectiveness. It is also difficult to monitor these negative comments. If left unheeded, the reputation of the business might be at risk.
Twitter is also one of the most effective social media platforms for business. It has over 330 million active users worldwide, which means it has a wide reach, good for businesses. Thus, there’s hardly any businesses that don’t have Twitter accounts.
Pros:
1. The wide reach of the audience. As mentioned, Twitter has over 330 million active users worldwide. This means that every like or retweet is an account reached. These people are your potential customers. The biggest trend on Twitter is using a hashtag.
2. Up-to-date. This platform lets users know new information and content from all over the internet. There’s even no need for long captions to convey a message. The tweet-length constriction on Twitter encourages creativity in captions or tweets, which in turn encourages engagement from users.
3. Cost-effective. It’s free and easy to set-up a Twitter account. Paid ads are available on Twitter. However, you can opt to manage the account yourself. Organic interactions and posts are what drives people to engage in your content.
Cons:
1. You might be one of the hundreds and thousands that they follow. Tweets show up in real-time on the user’s feed. Every like, comment, and post of an account shows up on the feed. However, if your follower has many accounts that they follow, your updates might not be seen by your intended audience.
2. Troll followers. Just like any social media platform, Twitter has a lot of bashers. Negative tweets can easily be taken personally, but try to ignore them. Even customers can make one negative tweet due to a dissatisfying experience and cause toxic content for your business account.
Instagram is a relatively new social media platform. However, it has exponential growth over the course of the years. This platform is the most attractive way to get customers. Artists, photographers, and designers can best benefit from this platform. However, some businesses do not consider Instagram as a promising platform.
Pros:
1. Everything is visual. IG lives, stories, TV, and posts are the ways to show a visual presentation of the products and services that your business offers. Customers want to see for them to believe. This is the best time to be creative with your photos and videos to attract potential customers.
2. Everything is mobile. Everyone is always on their mobile phones. It made posting photos and videos easier through mobile phones. Making an IG account makes it easier to share your content via mobile phones.
Cons:
1. Not everyone is on Instagram. It has a lower number of active users compared to Twitter and Facebook. Further, it is only available for iPhone and Android users. If you target Linux or Blackberry users, then Instagram might not be the platform for you.
2. Clickable links are a no-no. Instagram also does not support clickable links on posts or stories. You cannot post links on your captions or stories. There is no way for you to direct your customers to your websites, aside from the swipe up option, which has requirements before you can avail of one.
Choosing the best platform for your business
The social networking platform you choose to promote your business will play a significant role in your business’ growth. To further grow your business, connect with PR companies, like muckrack.com, to know what your business needs.
Takeaway
Social networking is the easiest and cheapest way to market your business nowadays. Also, there are a lot of social media platforms that are business-friendly. Before you make an account, make sure that you are aware of the pros and cons of each platform. Choose the platform where your business can best benefit.
—
This content is brought to you by Belinda Anderson.
Photo: Pixabay