The Social Dilemma – Where, oh where should I go?

Splendid! You’ve decided to allocate resources to Social Media Marketing. Your next big question is the inevitable: “What platform should I use?”

My answer is, once again, “It depends.”

• Which platform(s) do your clients / prospects use?
• Which platform(s) suit your marketing content?

I suggest starting with just ONE platform to get a feel for social media as a business. Even if you are familiar with platforms as a general social media user, managing a business profile is different. There is added pressure to respond quickly.^†

Dipping your toe into the Facebook pool is a great place to start. Because of its incredible reach, it’s likely that a good chunk of your customers are there. Most businesses have a Facebook account for this reason. (Be sure to set up your company’s Facebook page as a business. There will be extra features available to you.)

If you know that your customers are more active on another platform or your content is more suited to another channel, go for it! For example, a dance studio might choose YouTube or Tik Tok as their main social media venue. If you are selling professional services, LinkedIn might be a great platform for you if you have the time to build a following organically or you have lots of money to buy LinkedIn marketing services.^‡

Are you are having some success and thinking of expanding to other platforms? Before you do so, ask yourself one very important question:

• Do I have the resources (person-hours and/or budget) available to keep up with another social media platform?

You may not know the answer until you have more experience, but know that you DO NOT need to be everywhere. One social platform done well is worth MUCH more to your business than several platforms done poorly.

Do you have cautionary tale or a morsel of winning advice for your fellow business owners? Please share!

© 2021 Tracey Copeland, Rolling Sands Consulting.