So you’re ready to fully invest in a social media strategy and put in the time and resources necessary to get the leads and hopefully customers, your business needs. Awesome – however, like many, you probably feel a little overwhelmed at all the options available in the world of social media. It is important before fully investing in a social media strategy, to one, understand exactly what type of business you are (B2B, B2C or combination), what target audience you’re trying to reach and what your goals are for your pages.

 

Understanding these three factors will help significantly in your choosing the right social media platform for your business. Because like many things, social media is not a one size fits all. Every platform brings its own specific benefits, features, etc. So what is the best social media platform to consider, if you’re just starting your social media strategy, based on your industry? Keep reading.

 

As a general rule, if you’re only going to invest in one social media channel as part of your social media strategy, it should probably be Facebook. Despite its recent controversies, the social media giant still reigns supreme over all other platforms. With an active following of over two billion worldwide, Facebook offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses across various industries.

 

With a multi-media capability, Facebook Business Page can serve almost like a mini-website – providing information about the company’s services, locations, hours, reviews, the opportunity to interact with customers and a direct link to your actual website. It also offers the opportunity to post photos, videos, articles, have contests and promotions, do Q & A’s, etc. And perhaps most importantly, Facebook offers the opportunity to create highly targeted ads and provides clear and succinct analytics to help you understand how your ads and other posts are doing. There simply really isn’t a downside to having a Facebook page, if your business is willing to invest in social media.

 

So what about other platforms and more specifically, different industries? As previously stated, all social media platforms have their own unique qualities, which means they all provide their own specific benefits. We’ve already discussed Facebook and the fact that no matter your industry, it’s best to have a Business Page on the platform. But let’s break down some of the other major players in the social media game.

 

1. Instagram – The recent giant. In a few short years, the platform has exploded, boasting a million active followers. Known most for photo and video sharing, Instagram is definitely a very visual platform. And that means it’s perfect for industries that are particularly visual. Think Food and Beverage, Tourism and Hospitality, Fashion & Retail, etc. If your business is in an industry where your product and/or service is sold largely on how visually appealing it is to a customer, Instagram is a must for your social media strategy.

 

2. Twitter – Best known for real time updates, Twitter is the platform of breaking news with its very popular trending element. The greatest limitation of the platform of course is that users are limited to a brief character count. However, there are still many beneficial options offered to businesses, including the ability to share direct links, post short clips, images, etc. With its breaking news, real time quality, Twitter is perfect for the News and Magazine and Entertainment industries.

 

3. LinkedIn – If you are a B2B business, this is the social media platform, along with Facebook that you must be on. More than just a place to search for jobs, LinkedIn has evolved into a great platform for sharing industry knowledge, trends, etc. If you want to establish your business as a thought leader in your industry, LinkedIn is a great place to do it. The platform is particularly perfect for content such as long-form articles, E-Books, webinars, etc., which makes it perfect for industries such as, Finance, Manufacturing, Technology, Law. That is, industries that are far more technical and where being considered an expert in your field is very important to gaining customers.

 

4. YouTube – The ultimate video-sharing platform. According to Hubspot, one-third of all online activity is spent watching videos on YouTube, which makes the platform second only to Facebook. So if video is particularly important to your brand, you should probably have a YouTube Business Page. The most common search term on YouTube is also “How to…” which means most individuals are searching for demonstrations and/or tutorials on how certain things work. That makes the platform perfect for industries with a do-it-yourself (DIY) element, such as, Home and Design, Arts and Crafts, etc.

 

 

5. Pinterest – Definitely not as popular, particularly in the social media marketing game as its counterparts, but the platform does boast a very healthy and robust 200 million active followers. Pinterest is all about the visuals and “pinning” something you love. It’s essentially a visual vision board and that makes it perfect for very visual industries with a DIY element. For example, Wedding and Bridal Industry, Floral Industry, Arts and Crafts, etc.

 

6. Snapchat – The popular video sharing platform that made disappearing videos the next big thing, has suffered a few setbacks in recent times, with Instagram eating into a big part of what made them unique. However, the platform is still pretty popular with the tween and millennium generations (think 13-25), which means if your business is in an industry that typically targets this age demographic, Snapchat may still be a worthy investment for your business.