So...What Platform Should You Be On?
Whether you're a business owner, a content creator, or an individual looking to build your personal brand, the multitude of social media platforms to be on can truly be overwhelming!
In ‘Build Your Digital Community’ Episode 3, our host Kristina, along with her business partner Maria Tassi, discuss how your niche should inform the social media platforms you choose to be present on. Read on for an overview of each major platform, how they can be helpful, and what you can do to connect with your ideal audience on them.
Where You Should Spend Your Time
People ask us all the time what social media platforms they should be spending their time on.
In business, time is money. Every minute we spend doing something that isn’t valuable, long term or immediate, is wasted time. We believe that the reason people fall off of social media is because they don’t see an immediate return. The reality is that you likely won’t, as it is very rare to be a viral sensation overnight.
Instead, focus on building your digital community on platforms that work for your niche. It is important for entrepreneurs to be strategic about which ones they choose to be on because they only have so much time.
Let’s dive into each platform so you can see what might work best for you and your business!
We believe that Instagram is the best platform for building community. One of the main reasons for this is how often people engage with it. People are logging into Instagram multiple times a day.
The Pros of Instagram
There are so many different features that make Instagram an easy platform to build a community with:
Stories allow you to effectively showcase your personality and build that know, like, and trust with your community. When we see people everyday in this format, it can feel as if we know them personally.
Reels are an amazing way to engage with people and show your personality (similar to how you would in Stories). If you’re not into the trends or dancing, Instagram is starting to promote original content that showcases yourself.
Who Is Best Suited For Instagram?
We believe that everyone can benefit from being on Instagram - especially those with a personal brand. There is such a wide range of people present on the platform, in terms of gender, age, location, and occupation. A very broad group of people hang out on Instagram.
If you aren’t selling on Instagram, we would ask you to reconsider it. There are so many ways to sell on the platform, from Reels to Stories to Posts to DMs. Although the multitude of features can feel overwhelming, it makes it easy to utilize UGC (user generated content).
Pinterest is often used as a search engine by people who are looking for specific content. The platform appears to be less about community building and more about getting your pin in front of people and providing immediate value. The platform feels closer to services like Google than it does a platform like Instagram.
The Pros of Pinterest
Pinterest is a great platform for helping to build up an email list.
Analytics tracking on the platform is excellent at sharing who visited your website from the platform and how many sales you made via Pinterest.
The posts last forever and leads can be generated from older, evergreen content.
The Cons of Pinterest
Pinterest is a long game. If this is something you are DIYing or even outsourcing, you will likely be at it for a while. Results may take 3-6 months to see.
Frequency is a larger part of success on Pinterest. If you do not have the time to commit to the platform.
Who Is Best Suited For Pinterest?
People with product-based businesses, particularly things you can buy online such as books and digital products, will certainly benefit from being present on Pinterest.
Pinterest is an excellent platform for sharing lead magnets, freebies, low-ticket products, and opt-ins that you want to be driving people to your website for.
Those with brick and mortar or location-based businesses may not reap the full benefits of the platform, as it is challenging to target specific location-based posts.
You want to be on LinkedIn, like all of these platforms, before you need it. Refrain from optimizing your profile from a scarcity mindset. Instead, approach the platform with the intent to build your personal brand and educate your audience. Go in with a growth mindset around who you’re surrounding yourself with and focus on developing amazing relationships before you ever need to tap into them.
The Pros of LinkedIn
LinkedIn allows you to easily share value and become an authority on your subject.
Amazing connections, such as potential clients, mentors and employees, can be forged if you approach the platform with a level of authenticity and sincerity.
The Cons of LinkedIn
The platform has a spam problem, which can be frustrating to manage.
People tend to use LinkedIn to send impersonal, cold-call messages which, depending on your preferred approach, can be seen as insincere.
Who Is Best Suited For Pinterest?
LinkedIn isn’t just a tool to find a job. It’s a professional networking powerhouse. We believe that everyone can benefit from having a LinkedIn page. It builds authority, builds reputation, and gets you in front of different people.
If you are seeking out speaking engagements, networking events, and conferences, LinkedIn is a great place to start.
Facebook’s popularity as a platform is beginning to taper off. However, it doesn’t hurt to cross post if you are already sharing content on Instagram and LinkedIn. We believe that Groups are one of the best features to use on Facebook.
The Pros of Facebook
Facebook Groups provide a space for members of specific communities to build communities with each other. Groups are also great for connecting your clients or members of your audience in one space.
Who Is Best Suited For Facebook?
Generation Z tend to not use Facebook. However, if your audience is older, this may be a good platform to prioritize.
Business owners with multiple clients or offerings that reach many people, such as coaches, may find benefit in using Facebook Groups to build community.
TikTok
Many people on TikTok can see incredible growth and success. However, there are a few details users should be aware of.
The Pros of TikTok
If you have a great posting strategy, you can be very successful on the platform.
TikTok can be excellent for people who want to sell low-ticket items.
Low-quality content can still do well on TikTok. Unlike platforms like Instagram, it is about quantity over quality.
The Cons of TikTok
To gain traction on TikTok, you must be committed to posting frequently. 3x daily is the recommended frequency. It is the most demanding of the platforms.
You must be incredibly niched down to build a community on TikTok - at least at the beginning. People come to expect a very specific type of content from you.
Who Is Best Suited For TikTok?
People who want to sell low-ticket items.
Creators with a very specific niche.
BONUS PLATFORMS!
Email Marketing
Everyone can benefit from providing value via an email marketing strategy. People’s inboxes are a special place to be. They are essentially expressing their interest in you by inviting you into their day-to-day life.
If you are selling on any of the above platforms, we would recommend that you are also getting people’s email addresses. The other platforms we have discussed could be gone tomorrow, but you will always own your email list.
We use Flodesk for all of our email marketing needs.
Podcasting
Podcasts are a powerful way to grow and promote your community. People are literally choosing you every time they listen to one of your episodes.
The Pros of Podcasting
Podcasts are an excellent way to educate people via a free resource that also serves as a way for people to get to know you and build authority.
People are literally choosing you every time they listen to one of your episodes. This personal connection develops a community of avid repeat listeners.
An excellent space for potential passive income through affiliate links in show notes.
Podcasts are great content generators. You can develop Reels, sound bites, quotes, blog posts, emails, and more from a single podcast episode.
Podcasts allow you to get in front of new audiences and cross-pollinate via the guest you have on your show and/or the podcasts that you are a guest on.
The Cons of Podcasting
It is extremely time consuming and takes a significant amount of work and planning. However, you can always outsource the recording, distribution, and promotion.
Who Is Best Suited For Podcasting?
Podcasts are best for those who have a lot to say and want to educate people.
There are SO many platforms that we can choose to be active on. Before you commit to one or all of them, ask yourself:
How much time do I have?
How many platforms are reasonable for me to take on, outsource, or invest in?
Which platform resonates the most with me?
What platform(s) is/are my audience on most?
Ultimately, you shouldn’t feel pressured to be on every platform and posting 24/7 - this is a quick way to burn out. Instead, start with the platform that you believe you can build your best community on.
If you ever have any questions about social media, please don’t hesitate to book a discovery call with us! We would be more than happy to guide you through and offer advice on the dynamic world of social media.
Happy posting!