Published on May 19th, 2021 | by Bibhuranjan

A Look at 9 Potential Avenues for Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is all about putting your company out there to people who might have an interest in what you’re providing. The idea is that you’ll entice them enough that they’ll actually look into the company further. However, actually accomplishing your goal isn’t always easy. Here are nine potential avenues you might be able to look into for your small business social media marketing, along with a bit of information about each.

1. Facebook

If there’s one social media platform that just about any small business can probably use, it’s Facebook. The company reports a staggering 2.8 billion active accounts every month, which is about a third of the entire world population. That includes around 69% of American adults, which means that you’re likely to be able to get your company in front of a lot of eyes. Facebook is also growing in popularity as a way to respond to people’s customer service requests quickly.

2. Instagram

About 1.16 billion people use Instagram on a monthly basis, which means that Instagram can be just as effective as Facebook at advertising you to people who might have an interest in your business. However, Instagram bases its social media processes mostly around pictures, which means that Instagram can be great if you know how to visually capture your fans and potential customers. If your business has pictures or short videos that you want to share with customers or you’re looking to capture the Instagram demographic, Instagram could be a great place to focus on social media marketing.

3. TikTok

TikTok has grown exponentially over the last few years, and it marks at least around 689 million monthly users. The appeal is twofold: first, TikTok is made for mobile, and second, all videos have to be one minute or less. The company also utilizes a unique algorithm that constantly serves new content to users that the user might enjoy. This algorithm is one reason small businesses have started using TikTok alongside the non-business users – you might be able to get some eyes on your content without actually paying for advertising.

4. Snapchat

With 238 million monthly users, Snapchat definitely isn’t going anywhere. Many people use it just to send pictures to their friends, but there’s also a distinctly social side to Snapchat that businesses can use to get themselves out in front of new potential customers. When it comes to social options, short videos are the key, although slightly longer videos have seen success on Snapchat. One of the secrets that you might consider is reusing content from platform to platform. If you’re already making short video content for Snapchat or Instagram, you might be able to reuse that content to get out on Snapchat.

5. Twitter

There are about 353 million users on Twitter, and the main way people use it is to create small pieces of written content. Tweets, which as of 2018 have a character limit of 240, allow you to make quick announcements and engage with your customers quickly and easily. Plus, Twitter advertising comes in over 20 formats, which means there are always a variety of ways to utilize advertising on Twitter depending on your needs.

6. Yelp

If you’re a business with a traditional storefront, you definitely need a Yelp page. There are about 178 million Yelp users, and they want to learn more about your business and discover new businesses nearby. Yelp is a unique option among these social media marketing campaigns because if you have a physical storefront, it’s almost necessary – if you don’t add yourself, someone else can add you. Maintaining your own storefront will just help you give your customers accurate information.

7. YouTube

YouTube is sort of the dark horse in this comparison. It has a staggering two billion monthly users, which means there’s definitely an audience available, but the problem lies in getting an audience to actually watch your videos. The algorithm on YouTube tends to favor known creators, but, you can create ads that YouTube can put on videos that are currently getting views. YouTube also offers multiple advertising options to make sure you’re only paying for your ad when someone actually interacts with it.

8. Goodreads

This might not initially be a social media site you’d ever considered, but with around 90 million monthly users, Goodreads is actually a great way to connect with customers. Specifically, if you run a book store or you publish books in any context, Goodreads may be a great way to understand what people enjoy and don’t enjoy about books, as well as get your book in front of more people. Plus, advertising options include opportunities like giveaways, where you can give away copies of your book to build hype.

9. Spotify

This is another option that you may never have thought about, but which can be immensely helpful for a company that’s trying to grow its brand recognition. Spotify has 286 million monthly users, and between Spotify Advertising and the playlist opportunities, there are many ways to build your brand through Spotify. For example, if you run a restaurant, you could create a playlist on Spotify that has your company’s name. When fans of the playlist listen to it, they’ll also think about your company. You can also go more directly by just doing Spotify Advertising ads.

Conclusion

There are many avenues for social media marketing, and if you find a receptive community on a social media site or app that isn’t one of these, you should definitely go for it. However, when it comes to these nine social media sites, there are different ways to use them and different ways to increase the chances of your company’s success.

Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

Tags: small business marketing, SME, social media, social media marketing

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.