Is It Good To Market Your Business On Every Platform Out There?

When it comes to good business marketing, being strategic is vital. It’s so easy to think that more marketing is better, but it’s not always what’s best for your business. Marketing gone wrong can do more harm than good, so instead of just making sure that you have a presence on every available platform you should instead be thinking about what is going to work most effectively for you, your customers and your brand. 

When deciding whether to set up a profile on a new platform, ask yourself the following questions:

Do we have the time?

There is little point in putting yourself out there if you end up spreading yourself too thin. The majority of platforms aren’t static; they require attention and constant updating. If you leave them too long, you could miss a customer comment or question or end up looking outdated and irrelevant. So you need to be able to dedicate some resources to maintaining your social media platforms and making sure that you stay active and engaged in that particular community as well as spending time working out how best to use the platform and reach new customers and promote your brand on it. In short, if you don’t have the time, don’t bother. 

Do you have the budget?

While most social media platforms are free to set up, if you want to access all their features such as analytics or advertise through them and so on, then you’ll have to pay. There needs to be some money in your marketing budget for this. Also factor in the time you’ll spend managing your accounts as this is important to budget too. If you try to be successful on every platform, you might find that you don’t have enough money to do them all well, in which case pick the ones that are likely to be the most helpful to you and stick to them for now instead.

What is your purpose and who are you trying to reach?

Different social media platforms have various benefits, and so before you set them up, it’s a good idea to do some research not just on the functions and features of such a platform but also the types of people that use them. Channels such as YouTube can be useful for targeting younger groups, time-poor groups and those who are looking for how-to and demonstration guides. Instagram is great for businesses who can visually appealingly present their products and services. Platforms such as Twitter are great for starting conversations, and engaging people and Facebook is most useful for sharing written content and advertising. You also need to be clear on your purpose. If you want someone to buy your product you might consider using a different platform, for example, then if you wanted someone to read and share your blog post. While the end goal (i.e., to get more customers and make more sales) is usually the same, the route by which you go about it is not, and therefore picking your platform wisely is a must. 

Remember there are specific benefits (and occasionally drawbacks) to every social media marketing channel that’s out there, so what you need to do is ascertain how well each platform aligns with your company’s goals, your brand and your vision for the future. While there is nothing wrong with being on every marketing platform, it is a case of quality over quantity and so spend time figuring out which social media platforms will work best for your brand or business will save you time and money and make your efforts more likely to bring you success.