Is social media right for my business?

The biggest problem I see with social media is that every company feels an underlying obligation to have an account, whether it is a good fit for their business or not. Social media done correctly is strategic and time consuming. Make sure whatever social media platform in which you choose to engage is worth your brain power and your time and effort.

Define your business goals

Long before setting up a company photo shoot for your profile picture, be sure to define your business goals. As a company, decide what you want to get out of your social media account—to increase your sales? To increase leads? To foster current relationships? To provide personal customer service? The answers will determine which networks to join and how you are going to utilize those platforms. For example, Facebook can be a great space to answer casual customer questions, respond to comments and reviews and reply personally and appropriately.

Define your audience

Once you’ve determined your goals, you need to define your audience. Who are you hoping to reach on social media? What types of people are they? What do they care about? Once identified, find out where your target audiences are spending time on social media and where they are active. The beauty of social media is its ever-changing nature—meaning that audiences (and where they hang out online) can change too. Your research needs to become continual, always looking to see where your audience is going next. For example, in 2004, when Facebook first started, it was only for college students, but now in 2015, moms and middle-aged women rule the Facebook timelines.

If you are going to launch a social media account, commit to it. Social media, especially for businesses, is a time-commitment, and therefore an investment for your company. Ensure that you are ready to dedicate the necessary time each social network requires. It is better to not have a social account than to have one and have nothing on it.

Finally, just because other businesses are involved in a certain site, does not mean that you (or the company) should necessarily be on that platform, too. Spend time researching each tool, its audience and its content and then decide if you want your business in that realm.

Taking time to carefully assess these considerations will ensure you are utilizing your social media accounts to their full potential!

Scratching your head about which social media platform is right for your business? Give us a call at 303-394-2366 or send an email to info@philosophycommunication.com. We can help identify your target audiences, their interests and how your business can generate social media content on the right platforms.