As a business owner, you may wonder if you should have a presence on social media. The truthful answer is that not every business needs social media, but it depends on several factors, such as your goals and KPIs. Do your goals, audience, and KPIs align without social media? If the answer is yes, you probably don’t need to rush to open an Instagram or TikTok account.

If you’re not reaching the right audience yet, or if your goals still seem out of reach, you may want to consider at least one social media account. But with so many options, which one is the best fit for your business? Below you’ll find information on the various channels and some tips to help you choose the best platform for your business and its needs.

As always, if you still find yourself struggling with social media, contact Ghost Brands. We can help you grow your social media presence and turn engagement into conversions.

Facebook

Once upon a time, you had to have a college (.edu) email address to sign up for Facebook. For its own benefit, the platform did away with this rule and opened up Facebook to everyone. Since then, the site has absolutely exploded in popularity. With 2.7 billion users, it is the biggest social media platform in existence.

• The good: Facebook is aimed at connecting with people, and it’s great for building brand loyalty.
• The bad: Facebook has a limited reach despite its huge presence.

Twitter

Twitter has been the target of a lot of controversies in the past year, from certain celebrities being banned from the platform to Elon Musk’s takeover and his implementation of change. However, Twitter posts thrive on hashtags, which can be good if done right. You can find what’s trending by the hashtags used and jump in on the conversation.

• The good: Twitter is great for public relations and real-time updates.
• The bad: You are limited to 280 characters or less, and tweets can get lost in all the noise.

TikTok

Known for its short-form videos, TikTok is an excellent choice for visual-based businesses such as art, retail, beauty, and food. It has 689 million users, a plus for extending your reach. However, it is very popular with the younger generations, so if your demographic includes older folks, TikTok may not be for your business.

• The good: Great for creative businesses with visual products to show or for those who don’t mind jumping on the latest viral trends.
• The bad: The average user is between 18 and 24 years old, which limits your target audience.

Instagram

With a slightly older average user (between 25 and 35), Instagram is fantastic for lead generation for visual industries such as food, retail, beauty, and entertainment. You can post static posts, videos, reels, or even “Stories” (short clips that are only viewed for 24 hours). Instagram has approximately 1.2 billion users, making it one of the more popular platforms.

• The good: Great for building relationships, conversation, and lead generation.
• The bad: You can only post photos and videos.

Pinterest

With 442 million users, it’s slightly more popular than Twitter but still not one of the more popular platforms. It gained popularity in the 2010s, but in the last few years, its appeal has seemed to have died out. Pinterest's whole “idea” was to create online scrapbooks or “mood boards” of favorite recipes, interior/exterior design, beauty, and more. You’ll find slightly older users on Pinterest, generally between 30 and 49.

• The good: Great for lead generation if you excel at visual posts leading to products or informational posts.
• The bad: It has a very narrow demographic, and you can only post images and videos.

YouTube

YouTube is another excellent platform that has been around since 2005. If you’ve been on the internet, you’ve probably visited this site. It is a fantastic platform for videos, especially how-to, lifestyle, and overall educational posts. You can find a video on how to do just about anything! This is great if your business can produce informational videos relating to your industry, which can build brand awareness.

• The good: It’s one of the biggest search engine platforms, especially for videos, and this can really benefit service industries. Also, it boasts a vast reach.
• The bad: If your business doesn’t involve an industry that could benefit from how-to videos, there’s not really any point in signing up for it.

Each social media platform has its own set of pros and cons, whether it’s a wide reach or great opportunities for brand awareness. And, as always, Ghost Brands is available to help you with your social media platforms. We can help you grow your reach, elicit more engagement, and turn that growing engagement into more conversions. Ready to grow your business? Contact us today!