Best marketing platforms for small Businesses
Social media marketing trends continue to change and evolve as platforms introduce new features and functions to keep their users interested. Check out some of the latest trend in our Ultimate 2019 Marketing Guide.
This constant progression can be stressful for small businesses, as it is tough to keep up with the latest tools and tactics across different platforms.
Consider this: as the top three social media sites move towards paid advertising, organic reach for businesses is steadily declining. And while the user experience is undoubtedly better than ever, small businesses with little to no budget to spare for their SM marketing are suffering.
So where does the small business owner go to find the right audience?
The good news is that Facebook, Twitter and Instagram aren’t the end-all-be-all of social media. As the emphasis moves towards user-generated and video content, many other platforms are emerging as an excellent way to reach and connect with diverse audiences.
It’s time for digital marketers and business owners to take notice of these developing trends and get the reach, engagement and impressions that you need to succeed.
Here are some of our favorite new social media platforms to look out for:
1. Tik Tok
With 500 million active users, Tik Tok has seen a meteoric rise as a video and music powered social network.
Even though the app brought in $3.5 million in 2017, this figure skyrocketed when it was the most downloaded app in early 2018, easily beating all other social media apps along with Facebook.
Simply put, Tik Tok allows users to make short music videos of up to 60 seconds. They can then edit these videos, add special effects and even music.
It’s also great for businesses, as Coca-Cola found out when the brand jumped on the Tik Tok bandwagon. The #ShareACoke campaign got a whopping 200 million views and more than 900,000 videos creators contributed to it.
2. Snapchat
With 203 million daily active users, Snapchat is now a force to be reckoned with.
The content on this platform is visual, i.e. photos and videos, and is mainly targeted towards millennials and Gen Z’s.
It’s important to remember that all the content that is uploaded on the platform expires a day later and you have to post everything all over again.
Very few businesses have taken advantage of the opportunities presented by Snapchat, primarily due to the belief that is tedious to come up with constant updates.
If your target audience is 21 years old or younger, go for it! Create videos, introduce filters and get your audience to your website using Snapchat – check out how the movie The Terminator: Genesis used Snapchat for marketing for some inspiration.
P.S – I’d encourage you to checkout our content marketing guide to get an idea of the best types of content for different social media platforms!
3. Medium
If your niche or industry doesn’t lend itself easily to fun video content, then Medium might be the thing for you. With 60 million monthly active users, this is a fantastic online publishing platform with a social networking component.
You can publish your blogs, articles and opinion pieces here for no cost at all. However, while ‘posting’ is free, some articles can only be read by paying members.
Businesses use Medium to improve the reach of their corporate blogs and they even republish their posts on there as well.
Check out the top 5 corporate blogs on Medium.
4. Pinterest
People go to Pinterest to be inspired, so the metrics for engagement are quite different on this platform. Perhaps that is why they don’t like to identify as a social platform, but that’s how users treat it and businesses are better off using it like one as well.
With 265 million monthly active users, Pinterest gives brands a unique opportunity to influence buying decisions. Convince them to try out your products or services, promote your media and use Pinterest to enhance the reach of your business.
5. Viber
With 260 million monthly active users, Viber is a social messaging app that is big in Europe predominantly. It lets users send pictures, videos, sticks and of course, text messages.
It’s great for modern small businesses because it offers an opportunity to build a community around your brand and keep users engaged.
Use it to showcase your products, interact with your buyers and prospects and provide timely customer service.
6. WhatsApp
If your audiences are in the USA or Asia, then you need WhatsApp on your side. The app has 1.5 billion monthly active users from 180 countries and millions of businesses have found ways to use WhatsApp to enhance their bottom line.
With WhatsApp Business, you can communicate easily with your clients, customers and prospects. The app is free to download and small businesses can use it to build a better customer care solution.
The Last Word: Make Sure Your Business Is Evolving With Social Media
Social media marketing is no longer just an option; it is a necessity. If you have an Instagram profile or a Facebook page for your small business, that’s awesome. But these platforms alone are no longer enough to maximize your reach unless you are willing to pay for ads.
First off, understand your target market and figure out where your audience spends most of their time. Then make sure that you know your marketing goals: do you want more leads? More sales? Brand awareness? Finally choose your battleground, i.e. the right social media platforms for your business.
After this, all you have to do is create good content, provide value and entertainment to your audience and there is no reason why your small business can’t win at the social media game.
