Social media has of course been around for a while and has an unprecedented dominant presence on the internet. More and more companies are seeing the benefits of it and see it as an additional opportunity to approach customers.
But is it really necessary to participate in everything?
Especially for self-employed people and SMEs, it is impossible to participate in all popular social media platforms. As a rule of thumb you can say: do it right, or don't do it. In addition, it is good to first take a look at the situation. Will that new network really be as big as the makers say?
In addition; At the bottom line it must of course yield something.
AActively used social media pages also contribute to a better findability. Google also likes to see that you are active on various networks. Which can have a positive effect on your rank in Google.
Facebook has more than a billion users and is the largest social media channel. So there is a good chance that you are already using this.
Facebook is really a must for the entrepreneur. You can participate through a special company page that you can create or you can share posts via your own account.
The size of Facebook ensures that your target group is present.
LinkedIn is a platform for the business market. Actually, think of it as a replacement for the old-fashioned business card folder.
LinkedIn is intended more for maintaining and obtaining business relationships than for tapping into private customers. The platform works with network circles and the more “connections” the larger your business network is. Here too you can create a company page just like with Facebook.
Twitter is a micro blog. In 140 characters you can post messages (tweets) that will be visible to people who follow you or search for a word that appears in the message. These followers can then share this message by retweeting.
Twitter can be described as fast, hyper and, above all, anonymous. It is especially interesting to get the latest news and updates on major events. A big fire? There's a good chance you'll find the first photos on Twitter.
Twitter is a very direct medium and is ideal for things like web care. Here too, it is important that this account is actively used. Twitter is more popular among young people than Facebook.
Youtube
Youtube is the largest video provider on the Internet. This medium has been part of Google since 2006.
If you have a lot of videos on your website, it is better to offer them on your website via YouTube due to bandwidth.
YouTube is also interesting for review videos, tutorials or service videos. You can set up your own channel to post all your videos. You can post professional videos without major investments.
Google+
Google Plus is a social media network that you automatically get when you create a Gmail or YouTube account. Unfortunately, there isn't much life in this platform.
However, it is important to create a well-designed page for your company here.
The opportunities should mainly be sought in the field of search engine optimization (SEO). The more Google products you use, the more interesting Google finds you and makes you.
Pinterest works like a kind of pin board. You can use “pins” to hang images on a “mood board” you have created. This can be done by pressing “Pin-it” on any website.
You can decide for yourself what these boards have as their theme. For you as a company, this is generally not a medium to fully invest in.
Instagram is a free mobile app for editing and sharing photos and videos. Instagram is now part of Facebook. The end results are very reminiscent of the old Polaroid photos. Instagram is mainly used by larger companies such as Ben & Jerry's to show new flavors or Mercedes to promote a new type.
Yammer
Yammer is actually more for large companies and is a kind of corporate Facebook. Companies such as Shell, DHL and Capgemini use Yammer.
Everyone can see what everyone is doing within the company and it strengthens the mutual bond within a company.
Yammer is free to use for small businesses
Snapchat
At Snapchat your messages disappear after 10 seconds. There is also SnapChat Stories for companies. These stories will then remain available for 24 hours. For most companies, this is not a suitable medium to promote your companies.
With all social media platforms, your success is in your own hands. Just like everywhere else on the internet, the sky is the limit.
