If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the course of the past year, it’s the importance of creating a digital footprint for your business. More small businesses have begun to use social media now than ever with many business owners saying that it’s no longer an option not to. 

The problem is that establishing a social media presence takes time, effort, and money. It’s important to know the best social media for business rather than embarking on a drawn-out trial and error process.

How can you decide which social media platform will generate the most interest and ROI for your business?

Let’s dive into the best social media for business with these five tips. Keep reading to find out more about how you can branch out and make money with social media.

1. Establish Your Target Demographics

Before we start looking at the different social media platforms at your disposal, it’s important to spend some time thinking about your own business. What is your product or service? Who does that product or service appeal to?

Break down your target demographics by asking yourself the following questions:

• Who are we hoping to reach?
• What needs do our products or services fulfill and who has those needs?
• Who do our products and services not appeal to?

Remember that there are a few ways to break down different demographics. The traditional way is to think about demographics in terms of age groups, gender, race, ethnicity, geographical location, and parental or marital status. In addition, you can also think about demographics in terms of lifestyle and consumer behavior. 

2. Find Out Where Your Target Demographics Spend Their Time Online

Once you have some sense of who your target demographic is (it’s normal to have more than one, so if you do, don’t worry), it’s time to figure out where those demographics spend their time online. There is plenty of research out there to help you in this regard, so take advantage of studies that already exist. 

For example, Pew Research looked at three of the biggest social media platforms of the decade: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. They found that far more people from age 18-29 are using Instagram compared to any other age group and that people 65+ have a very small presence on Instagram. They also found that across the board, every examined demographic has a Facebook than either Instagram or LinkedIn.

What this tells us is that you should pay close attention to the social media platforms that are used by your target demographic. It also tells us that if you only have the time and budget to manage one social media account, Facebook is probably your best bet.

3. Brainstorm Content That Will Help Your Business Shine

Creating social media accounts for your business is an important start, but don’t forget that you’re going to need to create regular, engaging content. Take some time to look at how your competition is using social media. Who has the most engagement and what kind of content are they putting together?

The best content for your business is subjective. You may find that bright, eye-catching infographics are ideal for spreading information about your business. Alternatively, photos and videos may be your best option for social media outreach. 

Different platforms are better for different kinds of content. Twitter, for example, relies primarily on short text posts, although you can also upload memes, pictures, and videos to your tweets. Instagram is ultimately a visual platform, which means that you’re going to need to create high-quality, aesthetic visuals for your business account.

Once again, Facebook pulls ahead. Facebook allows you to share just about any style of content, from pictures to text posts to videos. If you have more than one account, Facebook also makes it simple to cross-share the content you’re posting on your other accounts. 

4. Understand How Social Media Platforms Work

This one may sound simple enough, but it’s more important than you may think. Some social media platforms have been around long enough that most of us understand at least the basics. Facebook, for example, is a fairly forgiving and user-friendly platform. Twitter is also a straightforward platform that isn’t prone to constant updates or massive interface changes.

Some social media platforms, however, may come with a learning curve. TikTok, for example, is a space where people are allowing their video recording and editing skills to shine. Trending content tends to reign supreme and the platform is largely dominated by the tech-savvy teens and young adults of Gen Z.

If a specific platform is going to take a lot of your time and energy to master, decide whether or not it’s really worth the effort. If your target demographic doesn’t have a large presence on a more complicated site, you can probably skip it.

5. Learn How Social Media Platforms Enable You to Make Money With Ads

Once you’ve made up your mind about where to establish your online presence, it’s time to learn how to monetize it. All of these social media platforms offer ways for businesses to turn their content and ads into money. However, there are generally some rules and guidelines surrounding how and when you can start raking in the dough.

To give you an idea of how this might work, take a look at this article on how to make money using Facebook ads. This thorough guide will help you get started on the world’s most popular social media platform.

Find the Best Social Media for Business With These Five Tips

Finding the best social media for business requires both research and inward brainstorming. With our five tips, you can get started and decide where to expand your digital footprint and how to start making more money for your business.

Wondering how content goes viral? Take a look at some of the latest viral news and get a sense of what it is that people all over the world are looking for online.