You have probably heard all there is to know about social media marketing. Some of the things you have heard or read are true while others are complete fabrications based on presumptions. You may also have heard that you need to be on Facebook while other publications have insisted on being on Twitter or Pinterest. All these information can be confusing. It is your responsibility to find the truth amidst all the lies.
Most social media experts recommend prudence. Some will advise you to focus on a single platform while others will recommend that you be on as many social networking platforms as you possibly can. But how exactly do you find where your audiences are? When it comes to the implantation of social media, there are two main strategies you can use: be everywhere or focus on one network. Confusing, right? Not really.
Be everywhere
This is a strategy that was popularised by the Smart Passive Income’s Pat Flynn. It states that in order to build a stronger audience, you have to be where your audiences are. This means being on every social media platform that your audiences are on. Some of your audiences will prefer video over audio and vice versa while others will prefer blogging and so on.
By only picking one channel, you will miss out on the audiences who prefer other modes of learning. You definitely have customers who have never used Facebook in their lives but they are active on Twitter and LinkedIn. You cannot pick just one platform and expect to cater to the needs of most of your customers. You have to be everywhere.
Being across many social media platforms offers great benefits:
- You will be able to connect with consumers who have a preference for a certain channel. For example, when using YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter, you will be reaching your audience who enjoy videos, those who love images and those who prefer text. The more networks you combine, the more audiences you will be able to reach.
- Some audiences will want to follow you on different networks. By using the ‘Be everywhere’ strategy, you will be able to give them the opportunity they need to connect with you via different channels. You will also be able to get your message across in different mediums that they understand.
The Be Everywhere strategy is a great investment to make if you have a team of social media professionals or a bigger budget that can help manage the big task. This is the most highly recommended strategy.
What is more is that it will boost your SEO. The more platforms you are on, the more quality links you will get to your website. Needless to say, quality inbound links are preferred in search engine ranking. Being active on various social media networks shows that your product is also valuable and you will get preference in Google ranking.
Can’t be everywhere? Focus on one network instead
Are you a small business that is limited in terms of time and resources? Managing the Be Everywhere strategy can be very taxing and expensive. This is why if you have a small team, you should consider the second strategy; Focus on one network. However, doing so is not as straightforward as you may want it to be.
With this second strategy, you pick one social media network for all your social media needs. You will be using this one network to deliver what your audiences need and learn how to get more followers on the network, generate leads and bring more followers to your funnel or newsletter. It is only after achieving these objectives that you can move to another social network.
There are several benefits you stand to gain from this method:
- It is easier to focus your energy on one channel than juggling multiple channels all at once. Being able to focus on one channel will enable you to give better social proof. The risk of forgetting about a channel will be lower.
- Starting with one social media channel helps perfect your social networking skills before moving to another channel. It will give you traction almost immediately with the engaged readers.
- Focusing on a single channel will enable you to remain consistent and to learn more about your consumers.
- Focusing on one platform will help you respond to the posts of customers faster. This will improve customer satisfaction.
The main challenge of using this strategy is that you have to pick a social media platform with care. You have to know where most of your audiences are in order to pick the platform that will work best for your marketing needs. This is not an easy thing to do.
Derek Iwasiuk who is the owner of one of top SEO companies in San Francisco Bay Area, has said that “you need to pick a strategy with care”. Consider your social media goals and your resources before picking a strategy. Understanding your audience will further enable you to pick the best strategy for your social media needs.