The Best Social Media Platforms For Businesses 2019 (And How to Choose The Right Ones!)
By Betsy McLeod
One of the main causes of a failed social strategy is prioritizing the wrong social media platforms. It’s an understandable mistake to make—social media is fickle, and staying on top of the new channels, trends, and current best practices (not to mention the dozens of niche social media platforms like Nextdoor and MeetUp) takes a lot of time and dedication.
That whole “takes a lot of time and dedication” thing doesn’t resonate with business owners who have a to-do list longer than a line at the DMV. So, I’m never surprised when one of the first things they ask during a consultation is, “which social media platform should my business be on?”
Tricky question, and since you’re reading this, you’ve had the exact same one. I’ll tell you this: Before I give our clients any sort of recommendation I always need to know—and so should you—three key things:
• Are you B2C, B2B, or both?
• What’s your target audience?
• What’s your overall goal?
That’s what you really need to focus on. If you know the answers to those three questions, it’s relatively easy to pare it down to a solid two to three platforms to dedicate your time to. (Side note—Yes, a solid two or three; no more. Unless you have a giant team to manage them all or employ a social media marketing company like Blue Corona, do not try to be on too many social media channels. They each take time, and you won’t see results unless you put in the man-hours.)
If you understand that social media marketing matters for your business you’re already miles ahead of other CEOs. To save you time and help you prioritize, I’ve broken down (and only included) the five best social media platforms for marketing, including their main audiences and top industries for the channel:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Pinterest
After you’ve answered the three questions above and matched your answers with the top platforms, you’re well on your way to a successful social media marketing strategy.
Which Social Media Platform Should Your Business Be On? Answer These Three Questions First
1. ARE YOU B2B OR B2C?
Are you B2B or B2C? Because that changes things. Unfortunately, we’re not yet to the point where people go to social media sites when they want to buy things. There are exceptions—like looking for local goods on Facebook’s marketplace—but a general rule of thumb is that people on social media are at the very top of the sales funnel. What this means for you is that you might be targeting your ads and social media strategy for the wrong buyer’s stage. Unless your product can be an impulse buy, the likelihood of them traveling all the way down that funnel instead of scrolling to the next post in their feed is slim to none.
The best B2B social media strategies aim to gather leads and generate interest in your product. Do this by regularly blogging, creating lead magnets like case studies and e-books, and promoting your company on the best B2B platforms like LinkedIn.
Be careful, however, because the dynamics of B2B buying have changed, and your target audience might be on other channels.
2. WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE? THESE 10 QUESTIONS WILL TELL YOU
Every once in a while, I’m served an ad that is blatantly ill-targeted. I’ve gotten bad ads for everything from jock straps (true story) to herbal supplements for overweight pregnant women (also true).
I’m a female, I’m not overweight, and I’m as likely to get pregnant as a new parent is to jet away for the tropics on a whim.
Every time I’m served these types of ads, two thoughts run through my head:
That business just wasted money on me.
That business should fire whoever is in charge of their ads targeting
When you target the wrong audience, you’re wasting your money—no ifs, ands or buts.
Take out a piece of paper, right now. Write down the answers to the following ten questions:
Where is your audience located?
What is the average age and gender of your target buyer?
What’s their average income?
Are they homeowners?
What are their hobbies?
What industry do they work in?
Do they have kids?
What challenges do they face, and what problems do they want to be solved?
How do they get their information (are they tech-savvy or more traditional)?
Which of all of the above are my top-paying and most loyal customers?
There. You’ve just profiled your average buyer.
Stuck? A handy—and simple—tool you can use to profile your target audience is Facebook’s Audience Insights.
3. WHAT’S YOUR OVERALL SOCIAL MEDIA GOAL?
I once spent an afternoon with a nephew of mine who had just discovered soccer. After two hours of chasing loose balls and narrowly avoiding broken windows, I made a deal that I’d keep playing with him until he made three goals. Three goals later, I made to go inside, and he stamped his foot and promptly told me,
“Yea, but THAT’S not the goal I was talking about,” he said, gesturing to the net. “That is,” and he pointed off to the bushes in the opposite direction.
As childish as it sounds, that’s actually how a lot of business owners and marketing managers run their social media program. They’ll say, “shoot for the goal,” without disclosing (or knowing) exactly what the real goal is. Chances are, you’ll have the same results as I had with my nephew’s “three-goal” soccer game—disappointing at best.
One thing to keep in mind is that social media is a “see” platform, meaning people go there to see things, not do things. That makes it difficult for businesses with a long sales cycle to make sales straight from the platform.
The Top 6 Social Media Sites that Are Best for Businesses in 2019 and Their Demographics
BEST FOR: B2C, in some cases B2B
TOP INDUSTRIES: Fashion, Auto, E-commerce, Retail, Entertainment, Real Estate, Marketing, Sports, Health and Wellness, News and Information
TARGET AGE AND GENDER: Anywhere from 25 – 55+, both men and women
At the end of Q3 2018, there were over 2.27 billion monthly active Facebook users—1.5 billion of them log onto Facebook daily and are considered daily active users. The most common age demographic is age 25 to 34, at 29.7% of all users.
You need a Facebook presence. It doesn’t matter if that’s one of the main platforms you choose to market on, you need one.
Here’s why: Facebook is considered a local SEO signal, meaning search engines look at your business’ Facebook profile as an indicator when they spit out local search results.
2019 Facebook Statistics You Should Know:
Facebook users are 53% female and 47% male
An average Facebook user has 155 “friends”
77% of college graduates are on Facebook
77% of adults in the US making over $75,000 a year are on Facebook
81% of 18 – 29 year-olds are on Facebook
78% of 30 – 49 year-olds are on Facebook
65% of 50 – 64 year-olds are on Facebook
56% of online Seniors aged 65+ are on Facebook
BEST FOR: B2C, some B2B
TOP 10 INDUSTRIES: News and Information, Retail, E-commerce, Health and Wellness, Travel and Hospitality, Telecom, Finance, Fashion, Retail, Sports
TARGET AGE AND GENDER: 18 – 29, both men and women
Twitter was on its way out the door until it got a Hail Mary pass from the 2016 election. Now it’s re-emerged as a hub for trends, news, and political rants, all in 280 characters or less. Another thing it’s good for? Customer service. Whenever I—or anyone in my office—has an issue with a product or service, they Tweet the business. If your business has the right audience and a big element of customer service, I highly recommend making this a platform of choice.
Twitter (and social media as a whole) is becoming a central discovery hub for consumers, so it’s a great place to show off your expertise, products, and creativity.
2019 Twitter Statistics You Should Know:
40% of 18 – 29 year-olds use Twitter
27% of 30 – 49 year-olds use Twitter
21% of 50 – 64 year-olds use Twitter
42% of Twitter users use the site daily
8% of US Companies use Twitter for marketing purposes
74% of Twitter users follow small businesses to get product updates
BEST FOR: B2C
TOP 10 INDUSTRIES: Travel and Hospitality, Fashion, Health and Wellness, Arts and Crafts, Food and Beverage, E-commerce, Beauty, Photography, Auto, Event Planning
TARGET AGE AND GENDER: 18 – 35, mostly women, but that’s shifting
Is Instagram the best social media platform for your business? If you’ve got a visual product, the answer is yes. In the words of Blue Corona’s CEO Ben Landers, “Instagram is all the stuff you like on Facebook and none of the crap you don’t like.”
Well said, Ben, and it really hits the nail on the head. Instagram is a photo app, where users upload and share images. While it may not seem like much, this social media platform packs a punch, especially with Millennials. If your business wants to capture this audience and can create high-impact images, by all means, you should make this platform a priority.
Facebook owns Instagram, so they have a lot of the same features and ad targeting options, which makes it an excellent option for brand awareness and engagement. Be careful, though; Instagrammers expect high-quality imagery that tells a story. Posting stock photos isn’t going to work. If you don’t have a visual product or access to quality photographs, try a different platform.
2019 Instagram Statistics You Should Know
64% of 18 – 29-year-olds use Instagram
33% of 30 – 49-year-olds use Instagram
21% of 50 – 64-year-olds use Instagram
BEST FOR: B2C
TOP 10 INDUSTRIES: Retail, Health and Wellness, Travel and Hospitality, Fashion, E-commerce, Arts and Crafts, Food and Beverage, Beauty, Home and Garden, Event Planning
TARGET AGE AND GENDER: 18 – 45, mostly women
Pinterest is a hobbyist’s paradise. Ask any woman who is planning a wedding or remodeling a house if they’re on Pinterest, and I guarantee they’ll show you a pinboard dedicated to that event. Even if they aren’t planning something, most people I know have a Pinterest account where they keep clippings of vacations they want to go on, items they’d like to buy one day, and new workout routines.
If your audience is on Pinterest and you have a visual product or offer services that have to do with visual planning—like home remodels, landscaping, event planning, etc.—then this is the platform for you.
2019 Pinterest Statistics You Should Know
34% of 18 – 29-year-olds use Pinterest
34% of 30 – 49-year-olds use Pinterest
26% of 50 – 64-year-olds use Pinterest
25% of Pinterest users use the site daily, and 31% use the site weekly
87% of pinners have purchased a product because of Pinterest
BEST FOR: B2B, B2C employment
TOP 10 INDUSTRIES: Financial, Employment, Science and Technology, Legal, Manufacturing, Marketing, Education, Professional Services, Health and Wellness, IT
TARGET AGE AND GENDER: 25 – 45, both men and women
If you are B2B, the main social media channel your business should be on is LinkedIn. Why? Get this: four out of five LinkedIn members drive business decisions, and LinkedIn’s audience has 2x the buying power of the average web audience.
I love LinkedIn, and I’m considered a B2B buyer. I’m on LinkedIn more than Facebook and Instagram, and I’m willing to bet I’m not unique. More and more professionals my age and in Gen-Z are discovering the power of networking on LinkedIn, and that number’s only going to keep growing.
2019 LinkedIn Statistics You Should Know
49% of college graduates use LinkedIn
45% of adults making more than $75,000 per year are on LinkedIn
34% of 18 – 29-year-olds use LinkedIn
33% of 30 – 49-year-olds use Linkedin
24% of 50 – 64-year-olds use LinkedIn
Final Thought on Choosing a Social Media Channel for Marketing Your Business in 2019
Understanding which social media platform to use for what will not only save you time, it will help you get further down the path to your goals. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to spend a lot of time on it—the social channel’s definition is to be social. We always recommend you spend at least six hours per week on monitoring, posting, and responding alone (Insider tip: use a scheduling platform like Hootsuite to save you some time).
About The Author: Betsy is Blue Corona's in-house Digital Marketing Specialist. When she’s not directing Blue Corona's corporate digital content campaigns she’s urban exploring with her wife, diving into the latest marketing trends, or teaching horseback riding lessons. Twitter: @educatedbets
