Social media has completely transformed the way businesses interact with their target markets. With so many social media platforms available, one of the first challenges lies in identifying which one will best cater to your unique business needs.
To make this decision-making process easier, we will be taking a look at three of the most popular social media platforms, specifically Facebook vs Instagram vs LinkedIn. Additionally, we’ll go over a list of social media best practices to help you achieve optimal results on each platform.
Facebook vs Instagram vs LinkedIn: Which one do you need?
Choosing the right social media platform for your business requires careful consideration of your target market, content strategy, and business goals.
- Facebook is excellent for building brand awareness and connecting with your audience.
- Instagram is perfect for visually-focused brands looking to showcase their products and services.
- LinkedIn is the best platform for generating leads and networking with others in your industry.
However, each platform has its own limitations, and you should consider which platform best aligns with your goals and target audience. Remember, social media is a powerful tool that can help you grow your business, but it’s essential to use it strategically and effectively.
Different Approaches for Different Platforms
Facebook Best Practices
Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, with almost 3 billion active users. This makes Facebook an excellent choice if you want to reach more people, engage with your audience in real time, and receive valuable feedback on your products and services.
With Facebook’s continued growth and popularity, it’s not surprising that brands continue to turn to this platform to expand their reach and connect with consumers. Overall, Facebook’s unique features and massive user base make it the perfect platform for brands looking to build their online presence and connect with consumers in a meaningful way.
When you use Facebook, make sure to take advantage of:
- Business Pages. Establish a professional profile on Facebook and post regular updates, share images and videos, and engage with your followers.
- Groups. Build an exclusive community around your brand and interact with your target market.
- Ads. Reach your target audience more effectively so you can cut through the noise and gain better visibility.
- Chat Bots. Automate your customer service including providing automated information, taking orders, providing shipping notifications, and more.
- Marketplace. List your products on Facebook Marketplace for free and reach people in your local area.
Instagram Best Practices
Instagram is a highly visual platform that is particularly suited to younger markets. With over 1 billion active users, Instagram offers multiple ways to engage your audience visually, including Posts, Reels, Lives, IGTV, and Stories. This variety of content types allows you to connect with your followers in different ways, increasing your chances of building a loyal audience.
Another advantage of Instagram is its ability to promote user-generated content. By encouraging your followers to create and share content related to your brand, you can increase engagement and build a community around your products or services. This strategy can help you create a more authentic and trustworthy brand image, which can lead to increased sales and customer loyalty.
When you use Instagram, you can get better results through:
- Posts, Reels, IGTV, and Stories. Take advantage of the different ways and formats in which you can engage your audience.
- Story Stickers. Add questions, polls, locations, and link stickers to make your stories interactive.
- Schedule Live Events. Feature a reminder of your upcoming live session on your profile and prompt followers to join you with a pop-up notification.
- Shoppable Tags. Tag specific products in your photos, directing your audience toward your shop.
- Instagram Shopping. Streamline the buying process for your eCommerce store, making it easier for customers to purchase products directly from the app.
LinkedIn Best Practices
LinkedIn is an exceptional platform for professional networking. It provides businesses with a unique opportunity to connect with other companies, making it an ideal platform for B2B. By sharing industry-specific content and engaging with other professionals, businesses can establish themselves as thought leaders. Businesses can also build valuable business relationships with other LinkedIn members, with the platform’s more than 800 million members.
Another advantage of LinkedIn is its ability to generate high-quality leads. By using LinkedIn’s advanced search features, you can target specific industries, job titles, and company sizes to reach out to potential clients. This strategy can help you create a more targeted approach to lead generation, which can lead to increased sales and revenue.
When you use LinkedIn, you can establish a strong foothold with:
- Creator Mode. Publish insightful content and updates to expand your reach and build trust.
- Carousel Posts. Share downloadable slideshows.
- Live. Schedule and promote real-time virtual events and interact with your audience.
- Product Pages. Feature specific products on your company page, including what they do, who they’re for, and how to get them.
- Newsletters. This allows your followers to subscribe to your newsletter directly from LinkedIn.
Get Started on Social Media Marketing Today
With the right platform and strategies in place, social media marketing can be a highly effective way to promote your business and engage with your target audience.
At Digital Animals, we have a team of social media marketing experts who can help you create a custom social media marketing plan tailored to your business’s unique needs and goals. We can assist you in selecting the best social media platforms to reach your target audience, creating engaging content that resonates with your followers, and tracking your social media metrics to measure the success of your campaigns.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly team of digital marketers for expert insights on how to set up your social media pages for success. Contact us today to get started.