Katie Robertson – Public Relations Account Executive
Social media’s presence in society and its value to marketers has consistently grown over the past several years. It continues to become a primary source of influence for audiences across multiple demographics, making it a necessary component of a well-rounded marketing strategy.
Like most marketing methods, social media offers users several options. Each has its own pros, cons and specific features that make it ideal for a unique set of purposes.
As the professional networking site, LinkedIn is an ideal candidate for B2B companies. In addition to connecting with important business contacts, people go to LinkedIn for meaningful, educational content that will provide value to their careers. This presents an opportunity for thought leadership content, as well as detailed posts describing the assets of a product or service to an open-minded audience.
Paid B2B social campaigns are often easiest to run on LinkedIn. Along with the demographic information available on other platforms based on geography, age or interests, LinkedIn has access to detailed information about each member’s career. A product for veterinarians can confidently be presented exclusively to that audience, making each ad dollar more efficient and effective.
Among popular social media platforms, LinkedIn has the most distinctly serious tone. Marketers working with this platform should avoid “fluff” posts such as employee birthdays and social outings.
Facebook (Meta)
LinkedIn and Facebook are like two sides of the same coin. The content parameters are nearly identical, with both supporting sharing, links, photos, videos and character-limit-free copy in each post. Paid promotions for posts are also common uses for both platforms, as their popularity makes them an excellent method of capturing audiences’ attention.
However, while LinkedIn is all about the professional attributes of the brand, Facebook focuses a bit more on personality. Facebook offers users the chance to get to know the brand and build brand loyalty through a personal connection. In addition to the product information and thought leadership of LinkedIn, Facebook content should add more of the “fluff posts,” as well as interactive posts meant to drive up engagement. Stories are also an option on Facebook, allowing marketers to post or share more timely content for a period of 24 hours.
Despite the quantity of members on Facebook offering a significant perk for marketers, the specificity of that audience may not be as enticing. For B2B, the most important criterion for a potential lead is what they do for a living. While Facebook’s algorithm is well-tuned to detect people’s interests, which could be indicative of job choice, it does not have the same level of career data as LinkedIn. The demography of Facebook users also continues to grow older, making this a platform that is likely to have an expiration date on its utility. However, when this expiration is coming, or if it will come at all, remains impossible to predict.
X (Twitter)
While Facebook and LinkedIn have few limitations on the content that can be posted, X (formerly Twitter) is well-known for its character counts on posts. This platform exploded in popularity in the 2010s as a hub for people to share opinions and comment on current events, singlehandedly bringing “hashtag” into mainstream vernacular.
In recent years, X’s star has fallen. Other options for quick content are likely to blame, as well as the controversial changes made by the platform’s new owner Elon Musk. While X was home to many famous marketing moments, such as Wendy’s account roasting competitors and anyone else who poked at them, the character counts limited how well it could be used as a marketing platform. Most companies primarily used it to share news and updates, and as users move away from the platform, even this function will likely drop off. Again, the true timing and likelihood of a full exodus from X is impossible to predict.
For brands with compelling visual storytelling, Instagram is the perfect platform. Posts on Instagram feature photos, videos or a combination of both that dominate the physical space of the post and therefore the attention of the viewer. Copy blurbs are present at the bottom of each post, but marketers should be wary of relying on Instagram followers to focus on this section. The visual components should convey most, if not all of the post’s message.
Hashtags are an important tool on Instagram as well. While they are not as critical on this platform as they are on X, Instagram hashtags inform the algorithms of what the post’s content contains and ensure it is in front of the right audience. Other platforms, such as Facebook, use this to a lesser degree, but Instagram comes the closest to matching X’s emphasis on the hashtag.
Facebook also tends to skew older while its sister platform in Instagram attracts the younger generations. Depending on the brand and its audience, this can be either a pro or a con. One common complaint that marketers have with Instagram is the inability to include links in non-paid posts. Links can be posted in the bio of the profile, but this makes including a call to action difficult. Few Instagram users will interrupt their scroll to go into a profile and search out a link unless the content is extremely compelling.
TikTok
Another platform widely consumed by a younger audience is TikTok. As TikTok is primarily used by young Gen Z and Gen Alpha, it has yet to make much of an impact in the B2B space. While its popularity certainly makes it attractive for marketers, the sole focus on short videos creates a time-consuming production effort to publish content with limited lead-generating value.
TikTok itself may not be at the center of B2B marketing dollars right now, but it does represent insight into where the future of social media is heading. The move away from platforms that heavily rely on written content, such as X and Facebook, to more visual, quick-scroll applications indicates that photo and video are necessary means of capturing attention. All marketers know that audiences have a limited attention span, and all signs point to it continuing to lessen. Emphasis on stopping the scroll is more important now than it ever was before.
Other Platforms
These five are the most commonly used platforms across marketing, but there are some other honorable mentions to add to the list.
Threads – The Meta replacement for Twitter is new to the scene and slowly but surely growing in popularity.
YouTube – Used as a video hosting platform for sharing links on other platforms as much as it is a platform itself, YouTube is a persistent presence in social media.
Snapchat – Snapchat users send pictures and messages that delete after viewing and post stories that delete after 24 hours. While it is rarely used for marketing content, influencers often take advantage of the platform’s authentic tone to promote their business.
Reddit – This catch-all platform is a no holds barred, longer form version of Twitter. Users can post stories, ask questions and contribute content to “subreddits,” or communities built around a common trait.
WhatsApp – With over 2 billion users across 100 countries, WhatsApp is a massive direct messaging platform with opportunities for wide-reaching advertising campaigns. The company is looking to expand with more interactive features soon, potentially expanding its uses for marketing.
More platforms are out there, and even more are being consistently created. Staying up to date on available options and the trends within them is critical in developing effective campaigns.
Social Strategy
Whether a brand chooses to use one or all these platforms, the approach to each must be unique. There are obvious changes to be compatible with the parameters of each application (i.e. character counts and removing links), but marketers should also account for the intent with which the audience goes to the platform. Someone scrolling through LinkedIn will have different expectations than someone on Instagram, and the content should reflect what they’re looking for. Maintaining presence across multiple platforms is not as simple as copying and pasting content. The right strategy involves consistent posting of content that is specific to both the platform and audience to engage followers and generate new leads.ecision-making process for an acquisition is generally longer and more thorough. Case studies bring confidence and indisputable evidence that a brand can provide the solution a customer needs.