News Flash: You Don't Need to Be On Every Social Media Platform

We’re sure you’ve heard this one before: “Get on EVERY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM out there so you cover all your bases!”

If this were a tweet in February, we’d be putting 30 red flags up.

Let’s get one thing straight: you do NOT need to be on every social media platform out there. In fact, this can prove to be counterproductive to your overall business and marketing goals.

Why shouldn’t I be on every social media platform available to me? Let’s discuss.

An individual in your target audience isn’t on every social media platform - and if they are, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re looking for your product or service on every social media platform. For example, Jane Smith is on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, she's using LinkedIn to search for a new job, Facebook to connect with friends and family, and Twitter to catch up on the news.

“Let’s get one thing straight: you do NOT need to be on every social media platform out there.”

Jane may scroll right past your content on these platforms, because it's not why she downloaded them in the first place. But on Instagram, she loves to check out the latest products on the market, or what her favorite influencers are using. That's where you need to be to catch Jane's eye. This social media journey looks different for everyone, so find out where your target audience hangs out looking for products or services online and head there.

With the above in mind, being on every social media platform is a waste of time, resources, and content. Spending any amount of time scheduling out social media content - whether it be you as the owner or one of your employees - needs to be worth it. For example, your B2B product really hits home with LinkedIn users, and you see little to no ROI on Instagram. Don’t be afraid to say goodbye to Instagram! It will free up time for you and your employees, give you more quality content to dedicate to specific platforms, rather than all of them.

Now that we’ve covered the hot take, what can you do to find those platforms to effectively reach your audience?

First, define what your target audience looks like. Age, location, job field, career level, stage of life, and any other demographic that may be relevant to your business. Don’t forget your existing customers - they can help tremendously!

Then, conduct market research and identify industry trends. This includes a competitive analysis. See what your competitors are up to and what’s popular in your industry - you’re likely to find out where your audience is on social media.

Don’t forget: you can utilize social listening to see if your brand name pops up anywhere on social media. This is another way to pinpoint where your most effective marketing can take place. There are multiple tools and schedulers you can use that offer a social listening tool.

After outlining your audience demographics, conducting market research, taking a look at competitors, and beginning your social listening journey, you should have no problem finding what channel - or channels - will best support your business goals.

What other tips do you have to connect with your audience on social media?