There are a lot of new Social Media platforms out there, how do you know which ones to join? Should you jump onto everything new out there? Or should you stick with what you know? The ideal answer is, as usual, somewhere in between! There are some things you need to ask before you start on a new platform:
1. Are my audience there?
The aim of any platform in Social Media is to get customers through your door and/or onto your website, so there is no point spending the time and energy to set up, learn and utilise a new platform if the majority of users on that platform are not your target audience. Before you start, do some research and find out who is using it and if that correlates with your target audience.
2. Do I understand how to use the platform and posting?
When you start on any platform you need to understand not only how to use the platform for business, but what kind of post are best suited to that platform. All platforms have some basics the same – a newsfeed where you can see what people who you follow have posted, a profile page for you to see what you have posted and update your information and contact details, and often some kind of private messaging feature. However, they all differ in the navigation, analytics that are available, and the kind of posts that work best on that platform.
3. Do I have time to do it justice?
One of the worst things you can do is to start on a platform with a hiss and a roar, and then after a short time dwindle out because you run out of time and/or ideas on what to post. You are better being on one or two platforms and doing them well rather than trying to be on too many and doing a bad job.
Once you have answered these questions, you are ready to make a decision about the new platform – if you are in the right place, doing the right things at the right time you will have a successful Social Media approach.