This is the big question on most every entrepreneurs and business owners mind … which social media platform should I use to gain visibility and grow my brand? There are so many to choose from and it’s quite impossible to be on all of them especially if you’re managing most of your content yourself.
There is no one size fits all to this question. The best way to figure out where you should focus your content and marketing efforts is to get clear on a few things first. I’m going to break this up into where you’re currently at with your brand/business to make this easier BUT you’ll need to honestly answer the few questions below before skipping to this part of the article.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:
Where do you currently stand in your brand/business? Are you just starting your business? Or are you between 1-3 years in business?
What is the outcome you want to receive from sharing on social media? Do you want to gain more visibility on your brand overall? Do you want to sell specific services or products? Are you launching a movement or something new? Really think about these things and write them down.
What types of content come easiest to you? Are you better flipping the video record on and speaking? Are you better at writing? Feel more comfy speaking but with voice only?
SUGGESTED SOCIALS PER YOUR ANSWERS:
JUST STARTING: If you’re a new brand/business in the launch phase and nobody really knows of you yet, my suggestion is you need to gain awareness and visibility first. Like, trust, know factor before trying to promote anything you have to sell. You’re most likely creating content yourself at this stage. If you have help, awesome!
If showing your face and speaking on camera is your jam you’ll want to focus on these platforms:
- TikTok – the best algorithm for showing your content to new people
- Instagram – you can repurpose your TikTok videos to IG Reels
- Facebook – believe it or not FB Reels is favoring Reels. You can decide whether to share to your Personal page or create a FB business page. Connect this to your IG account so when you post videos on IG it automatically posts on FB.
- YouTube Shorts – you can repurpose your videos here BUT you only get 60 seconds of video so you might have to edit down the ones you’re repurposing.
- YouTube Channel – think about creating a series aka topics you want to talk about and film long-form video content you’ll publish on YouTube.
If writing is more your speed, you’ll want to focus on these platforms:
- Instagram – use static and carousel posts (you get 10 slides in one post). Don’t discount IG Stories. You can have a blank backdrop and write text. These are really effective.
- Threads or X – pick either one but I do believe Threads (by Instagram) has been gaining momentum again. You can possibly repurpose your IG captions here. Threads is more community based, so having engagement is necessary here. Set aside 30 minutes to do this daily.
- LinkedIn – repurpose your IG static posts here. If you want to use an IG carousel post, you’ll need to combine them into a PDF and then upload as a Doc. This will create a carousel post in LinkedIn. It’s a weird technical thing but that’s how you do it.
- Blog – most likely you have a website … IMO if you don’t you should. Since you spent time writing content for IG, take this and put it into an article you’ll post on your Blog. This also makes you searchable on Google.
- Pinterest – link your IG, LinkedIn and Blog posts to a Pinterest account. Create a graphic with headline that is standard Pinterest size and reflects your branding. Easiest way to do this is in Canva.
If using your voice without showing your face is your vibe:
- Podcast – I know, this isn’t ‘social media’ per se … but it’s a platform that can help you gain visibility. I’ve had great experience using Buzzsprout to launch a Podcast.
- YouTube – yessss…you can take your Podcast and upload to your channel without video.
IN BUSINESS 1-3 YEARS. If you’ve been in business for a short time, most likely you have an audience. At this stage you might be looking to gain new eyeballs but the focus might be more on selling your services or products. Maybe you’re launching something new. This means you’re looking for awareness and conversions. Most likely you have a few active social media accounts. Below are my suggestions for this stage in your business.
- Instagram – I would double down on creating a mix of organic posts that include carousel, static and Reels (videos). Use Stories daily for selling. Should you Boost (pay) a post? I would if you’re selling something. Test $5 a day for 3 days and for audience set to automatic.
- TikTok – only if you feel comfortable talking on videos. But at some point I suggest to get comfy doing this. People want to connect with the person behind the brand/business. Using TikTok will help get new eyes on you but might not turn into conversions. Depending on what you sell. Service based is harder to convert on TikTok.
- Pinterest – link your IG, LinkedIn and Blog posts to a Pinterest account. Create a graphic with headline that is standard Pinterest size and reflects your branding. Easiest way to do this is in Canva.
- Podcast – I know, this isn’t ‘social media’ per se … but it’s a platform that can help you gain visibility. I’ve had great experience using Buzzsprout to launch a Podcast.
- WhatsApp or Telegram – for moving your audience into groups and chats. This is a great way to continue to sell to your audience you’ve built up from the start of your brand/business.
- LinkedIn – only if your target is other businesses (B2B). I would use this still for gaining visibility as opposed to social selling.
This is a simple guide to help you decide where you want to focus your efforts on social media. There are other marketing platforms and strategies for scaling and growing your business that aren’t included here.
Have questions? Feel free to send me an email at maria@mariavonlosch.com or DM on IG @your.brandceo.