Every social media marketing strategy revolves around different social media platforms, but the kick here is, WHICH PLATFORMS SHOULD YOU TARGET?
The younger audience hangs out on Snapchat, while the elder ones are still committed to Facebook, but millennials are mostly on Instagram! What about professionals, aren’t they on LinkedIn? Isn’t it overwhelming?
But despite all the overwhelming, we can’t let it be, right? We mean with a total of 4.59 billion users worldwide, we all are aware of the importance of social media marketing, right?
It is to answer this, that we have created this list of top social media platforms, and trust us, these are it – to create a compelling social media marketing strategy for 2023.
How does choosing the right social media platform impact your entire social media marketing strategy?
Choosing the right social media platform is literally the basic step of any digital marketing company or for you as a business owner to market a business on social networking sites. It can significantly impact the reach and success of your marketing efforts.
Consider this example – You are a beauty salon targeting elderly customers, would you choose to market yourself on Snapchat or Facebook? You know, Snapchat has a younger demographic while Facebook is more widely used by the older generation. Votes up to Facebook, right?
SHORT AND SWEET - The choice of the platform entirely depends on the target audience.
However, your social media marketing strategy may also require research on some secondary basis too, like:
The platform features: Different platforms have different features, such as the ability to share long-form content, live streaming, or shoppable posts. Choosing a platform that aligns with your marketing goals and objectives is key.
Competition: The level of competition on different platforms can vary greatly. Choosing a platform where your target audience is not saturated with content from your competitors can give you an advantage.
Resource allocation: Different platforms require different levels of resources, such as time, money, and human resources, to effectively execute a marketing campaign. Choosing a platform that aligns with your available resources is important.
8 Social Media Platforms – All You Need!
1. Instagram
The 2010 created social media platform, Instagram, allows users to share photos and videos with their followers. It was created in 2010 and acquired by Facebook in 2012. Users can add filters, captions, and hashtags to their posts, and they can also interact with others by liking, commenting, and sharing posts. Additionally, users can explore content from other users by browsing hashtags or following other accounts. Instagram has over 1 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most popular social media platforms when it comes to social media marketing strategy.
Instagram should be on high priority for your business if your brand is visually heavy or is related to eCommerce, lifestyle, or a similar niche and your target audience is below the age of 40.
2. YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing platform where users can upload, view, and share videos with a global audience. It was created in 2005 and has since become one of the largest video-sharing websites in the world, with over 346 million monthly active users. People can use YouTube to post videos about a wide range of topics, from music and entertainment to news and education. The site also features a commenting system and allows users to like, share, and subscribe to other users' channels, hence, making it an ideal option for d2c marketing.
YouTube is ideal for brands related to education and entertainment whose target audience is below 50 years of age.
3. Facebook
The OG social networking website and mobile application, Facebook, was launched in 2004. Facebook allows users to create personal profiles, share photos and videos, post updates and comments, and connect with friends and family. It also has features for businesses and organizations to create pages and promote their products and services. Facebook has become one of the largest and most popular social media platforms in the world, with user statistics reaching approximately 1.98 billion users globally in 2022.
Facebook is the epicenter of the social media marketing strategy of brands that thrive to reach the elder audience and aim to create an online community.
4. Twitter
Created in 2006, Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to share short messages, called "tweets," with their followers. It was and has since become a popular tool for communication, news dissemination, and networking. Users can follow other users, participate in hashtag conversations, and share multimedia content such as photos and videos. With 398 million active users monthly in December 2022, Twitter is a powerful tool for celebrities, politicians, businesses, and other entities to connect with their audiences, share information, and build their brand making it a much-underrated platform for inclusion in social media marketing strategies.
The platform is ideal for brands that aim to target men from the age of 30 to 60 and want to use discussion threads for important topics and opinions.
5. TikTok
TikTok is a social media app that allows users to create and share short, musical videos. It was created in September 2016 and has become incredibly popular, especially among young people. It is a platform for users to showcase their creativity, humor, dance skills, and other talents through 15-second to 1-minute videos that can be edited with special effects, filters, and music. TikTok has a strong focus on entertainment, but it has also become a platform for users to share their personal experiences, opinions, and challenges making it reach more than 656 million users globally in 2021.
Brands with the intent to target younger audiences must include TikTok in their social media marketing strategy.
PS: TikTok is not available in some countries like India and Afghanistan. However, there are many alternatives available with similar formats like Instagram Reels, Moj, etc.
6. Pinterest
One of the most off-beat social media platforms, Pinterest, is often missed in the social media marketing strategy of many brands. It allows users to save and share images and videos of things they like and find interesting. It is a visual discovery and bookmarking tool that allows users to create boards and pin images, videos, and links related to their interests. Users can browse, search, and follow other users' boards and pins, and can also interact with other users by commenting, liking, and repining. Pinterest is commonly used for inspiration and ideas related to fashion, home decor, cooking, beauty, travel, and many other topics.
Pinterest is an ideal marketing platform for female-centered brands due to a higher share of female users, i.e., adult women – a study revealed that more than 76.7% of Pinterest users are females.
7. Snapchat
Snapchat, with 364 million daily active users globally in 2022, is a multimedia messaging app used globally. It allows users to take photos, record videos, add text and drawings, and send them to a selected list of recipients. The unique feature of Snapchat is that the images and videos disappear after a short time, which can range from 1 to 10 seconds. Additionally, Snapchat offers filters, lenses, and augmented reality effects that can be added to images and videos. It is primarily used for personal communication and has become a popular platform for sharing daily moments and socializing with friends.
Alike Pinterest, Snapchat is also one of the most unrecognized platforms in the social media marketing strategies of most brands. However, it is a must-have platform for brands targeting Gen Z and millennial audiences.
8. LinkedIn
One of the most used professional networking platforms with 167.7 million users worldwide, LinkedIn, allows users to connect with others in their industry, search for jobs, and build their professional brand. Users can create a profile that highlights their education, experience, skills, and other relevant information. They can also connect with other professionals, join groups, and follow companies.
If you are a B2B brand and are looking forward to seeking community and networking with other businesses, then it maybe it.
The booming babies…
Since we have identified the top social media platforms, Tumblr, Quora, and Reddit are booming platforms that have a lot of potential in the coming future. Since all three of these platforms are based on communities with similar interests, they have the capability to target a highly specific audience.
You may also want to know some hot social media trends for 2023 to develop to scale up your social media marketing strategy or contact a d2c marketing company to do the same for you.