Do you think a major business can get by these days without a strong social media presence? In 2019, the percentage of American business owners that did not engage in any kind of internet social networking was about 40%, which suggests that quite a few companies are able to stay in business despite not being on social media at all. We can safely assume that this percentage is even higher in many developing nations, particularly those where offline marketing and advertising are still very effective.
With all the turmoil associated with social media these days, some business owners may feel that social networking may not be worth the effort. While it is true that Facebook has seen its fair share of scandals in recent years, it continues to be the most popular social media platform in the world. The whole Elon Musk – Twitter saga of 2022 has only resulted in greater interest in the network.
The bottom line for business owners using social media is that they have an excellent opportunity to promote their brands to global audiences without having to make substantial investments. With this in mind, here are four social networks that you should not ignore when figuring out your online branding strategy:
As the largest business-centered social network in the world, LinkedIn is the online platform that every business owner should establish a presence on; not only for their brands and companies but also for themselves as professionals. There was a time when LinkedIn was mostly used as a job board, but the network has organically transformed into a valuable platform for business networking.
Here’s an example of a LinkedIn profile to give you an idea of the amount of information adequate to maintain a basic company presence on the network. You can think of it as an online business card that can boost your search engine optimization efforts when you link your company websites to it.
Many attorneys who are managing partners of their law firms believe that a LinkedIn profile combined with a Twitter account is the right mix of social media presence for their professional field. This sentiment is shared by many architects, doctors, engineers, dentists, accountants, and real estate agents. One word of caution about Twitter: For more than a decade, the network has been buzzing with political discourse and rhetoric, and we all know how things can turn out when this happens. Brands should proceed carefully if they wish to engage in political Twitter threads.
TikTok
This mobile network is not for professionals; in fact, brands that do not target product or services to the younger members of the Millennial Generation should skip this one. Something interesting to know about TikTok is that political candidates have effectively used it to convey their campaign messages to younger voters. A few social media analysts think that TikTok will soon start offering company pages with special business features.
For all the talk we hear about Facebook being ancient and unappealing to younger users, the fact remains that it continues to be the largest and most popular social network in the world. If brand exposure is what you are after, Facebook is your best bet, but you will still need to develop the right strategy to promote your business.
