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How to Choose the Best Social Media Platforms

People who want to use social media for business should be familiar with the most popular platforms, which can help them reach their marketing goals. Here is an overview of the top sites.

1. Facebook

This platform's name has become synonymous with social media; it has over two billion active users at the moment. Almost 100 million companies promote their businesses using Facebook, so if you choose to do the same, you will be in good company.

Unfortunately, organic reach has fallen within the last few years. This means that fewer people get to see and interact with your content unless you use the paid distribution channel. The good news is that prices are less expensive in comparison with Google AdWords and other similar platforms, and Facebook's ad targeting options offer lots of possibilities.

If you sell baby food, you could choose to show your ads to moms aged 20-35 who live in the specified town, have a specific education level, etc. So, by targeting the right group of people, you may be able to get a solid return on your marketing investment in most industries. Still, since Facebook is a social media site in the first place, many people use it to get in touch with their friends, so they may not be in a buying mood while they're logged into their accounts.

2. YouTube

If you can craft interesting videos, be sure to upload them to YouTube. This platform is by far the most popular video sharing site in the world, having over 1.5 billion users, who upload almost 50,000 hours of new content each hour. You should use YouTube for product explainer videos, which can solve industry-related problems, training videos which help people learn how to use your products, customer testimonials which entice leads and prospects to purchase from you, and more.

Unlike Facebook, YouTube does not limit your organic reach, but the truth is that your content may drown in the ocean of existing videos if you do not promote it using paid ads.

3. Instagram

This photo and video sharing platform boasts with about one billion users, who share almost 100 million photos and videos each day. Over 50% of people who use Instagram are young adults. Companies utilize the platform to showcase their products, increase brand awareness and loyalty, build community, and more.

To get started with Instagram marketing, optimize your profile, including enticing information about your business in the appropriate field. Then, choose a great profile picture, which will make it easy for people to recognize your brand. The platform does not allow new accounts to include links in their posts; however, you can include a link that leads to your company's website in the profile.

Test several content themes, until you discover the best content recipe which leads to increased engagement. Try using a mix of product demos, employee stories, brand building images and videos, productivity tips, user-generated content, etc. Do not forget to publish fun content, and remember to show the fans that your company is run by human beings.

Don't ignore Instagram Stories, a feature that allows you to post content which disappears after 24 hours, because it is used by about 450 million people each day. No matter what you choose to post, make sure to keep a consistent style across all marketing channels.

These are the top three social media marketing platforms. Test them all, and then choose the one that delivers the best results for your business. Good luck!