You know you need a social strategy for your brand, but how do you choose which platform is best? Here is our social media cheat sheet for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google+. We cover who’s using which platform, best times to post and pro tips.
Facebook
Still the most popular social network
Photos and videos perform well
Share stories, let people tell their stories
Who’s there?
- 4 billion users
- Dominated by 35-54 year olds, with 50+ million users under the age 25
- 77% of users are women
Best time to post
Thursday and Friday from 1:00 – 3:00pm
Pro tips
Follow the 70/20/10 principle. 70% of a client’s posts should build its brand through relevant, interesting content; 20% should come from curated sources; 10% on brand promotions.
Twitter
Ideal for breaking news and to establish expertise
People on Twitter want to interact (Don’t forget the #hashtag.)
Who’s there?
- 285 million users
- Predominantly male, younger market (18-29) and college-educated
- More than 60% of the user base makes over $50K per year
Best times to tweet
Monday-Friday during normal business hours for breaking news/influencer comments; Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at noon, 5:00pm and 6:00 pm (for B2C)
Pro tip
People love images so post them often and tag people to create mini-albums, generating more engagement.
Instagram
A fun and effective visual marketing platform
Designed to be used as an app
Posting to Twitter and Facebook is very easy
Who’s there?
- 300 million users
- 53% of young adults ages 18-29 now use the service
- Quickly growing among tweens/teens who prefer it to FB and Twitter
- Women, Hispanics and African-Americans, and those who live in urban or suburban environments
Best times to post
Engagement stays consistent throughout the week with a nice spike on Monday’s from 3:00-4:00pm
Pro tip
Go behind the scenes. Use professionally-taken and “amateur” photos to show what it’s like to work at your company or how a service comes into being.
Pinterest
The place for visual, curated content
An excellent platform for referrals, second only to Facebook
Holiday and themed content does very well
Who’s there?
- 70 million users
- 80% are women (20% of all women that use the internet use Pinterest)
- Mothers are 3x more likely to share Pins than other users
Best times to Pin
Saturday’s from 8:00-11:00pm
Pro Tips
Only pin large, high-resolution images. They’ll receive more repins, which extends the longevity and virality of the pin.
LinkedIn
41% of visits are from a mobile device
A new member joins LinkedIn every two seconds
Who’s there?
- 335 million users
- Platform with the oldest users – 100 million members are over 50
- More than 60% of LinkedIn members make over $75k a year
- Primarily for the professional crowd
- Men and women use this platform equally
Best time to post
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during normal business hours with a spike during lunch
Pro tips
One of the easiest ways to improve his/her page is to include a photo. There’s an 11% increase that the page will get viewed because it includes a visual.
Google+
The fastest growing social network
Considered the best for SEO
Offers the opportunity to interact with customers in real-time through Google+ Hangout
Who’s there?
- 343 million users
- Millenials (28%) and Generation X (23%)
- Predominately early-adopter types
- Male between the ages of 25-34
Best times to post
Monday-Friday from 9:00-11:00am
Pro tips
Ask company “friendlies”/influencers to demonstrate and/or offer tips related to how they use your client’s product/technology in a Hangout. Record the session and share it on YouTube and other channels.
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