Which Social Media Network Makes The Most Sense For Startup Companies?
One of the initial and most critical elements in developing a strong social media strategy for your startup company is deciding which social media network (or networks) makes the most sense to post on. Each social media network has unique features and audiences that make them more (or less) appropriate for particular brands.
A reputable social media agency will take the time to work with you, really get to know your business, and understand your unique needs and goals before recommending a social media network and social media strategy.
Startup companies are usually operating on limited resources, so it’s absolutely critical to get your social media strategy right the first time.
We’ve built this blog to give you a top-down, comprehensive view on some of the more common social media networks and offer some strategic insight into which networks work best for particular types of companies.
With 50+ years combined experience in digital marketing, our social media agency provides social media posting and social media strategy services to a number of companies – from startup ventures to large corporations.
Define Your Goals Before Selecting A Social Media Network
Before you can choose the right social media network for your business, you should spend some time defining your goals. What do you hope to achieve out of having a presence on social media?
Some common goals include:
-Expanding reach
-Generating more leads
-Boosting brand awareness
-Building brand reputation
-Driving website traffic
-Engaging customers
-Providing customer support
-Gaining insights about a particular industry or market
-Building a community
-Improving rankings in search engines
All of these goals (and more) are possible and can be achieved. But in order to make the most out of your time and money, it’s important to prioritize your goals and select the social media network (or networks) that are most likely to help you reach them.
Think: Which channels are my audience using? Where are they most likely to be active?
Social Media Network Candidate #1: Facebook
Everyone knows Facebook. When considering the top social media networks today, it’s usually one of the first that comes to mind – and for good reason. Facebook is currently the largest social media network, with over 3 billion users.
Facebook is a platform heavily built around connection.
There are many different ways for businesses to engage with prospects and clients alike, ranging from designated pages to groups. These options allow businesses to really connect with their audience and build relationships.
Businesses can share a variety of content including static images with captions and short-form videos (called “reels”). They have a user-friendly paid advertising platform that allows PPC campaigns to be set up and optimized quickly.
When it comes to PPC advertising, Facebook is also considered more budget friendly compared to a social media network like LinkedIn.
Social Media Network Candidate #2: LinkedIn
Another popular social media network is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is also about building connection, but in a very different way from Facebook. Whereas Facebook is geared more heavily towards B2C, LinkedIn is ideal for B2B businesses.
LinkedIn consists largely of professionals and industry leaders. The “vibe” is much more corporate, with the majority of content being more “thought leadership” oriented. Businesses can share video content (although it’s not heavily prioritized like other networks). Most content is longer-form copy with static images.
LinkedIn’s PPC campaign options are much more robust, with many filters for really honing in on your “ideal” audience. This means your ad spend is much more targeted, but it definitely comes at a higher price point.
Social Media Network Candidate #3: Instagram
Although Instagram has been around a while, it’s a social media network that has definitely increased in popularity here recently.
Instagram is super easy to use and is leveraged by a wide variety of people. That being said, Instagram is very image and video heavy.
Although B2C businesses do find success on Instagram, it’s not as likely for businesses in the B2B space, which often have more of a “corporate” or “professional” vibe.
Similar to Facebook, Instagram prides itself on offering a unique way to really “build connection” with your audience. More artistic brands or influences who create a lot of reels and video content will enjoy building community on Instagram.
Social Media Network Candidate #4: TikTok
Despite all of the recent talk of TikTok disappearing, it’s still here and looks like it will be sticking around. TikTok is all video content so if copy and static images are more your jam, you’ll probably want to stick with Facebook.
The TikTok audience really loves authentic video content. You don’t need a professional videographer to go viral on TikTok. The demographic there really loves building real connection with brands and businesses.
Participating in TikTok challenges could be a great way to increase brand awareness, especially if you enjoy creating video content. TikTok advertising is also less expensive compared to some of the more “established” social media networks like LinkedIn (although your audience is going to be completely different).
Social Media Network Candidate #5: YouTube
With 2.5 billion users, did you know YouTube is the second-most visited website after Google? There is huge potential for reaching your intended audience on YouTube, if you post the right kind of content.
As you probably know, YouTube is all video content. Some examples of video content that performs particularly well on YouTube include:
-Tutorial videos
-Product reviews
-Unboxing videos
-Interviews
-Podcasts
-Testimonials
-Q&A Videos
Although YouTube was more traditionally known for longer-form content, more recently, an option to publish “YouTube shorts” recently appeared (and is increasing in popularity)!
According to SemRush, YouTube videos appeared on search engine results pages (SERPs) for over 791 million queries in America alone in February 2024.
Developing A Solid Social Media Strategy For Startup Companies
Once you have decided which social media network (or networks) makes the most sense for your business or brand – it’s time to start developing a solid social media strategy.
A successful social media strategy will outline which social media network (or networks) you plan to post on and how often. You should clearly outline the content that will appear on each network, as well as when it will be posted (days and times)!
Many brands will plan and lay out content several weeks in advance. This helps keep the “pipeline” running, so you never run out of ideas and material to publish.
Anyone can post on social media but in order to get noticed, consistent content that resonates with your intended audience is key – and that requires developing a social social media strategy and social media posting schedule and sticking to it.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Consider working with a social media agency like our team here at High Caliber Digital Marketing Solutions. We specialize in startup companies and can help you devise a social media strategy that will take your brand to the next level.
Social Media Posting – How Often and When?
Creating a social media post isn’t as simple as just writing a couple of words, adding an image and hitting “publish.” Successful social media strategy requires heavy research into your intended audience before you ever create content, in order to make sure it is resonating.
Once you have content ready to publish – you have to decide how often and when you plan on posting. Your audience will be most active on social media on certain days and times. You will want to post within these windows to make sure you are reaching them.
When creating posts, you also have to be mindful of the copy and images you use. You will want to make sure everything is original and not used from other sources without proper citation.
Insider Tip: It’s not unheard of for new startup companies to not realize you can’t just drag and drop images off Google into a social media post. That’s a surefire way to get sued for copyright infringement!
Partner With a Top Social Media Agency for Best Results
If you are stuck on how to up your social media game, you might want to get in touch with a top social media agency like High Caliber Digital Marketing Solutions. We have worked with many businesses, just like yours, and can help you create and publish content that will really make an impact on your audience.
Having over 50+ years combined experience in digital marketing, we’ve also built a variety of strategic partnerships and have gained access to high-quality tools that enable us to provide a much stronger social media strategy compared to many other digital marketing agencies.
Schedule a complimentary discovery call with our team today and let us show you why we are quickly becoming the #1 choice for digital marketing agencies. We’ll help you break ground and shatter glass ceilings, turning clicks on your website and social media into paying customers.
