Choosing the right social media platform for your business: the Small Business DIY Guide.
Choosing the right social media platform for your business can be a head-scratcher. Don't worry, we're here to help. In this guide, we'll break things down in a way that's easy to understand and apply to your business. Let's dive in!
Understanding Your Business and Audience
Choosing the right social media platform for your business does take a little bit of research and identifying key pieces of information.
Know Your Business Goals: Before anything else, take a moment to think about what you want to achieve with social media. Are you aiming to boost your brand, drive more website traffic, attract new customers, or keep your existing ones loyal? Knowing your goals will guide your choices.
Who's Your Audience?: Your customers are the stars of your show. Get to know them! Understand their needs, wants, and where they hang out online. This insight will help you find the social media platform that's right for your audience.
If you don’t have a clearly articulated set of business goals and audience profile, why not download our handy one page Marketing Cheatsheet. This document is designed to help you summarise key business info such as goals and audience so you can keep the details in focus (rather a large unwieldy marketing plan).
What platforms do they (your audience) use the most? And Do these platforms differ from where they have conversations on this topic? Ok, this can be a difficult questions to answer but actually, with the right tools you can easily answer this question. There are two things you can do.
Content research: Use a tool like Buzzsumo.com to research the topic related to your business offering. It is expensive for most small businesses, but it is worth it when you are getting started to understand what content is going to work for you, and which platform is a good fit.
Using a keyword that best fits your topic or area of specialty, you get a heap of results that make choosing the right social media platform for your business easy. Just look at the data!
Your competition: Look at successful competition (or similar businesses related to your topic) and the social platforms they use. Which are they most active in, and which do they get the most engagement on.
Your own stats: If you already have social media, choosing the right social media platform for your business just got easier, as you may already have the data. Look at which channel you get most engagement in and what content they engaged with on that channel. This can be very informative.
With this information in hand, you need to understand the attributes of each social media platform to make choosing the right social media platform for your business easy for you.
Handy hint: take lots of notes on the content that you see while researching your competitors and the topic. This will help once you are ready to start planning and publishing your content.
Overview of Major Social Media Platforms
Next step in choosing the right social media platform for your business is to match the social platforms against the research you’ve completed above.
Let's give you an overview of the main players in the market:
Facebook is like a cozy coffee shop where people chat and connect. It’s great for sharing stories and building relationships.
Key points of interest:
- Groups and community-oriented conversations work well.
- The more conversation you can get going (think long-form commenting) the better the results from Facebook will be.
- Depending on the type of business, local business groups and marketplaces can be a boon for some types of small businesses.
- Events work well depending on the nature. They can help you spread the word through your audience engagement.
- Be prepared to spend much time engaging with people. A one-way content conversation will not work very well.
Key statistics of Facebook users in Australia
- Number of users: 21.9 million (April 2023)
- Percentage of population: 81.8%
- Gender: 53.2% female, 46.8% male
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 66% of Australians use Facebook on a monthly basis
- Engagement: Australia Facebook users are the fourth most active “Likers” in the world and the equal 6th most active “commenters” in the world
Key statistics of Facebook users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 2.91 billion (Q1 2023)
- Percentage of population: 36.2%
- Gender: 50.5% female, 49.5% male
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 63% of people worldwide use Facebook on a monthly basis
- Engagement: The average Facebook user spends 58 minutes per day on the platform
Instagram is picture-perfect for visual businesses. It’s a place to share photos and videos of your products or services. Think VISUALLY to express your messages.
Key points of interest:
- Reels are key to getting discovered by new followers.
- Encourage as much engagement as possible, so it’s useful to build this into your content eg. Ask questions, use stories with surveys and other interactive elements.
- Like Facebook be prepared to spend a lot of time engaging with people. A one way content conversation will not work very well.
- Build in an engagement strategy where you are actively collaborating with other accounts to build up awareness and exposure outside your account. This might be collaboration posts, having an influencer or happy customer tag you.
Key statistics of Instagram users in Australia
- Number of users: 11.65 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 44.3%
- Gender: 56.5% female, 43.5% male
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 55.5% of Australians use Instagram on a monthly basis
- Engagement: Australian Instagram users are the fifth most active “Likers” in the world and the equal 7th most active “commenters” in the world
Key statistics of Instagram users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 2 billion (June 2023)
- Percentage of population: 25%
- Gender: 49.5% female, 50.5% male
- Age: 18-24 (largest user group)
- Usage: 40% of people worldwide use Instagram on a monthly basis
- Engagement: The average Instagram user spends 53 minutes per day on the platform
X (formerly Twitter)
This is a speedy platform for quick updates and is ideal if you have lots of news and updates to share or are up for constant engagement and exchanges with other uses.
Key points of interest:
- Need to commit to being on the platform every day
- It’s not enough to simple post - you need to drive conversation and engage in other’s – particularly trending topics.
- It can be a good way to engage with journalists.
- Beware the trolls. It’s an opinionated place.
Key statistics of Twitter users in Australia
- Number of users: 5.3 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 20.3%
- Gender: 53.8% male, 46.2% female
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 18.5% of Australians use Twitter on a monthly basis
- Engagement: Australian Twitter users are the sixth most active “Likers” in the world and the equal 10th most active “commenters” in the world
Key statistics of Twitter users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 237.8 million (Q2 2023)
- Percentage of population: 3%
- Gender: 54.5% male, 45.5% female
- Age: 30-49 (largest user group)
- Usage: 21.4% of people worldwide use Twitter on a monthly basis
- Engagement: The average Twitter user spends 20 minutes per day on the platform
LinkedIn is a professional platform for networking and business connections. It’s perfect for B2B businesses or networking on a professional level.
Key points of interest:
- You need to have a two-way strategy of posting and reaching out to those you know and those you don’t yet know.
- Use this as a serious networking platform – who do you know, nurture and stay top of mind.
- Generate and post content that drives serious conversation and input.
- Content where you are featuring or including others such as posts from events always does well.
Key statistics of LinkedIn users in Australia
- Number of users: 11.2 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 43.3%
- Gender: 64.9% male, 35.1% female
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 48.5% of Australians use LinkedIn on a monthly basis
Key statistics of LinkedIn users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 830 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 10.4%
- Gender: 57.2% male, 42.8% female
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 36.5% of people worldwide use LinkedIn on a monthly basis
Pinterest is a visual wonderland for creativity. It’s great if your business is visually appealing. People use it to research and prepare for projects eg. Decorating and baking for seasonal events eg. Christmas.
Key points of interest:
- Post content that hooks into the planning/researching mode.
- Use it to help promote your blog content.
- Your pins must be highly engaging and hook the user via the visual – even if this is text overlay to help convey the topic.
- Build in a repinning strategy to help with engagement – you should also engage (comment/ like) other’s content.
Key statistics of Pinterest users in Australia
- Number of users: 4.3 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 16.6%
- Gender: 81.5% female, 18.5% male
- Age: 18-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 18.5% of Australians use Pinterest on a monthly basis
Key statistics of Pinterest users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 445 million (Q2 2023)
- Percentage of population: 5.6%
- Gender: 76.4% female, 23.6% male
- Age: 18-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 10.4% of people worldwide use Pinterest on a monthly basis
TikTok
TikTok is the place for short, fun videos. It’s ideal for businesses with a knack for creativity and humour.
Key points of interest:
- You must deliver content that is fun and engaging – even if it’s a serious topic.
- Jump on trending TikToks.
- You must post regularly.
Key statistics of TikTok users in Australia
- Number of users: 8.2 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 31.5%
- Gender: 58.4% female, 41.6% male
- Age: 13-24 (largest user group)
- Usage: 35.4% of Australians use TikTok on a monthly basis
Key statistics of TikTok users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 1.5 billion (Q1 2023)
- Percentage of population: 19%
- Gender: 56.6% female, 43.4% male
- Age: 13-24 (largest user group)
- Usage: 23.5% of people worldwide use TikTok on a monthly basis
YouTube
YouTube is your personal TV channel and is perfect for video tutorials, product demos, and storytelling.
Key points of interest:
- Longer form video formats are needed
- Develop and implement a strong keyword strategy
- Leverage all opportunities on the platform such as building relationships with out accounts and using their short form video “Shorts”.
Key statistics of YouTube users in Australia
- Number of users: 17.5 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 66.8%
- Gender: 51.5% male, 48.5% female
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 66.5% of Australians use YouTube on a monthly basis
Key statistics of YouTube users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 2.291 billion (Q2 2023)
- Percentage of population: 29%
- Gender: 52.5% male, 47.5% female
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 70% of people worldwide use YouTube on a monthly basis
Snapchat
Snapchat is famous for creating the instant, disappearing stories format. This is a platform that captured an audience’s attention several years ago and have remained true to the channel.
Key points of interest:
- It has a young and engaged audience
- You must be creative and visual to get cut through
- It does offer a business account which provides some stats and run ads.
Key statistics of Snapchat users in Australia
- Number of users: 6.4 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 24.6%
- Gender: 52.8% female, 47.2% male
- Age: 13-24 (largest user group)
- Usage: 27.5% of Australians use Snapchat on a monthly basis
Key statistics of Snapchat users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 498 million (Q2 2023)
- Percentage of population: 6.3%
- Gender: 54.5% female, 45.5% male
- Age: 13-24 (largest user group)
- Usage: 13.5% of people worldwide use Snapchat on a monthly basis
WeChat is a Chinese social media platform. It is a multi-purpose app that allows users to chat, make payments, shop, and access a variety of other services.
Key points of interest:
- It provides you access to a large and engaged Chinese audience
- Has a number of features for businesses to use such as setting up a WeChat store, and run WeChat marketing campaigns.
- It has a relatively low barrier to entry
- Ensure you create high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience including using the interaction features such as polls, surveys, and live streaming.
Key statistics of WeChat users in Australia
- Number of users: 1.2 million (October 2023)
- Percentage of population: 4.6%
- Gender: 55% female, 45% male
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 5.5% of Australians use WeChat on a monthly basis
Key statistics of WeChat users in the rest of the world
- Number of users: 1.213 billion (Q2 2023)
- Percentage of population: 15.3%
- Gender: 52.5% female, 47.5% male
- Age: 25-34 (largest user group)
- Usage: 24.5% of people worldwide use WeChat on a monthly basis
Niche platforms
Also, don't forget smaller, specialized platforms like Etsy or TripAdvisor if they fit your niche.
Next step: Creating a Social Media Action Plan
Now you’ve got all the information for choosing the right social media platform for your business, it’s time to get down to business and create a social media action plan (or content plan!). Need some help to find some ideas:
That's a wrap! You've got this. We've covered a lot, but remember you can always return for guidance. Keep learning and experimenting, and your small business will thrive in the digital world.
Data sources:
- Meta: Meta publishes quarterly earnings reports that include information about the number of monthly active users (MAUs) on Instagram, as well as other demographic data.
- Twitter: Twitter publishes quarterly earnings reports that include information about the number of monetizable daily active users (mDAUs) on the platform, as well as other demographic data.
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn publishes quarterly earnings reports that include information about the number of monthly active users (MAUs) on the platform, as well as other demographic data.
- Pinterest: Pinterest publishes quarterly earnings reports that include information about the number of monthly active users (MAUs) on the platform, as well as other demographic data.
- YouTube: YouTube publishes quarterly earnings reports that include information about the number of monthly active users (MAUs) on the platform, as well as other demographic data.
- Snapchat: Snapchat publishes quarterly earnings reports that include information about the number of daily active users (DAUs) on the platform, as well as other demographic data.
- Social media marketing agencies: Social media marketing agencies such as Genroe and Meltwater conduct regular research on social media usage and trends. Their reports are a valuable source of information on the demographics and behavior of Instagram users around the world.
- Market research companies: Market research companies such as Statista collect and analyse data on a wide range of topics, including social media usage. Their reports are often cited by news organizations and businesses.
