What is social media?

Social media is an interactive computer-generated technology that enables us to express ourselves via virtual communities and networks. We can express ourselves by creating articles or content, sharing information, ideas, career interests and a lot more.

What is a social media platform?

A social media platform is a channel that enables us to express ourselves through social media. The purpose of a social media platform is to socialize, which in turn opens the doors to various opportunities.

Social media platforms for business

Social media is a huge boon when it comes to promoting your business. Social media covers business, marketing, and sales which are a crucial part of any business. Selecting the right social media platform is pivotal for your business. 

Steps to select a social media platform for your business

You need to take into account these factors before jumping to any conclusions:

1. Demographics  

You need to begin with identifying your audience. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to make a decision. Answer the following questions to help you build a profile of your audience:

• Who is your standard customer?
• What is the age group of your audience?
• Are your customers male or female?
• What is your customer’s education level?
• What income group does your customer fall in?
• Besides your products and services what else interests them?

2. Purpose

Having a purpose for your business helps you define your goals. Once you know your audience, you can define your goals as per your audience. You can approach your audience in various ways. Using the correct social media platform you achieve your goals, whether it’s building relationships with potential clients, promoting brand awareness, customer service or lead generation for marketing.

3. Desirable outcome 

Once you’ve identified your target audience and set your goals, you move on to finding your target audience. You do so by monitoring the demographics of users on each social media platform.

4. Limitations 

Every platform has its limitations. It is important to be aware of them because it could interfere with your business goals. 

Here are a few examples of some of the limitations you may come across:

• Limited reach
• Limited use of characters (eg 140 or less)
• Images only and very specific demographics
• Not widely used
• Limited interactions

You need to know the pros and cons of every social media platform and then align them with your business goals. This will help you select the best platform for your business.