Which Social Networks Should my Business Use?

Four Steps to Choosing the Right Social Networks for your Business:

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• Identify Goals  – Determine what your company goals are.  Are you trying to expand your current network and gain new customers? Reach new markets? Build customer loyalty and referrals? Monitor your brand online? Get nationwide exposure? Start with your overall business goals and marketing goals in mind.
• Locate where your Customers are – Next, find out where your customers and industry players hang out online. If you are not sure, do some research – ask your customers individually or survey them as a group to get some insight.  You could also use the search features within different social networks to see if people are talking about your topics. Setting up Google Alerts for your brand, products, company name, or industry is another way to get a feel for where conversations are happening across the web.

• Consider the Content – What type of content does your company create or plan on creating? In most cases, a mix of content can help you to get the most exposure and engagement. But when you really excel with certain content, it will help you pinpoint some social networks that will help you best use your marketing communications.
• Prioritize – Now that you have a list of some great choices for your business on social media, prioritize and determine how much time and resources you have for social media marketing, or if you will outsource or hire a Community Manager. If your time and resources are limited, focus on which 1-2 social network(s) can help you create the best results and give them your all!