What Social Media Networks Are Right for Your Brand?

If you're new to the world of eCommerce, chances are pretty good that you've at least contemplated creating one or more social media profiles to promote your business. Social media is like the breeze, and if think a Facebook Page is all you need for reaching your potential customers... you're wrong, you could be in for an unexpected surprise.

There's always more possibilities. Each network has their own advantages and pitfalls as well as the rules to be followed.

Today, we're going to talk about what you need to consider when deciding which social media platforms are the right fit for marketing your eCommerce business. We'll discuss why it's essential to pick carefully and then look closely at the most popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest along with other platforms so you'll be able to determine the likelihood of them being a good fit for you.

It is crucial to select the best network

For a shop owner Your time is valuable. There are many other activities you must attend to with social media, without adding it to the mix. It's becoming an integral part of an effective marketing strategy and the presence of your company is valued by customers and prospects, it's an essential part of your business.

There's not a rule that requires you to maintain a presence on each social media platform but. In fact, certain stores would be considered a waste of time to create a Pinterest account or LinkedIn profile because the customers don't use these apps or networks. And wasting time is something you absolutely need to beware of, as it prevents you from focusing on the things that will earn you the greatest amount of money.

That's why it's so important to choose the right social media channels for your organization. Selecting the right networks so that you have the best chances of connecting to your ideal audience or perhaps your customers already will mean you'll use less time , and also earn more money. You won't have to fight so hard to get results, either. Consider it like choosing the "path that has the most resistance" which is where you choose to go so that you'll need to perform minimum effort in order to reap the highest return?

When you take the time to evaluate each platform carefully, and choosing the right ones for you-- where your clients are already and in which area your company will be in a position to optimize your time , and make sure that your efforts result in a return on investment. With that in mind there are a few things to consider for each significant social media site, from who uses each one to the types of content that are successful on each.

Facebook: ideal for targeted marketing of your product

In the past two years, Facebook has slowly reduced the reach of its organic pages. This has drastically limited the amount of exposure their posts are getting in the News Feed the change is which has caused so much anger that the company required an FAQ on the subject. Some reports estimate that the majority of organic brand posts are now able to only reach about 2% of their fans. It means that there are fewer views, fewer clicks, and a lower revenue for the items or posts you publish in your Page.

It doesn't mean you must give up Facebook but. If you've created an Page with a lot of likes or you're seeing that your page growing at a steady clip, you can certainly profit from this fan base. The best method to accomplish this is to use .

Since Facebook is no longer reliable in delivering even your most interesting information and content to its users, the best usage of this site is to provide your most crucial news using pay-per-click. This could be increasing the visibility of posts on your website -- that is pushing it to News Feeds. This could mean targeted at visitors to your site by displaying an advertisement that encourages users to visit your site so they don't miss the best deal.

The great thing about this kind of Facebook use is that every brand is able to do it with a roughly equal chance of achievement. Additionally, posts that are boosted as well as remarketing advertisements are displayed to existing fans and those who have already been to your site, or visited it, so they're highly relevant, targeted material -- and much more relevant than an ad that is shown to someone who's not heard of your company prior to now.

However, the downside, is that you have to spend money on advertisements. But with the right information, the ads could convert very well, and potentially make you lots of money.

Twitter is the ideal platform for clever posts, discussions and social interaction

19% of the total adult population is currently using Twitter according to Pew studies, and the majority of them under age 50. This network, which limits your updates to 140 characters, is widely used by companies, if not because that so many of their users are on Twitter. But does every brand need to have a presence on Twitter? Are certain businesses able to achieve better results here more than other brands?

In contrast to specific types of companies that have been successful in Twitter, it appears that certain types of content influence how effective you are in this social media platform. The study also found that images outperformed video as well as links to tutorials and blog entries overcame all other posts with regard to the amount of retweets they received. Another study found that users who tweeted quotes had 43% more followers than those who did not.

If your eCommerce company isn't based on what it is you actually sell -- tweets links to interesting content, posts pictures, and sometimes offers inspirational quotes (provided they are related in common with your business that is), you seem to be more likely to getting clicks, retweets and new followers than those who don't do any of these.

All this aside, Twitter is really the best place for companies to start an open dialogue with their customers. Because the platform is so accessible and widely-used as well as it takes shorter time to write tweets than email and you'll likely get questions, comments, and concerns here. If you respond quickly and in a timely manner, research shows that this good experience may encourage more sales. Make sure you are ready to listen to those @mentions and respond appropriately!

Pinterest: perfect for food, beauty, and fashion brands

Pinterest, the network that lets you search for images, find, and save "creative ideas" via pinned images is growing each year. The latest statistics show that around 28% of adult Internet users use this site.

This may seem unimpressive in its own right However, the most important thing about Pinterest is the demographic that is using it. According to the eMarketer, 85% of Pinterest's total audience is composed of women.

Also, take a look at this Millward Brown research which revealed that Pinterest people -- with 87 percent of whom have bought products they came across through the site! -- say they use the site to find products to buy from five main categories: food, home decor, clothing/accessories, hair/beauty, and health/fitness.

What does this mean to your business? It's a good question, if your online shop sells products from any of these five categories, you're probably going to realize that Pinterest is the perfect choice for your business. The majority of users discover and repin the content of the categories with the intention of buying, therefore if the pins you're providing are attractive and unique, you have the potential to make more purchases through Pinterest than any other network.

Instagram: the best platform for brands with appealing physical items

Nearly half of Instagram's 300 million active monthly users are active on the platform each day as per the most recent research conducted on the image-centric social media platform. Its widespread use by users easy system to publish photos, and relative friendliness to brands and brands -- all posts are ever filtered to be hidden, hidden, or not in the order you want them to appear on the feed, making it an ideal pick for many online retailers.

LinkedIn: suitable for business news, culture and for jobs

LinkedIn is used currently by around 28% of all internet users. It's the sole social network where its users are more likely to be age 30-64 over those who are between the ages of 18 and 29, and it's mostly populated by those who are university graduates.

The LinkedIn network can be a challenge for businesses. Because most users rely on LinkedIn for professional-related things like connecting with their colleagues or locating jobs sometimes reading articles -- content that isn't associated with your business could be a failure. LinkedIn's Corporate Pages can be designed to draw job-seekers as well as those who are interested in your company's image, and this is the one time when it's beneficial to speak about your personal brand a lot.

Due to this, LinkedIn is ideal for purposes of attracting customers to your business from a business perspective. There is a good chance that people will follow you here as they are looking to purchase from you. Instead, they tend to be following you because they wish to be employed by your business or interact with you in a different way. posting company news, providing information about your company's culture, or sharing job openings will help you make the right impression here.

Niche networks like Vine, Snapchat, and Meerkat Be cautious

It's simple to get immersed with the latest trends in social media. With each new and emerging social media platform, you're likely looking forward to trying every hot app to see if it works for your own use. However, before you send pictures to customers or streaming live videos on your website for visitors, think carefully about the benefits over time of each of these emerging or specific networks.

One important fact that is worth being aware of is that new social media platforms are often created without any brand standards, guidelines, or features. As they're made with users in mind, and not businesses Brand features tend to be introduced much later, which could limit of your business, or put an abrupt end to an opportunity to earn new revenue you've come to depend on.

Again, as we said earlier, your time is precious. Do not spend money on a social media network simply because it's cool or is popular. Invest in one that you know your audience will be interested in, that has set standards for brands, and has clear long-term benefits for your business such as an increase in revenue or a better way to communicate with customers.

The best way to pick the most appropriate networks

Choosing the right social media platform you can promote your eCommerce business is a difficult task. When you start with a fear of investing too much time, but seeing almost zero return, or investing marketing dollars that do not bring in sales. But by researching beforehand and knowing the features each platform can do for you and your business, you have a much better chance of succeeding in social media than a company that signs up for any option.

We hope the tips in this blog post will give you an excellent starting point in selecting the best way to start your social media profile.

If you have additional questions about picking the right networks for your business, hit us up in the comments.