When first venturing into social media marketing, understanding the differences between the various platforms may not be so clear. Doesn't every platform require a bit of copy and a nice image? How different could they be? The answer is that they ( Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube and others) are all uniquely different from one another. Understanding these differences will determine the manner in which you use the platform, the type of content you create and the overall success of your campaigns and brand. This article will focus on Facebook . We will address Instagram in a future post.
Facebook is the most far-reaching social media platform with over 1.7 billion users. According to Facebook stats - each user on average spends about 40 minutes a day using the website or app. A major feature of Facebook that makes it stand out from other social media platforms is that the user can engage in multiple ways. Meaning - an individual or business can create pages, groups, use graphics or images, use paid ads, create polls, events, giveaways, do live videos, Facebook stories and more. A business can manipulate the template options on their page to find the look that works best for their company. A business can even create new tabs according to their needs and on what sort of information they would like to share with their followers.
The multiple forms of content creation available to a business is ideal for working the marketing edge and to have your business stand out. This and the multiple ways in which people can communicate through the platform, truly makes Facebook very different than the other social media sites. The way in which a business engages and communicates with fans, followers and potentials clients are numerous and can be specifically tailored to the needs of a company. For example -a person or business can engage with their followers through private messaging, chat-bots or in groups. They can leave comments, like posts, share info in groups as the business or from their personal account and they can schedule posts to appear at certain times or days.
Facebook is specifically designed for the sharing of information and is therefore amazing for businesses who would like to share original content to get their messages across. Facebook users can also easily view and share others content- this creates a unique network of interconnected people, businesses and companies. Facebook is also fantastic in its ability to show a variety of media- videos, photos, gifs, audio files, clickable menus and more. Facebook advertising is a key component in what makes this social media platform stand out from the others. Facebook paid ads, when created by someone who knows how to create, target and manage the ads, can be used to connect with highly specific targeted demographics- so businesses can reach individuals who have a higher likelihood of becoming real clients.
Facebook has grown and changed over the years and continues to do so. What started out as a university website for sharing pictures and checking out classmates has morphed into the MOST powerful marketing platform for businesses, both large and small. Working with an agency that knows how to harness the power of such a tremendous marketing tool is your best bet in securing the growth and success of your company.
Tune in next time when we will focus on Instagram!