The Pros and Cons of Each Social Media Platform

Choosing the right social media platforms to use for your business can be tricky. Because of this, it’s best to consider your options–the pros and cons of each, and then go from there. All companies are different. From products and markets to target audiences and goals, you have to find the platform that is right for your business specifically. Take into consideration your target market, your goals, what you’re selling, and your brand identity. All of these will affect where your time and investment are best spent marketing your company and products. That’s why today, we’re going to discuss some of the pros and cons of each social media platform to help you figure out your best options!

Facebook

Pros:

• Facebook is home to a wide variety of audiences and segments. This makes it a great place for most target markets. However, it’s important to consider how often your specific target audience uses Facebook and how they interact with it. You can capitalize on it by creating Facebook Groups, which allow you to build a community and relationships between your customers.

Cons:

• This platform has been known for privacy leaks, which has made users quite cynical of it. Unfortunately, this association could have a negative impact on your business and the way consumers perceive you. There are also many different businesses that use Facebook, and with their marketing set-up, they’ll only show relevant ads to the customer.

Instagram

Pros:

• Instagram has all kinds of extra features for business accounts to use that personal accounts don’t have access to. This makes your content very accessible and user-friendly. They provide many options like swipe-up links, shoppable posts, post scheduling, and even post boosts! This allows Instagram ads to feel less like ads, and more like relevant content for the users.

Cons:

• Unfortunately, there can be decreased visibility with marketing your business on Instagram. Many businesses have taken to marketing via Instagram, and this most likely includes your competitors. This will require lots of time and effort to put together an effective marketing strategy with content that the users care about.

Twitter

Pros:

• Twitter has a large reach (all over the world, actually), which makes it easier to spread your brand name and awareness. Posting content is also very simple on this platform because the average tweet is simply words that are capped at 280 characters. You don’t have to worry about writing an essay about your company. Instead, focus on the trends and entertaining your audience.

Cons:

• More exposure means more negative interaction as well. Twitter users are very tech-savvy, and they know an ad when they see one. If all of your content feels extremely pushy in terms of selling to users, this will put them off and drive them away. To avoid this, focus on connecting with and entertaining, as opposed to concrete branding and traditional selling.

LinkedIn

Pros:

• LinkedIn provides a professional environment unlike the other platforms, which makes it great for hiring & networking. If you’re a B2B (business-to-business) company, LinkedIn is the best place for finding prospects and reaching out to them without it feeling that you’ve invaded their social media feed or email inbox. You may not always get a response, but you will likely find those that are looking for your services more easily here!

Cons:

• To effectively use LinkedIn, it’s going to require a significant time investment. Most who go on LinkedIn are looking for employment or hiring themselves. Therefore, they are more likely to skip over the content they find boring or not relevant to them. This will require more direct contact - reaching out to prospects directly in a way that isn’t annoying or irritating.

Snapchat

Pros:

• Snapchat is a great channel for one-on-one engagement with viewers, making it much more direct and personal in comparison to the other platforms. This is also a great way to reach younger audiences who are the primary users and is considered more of a laid-back, “fun” platform. Just make sure you pay attention to the trends and cater to what’s popular there!

Cons:

• On the other hand, Snapchat provides limited user engagement, which makes it harder to determine how the viewers feel about the content they’ve seen. There are also time constraints for content posted or advertised there, and there isn’t an option for users to share the content they’ve seen for further promotion.

TikTok

Pros:

• TikTok is the newest platform but has quickly gained popularity and users. On this platform, content is more likely to be seen due to their automatic video start. Simply having your content seen is the first step to drawing in those customers, and it makes a world of a difference. TikTok’s features and trends also provide an endless stream of creative opportunities that you can take advantage of.

Cons:

• Unlike some of the other platforms, you can’t link your website to a TikTok video. If it isn’t extremely easy to navigate to your site or takes very few clicks to get there, users are less likely to do it. Although ads are more visible, it’s also very easy for users to swipe away an ad, which most do before they get the chance to view it. It will take eye-catching and intriguing content to avoid this.

Conclusion

There are going to be pros and cons for any social media platform you use to advertise for business. The important thing is to figure out what provides you the tools to accomplish whatever goals you have set. You shouldn’t use every social media platform simply because they are out there, being used, and at your disposal. This will hurt you and likely result in lost assets. Instead, determine one or a few channels that will best serve you and go from there. If you need help determining what platforms to use, how to use them, and how to maximize your investment, Perfect Imprints is here to help. We know the ins and outs of these channels, so let’s help your business reach its potential!