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Whether you’re just starting up or your brand is well established, using social media platforms in your business has many benefits. From customer support to creating a sales funnel, these platforms offer quick and easy ways to reach a vast number of people.
However, as the pool of popular social media platforms continues to grow, knowing which is best for your audience can be tricky. And once you’ve set up your accounts, you then need to continue to update and monitor these on an almost daily basis – it’s enough to put you off getting started on social media in the first place.
But you need to.
Why are social media platforms so important to businesses?
It was once a nice touch to connect with consumers through social media platforms like Twitter; however, it is arguably no longer negotiable in today’s digital world. Consumers have come to expect some sort of social media presence from their favourite brands. In fact:
- Over three quarters (78%) of consumers want brands to use social to bring them together
- A third (31%) of people trust brands more when they start conversations with people on social media
- One in five check a brand’s social media presence before making their first purchase with them
- More than a quarter (29%) of consumers say brands that are active on social media are more ‘human’ and, therefore, more trustworthy
It’s clear from these statistics, then, that consumers are more likely to trust, engage with and buy from brands who have a better social media presence.
But if you’re not sure which platforms will be most beneficial for you in 2024, read on to find out.
1. Facebook: An oldie but a goodie
Founded in 2004 and now 17 years old, Facebook may be considered ‘old school’ in the social media world. However, it is still an excellent tool for marketing. With almost 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the largest social media platform out there. This makes it perfect for both organic reach and paid promotions.
The platform has numerous great features that make it popular with those hoping to get their brand ‘out’ there. It allows brands to chat with customers instantly, share videos and even live stream events. They can schedule regular updates, create tailored groups, and share targeted adverts that help you reach your audience better.
Some might think Facebook’s time has passed, but it is far from the truth. 2024 is not too late to jump on the bandwagon, and push your company’s Facebook page out there.
2. Instagram: The uncrowned king of the social media world
Instagram is constantly updating its offering, delighting users around the globe. The platform recently gifted users with Instagram Reels, IGTV, video memes and branded stickers. These features have expanded the platform’s marketing possibilities significantly.
Instagram can be a hugely beneficial platform for all brands but particularly if you have a visual product (or products). As a way of supporting businesses, the platform allows you to set up a virtual shop window, and in 2024 they will be launching their new affiliate content program.
This platform is also rich with influencers, offering excellent marketing opportunities for brands. A staggering 92% of consumers trust influencers more than adverts. Moreover, a further 40% have made a purchase in direct response to an influencer post.
Finally, as people mainly access Instagram on mobile devices, and almost everyone has a smartphone in 2024, this exposes your brand to massive market space.
3. TikTok: The trendiest platform of 2024
TikTok, founded in 2016, has amassed as many as 755 million monthly users in the last few years. If the platform continues to grow at this rate, it will become the third-largest social media platform in 2024.
These impressive figures speak for themselves, and TikTok will undoubtedly be one of the must-have platforms for brands hoping to make a name for themselves this year. Focusing on shorter video content makes the platform a firm favourite amongst Generation Z; perfect if you’re targeting a younger audience.
Plus, using the TikTok for Business advertising service, you can quickly and affordably rack up views on your videos and get your brand name out there. And again, this platform is hugely popular with influencers, so partnering with a TikTok sensation could be the ideal way to build your engagement, following and, of course, sales in 2024.
What’s more, the platform has been praised for its higher than average ROI, only just behind Instagram and Youtube, making it one of the more budget-friendly platforms out there.
4. YouTube: The second biggest search engine in the world
If you have spent time working on SEO and ranking well on Google, it would be remiss of you to ignore YouTube as a social media platform. As the second biggest search engine globally, you can secure thousands of followers and share more in-depth video content about your brand.
You can also integrate your YouTube account with Google Ads to gain more views. You can also achieve this by adding valuable, keyword-optimised content to your videos, helping users find your brand more easily. Plus, the comments section underneath offers a fabulous way for brands to connect with their audience.
And though it might be an oldie like Facebook, these are just some of the reasons this platform is so popular with marketers and why it will remain so popular with businesses in 2024.
5. Pinterest: For the best link building opportunities
Last but certainly not least, we have Pinterest, which offers a unique, visual and fun way to market your business. Not to mention the platform acts as a prevalent search engine, helping to drive traffic to your company website and other social media profiles.
If you enjoy creating high-quality visual content to promote your brand, Pinterest is the platform for you in 2024. Best of all, Pinterest accounts don’t always require as much attention and immediate action as other social media platforms – providing you get a strong strategy in place, that is.
You can use this opportunity to share content and add keywords to help your target audience find your content more easily.