How do you choose the social media platform perfect for you and your business? Let's look at some pros and cons of Facebook.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, oh my!
When it comes to choosing your personal social media, everyone has their favorite due to interest or ease of use or just what clicks for you. But we don’t have the same luxury with our business profiles--or, at least, we’d be mistaken to simply choose the platforms we prefer and not the ones that prefer our business. When it comes to business, it doesn’t matter if you like Instagram better than Twitter, or Youtube over Facebook. What matters is the tool that will serve your business best.
"Facebook often ends up being the voice of your company, for good or ill. People check Facebook far more often than they check your website."
So how do you choose which platform to invest your precious time to? A list of pros and cons is always helpful! We’ll be taking a pros and cons look at multiple social media platforms over the next few weeks, but let’s start out with the giant that is…
Pro:Over 1 Billion Users. Facebook has approximately 890 million active users per day, and that number continues to grow. Chances are, you can find an audience there and maybe even a big one!
Con:
It takes time and strategy. Setting up a Facebook page does not automatically mean people will be interested in it, and posting on your Facebook page doesn’t mean anyone will follow you, like, comment, or share. It takes a lot of maintenance and strategy to get your Facebook page noticed. This can take a great deal of time and a lot more effort than many business owners care to devote.
Pro:Engagement is easy. Facebook is great for uploading images and statuses for followers to “like,” “comment,” and “share.” It’s a great way to increase your word-of-mouth marketing. People are already going there to talk about their favorite things, and that might be you!
Con:
It takes regular commitment. Lack of interaction on Facebook, such as not publishing regular content and failing to respond to comments and messages in a timely manner, can cripple your social media presence. You need to be able to regularly participate on this social platform in order for fans and followers to trust your business. Without this, they’ll assume that your business is closed, not serious, or worse: disinterested in them.
Pro:Easy advertising and promoted posts. As a page administrator, you can target your desired audiences, demographics and groups so that your ads are getting in front of the right people. Promoting your posts is also a great way to get more views and engagement.
Con:
It takes an advertising budget. In order to successfully gain traction on your Facebook page, it will most likely require regular sponsored posts to bring in new engagement. That means regular money going to the account (good news is, many of our social media management packages have a budget for this already included).
Pro:Analytics and insights. The more you update your Facebook page with good, strategic content, the better your insights are on how your followers engage with you. This teaches you a lot about your followers (anything from ages to location), which helps you tailor your content and marketing strategies.
Con:
Facebook often ends up being the voice of your company, for good or ill. People check Facebook far more often than they check your website. So you want to be sure the person or company handling your Facebook presence understands the importance of each post. It is imperative that they represent you professionally, accurately, and regularly. Small mistakes can cause huge problems. Every social interaction and update matters.
Pro:You can customize your Facebook page to your brand and design. No, you can’t change Facebook, but customizing your page is easy and a great way of engaging new visitors and giving them a taste of what makes you unique. Facebook can also link with your website which is great for your search engine optimization.
Con:
Let's be real: Facebook is trying to take over the world, so do you really want to hand them your business too?
There are many social media platforms beyond Facebook: Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Snapchat, Pinterest, and more. All are capable of serving you and your business needs, but all have their own pitfalls. Selecting the wrong platform for your business or mishandling the platform you did choose can drastically reduce (if not entirely eliminate) your chances of social networking success.
We’ll be posting more about some of the other platforms soon!
Contact Ryan Family Marketing if you’d like more help with your social media marketing!