*Choosing the best social media platform for your small business*

[mikeejones]

When it comes to choosing the best social media platform for your small
business's needs, there are Four major competitors: Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and Pinterest. No two are the same and each has its advantages
and disadvantages. Many larger businesses can handle a business page on
each of these social platforms. Smaller business owners often don't have
that kind of time to devote to social media advertising. Furthermore, even
if a business has the time and resources to devote to these various
platforms it may not be in the company's best interest. The success of a
particular social media platform depends on the target audience, the
product or service the business is selling, and the content they're trying
to share.


Here's a look at the top four competitors and their advantages and
disadvantages.


*Facebook*


Facebook is the reigning champion when it comes to social media giants. No
other platform can boast over 1 billion users. If you want to make sure the
greatest number of people have access to your social media site, Facebook
is the way to go. Furthermore, 78% of Facebook users are on mobile daily.
That means consumers are accessing Facebook on the go. Facebook has the
furthest and most diverse reach. It's ideal for text, images and videos
making it extremely adaptable for any social media ad campaign.


*Twitter*


While twitter doesn't have the same reach as Facebook, it does have its own
unique advantages. When it comes to real time communication with customers,
Twitter is the way to go. Because tweets are limited to 140 characters,
they are very concise and easy on the eyes. For businesses looking to
quickly let people know about the latest news concerning the company,
Twitter is a great choice. The downside is that Twitter is text-based, it's
not ideal for businesses wanting to use a lot of video and images in their
social media advertising.

*Pinterest*


Unlike Twitter, Pinterest is extremely image based, even more so than
Facebook. It's ideal for retail because of the huge emphasis on images. One
thing to keep in mind with Pinterest is that it's user base is mostly
female (70%). If your product or service is geared more towards women,
Pinterest may be a great choice for a social media platform. If however
your product or service is geared more towards men, you may want to
consider a different option.


*Instagram*


Instagram is the new kid on the social media block. That doesn't mean it
should be ignored. In fact, 71% of the most recognized brands are using
Instagram to market their products/service. A major advantage to Instagram
is that it is very well integrated with Facebook. If you're leaning towards
using two social media platforms to market your business, the
Facebook/Instagram combo is a very powerful one.


Mobile Technology News brought to you by businesstexter.com


*Source:*
reuters.com/article/2014/02/12/idUS314374542120140212