Nowadays, no one can deny that social media platforms can significantly contribute to companies’ success. But only some social media platforms are suitable for some companies. Instead, it would be best if you determined where you will meet your target group and whether the medium also fits your products or services. And in the meantime, there are numerous networks through which you can reach your target groups. So that you can assess what is essential for the individual platforms, we want to compare three popular networks here.
Social Media Platform Instagram
Instagram is a free social network used primarily by users between 18 and 34. The social media platform focuses on posts in the form of photos and videos that users can share with other followers. The interaction options available to users include functions such as liking, commenting, and sharing posts. The chat function is also used to network and exchange ideas. Whether a private account or a company profile – this platform is used to create and publish articles on travel, beauty, lifestyle, nutrition, and fitness. But also niche content finds its place and increases its attention on the platform. Instagram has become the digital business card of many companies that want to reveal more about their business than the information on their website.
Advantages
Instagram is the number one social media platform for many home users and businesses. And Instagram is particularly suitable for the presentation of attractive products. This is because an appealing design and professional preparation of the posts are essential here. So if you want to be at the forefront here, you should take plenty of time for your posts. Functions such as IG TV, a store connection, the swipe-up button in the stories, and many more features enable you to present your products and company perfectly.
In addition, the network has become one of the most lucrative channels for influencers in recent years. The number of users is also relatively high, at around one billion, and thus enables you to contact a broad mass of users. So if you want to cooperate with influencers or micro-influencers to promote your products or services, Instagram is the right place for you. You can also implement affiliate marketing wonderfully here.
Disadvantages
The high number of network users and a changing Instagram algorithm make it difficult for new startups to build reach quickly. Therefore, you should be aware that Instagram as a social media platform is a long-term project that requires a lot of maintenance and time. Although you can reach more users here very well with ads, you should keep your hands off purchased followers. These are usually just bots and fake accounts that don’t react to your posts and thus harm the algorithm.
Social Media Platform YouTube
YouTube is currently the most powerful video platform and has almost two billion registered users. YouTube uses the 16:9 format for its player, and vlogs, music clips, special interest formats, or excerpts from TV programs and shows are particularly well suited to this format. On the other hand, the user interface on YouTube looks quite different. This is because YouTube relies on a system of individual pages and not on streaming or swiping, as Instagram does. YouTube only plays videos or clips that have been selected and clicked on by the user. The suggested videos are based on recently viewed videos or subscribed YouTube content. YouTube works like a video library, which makes searching for content much more straightforward. You can also use the search function to select by user, title, or keyword. But the target group differs somewhat: Most users end up in the 25 to 44 age group.
Advantages
Once you have developed a suitable format for your videos and generated high-quality content related to your business and your products or services, YouTube can be an excellent choice of social media platform. You can also benefit significantly from influencers on YouTube, as the network offers a variety of notable influencers from every field. Whether beauty and lifestyle, gaming, comedy, or information formats, a wide range of topics here inspire users. Placing ads is also a suitable opportunity to draw attention to yourself. Anyone performing here with their products or services should take advantage of the opportunities.
Disadvantages
With YouTube, you can have your video content financed through an affiliate program to receive a pro-rata share of the advertising efforts. For this, your channel must have reached at least 1,000 subscribers and a sound playback time of more than 4,000 hours in the case of public videos. You should know that the revenue is worth it only from several hundred thousand clicks. However, it has become quite difficult in recent years to be accepted into partner programs.
Also, the competition has grown a lot, so building this channel is also a long process. In addition, the quality of the videos should be impeccable, as this is the focus here. Video footage published half-heartedly and in poor quality can only hurt your business. Therefore, the footage and the content format must appear well-prepared and high-quality.
Social Media Platform TikTok
The newest social media platform of the networks listed here is TikTok. It is a social video network and can be described as a mix of musical.ly, Vine, Twitch, YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram. TikTok users can consume short videos on the platform and upload short videos they have created themselves. The platform’s vertical video format is particularly characteristic, making its use targeted explicitly at smartphones. Above all, the “Challenge” format and the “Lip Sync” videos have established themselves as trendy social functions on the network. More than 100 million people in Europe use TikTok at least once a month. User analysis of the web shows that most users are between 16 and 24 years old.
Advantages
While any company can be active on TikTok, this social media platform is particularly worthwhile for companies that want to communicate specifically with their young target group. The focus here is on creativity, trends, challenges, and the fun of entertaining videos. You can promote products here by including them in your videos. A more personal look at the company and the people behind it also works very well with TikTok. If you use the trending hashtags correctly, you can increase the reach of your videos and encourage other users to follow suit.
Disadvantages
If you’re not regularly looking for trends and don’t have your finger on the pulse, you will get a little out of TikTok. Real-time communication is what counts here. Hardly any other network is as fast-moving and shaped by trends as TikTok. In addition, the protagonists of the videos should appear authentic. If you want to be convincing, you must adapt to the young target group. Since this network is also experiencing rapid user growth, it takes work to expect an extensive reach directly. Clever, entertaining, funny videos on current trends are the be-all and end-all here.
Conclusion: Products And services Must Fit The Channel
No matter which social media platform you prefer privately, always remember which channel you present your products and services well. Always ask yourself what purpose you want to fulfill with it. Do you want to sell your products? Or do you mainly want to inform? Do you like to present your company and contribute to its image? Depending on your goal, a different social media platform is suitable. In addition, you should also know your target group since you will only reach your desired customers with some channels. And once the decision has been made, you should be aware that social media takes time and effort. Above all, you should be mindful of community management, as the core benefit lies in dialog with your followers.
