Social media is everywhere. It seems like everyone is on at least one form of social media – you, your friends, co-workers, prospects, even businesses.
But can you explain why you have a presence across social media channels? 
Here at WordWrite, we believe you should have a clear objective for having a presence on a social media channel. If you don’t have a strategy that supports your objective, then you’re likely wasting a lot of time going in the wrong direction.
We’ve compiled some of our best advice for developing a valuable presence on social media platforms.
Facebook
Jeremy
Facebook is still the overall king of social media in terms of sheer reach. As of 2014, it had more than 900 million daily users, who on average spend 700 minutes per month on the network. It’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room, so most companies are already utilizing this platform.
But is it being utilized in the right way?
Earlier this year, Facebook changed its algorithm. While Facebook is notorious for staying current and constantly changing its look, the users themselves influenced this newest change. They wanted to see less promotional content. With Facebook stressing how the newsfeed is already a competitive place, the objective for the new algorithm was to create a better space for users, brands and businesses to engage with each other on the terms (and via the content) they value the most. Facebook encourages businesses to think of their page as a “cornerstone” for their online identity, and not just as a publishing service. Moving forward, you might see more organic posts with content that shares valuable, useful information and not as many posts encouraging you to buy something. Overall, if brands stick to sharing more authentic and influential messages, it might encourage more engagement from target audiences.
Twitter
Hollie
You might not realize it, but Twitter is a great place to find and interact with reporters and journalists who write about issues relevant to you and your industry. If you ask any journalist, they will tell you they are BOMBARDED with emails and pitches. But Twitter – that is a good place to reach them, many say. Sometimes they even prefer to be contacted on social channels because it breaks through the clutter of their full inboxes. Never before has it been easier to research reporters to see what they are covering, learn about topics that are meaningful to them and to find interesting tidbits to help with pitching. One place to learn more about reporters and find their Twitter handles is Muckrack – an online gathering place for journalists and public relations professionals. You’ll find helpful blogs, like this one about how journalists use Twitter, as well as conversations happening in real time about breaking news and other current events. With some research and patience, Twitter can become your go-to source for the latest and greatest when it comes to building relationships with journalists.
LinkedIn
Christy
As the most popular professional social network with about 255 million unique visitors per month (fourth highest behind Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), LinkedIn is very underrated in the business world. With 79 percent of salespeople who actively engage on social media outperforming their peers, imagine the impact on your organization’s business development if the entire sales department leveraged the power of LinkedIn and social selling.
In terms of utilizing LinkedIn as a hiring resource, according to LinkedIn’s official blog, 16 percent of new hires were already connected to someone at the company prior to joining. In an industry very much centered on relationships and networking, this is certainly the platform you want to focus on in any hiring decisions or processes.
We’ve shared a lot of content recently on how to get the most out of your LinkedIn presence. In case you missed it, find out how to enhance your presence, your company’s presence, and even start using the platform as a selling tool to generate leads.
Instagram
Rachel
Comparing monthly active users, Instagram has now surpassed Twitter with more than 300 million users as of December 2014, and is adding active users much faster than Twitter. However, that’s not to say Instagram will always be the best route for every business model.
Your average Instagram user is very different than – let’s say – your typical Facebook user. The audience on Instagram is much younger, with 41 percent of Instagram users ages 16 to 24, while the average U.S. Facebook user is 40.5 years of age. While Facebook’s algorithms put a higher emphasis on visual posts like videos and photos, ALL of Instagram’s content is visual. Consumer-based businesses, particularly those targeting a younger audience, thrive on Instagram. If your business doesn’t have a plethora of photos and videos that will do well with Instagram’s audience (examples would be food and beverages, fashion and style, outdoor scenery, or other consumer-focused products), we’d recommend setting your sights on other social media platforms. If you’re not sure where the majority of your audience sits on the social media spectrum, we’d be happy to provide some insight.
YouTube
Jess
Now more than ever your business should be on YouTube. In the digital age we inhabit, seeing is believing, and this includes pictures and videos. With more than 1 billion users on this social network, YouTube has an incredible following and the hours for video viewership go up 50 percent each year.
With such a large reach, YouTube is perfect place to interact with your audience. The most obvious benefit is the viewer actually seeing you as you speak to them. Viewers connect well with businesses they consider authentic, and what is more authentic than your audience seeing you and hearing you speak?
Making a video takes time and your audience will appreciate that. What better way to say “Thank You” for a video than a share? YouTube makes sharing videos super easy and convenient with a short link ready-made for any platform. Visual content is great, so the more the better – 40 percent of consumers respond better to visual information than plain text! YouTube is easy and user-friendly, so hop on today and give it a try!
Ready to take advantage of the robust (and free) social media channels that you’re already on? Download our free social media tune-up guide to learn how to properly establish and optimize your company’s social media presence, while monitoring and fostering conversations about your brand and industry.
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