In the past few years, we have seen the social media landscape change drastically. Platforms have declines, risen, rebranded, and changed completely. Platforms that we have loved for years have faced decline and increasing competition, while other platforms have bested the game and risen above. The most used social media platforms now are TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Twitter (also now known as X), and Tumblr. However, there is one platform is often forgotten by the mainstream public. But, this platform is adored and used consistently by the entrepreneurial and business savvy communities. That platform is Linkedin.
Let's first do a quick rundown of the pros and cons of all the current social media platforms.
Instagram: Though the photo-sharing app is still very popular, it has suffered a massive decline in recent years. The insufferable algorithm changes and lack of visibility or exposure, has caused many to leave the app. It is now teeming with bots, scam users, and inactive profiles. The once lively app is now facing an extreme dip in engagement. The majority of your followers will not see your post on their feed. The non-followers that do see your post on occasion, don't always convert to followers. You now have to have an aggressive content strategy to achieve a fraction of the attention. Reels have become the primary tactic being implemented to gain a following. However, posting short form video content may not be your cup of tea. It is uncanny that to be popular on Instagram, you must post on it like TikTok. The active demographic on Instagram is primarily teenagers. If you are looking to form business connections, and this demographic is not your goal, then Instagram may not do much to boost your business.
Facebook: This platform primarily houses the older adult demographic. While that is great, it brings it's own host of challenges. Facebook is known to be behind on social media trends and as a whole is not very up to date. The users are mainly working adults, so don't expect much engagement or following. Facebook is often used as a way for family and friends to connect to one another. You often need add someone as a friend to view all their content. The friend request barrier and the social utility of Facebook is not as conducive to a small business looking to get their name out there.
TikTok: The leading social platform since the pandemic. TikTok has taken the social media world by storm and has compelled other platforms to mimic its' features. Growing on TikTok is easier compared to growing on other platforms. You would have to post short form videos about your business using trending sounds and hashtags to gain exposure. Recently, TikTok has made their algorithm tougher. New accounts often amass 200 views per video. After a consistent content strategy, TikTok will push your content out to more people and you will start to amass more than 200 views. There are several small businesses on TikTok growing a customer base directly from the app thanks to the TikTok Shop feature. You do need to hit a certain level of followers to be able to use the Shop feature and list your products on to it. TikTok is the only other platform that can be used effectively to promote your business.
Twitter (X) / Threads: Since Twitter has been taken over my Elon Musk and has been re-branded to X, it has undergone some changes. Twitter is often used your public discourse, memes, discussing political affairs, and the likes. There are businesses that promote on Twitter. However, Twitter is finicky in nature. One tweet can go viral and your other tweets may not get any attention at all, no matter how good they were. It is generally an unstable platform to use for building a business. People are not as active and tend to occasionally check in.
Threads is the Twitter equivalent released by Instagram. It suffers from the very same issues. Low engagement, low active users, and low exposure. Threads also lacks a discernible algorithm, making it tough to get your content in front of your followers.
Tumblr / Pinterest: Both of these apps are primarily photo based. Users will post photography, aesthetic photos, and mood boards. Both apps allow you to add links to your post. They are good in terms of promoting a product and directly adding in the shop link. However, both are not great for building a business identity. Users tend to roam around on these apps, looking at photos, rather than following brands themselves. You may get good engagement on your photos, but many users will not follow or click on to your page. There is a lack of branding and identity on these apps, which will make it difficult for you to establish a business.
Why Linkedin?
Moving forth, why should you try Linkedin for your business? For one, Linkedin is a professional space housing profiles from individuals from every industry or niche. You can connect with like-minded professionals, network, and gain new professional opportunities. Linkedin allows you to personalize your page, post text, photos, videos, links, and you can comment on other creators' posts to boost your visibility. It has a creator feature that gives you insight into your page's metrics.
There are countless large creators on Linkedin who have amassed thousands of followers. Linkedin has a steady flow of active traffic without the overwhelming competition found on other social platforms. If you implement a content strategy, post consistently, comment and interact with other users' posts, you can keep your impressions high fairly easily.
You can also connect with leads and potential clients. They will see your content and may even approach you for your services. You can connect with other creators and collaborate as well.
Starting out on Linkedin can be slow. You may get a few likes and a few comments. But as your start commenting on others' posts and growing your connections, your profile will start gaining traction. Things truly begin to speed up after you have hit the 500 connection threshold.
Linkedin is one of the very few social media platforms that still emphasizes text posts. Meaning, you can write out your posts, attach a nice picture, add some hashtags, and that is it. It is a lot less maintenance than other platforms. Linkedin also releases articles and they invite users like you to comment and add to the article. Contributing to many articles can win you "Top Voice" badges.
You do not have to create or edit fancy pictures of videos to gain a following on Linkedin. You simply need well written text posts and the occasional accompanying infographic that can easily be made on Canva. This gives you the opportunity to truly showcase your expertise and build authority in your niche.
Linkedin also houses profiles of businesses and brands. It is the digital hub connecting all brands and businesses. You can reach out to brands, prominent figures in a company, or reach out to businesses. It is like having a digital yellow book at your finger tips. Sure, some people may not respond. But, some people will certainly respond! This can open up huge opportunities for your business.
Wrapping Up!
In sum, Linkedin is low maintenance, has several active niches, houses the profiles of important industry connections, and is the most optimal platform for networking.
What is your preferred social platform?
No comments: