TOP 5 FREE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES NEEDED FOR A SMALL BUSINESS IN DIGITAL AGE

TOP 5 FREE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES NEEDED FOR A SMALL BUSINESS IN DIGITAL AGE

5-min read

Beware of the top 5 global social media sites which help your small business to get more eyeballs of potential customers as quickly as today.

Over the past decade, social media quickly proved to be one of the most powerful tools for almost any type and size of businesses, providing a wide variety of benefits to gain a large number of customers. Especially, for a small business, employing social media as part of your marketing strategy can make a huge impact, enabling your business to grow and scale up quickly and efficiently.

According to recent research, over 4.33 billion people all over the globe actively use social media, accounting for more than 55% of the total global population. 

             ( Source: Digital 2021– wearesocial.com)

On average, each user spends nearly 2.5 hours per day consuming related content (posts, -form videos, long-form videos, stories and photos…) on social media networks. In order to market your business to the target audiences and keep your brand image at the top of customer’s mindset, you have to be visible wherever they are. In a virtual world, it’s the social media platforms.

If you are overwhelmed by the numerous social media sites and have no idea where to start,  here’s a list of the top sites in terms of market size, engagement and value that a small-owned business like you should consider when crafting a  successful social media campaign:

• Facebook

• Youtube

• Instagram

• TikTok

• Pinterest

1. Facebook

It’s hard to find a smart phone user without a Facebook account. There is no doubt that Facebook is the no.1 social platform worldwide. Founded in 2004 by Havard university student- Mark Zuckerberg and his roommates, this original Havard internal network has expanded rapidly and now become the largest social network which has more than 2.8 billion users and more than half of them actively using Facebook everyday. 

Nowadays, despite a demographic shift to beyond the 40+ year old group, facebook is still a must-have platform that  is worth investing in for your small business. 

Tactics for your small business: Let’s get started by creating a fangape or group and writing your very first content linked to your products and services. The more interesting and engaging your content is, the more likely it  gets shareable on Facebook.

Otherwise, we recommend you using a Facebook Messenger chatbot,  creating a poll to start a discussion among the community or generating a live video to interact and communicate with your target audiences. Make it short, fun and viral so that target audiences can easily remember about your story and your business. Lastly, your brand image and messages should be consistent in each post across Facebook platform. 

2. Youtube

YouTube- a well-known platform for on-demand video content and live streaming which first went to market in 2005, remaining one of the most dominant social media platforms in 2021 with 2 billion users and this impressive number is predicted to grow  dramatically amid the Covid 19 pandemic. 

People watch videos on Youtube as a source of entertainment and education after a long busy working/ studying hours. You can find almost all genres on Youtube, from popular categories like travelling, cooking, gaming to some thrilling, horror topics like ghost, crime,  making it an irresistible platform which you can watch hour and hour. When it comes to the user demographic, YouTube has a strong user base across all age groups especially to those from 15-35 years old.

                                           ( Source: Statista Research)

Tactics for your small business: If your potential customers are below the age of 50 (especially those between 15-35%), Youtube is the right place to land your social media campaign.  Make the first steps by setting up a YouTube business account with an optimised profile containing all the keyword and message needed for your business. Then upload video content in your Youtube channel that your target audiences may view, like, share and comment on. A mix of short and long videos could be a great idea if you want to present and retain your customer’s attention on a regular basis. The video content must be related to what your business is providing and be interesting enough to get viral  in the community. 

3. Instagram

Since its first invention in 2010, Instagram has been considered as a simple, fun and creative photos and videos platform to capture and share with friends & family. While not everyone is on Instagram and it has much fewer people than Facebook with only 1.16 billion users, Instagram is noticed as a fast-growing channel among the Gen Z and millennials due to its huge amount of videos and photos on a regular basis. If you want to focus on teenages and young aldults below 35 years old, Instagram is a right channel for your business: 75% of 18-24-year-olds use Instagram, with 67% Generation Z and 57% Millennials using the app on a daily basis.

Tactics for your small business: Create an instagram account, publish your first business posts/ stories and get discovered by a vibrant and energised community . As Instagram is renowned as a photo and video platform, you should focus on visual designs/ short clips combined with trendy background rather than texts on Instagram. You can use Instagram’s editing tools to enhance your favourite photos, allowing your business to stand out in the marketplace. 

4. TikTok

Tiktok- a short video sharing platform that is home to nearly 700 millions users worldwide, impressing social media users with its mission to inspire creativity and bring joy. Pictured as the youngest app for teenagers and young adults with the majority of users under the 16-24 age group, however, TikTok has become the fastest growing app worldwide and more and more older users start using TikTok to capture latest trends. 

Tiktok is famous for its various range of entertaining and viral videos: from lip syncing, tutorials, collaboration with influencers to fruit cutting, and calming videos we all find what interests us. 

Tactics for your small business: 

If your target audience is the young generation- Generation Z for example, TikTok is the platform for you to check out. A funny TikTok video with catchy music and viral message of your product and service may be a solid plan that you want to focus on. Also, use the popular in-app filters to make a-million-view video and let followers know more about your brand and products  in a very entertaining way. 

5. Pinterest

Every business has its footprint on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok, and you want to do something different by exploring a new channel to promote your business, considering Pinterest and putting it into your  solid social media strategy.

Launched in 2010, Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that allows you to collect and pin any creative ideas for your personal use. If your business is related to fashion, home decor, wedding planners, designs, establishing your presence on Pinterest should be an effective social marketing strategy. 

Tactics for your small business: Take into consideration that 80% of Pinterest users are female, so you will place any social media budget into pinterest if its users match your potential clients. Creating your business account on Pinterest and spreading your visibility on this virtual platform might be a good starting point. These photos uploaded on Pinterest should be unique and well-designed. Don’t forget to add hashtags with keywords related to your products and services.

Setting up your business presence and creating your very first content on top 5 social media sites today to reach a huge volume of potential customers and grow your small business in the Digital World. Having trouble implementing and executing your social media strategies, contact D4E Media and let our top-notch experts relieve the burden of manual work for you.