The Best Social Media Platforms for Start-Ups

Would it not be a little pompous of us to believe we can tell you which social media platforms you will have to use as a start-up? Think about it, we have no idea what business you are into, who your intended audience is, or what aspects of content you want to provide. Before we can tell you which social media platforms you may utilise, we need to know the answers to a number of questions.

So, in this article, we will give you a clear breakdown of five social media platforms for start-ups, to help you fully understand your options and to make the most informed decisions regarding social media marketing for your business. 

Are you a Start-Up?

Our tech bros are still having a long-running argument about this question. But, according to Investopedia, start-ups are companies in the early stages of operations. It is generally agreed that a company is considered a start-up for up to 10 years after it is established. The first decade provides opportunities to set the tone for the company’s marketing strategies.

These days, social media plays a key role in marketing strategy. In Nigeria, start-ups are using modern technologies to promote their message and meet people’s needs. In addition, they effectively grow themselves as a brand and carry their service globally using social media. These businesses are redefining logistics, finance, hotel, investment, transportation, and other industries. Categories of some startups in Nigeria are; Fin-tech, Agro-tech, E-commerce, IT, online education platforms, and digital marketing companies. 

Choosing the Best Social Media Platforms for Start-Ups. 

Before we talk about the best social media platforms for start-ups, let us consider the criteria start-ups should use to arrive at this choice. 

1. Choose a social media platform where your audience is located. In order to achieve this, you must know who your customers are, how they spend their time online, what channel they are using and why, how they prefer to receive information about your type of product and services. The more you understand your audience, the better you can select the best social media platform to reach and engage them. 

2. Choose platforms that are specific to your content type. There are two types of content; macro and micro. Macro content includes; videos, audio, and written content. While micro content is short form and easy to digest, and they include; pictures, graphic cards, and short posts. It is important that you keep these in mind as you choose which social media platform you want to focus on. 

3. Identify your strengths. Do not spread yourself by trying to be on every single social media platform that exists. Identify your content creation strength and master the platforms that support that strength. Your relationship with your platform of choice should be symbiotic and synergistic. Plus, it is not necessary to be on every social media platform. 

Deciding on the Best Social Media Platform to Market Start-Ups

1. Facebook: Facebook may not be the newest or coolest social media platform, but the fact is, it is still one of the largest social media platforms by far in terms of users. The platform improves its business pages regularly, and the feature set is remarkable. Product listings, on-page e-commerce, consumer polls, and bespoke mailing list segmentation are just a few examples of some features it has for businesses. If you think of something to do on Facebook, chances are there is a function for it. 

Best for e-commerce based start-ups focused on B2C marketing.

Demographics on Facebook

Facebook has 2.853 billion monthly active users aged 13 – 65 and above. 43.6% of Facebook’s users are female, and 56.4% of Facebook’s users are male

2. Instagram: Selling a physical product? Want to emphasise on visual appeal? Then you need Instagram. Choose Instagram if it is critical you include pictures, graphics, and even videos to be successful in your business. The platform helps you get new followers, expand your online visibility, and engage with your audience. 

Instagram is a highly visual platform that allows your customers to get to know you and your business better with its profile feature as an unofficial resume that provides a quick glimpse into what your brand looks, and feels like to newcomers. This can build a positive impression that leads to people buying from you in the future. 

People are always scrolling on Instagram, and in order to be successful, you have to be very engaging to capture their attention. It is a great platform to reach consumers, but it may not contain the most sophisticated audience for specific industries like; Engineering or IT.

Best for retailers in physical goods, creatives engaged in photography, videography, makeup, painting, and other forms of artistry. Instagram is great for B2C service providers but it can also be exploited by B2B companies. 

Demographics on Instagram

Instagram has 1.386 billion active users aged 13 – 65 and above. 51.4% of Instagram’s users are female, and 48.6% of Instagram’s users are male

3. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is generally known as a business and employment-based social media platform. It is full of professionals across a wide spectrum of industries especially B2B companies. Because LinkedIn’s news feed is not as competitive as other giant social media platforms, businesses and professionals are able to reach much more of their connections and give them the opportunity to create massive awareness.  

If you want to focus on creating introductions to other business professionals, showcase yourself as a subject matter expert, build a reputation in your sector, and market to primarily business people, LinkedIn is an excellent fit for your start-up. 

Best for IT companies, Digital marketing companies, Fin-Tech companies and other B2B service providers

Demographics on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has 768.2 million users aged 18 – 55 and above. 43.1% of LinkedIn’s users are female, and 56.9% of LinkedIn’s users are male

4. Twitter: Twitter is a real-time social media platform, it is like sending text messages to the whole world. It is also one of the social media platforms where you do not necessarily need videos or photos to stand out. Tweets can be up to 280 characters which allow you the ability to craft a short and concise message. 

If you want to focus on sharing useful information with your followers, working with others, and engaging with influencers, Twitter is a fantastic fit for your start-up. Twitter is a B2C service provider, with e-commerce as its category for a start-up. 

Best for Content Creators, Writers and Story-tellers. Journalists and other service providers that use the written word as their primary means of communication will thrive on Twitter. 

Demographics of Twitter

Twitter has 396.5 million users aged 13 – 50 and above.  31.9% of Twitter’s users are female, and 68.1% of Twitter’s  users are male

5. Tik Tok: TikTok is the most recent social media platform to take over the internet. It is no longer a platform for young kids making dumb videos, as today you will find content creators of all ages creating all types of content. 

Tik Tok’s popularity is exploding, which is why it is reasonable to start thinking about marketing your business on the platform as a start-up. This social media platform has tapped into the popularity of short, digestible videos by allowing users to share them on other networks. The videos could be humorous, informative, or instructive in nature. 

Also, if you are targeting a younger demographic, then a TikTok presence might be beneficial. You may want to know that creating content on the platform requires a lot of creativity and time as the app does not accept videos made elsewhere. 

Best for start-ups in the arts and creative sectors, digital marketers and content creators. 

 Demographics of TikTok

TikTok has 732 million monthly active users aged 17 – 39 and above.          49.6% of TikTok’s users are female, and 50.4% TikTok’s users are male.   

CONCLUSION

Social media is an excellent way for start-ups to reach out to their target audience. If you want to get their attention, you need to be present on the channel where they spend the most time. 

Take a step back to analyse your target demographic before pursuing any social media channel. Find out where the majority of your start-up’s target audience spends their time. 

However, if content creation is a hard nut for you to crack, you may reach out to Slvr Wlf to discuss further how we can help grow your business on social media.