Social media; which of the BIG 5 do you prefer?

You want to get started on social media. You clearly have why for yourself. The 10 reasons why you should not start with social media, you have considered. But which channel do you choose next? A number of practical ways to get you started.

The medium is your message

The medium determines the message.

How a message arrives can vary per medium. A well-known example is it debate between John F. Kennedy and Nixon, who, according to the radio listeners, had been won by Nixon and, according to the TV viewers, by John F. Kennedy. On TV people saw Nixon with a flu and not a good makeup artist. Kennedy was young and energetic. People heard a Nixon on the radio that brought strong arguments and facts. What does that mean for social media? Twitter has only 140 characters, Facebook mainly works with photos, just like Pinterest. Does your message suit a business environment (Linkedin) or more in a private / lifestyle environment? (Facebook)

Choose the medium that fits your message

Will it blend? An iPad!

"... but will it blend?" Who does not know the films in which golf balls, marbles or the latest iPhone are blended? Company Blendtec chose YouTube as the medium that fits their message. They sell expensive blenders. She wanted to show what their blenders can do, and do it in a viral and distinctive way. A photographer soon opts for Facebook, and someone who has to rely mainly on his network opts for Linkedin. Is knowledge and expertise important? Then choose a blog.

Fish where the fish are

“Fish where the fish are”

You know who your customers are. But do you also know which media can best reach them? Are your customers on Twitter? This can be a difficult question to answer. Take a look at your competitors: on which channels are they present? Where do you see them being successful and where not? Ask your customers: through which channel can you best inform them? And look at your industry: what are the current developments? Which resources are currently being deployed?

In general: most people are on Facebook, (but young people less and less), everyone sometimes looks on YouTube, Twitter is especially interesting for your industry but less for customers, Pinterest is (limited) used by women, Google+ has every Google user but is still used very little daily.

What resources do you have available?

Shape of Time by Jeff mcNeill

Daily blogging is not feasible for everyone. Social media is added as a task. For a small company, the following applies: focus on one social media and do it well. See how much time you can really spend every week ... No matter how busy you are. What is your budget? Can you have a video made? Banners and graphics? Do you have the time to learn or do you have the money for a course? If you go for quality ... and I advise you to do the same, then choose a medium that matches your available resources.

What is your target?

What do you ultimately want to achieve? This can be: visit to your website, visit to your store, an online purchase…. but it can also be a name recognition, improving your image, changing the attitude of your customers. Or do you want to inform: about a solution to a common problem, what your product or service can mean for your customers ... When you have a clear goal, the question of how you will measure your progress soon follows. The choice for your social media channel depends on both. Twitter provides site traffic faster than Facebook. Messages on Linkedin are better read than on Facebook. Facebook gives you nice insight into the audience that reaches. Youtube shows through which channel your video was found and where people click away again in the video.

Try the above glasses to get a clear picture of which social media suits you best. And if you are already active on a social media channel, I would like to hear in the responses: how did you come to that choice?

TIP: Also read the free social media starter guide!