This has become a very common question, as many business owners are still struggling to come to grips with the role and relevance of social media in their business. To answer this question in isolation would be foolish, as whether or not social media has a role to play is solely dependent on your business plan and the marketing strategy it dictates.

The choice and preferences for certain social media are different depending on the nature of your business and who you intend to target as your clientele.

It is also quite possible that your business may not need social media at all!

ViKki what type of business do you have? If you could provide some more information then the Savvy Community will be able to help you more. Cheers, Lisa

This is by Jannette Martinez, our Social Media Manager. Thought I would share with you

"Yes this is the information age and with that we are blasted with tons and tons of content. Getting the right message to the right person has never been harder…Or has it?

People have access to vast amounts of information and they would be very selective on what they consume. So to get their attention you need something that will capture their eyes and in the long term gain their loyalty. So How Would One Achieve Reaching Their Audience? Well there isn’t a one size fits all approach to this subject, different audiences require different strategies to pique their interests.

So if you know your audience, know what they want!
The only thing left is to THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. UTILISING SOCIAL By leveraging all channels you can shout out at the top of your lungs and more people will hear you, figuratively of course. So if you aren’t on Social Media, BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA! These channels are by far the most cost effective way to reach your audience and a great tool for any business. Couple these channels with their available ads and you’re on the way to reaching a wider range of people. Remember that knowing your audience requires time and testing. Different people react differently, you need to test ads before you have found the audience that fits your business. KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE & HOW THEY USE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS

Is your behavior the same on Facebook as it is on Twitter?
Each social media has a different purpose to their users. It’s best to understand this and target your audience differently on each platform. Get into the audiences mind. Let’s say an 18 year old girl is on Facebook, they are on Facebook to socialise and catch up on their world of friends. Compare that to that same girl on Pinterest, she would now be specifically shopping or looking up something trendy to buy. It’s these little things that we have to be aware of to understand how to reach the people that you want. You also have to understand their preferences and browsing behaviour on these platforms. Another important thing is to know what your audience likes, provide them content that would interest them. For example you’re a travel agent business and you want to target young school kids or uni leavers. So you create a post ‘10 Must Go Destinations After You Finished Studying’ linking to an article on your website. This piques their interest and provides a gateway to your business and what you have to offer. START CREATING Understanding your audience may take time, but it’s time well spent. Think outside the box when creating content and don’t follow your competitors. I’ll leave the rest to you. What ideas do you have to better target your audience? What sort of value do you provide to your audience? What has worked and what hasn’t worked for you?"

Social Media can be used if your target audience uses it. Don't know your target audience? Define it and your answer will be clearer. Better still, create a marketing plan.

Don’t let social media drive you crazy, you do not need to be everywhere, the key is just to pick your platform,  it does not matter which ones you choose just pick one or 2 that are authentic to you.  It should look and sound like you and the brand you have built.  Whether yours is polished or more informal, chatty or academic, humorous or snarky, it is a way for your personality to come through.  Whether you are B2B or B2C, thought leaders need to be on LinkedIn so that they can be found easily.  It adds credibility and transparency when you know the people you are meeting or working with know people in common.  LinkedIn has become more than an online resume or rolodex, it is the foundation for building trusted relationships in the digital economy.  You do not need to blog or be on all social media platforms but make sure you are active on the ones where you are.  If your audience does not use Facebook, Twitter or  Instagram to find you then you do not need to make them a priority.  For many professional service businesses like mine, leveraging LinkedIn matters the most.