Why you’re being told to diversify and focus your social media strategy
If you’re keeping up with social media marketing trends, you’ll have noticed that businesses are being advised to diversify their strategy and at the same time, make it more focused.
Sounds contradictory, right? How can you branch out to other social media platforms and focus on a select few at the same time? The answer is actually pretty straightforward. Here’s what people mean when they talk about diversifying and niche marketing at the same time.
Part 1: Diversify your social media strategy
Social media marketing isn’t just Meta marketing
To put it simply, when social media marketers tell business owners to diversify, they are asking them to look beyond the big three: Meta (formally Facebook), Instagram, and Twitter, to consider what smaller contenders like Pinterest, Twitch, and Snapchat can offer. If you’re only using one platform - like Mete for example - because it’s one of the largest, your brand is at the mercy of its algorithm changes, interface redesigns, rise in advertising costs, etc.
Also, don’t be blinded by the size of a platform's user base. It might have the numbers, but that doesn’t guarantee that the people you want to talk to use it. Also, given that the average person has 8.4 social media accounts (Backlinko), staying loyal to one social media platform could limit your reach and options in the long run. Whereas, if you’re open to using different platforms, you may find one that’s more popular amongst your customers, uses your preferred post format and possibly has lower advertising costs.
…But don’t give in to FOMO
When looking at what other options are out there, resist the urge to simply pick the latest social media app that people are excited about. Most marketers have heard a version of “everyone is talking about this new thing – let’s get on it!” from a client, manager or business owner. Just because a platform is having its moment in the limelight, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll help you achieve your goals or generate profits.
Social media trends can change quickly, and new platforms can struggle to sustain an initial growth spurt in the long run. Even TikTok’s meteoric rise has started to slow down when you look at the recent year-on-year growth figures (Business Insider).
Check if the platform is a good fit
Instead of jumping on the bandwagon, ask these four questions first to check if might be a good fit for your brand:
Can it help me achieve my goals?
Do my customers use it?
Do I have the right content for it?
Do I have the time/budget to fully manage a presence on this platform?
If you answered yes to all four, then it could be a good match for your business. Not sure which platforms your customers use? Sprout Social’s breakdown of social media demographics is a good starting point for your research.
The next step is to spend time on the platform to gen up on its nuances and see what brands are doing to cultivate a loyal following. Take time to learn what motivates people to interact with brands in that space and how they engage with them. People don’t take kindly to companies that clearly haven’t made an effort to get to know and fit in with the culture on a particular social media platform. At best, they will probably get ignored and at worst, they may get called out for it.
It’s also worth checking if there are advertising features or partnership opportunities that could work for your brand. For example, if you’re targeting a younger audience but don’t have the resources to produce short-form videos consistently, you could try partnering with relevant TikTok influencers or sponsor a hashtag challenge to encourage people to create user-generated content using your products.
Remember, it’s better to manage a few social media profiles well than a lot poorly.
Part 2: Focus your social media strategy
You don’t need to be active on every platform
A lot of brands make the mistake of spreading themselves too thin by trying to be on as many social media networks as possible. If you’re a small business with limited resources, trying to be everywhere could do more harm than good. An out-of-date or badly managed profile won’t do your brand any favours.
The term “niche marketing” is being used a lot at the moment. Basically, it means don’t try to be all things to all people. Find out which platforms you can use to generate meaningful interaction from potential customers that will get you closer to achieving your wider business goals.
How does this work in the context of diversifying
To put it in the context of diversifying, you should be open to the possibility of using different social media marketing platforms and then focus on doing a great job on the ones that are most likely to generate results, rather than trying to be active on every possible channel or limiting yourself to only considering the biggest ones.
Discover which platforms to focus your efforts on by examining how your content is performing on all the networks you’re currently using. If you’re not getting the return you need on some of them despite your best efforts, it may be time to move your attention elsewhere (or outsource the work to an expert if you believe it’s the right platform but you could be getting better results). There’s no exact formula for which platforms work best for brands and how many you should have, but remember, it’s better to manage a few social media profiles well than a lot poorly.
Could social media be doing more for your business? Want to make sure you have the right social media strategy in place? Get in touch today for a chat, the first consultation is free!