5.2 Choosing what’s right for me

There are several social media platforms that businesses use to promote their products and services. Table 1 details some key considerations for deciding which social media platform to choose.

Depending on your specialism, other platforms such as Spotify may also be relevant. Do some research to explore what similar businesses use.

When considering the right social media platform to use, experts consistently recommend starting with one rather than spreading yourself too thinly over several. This is because it takes time to build up a following on social media, requiring regular posts and responses.

Choosing the platform that will link you to the right audience in the right way is crucial. For example, if your business is primarily visual, a platform that encourages the use of images and videos – such as Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram – will be important. If your service is primarily aimed at other businesses (often referred to as ‘business to business’ or ‘B2B’) then LinkedIn could be your starting point due to its professional focus. Watch Video 7 in which freelance copywriter Gayle Johnson discusses how she has built her business on Facebook.

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Transcript: Video 7

GAYLE JOHNSON

For me, I decided that I would rather do one platform well rather than spread myself thinly over several platforms. And for me, I chose Facebook. So I spend a lot of time in the Facebook environment. I have a Facebook page that I set up.

And it felt so daunting, I have to say, setting it up. I felt like I was exposing myself to the world. And then I launched this thing and not very much happened. I thought OK, I could take a few risks here.

So I use that Facebook page to really start conversations, interestingly. It's not primarily a selling tool for me. The selling happens, but first of all, it's about building a relationship and it's about building connections.

So on that Facebook page, I share little snippets of what I'm doing. I share little snippets of behind the scenes at my work, some good news about my clients. And every so often I will throw in an offer or an invitation to work with me, but that's not primarily how I use that page. It's more about letting people into my world, I suppose.

And it goes back again to this belief I have that people are people, so by using social media to just be yourself and get allow people to see a little glimpse of what you're like and what you might be like working with, I think it helps them build trust in you. It helps them get to know you. And they can make the decision to buy from you if they need to. And that certainly worked for me.

But then I found what's been even more powerful is setting up a group. So I have a Facebook group now which isn't huge but it is pretty active. And that really has built a sense of community around what I do. So the people in there, they share their kind of issues and tips to do with my work, which is about writing. They ask me questions. They share what's going on in their day. And they've kind of built up networks and friendships with each other too as a result of that.

And that, I have to say, is probably where I get most of my business from. And again, I don't spend a lot of time advertising in there. Every so often, when I have events running. Or if I have an offer, I will make that clear to people. But mostly, it's about building that community.

So when people think they need someone who does what I do, I'm the first person that comes to mind. And they know me, and they must like me because they're still in the group, and they trust that I can do what I say I'm going to do because I kind of throw in bits of evidence. I throw in successes from my other clients, that sort of thing. And that's how work seems to have grown very organically really.

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Video _unit6.6.2 Video 7

In the next activity, you’ll start to think about the best social media platform for your business. If you aren’t sure about the platforms or networks that are currently available, look at the most popular social networks in the UK [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] for some ideas (to open the link in a new window or tab hold the Ctrl key (or Cmd on a Mac) when you click).

It is worth noting that things change rapidly in this sector and some of those listed might be defunct next year!