It's imperative that your company has an up-to-date, responsive, purpose-driven website. If it doesn't, stop reading this and get on that immediately. It's the bedrock for your online presence and marketing.
Once you have a rock star website, you're going to want to join the rest of the world in the online marketing pool. Don't just dive in. It's risky and a waste of time and resources. You want to assess the waters and make a considered entrance. That way you'll make a splash that's impactful.
Context is key to ensuring that your messaging makes sense and is visible enough to be received.
Before you consider platform options, do your research and make sure you understand:
B) The format - does it make sense for your offering?
C) The audience - are these the people you want to be talking to?Choose your bases wisely
All platforms are not created equal. The type of content that functions on each and the frequency, timing and tone of said content can be worlds apart.
Facebook
Facebook is useful for consumer-facing content. Strategy is imperative. It should be aligned with your marketing goals but also consider what's necessary to keep your audience engaged day in and day out.
Twitter
Twitter is short and fast. The turnover of content is rapid and you'll need to keep up for your content to be effective. In South Africa, it has fewer users than Facebook but higher engagement.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is beneficial for business-to-business interaction. Having a profile for your company is a start, but you'd do well to consider posting regular items that you've written or that relate to what you do. It's an easy way to foster attention and get people taking you seriously.
Pinterest
85% of Pinterest users are female. The platform acts as a place to house and share images. Being a wholly visual platform, if you're going to have a presence here, your images must be outstanding.
As of 2014, Pinterest had an active user base of 840,000 in South Africa - a decline from 910,000 in 2013.
Instagram
Instagram is also image-based but less in terms of sharing and collecting and more in terms of showcasing and documenting. In terms of brands, it can be a very relevant part of live event coverage.
Youtube
While video content is popular in South Africa, it's imperative to keep your audience in mind. Data is expensive and a large portion of the population won't watch your content because of it.
Content type has to make sense within the context of your target market.
Google+
Google+ still receives mixed reviews. Some have given up on it, others are still waiting to see if it can outplay rival Facebook. For now, it encompasses elements of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. There are still no SA statistics available to help assess usefulness in terms of brand marketing.
It's all very well understanding where you need to be seen but covering your bases doesn't guarantee visibility.
No matter where it's placed, your content must be compelling, relatable and relevant. It has to draw people in and keep them there long enough to receive your message.
