With over 200 social media platforms in 2022, it can be overwhelming when trying to select which channels are best for your business. However, narrowing down your options can be a breeze when you take these three questions into consideration: Who is your audience, where are your competitors, and what can you contribute?

When you’re just starting out your social media presence for your business or organization, follow the advice of countless marketing professionals and go where the people are! That will take your 200+ options down to a handful—which is more manageable for digesting.

What are the top social media platforms in 2022? The Pew Research Center report show us the top 10 social media platforms in the USA are:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn
• Snapchat
• Twitter
• WhatsApp
• TikTok
• Reddit

So now you know what your options are, it’s time to narrow it down even further. Answer these three questions to help make your decision on which social media platform is best for your business.

Who Is Your Audience?

Knowing who your services and products appeal to is key. You are not for everyone! And that’s what makes what you do so important. Defining your niche is where your target audience is at.

Determine their gender and/or identities, their age range, how they like to consume media, and pinpoint their general interests. To do this, simply observe who you are currently working with and do some Google diving—or, you can reach out to us!

Example: If your main customer/client is an 18- to 24-year-old female, chances are she is on Instagram where 49% of users are female and 31% of users are within that age range.

Where are Your Competitors?

Once you’ve identified your audience, it’s a good idea to start seeing where your competitors are. Since they are considered your parallel, chances are good that they are reaching customers wherever you can find them. Simply do a search on the social channel you are on for their name, or visit their website and see which social channels they have listed (typically these will be in the footer of the website or on the contact page).

Warning: If your competitors are on 5+ social channels, do some further digging to see where their time is spent most. You will notice overlap in content or periods of time where the account may have not seen content posted which will indicate less of a priority for their marketing initiatives.

What are Resources You Can Invest In?

Last but not least, it’s time to identify what you are willing to and/or capable of investing in. Social media is no longer a side effort for marketing teams, but a priority for many businesses in almost every industry.

Understanding each platform you are considering and how it can work to reach your business goals will help define which platform to select for your business.

If your business is resource-driven and needs the capabilities of linking, Facebook may be your best option. If you’re a B2B dominant organization, take a look at LinkedIn. Are visuals your bread and butter? Instagram could be a great option or even YouTube.

A Tip To Get Started

Choose platforms that you are passionate about creating content for. If you can’t imagine having your face on camera, YouTube may not be the platform for you. Start by selecting two to three platforms to begin and invest the time to consistently share your content. (Psssst… Facebook & Instagram are connected through Meta Business Manager and can be managed on one platform for little to no cost.)

Social media has become a type of search engine for most consumers. This makes it imperative to have your brand presence there. However, your social initiatives can be selective to what will benefit you the most and show the best returns. Don’t feel pressured to be on every platform that is hitting its peak momentum.

If you are still feeling stuck after identifying your audience, your competition, and your resource you will be able to invest in—there are professionals who can help, even to simply give you input. Learn more about the service Vela Creative Co. offers here: Social Media.