3 Platforms Your Business Should Be On Today
With the zillion digital marketing platforms available these days, it can be overwhelming to decide which ones to use! Keep scrolling to discover the top three platforms I recommend utilizing as a small business owner or personal brand.
For starters, the platforms you choose to post content on regularly will weigh heavily on the type of business you run and where your audience hangs out. For example, a blog is an excellent platform for almost every niche and audience, whereas Pinterest is usually better for creative industries. Just like a makeup artist would probably be better off showcasing their work on Instagram versus LinkedIn. It all depends on the industry you’re in and where your ideal customers are.
In saying that, there are “generally” three platform categories I’d recommend every business owner take advantage of (and no, I’m not referring to social media alone 😉). In fact, in this post I’m going to challenge you to go beyond just social media – so your content can strategically guide your ideal customer toward your fabulous offers.
Now let’s dive into it! Here’s three digital marketing platforms to start using, today!
Social Media Channel
Let’s start off with social media since this is probably the most obvious platform to start on! Your social media channels are a great way to share updates in real time with your followers – not to mention a fun and creative way to share your products and services with potential customers.
But here’s the thing with social media (listen closely). The number one mistake I see many entrepreneurs make is doing ANYTHING and EVERYTHING all at once. For example… if you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, and 17 other channels – then you’ve gotta cut like 20 of those out.
Okay, okay – this is a total exaggeration – but the point is… START SMALL!
Social media growth is a slow and steady race and if you narrow your focus to just a one or two platforms at a time, you’ll be able to give them both the TLC they need and deserve. Once you’ve mastered those, you can then expand and wash, rinse, repeat!
And not only is being on too many platforms at once a problem – but it’s that your audience might not even be on them… sooo what’s the point? You want to make sure you’re concentrating on the platforms you know your audience is hanging out on. So if your target audience is females between the ages of 24-35 who love
fashion and accessories, then they probably aren’t hanging out a whole lot on LinkedIn.
In addition, you want to make sure the social media channels you’re on can contribute to moving your customers forward in their journey with you – so if Instagram isn’t giving you the exposure you need to meet your goals and Tiktok is, then perhaps you need to switch gears a bit. Make sense?
An Evergreen Channel
Next, we’re going evergreen! And by evergreen, I’m not referring to the kind you hang ornaments on during Christmas time. No, the kind of evergreen I’m talking about is the digital platform in which your content is “search-optimized” through key words and always relevant. Think of it as a place where readers can discover your content for months – even YEARS past its publication date. And in a world where we’re constantly battling social media algorithms – an evergreen platform is a MUST. Soooo… how you can go evergreen? Here’s some suggestions for ya, below:
- A blog
- A YouTube channel
- A Podcast
Other Benefits of Going Evergreen
If you aren’t super familiar with this type of platform, I wanted to share why else your business can benefit from using one (aside from your content living a longer shelf-live, like I mentioned above):
- Expands your content’s reach: So if your social media reach is low, you can cross post that content onto your blog, podcast, etc. as an opportunity to reach an even wider audience
- Search-friendly: Many of these platforms use key words as a way to find your content. This means your content can be found if you’ve properly optimized it for what users are searching for. BONUS: Google even has a tendency to pull up YouTube videos, blogs, etc. Even MORE reason to go evergreen!
- Engages an audience: Evergreen platforms are an excellent way to deepen your connection with your audience because it’s in a longer-form and packed with value. And we all know that providing value is the key to building trust and making sales!
Now, just like social media, I recommend you starting off with one or two of these to start. Remember: these platforms require a lot of TLC and consistency, so don’t overwhelm yourself by biting off more than you can chew!
Email or Subscriber List
Have you ever had your Instagram account shut down or had a friend who was booted off Pinterest for no reason? Well, I have – and it’s no fun – especially, when you pour your entire heart and soul into your content and lost all of it and those connections and contacts for no reason. 👎
Enter, your email list.
Your email list is essentially a collection of targeted leads collected from an opt-in on your website or free download. And unlike a social media platform, you actually own this email list – and control the distribution of your message. And if you’re familiar with pesky algorithms, paid content ruling your feed, and “mysterious” drops in engagement – then, consider this as an added layer of reinforcement!
I recommend Mailerlite or Flodesk if you’re just getting started.
Well, friend – there ya have it. The top three platforms I highly recommend you utilize for your small business or personal brand. Not only do these platforms help you promote your amazing products and services, but if utilized correctly, you can use each to work together to attract, engage and convert your dream customers!
P.S. If this post helped, be sure to pin it to Pinterest, below!
