There are no one-size-fits-all options when it comes to the right social media platform for your small- or medium-sized business. Facebook might be the biggest name in social media networks, but there are trendier platforms like Instagram and Twitter that millennial customers usually prefer. Different platforms attract and cater to different people, and it’s essential for business owners to understand the pros and cons of each platform before settling on one.
Research shows that 77% of consumers in the US have social media profiles and that Facebook is the most utilized social media platform by users younger than 50 years old. With over two billion users, Facebook offers the biggest audience and is the perfect place for companies that are looking to increase their brand awareness.
Apart from the huge user base, Facebook also increases customers’ trust by lending otherwise stiff businesses a human touch. Although you don’t have to invest heavily in this platform, you should at least create a basic page. Setting up your company’s page takes only a few minutes and not having one could affect your reputation.
YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world with over 1.9 billion registered users. When properly utilized, it can bring in new customers and help you retain old ones. To increase your brand visibility and help viewers to get to know your company better, create a channel with videos about the products or services that you’re offering.
You can also encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel so they’ll be in the loop every time you upload a new video. Another huge advantage of using YouTube is that Google owns it, and videos from the site are more likely to appear on the first page of search results than other organic content.
Launched in 2010, Instagram is one of the fastest growing social media platforms today. It boasts one billion registered users, mostly on the younger end of the scale (18-24 years old). Instagram is primarily for sharing photos and short videos, but it recently launched IGTV, an in-app tool for users and businesses to upload long-form videos.
Keep in mind that most users prefer to use Instagram for fun and creative content. The platform is known for beautiful photos, so choose aesthetic content over standoffish or corporate content.
To hit two birds with one stone, integrate your Instagram account with your Facebook page so every new picture or video on your profile will automatically post to your Facebook page.
Snapchat
Another trendy social media platform is Snapchat, which allows its 300+ million monthly users to share photos and videos that disappear within 24 hours. Businesses can use this platform to reach younger audiences through Snap ads, sponsored geofilters, and sponsored lenses.
Snap ads are 10-second full-screen videos with embedded links and calls to action that will appear on the timelines of targeted viewers. Sponsored geofilters and sponsored lenses, meanwhile, are custom filters that may contain elements relating to one’s brand. All these marketing options are available through AdManager, the app’s advertising platform.
Twitter has 328 million active daily users. This number may be small compared to the other social media platforms on this list, but that’s precisely its charm: it gives users the feeling of security and coziness that comes from chatting with businesses directly and publicly. In fact, a whopping 85% of SMBs have Twitter accounts that they use to engage with current and potential customers. And because Twitter only allows up to 280 characters per tweet (excluding links), conversations between parties are straight to the point and results-oriented.
If you have more questions about social media platforms and how to use them strategically, contact us today.
Facebook leads all social media platforms in terms of daily active users, audience reach, and cultural impact, but is it the best fit for your business? Every business has a unique audience, so what works for one business may not work for another. With all the available social media platforms to choose from, small- and medium-sized businesses should examine their options before they decide which is the best match for them.
Don’t be surprised that Apple has a second product launch for 2018. For starters, the first one covered only two products: the iPhone and the Apple Watch. Were there no new iterations for the iPad and MacBook? Apple’s announcement on October 18 gave us a teaser of an answer: “There’s more in the making.” Read on to learn about Apple’s latest offerings.
Leave it to tech heavyweight Apple to do two product launches within two months of each other. After launching Apple Watch Series 4 and three iPhone variants in September, here’s the additional stocking stuffers they unveiled on October 30.
Apple launched a couple of products in September. As usual, it’s just slim pickings — we were treated to three variants of the iPhone and the latest model of the Apple Watch. However, the trillion-dollar company was apparently not yet done, as it launched yet even more devices on October 30. Check out the additional lineup below.
You can find firmware everywhere, from a tiny networked LED light bulb to the biggest data center. This code is powerful because it controls the device it’s installed on. If your firmware is outdated, it can be used to spy on your environment, steal or corrupt your data, or even damage the system it’s controlling.
If most of your company’s computers are obsolete, they double or even triple your chances of experiencing a data breach. This emphasizes how dangerous it is to have outdated applications, operating systems, and even web browsers. Failing to update your firmware could expose your business to major security threats.
Are you still using that old computer that is not-so gracefully aging and devaluing? Maybe you are running important programs on older machines with old operating systems since they “still work fine.” While it might still help you get the job done, there may be hidden security risks that can lead to major problems later on.
Any successful small- or medium-sized business today must do two things to thrive: digital marketing and network security to keep its data safe from cyber attacks and other forms of data loss. When it comes to security, browsers are no exception. In small- and medium-sized businesses, some 50 to 150 workers access the net daily through the company network via browsers on your devices. Each one of these access points needs to be protected, and it’s easy to do.
The internet isn’t for the naive. It’s a wild place of dangerous creatures like malware, scams, and hackers. And as any business owner today would know, data is everything. If you or your employees browse the net unprotected, this valuable resource is threatened by cyber attacks. One way to protect your business’ data is to secure your browsers. It is easy enough for every small- and medium-sized business to do.
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