Person using a smartphone with social media notifications, next to a laptop.

As the number of social media users continues to grow each year, marketing on these platforms has become increasingly important for businesses trying to break through to new audiences. No matter what kind of business you have, having a strong social media presence is no longer optional. 

To start with, it is key that you determine which social platforms are right for your organization and then work out what your social media marketing plan will look like. What objective will you have? What KPIs will you measure? What voice and tactics will you use to get there? 

Before tackling these important questions, though, you must first understand the social media landscape. There are many new and changing platforms which are not all used for the same things.  

Here is what each key social media platform looks like for the year 2022: 

Facebook 

One of the first places customers go to research a brand or organization is its Facebook page, making it an essential platform for your social strategy. It also has tremendous reach potential with its 2.89 billion active users and counting. 

The key to Facebook success is to create a community for your customers. This is a place for them to ask questions of both you and the other customers frequenting the page. It’s also a wonderful messaging platform for you to share new initiatives or products.  

Twitter 

Similarly, Twitter is a go-to for customers seeking information or help. Customer service and conversations are king on this platform.  

What sets Twitter apart is the need for timeliness. This is the platform where people expect rapid responses to both their messages, cultural events, and trends. Pay attention to trending topics and ensure that you respond as quickly as possible. Participation and brand personality are also very important here, but always be mindful of authenticity. Twitter’s 330 million users can spot shallow or hollow sentiments from a mile away and they will not shy away from pointing them out. 

LinkedIn 

While Facebook and Twitter are quite B2C focused, LinkedIn is the king of B2B social media marketing. This is a place for businesses to express thought leadership and showcase both their professional initiatives and the expertise of their people. As a result, this is a great place for personal brand and employer brand marketing.  

While LinkedIn is not quite as big as Facebook yet, it does have more than double the amount of active users Twitter has, going about 800 million strong

Instagram 

Influencer marketing reigns supreme with Instagram, but there are many more opportunities on this platform than you might first think. Like Twitter, your organization’s culture and personality lead the way here. This is a great place for Instagram’s roughly one billion users to see exactly what your business is about. 

High-quality visuals are the key to success on Instagram, so ensure you invest in good photography and have someone on board who knows how to edit and use filters when and where appropriate. (Don’t overdo it, though! You still want to preserve authenticity.) Be sure to include both Instagram Stories and Reels in your social media marketing plan, as these interactive elements can improve performance. Commenting and liking posts can also give your own posts a boost, so be sure to interact with users, or even other business accounts, whenever you have the opportunity. 

YouTube 

If you’re looking to host more long-form video content, YouTube is the place to be. This is a great platform for interviews, deep dives on your topic of expertise, or any other video that needs to be longer than three minutes in length. Show off your company culture or thought leadership content here in an engaging and dynamic way. 

You have a big reach opportunity here, as YouTube has about 2 billion active users.  

TikTok 

Though this growing platform has a reputation for being aimed at a younger audience, people of all ages are present on TikTok. In fact, only 25% of its one billion users are under the age of 20. About 44% are between 20 and 39 years old, and 31% are ages 40 and up.  

In terms of which kinds of businesses can leverage TikTok right now, retail is best positioned for success. Many products have gone “viral” and sold out because of a TikTok post. Educational videos also do well, especially from experts like lawyers who can provide niche information and context.  

This platform is mainly one to keep an eye on, as the potential is there.  

If you’d like more marketing insights, you can find more articles like this here and in our advice section