Social Media Marketing: How to Choose from So Many Channels

If you’re a content marketer, odds are that a client has asked, “Which social media channels do I need to be on?” When you made your recommendation, did you wish that you had more information on all the choices and what works best for whom?

Your wish is my command! I had the privilege of speaking to a true guru on the leading edges of various social channels. Meet Chase Sagum, who graciously took the time to share some well-informed thoughts and sage suggestions on social media strategies you might want to think about.

Surprising Suggestion #1: Consider More Channels

Early in our conversation, I was stopped in my tracks when Chase casually mentioned the 15 social media platforms available. Since my typical questions are around choosing whether to prioritize Facebook vs. Twitter vs. LinkedIn, I had to know more.

Now, in no way was he suggesting that a brand needs to be on all of these channels, but let’s take a moment to expand our mind with this list. In the following suggestions, you’ll hear a few ways in which new platforms provide new opportunities.

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. LinkedIn
4. YouTube
5. Instagram
6. SnapChat
7. Medium
8. WhatsApp
9. Messenger
10. Musically / TikTok
11. Marco Polo
12. Twitch
13. Reddit
14. Tumbler
15. Pinterest

Yes. Fifteen platforms with very large numbers of people gathering, learning, sharing. Full confession: I had not heard of #10. If you read the linked article, you’ll learn that this app is the closest thing to having Vine back. And likewise, I had not heard of Marco Polo, but if people think it could be the next Snapchat, it’s definitely worth looking into.

Surprising Suggestion #2: Don’t Abandon Facebook

There’s a lot of value to sticking around a space that you may think is rapidly emptying. Yes, we’re talking about Facebook. And yes, people are leaving in droves as the company disappoints us and the atmosphere becomes increasingly ad-choked and overly strident and political.

However, consider two factors:

1) You will not find a finer platform for testing assumptions about which audiences will respond to which of your messages. (And as Chase so wisely points out in a recent podcast, testing on Facebook lets you very easily test the same premises on fast-growing Instagram. Seriously, both of Chase’s Facebook and Instagram Q&A episodes are chock full of insight.)

2) Chase reports a curious number of brands willing to abandon the over-45 audience for younger ones — as if the buying power/influence of the over-45 set is declining. (It’s not, plus you can use other signals such as behavior, emotions, and moments to target more than just age.)

Don’t feel like you have to follow the crowd out the door. However…

(Not-Surprising) Suggestion #3: Go Native

There is value in getting into a new space if you can do it well. Early adopters will profit and learn. Drake’s foray into gaming has shown the power of Twitch and Benjamin Hardy has provided a powerful case study of using Medium to build a brand from near nothing.

And to do it well, here is the key: you must go native. If you’re going to play on Instagram or WeChat or Twitch, you must do it with style and authenticity.

Many of us cannot be personally invested in all platforms. We are not all visual people (Instagram) or written-word/verbal people (Medium) or gamers (Twitch). But if your ideal customers are, develop or hire that expertise. For the audio learners out there, stay tuned for our upcoming blog post, “Why Don’t You Have an RSS Strategy Yet?” because yes, podcasts are a thing.

Conclusion

There is a wide variety of options for your social media strategy. As a percentage of digital marketing spend, social media is only going to continue to grow. So don’t be afraid to change the channel!