If there’s one question we get often it’s “what social media platforms do I need for my business?”

The answer is: not every single one.

Here’s the thing, while you might have the urge to create an account on every platform, you most likely will not need more than one or two accounts. Not every platform will benefit you or your business. In fact, in some cases, having too many accounts can have a negative effect on your business. When making your decision on where to sign up, consider these factors:

Where Is Your Audience?

This is one of the most important aspects of figuring out where you should be online.

If you run a local tire business, it would likely benefit you to be on Facebook. It would likely not benefit you to be on Instagram. Keep in mind, right now, we are discussing a small local business. There are instances were Instagram could be useful to a tire business – for example, if your business specialized in exotic wheels, or maybe catered to a specific niche of car lovers and enthusiasts. The important thing to note is: where is this audience? Are they on Twitter? Are they on Instagram? How active are they?

Too Many Accounts Can Be Overwhelming

Yeah, we’ll say it. We manage, curate and monitor over 10 individual accounts and guess what? It’s not easy! If you are choosing to run your own business’ profiles, you need to be careful not to overdo it. You want your accounts to be active, not dead. It looks unprofessional to visit someone’s Twitter page that was last updated in 2013. It makes your business look dead. Just remember it takes time to curate unique content, build an organic audience, manage ads, and engage with your current and potential audience. Already sounds like a lot right? That’s only the beginning of it!

If You Choose Lots of Platforms, Be Unique

If you decide that you definitely want to invest the time, effort and care into a variety of social media accounts – whatever our business may be, try to be unique. If you’re going to do it, you may as well do it right and make yourself relevant on each platform. Hey, all we’re saying is – not every business benefits from every social media platform but companies and business have broken those standard laws of social media before and done excellently. Sometimes it’s just a matter of creativity.

When it comes down to it, when you’re trying to find the perfect platforms to utilize for your business – the most important aspect you should consider is your audience.

What other things do you think someone should consider when choosing a platform to market their business? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Check out our other posts about Social Media.