How To Know Which Social Media Site Is Best For You
June 6, 2017
It’s no surprise, consumers are changing the way they shop. Now, more than ever, shoppers are searching online and then heading to the actual brick and mortar store to buy. Therefore, the information you put online is more important than ever. You have to be found online daily with unique photos, fun quotes and engaging questions. First, determine which social media site is right for your business. Marketing experts say it’s best to focus on no more than 3, but how do you know which 3? Here’s some demographic information I gleaned from SocialMedia Today to help you decide.
Which social media site does your shopper visit?
Facebook is the most widely used social media site, especially in the resale industry. Currently, there are 1.9 billion (yes, with a “b”) unique monthly users. Demographics are 83% of online women and 75% of online men. More than 9 out of 10 US Millennials (ages 18-34) are regular Facebook users. Plus, Generation X (ages 35-49) loves Facebook when it comes to their smart phones. Interestingly, 75% of users spend 20 minutes or more on Facebook every day. It’s viewed almost everywhere…at work, home, on a phone or on a desktop. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no “best” day or time to post. Use their analytics to figure out the best time for your shop. Make sure your cover image is 820 x 312, your profile photo is 170 x 170, your link image size is 1230 x 627 and a shared image should be 1200 x 630. Read 8 Facebook failures you don’t want to make before you dive in.
Twitter is strongest among 18 to 29 year olds. It’s popularity is slightly greater among males over females. Interestingly, over half of Twitter users never post any updates. Users only spend an average of 2.7 minutes on Twitter per day. Twitter is also used everywhere and at all times, but more often during down times such as lunch or breaks. A photo that is either square or landscape in format should always be used.
Pinterest is a social media site dominated by women and its followers are fairly evenly distributed between the generations. They tend to have a middle to higher income average. You’ll find the highest activity on Pinterest is in the evening. Shoppers referred by Pinterest are 10% more likely to make a purchase on eCommerce than users of other social sites. Thumbnail photos placed on your boards should be 222 x 150. Your regular pin can be 600 x any dimension.
Instagram is extremely popular and the fastest growing site. Predominately female, over 90% of Instagram users are under the age of 35. They also tend to live in urban areas. About half of US adult Instagram users access it daily and over half of them use it to follow brands. Square images on Instagram need to be 1080 x 1080. Vertical images need to be 1080 x 1350 and horizontal images need to be 1080 x 566.
LinkedIn is a very different type of social media site. It has always been strongest among men and with the more affluent. Interestingly, LinkedIn users are slightly less likely to use other social networks. Run timely articles about your products and industry to appeal to its users.
Excellent photos are vital to your success on social media. These are 2 fun, easy apps I really enjoy using to make my photos more interesting.
PicMonkey is free to use and offers a myriad of options from adding filters, to text to frames. They even let you touch up such things as wrinkles and skin tones (something I’m particularly fond of). PicMonkey Royale is only $33 a year and I think it’s well worth the price to get the added features.
Canva is also free and provides a lot of different design options from Facebook cover photos to posters to invitations. They also supply excellent tutorials on how to use the Canva service.
If you run out of ideas for posting every day, consider showing some other sides of your business.
Post a photo of:
- The employee of the week
- How you start your day
- Your shop’s surroundings
- A satisfied customer
- Your window display
- A holiday memory
- A DIY tip
- A recipe for a holiday treat
- Something you’re thankful for
- A fun gift idea
- Unique holiday decorations
- A funny story or customer experience
Make sure your website is up-to-date and choose the correct social media outlet based on your target market. Here are my suggestions:
Children’s Consignment
Young Women’s Clothing Consignment
Snapchat/Twitter
Women’s Upscale Clothing Consignment
Furniture Consignment
Men’s Consignment
