How to choose the right content platforms for your brand

Many SMEs know they should be more present on social media and other content platforms such as Medium, but they’re unsure which platform is the best for them. To give you a head start, here is a simple guide so you can start immediately.

1. Write down where most of your leads and clients come from. 

Small companies tend to overlook this point or focus on the wrong data. You should only be interested in the first point of contact. Here’s an example: Someone types a question related to your business into a search engine. One of the blog posts on your website pops up. They read it and decide to look up your company on LinkedIn. A few weeks later, they contacted your business via LinkedIn. In this case, your long content brought you the lead, not LinkedIn, although being on that platform made the potential client more comfortable about contacting you. The numbers might surprise you. Sometimes, the most leads come through content platforms the company hasn’t put much effort in. There is such a thing as “the shiny object syndrome”, where the latest trend looks more appealing than the marketing a company has already invested time in. Data can prevent that and shows which channels to focus on. Once the numbers are in, it’s time to look at the quality of the contacts.

2. Are they the right leads? 

That’s another problem many SMEs encounter. If the overall brand message isn’t clear, your business will attract all kinds of people, not necessarily ideal clients. For example, do you get lots of leads from Instagram, but they don’t convert into clients? That might mean you can reduce your activity on this social media platform unless you use it to increase visibility. That brings me to my next point:

3. Choose two platforms for your business and let go of the rest OR hire help. 

You won’t be able to focus on more than two channels if your company isn’t outsourcing it or has a dedicated team for the job. What’s more, a half-hearted attempt at social media can hurt your brand image. An abandoned Facebook group or random posts on LinkedIn makes your company look less professional. The same goes for your company blog. It’s vital to have a simple content creation framework that aligns with your company goals to avoid that. 

4. Define your overall goal for each channel. 

I’m on Instagram mainly for exposure and visibility. My blog increases traffic to my website. LinkedIn helps me keep in touch with my network and stay on top of industry news. Every channel I use has a purpose, and they are all different. Many companies I work with don’t intend to attract clients on Instagram; they use the social media platform to showcase their work and engage with customers. That is especially true for the fashion, health and beauty sectors which rely on female customers. According to the LSE, 68% of Instagram users are female, so investing time and effort in this social media platform makes sense. 

Other sectors like finance or law prefer LinkedIn. It’s still the most popular platform for lawyers in the U.S. 

The overall image of a platform also impacts your own business, so a more playful social media platform like Instagram might not be ideal here, but before you make a decision, shave a survey among your clients. Do they use these channels, and, more importantly, would they like to see your content there as well?

5. Double down on your chosen channels and create high-quality content consistently.

If your company decides to open an account on another social media platform, set clear goals and remain strategic. It’s a good idea to review the outcome every quarter. You should see the first results after one quarter, not much earlier than that. Building a following and engaging with leads takes time.  

6. It will take more time and effort than you think. 

I’ve conducted a mini-survey among small business owners and found that those successful on Instagram contacted at least ten people there every day. Those who felt an impact on their business from speaking on podcasts showed up as guest speakers on various podcasts consistently five times a week. Although LinkedIn doesn’t require as much effort, it’s still necessary to share four helpful posts from others, create an engaging one yourself (ideally with a Gif or a video) and add CTA only once. 

A small company should post one to four new blog posts a week. Larger businesses need to publish an article once daily to feel a more significant impact. 

These numbers show why some companies feel content platforms don’t see the growth they expected from being present on content platforms. Too often, they don’t invest enough time in them. Outsourcing content will increase leads and ultimately attract more clients to your company. 

To summarise: Before spending time and money on content, it’s necessary to get the foundations right. Collecting data beforehand and assessing the quality of content and leads can save your company money and ensure time spent on social media and other content platforms improves the brand image and leads.