Choosing Platforms: Where to start

Choosing a platform for personal branding or to market a business can be very difficult. There are so many out there so which ones do you choose?

First you must establish your objective: Is it to generate reach? To market to a specific target audience? If you have not yet identified your target audience, here is a quick guide to getting started. Once you have established that, choosing a platform becomes slightly easier. 

Each platform is designed for different target audiences who wish to communicate in different ways. Platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest is best used for visual content and to break up the everyday clutter of 'word based' platforms like Facebook and Twitter. If you are looking to communicate in a professional manner and increase your networks, a platform such as LinkedIn is the best option. 

If you want to increase your reach, consider using platforms that have the greatest market share. Business Insider compiled a list ranking the world's largest platforms. They were ranked in terms of estimated global monthly active users (MAUs):

Business Insider Dec 2013

From the graph, you can see the most notable platforms rank:

1. Facebook

2. YouTube

3. Google+

4. Tumblr

5. Twitter

6. LinkedIn

7. Instagram

8. Pinterest

9. Myspace

10. Snapchat

Keeping in mind who uses the platforms, for what purpose, their overall market share and most importantly your objective, choosing a platform or a few platforms becomes an easier decision. 

Consequences - The Wagons That Follow

Another social media post has taken the current Australian news by storm. On the 25th of April Australia celebrated the 100th centenary of our ANZACs landing in Gallipoli. It is a day of patriotism, honour, mourning and gratitude. But SBS sports reporter, Scott McIntyre, saw it as a day to express his radical views on the matter on Twitter.

These were some of his tweets:

His posts generated much controversy with the majority being disgusted by what he said. Being a public figure and associated with SBS news, the consequences of his poorly thought-through actions were not light. He was fired from his successful position at SBS and no longer respected by the general public.

Considering my first post on this blog (The Train Theory), this highlights how everything you post on social media platforms - even if it is your private account! - will follow you around like the wagons on a train.  The consequences for McIntyre might not stop at losing his job and reputation being damaged, but there is a chance he might find it very difficult to earn back the respect he lost and therefore get a job of the same calibre again. 

Let this be a lesson! You have to consider what you say when, how, what words/images you use and make sure it's not offensive. Of course freedom of speech is a fundamental right in this society but if the intention is to portray a controversial view, you have to be prepared to take on the full consequences of your actions.

YouTubirthday: "10 Years of Youtube"

Tomorrow, April 23rd, marks YouTube's 10th birthday. It's hard to imagine life without it, especially when considering that it is partly responsible for creating a culture thriving on sharing to the world. 

From a marketing perspective, it aids in making an advertisement or idea go viral. 

Australian news program, 'The Project' did a quick story on some of the most successful videos that went viral. With it being the 3rd most viewed platform (ranking behind Google and Facebook) and over 1 billion people using it each month, it is hard to imagine how to create a viral video. 

What I found the top videos which made The Project's "10 Years of Youtube" had in common, were that they all had an element of uniqueness and quirkiness (unless it's a cat video, they seem to go viral regardless...).

Defining Your Target Audience

Knowing who your target audience is and what makes them tick is key in understanding what to post when, how and where. There are so many social media platforms out there that it is easy to lose sight of why you are there in the first place and who you actually want to reach.

I came across this great article by MarketLand: "The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Audience in Social Media" where they explain to you in two simple steps how to find and understand your target audience and, consequently, which platform use. 

The key points are:

STEP 1: Defining Your Target Market - this is done by identifying the demographics of you followers. Think about how expensive your product/service is, then who could afford this and why, their age, whether they're married, whether they're local etc. Another aspect to consider is the target audience's psychographics. Think about your customers' likes/dislikes, what magazines or websites they read, their values, what lifestyle they lead and how your product/service fits into that lifestyle. When do they use your product or hire your service? And most importantly, HOW do they use your product/service?

STEP 2: Choose the Right Networks to Reach Them - there are so many out there, but some platforms probably do not suit your objectives. Think of it as each platform has a personality, and this personality must be matched to your audience's personality, Why is your audience on the platform? What do they want to see, read and engage in on this platform? This way you can tailor your content on different platforms to reach your desired target audience. 

This is how they explain the different platforms in one snapshot: (I couldn't resist!)

Getting LinkedIn-to Employment

Recently I have been thinking about how to engage in personal branding efforts. As a university student I am constantly told to start networking and build a professional profile so that I have a background future employers can refer to. The first platform that comes to mind is LinkedIn. Wouldn't it be great to have employers come to you?

So, obviously I'd have to set up a LinkedIn profile, but I don't know about you, that seems really daunting... How do I set it up to reach the right people? What do I write to convey who I am but still remaining professional? How do I stand out with only a short list of experience?

The Business Insider set up a quick article: "8 Steps To Creating a Powerful LinkedIn Profile". After reading this I feel a lot more confident that I too can have a professional profile which would attract potential employers.

Over the next few weeks I will be setting up my own LinkedIn profile and tracking my success. Obviously I am not expecting to get employed in a major marketing firm, but I will rather be focussing on increasing my profile views.

Outreach on Different Platforms

As you know I was in Sydney recently. I went to the Australian Musuem and saw this. This is arguably a great example of a good outreach strategy since they are on numerous platforms (even in the ladies bathroom)....

Using Twitter for Outreach: How to Find Leads

Here's a quick 5 minute video on using social media platforms such as Twitter to reach new audiences.

I don't have a Twitter account personally, but am now seriously considering getting one! Reaching out and marketing on various different platforms is proven to be very successful in gaining views and website traffic.

Thanks Socedo for this quick insight!