How to start navigating the world of social media and increase engagement across your platforms

The world of social media and online engagement is ever changing, with new trends, platforms and algorithms popping up all the time. Have you ever stopped to think about how many platforms, services and products are out there? Many of the larger ones like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube are well known to many, but what about the rest? The list goes on, TikTok, Telegram, Snapchat, WeChat QQ, Pinterest, Reddit, Discord, Threads, Twitch, Kick, Tumblr and there are still more!

“We aren’t sure what’s more exhausting - running a marathon or building social media engagement!”

If we were to talk about all these platforms, this would be a novel rather than a blog post. Therefore, in the interest of keeping it more refined, we will focus on three of the larger platforms Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. If you embrace these three platforms and continue to focus on proactive engagement, you are well on your way to establishing a strong online presence for your organisation.

Facebook is the largest social media platform, with more than 3 billion active monthly users which represents a staggering amount, more than 1/3 of the world’s population. Consider this, if one in three people around the world are using this platform, can you really afford not to have Facebook page for your business? This level of potential exposure can help build an online brand, where organisations can share everything from photos to essential company updates.

Facebook in many ways can provide a one-stop-shop for your community where organisations can integrate a large amount of content, images and videos in one location. Followers can actively engage with your brand through interactions, source links for purchasing, join active user groups, participate in polls and business competitions. In addition to organic posts, Facebook also offers paid advertisements and promoted posts which are a cost-effective way to target users, increase interactions, drive traffic and stimulate demand. If you are going to utilise paid posts and advertisements, it’s important to monitor your activity and actively track your relevant return on investment metrics. Another important tip when using Facebook is to find the correct timing to share your posts, its best to share new content when your user base is most active online.

Instagram is a leading photo and video based social media platforms with more than 1.6 billion users and is owned by Meta, who also own Facebook. This joint business ownership allows organisations to use the Meta Business Suite to manage marketing and advertising for both platforms. This management tool allows users to post across both platforms, manages inboxes, create ads, view relevant information, track insights and trends.

Within your industry it might seem like every business has an Instagram page and is posting similar content, so how do you stand out? An easy way to start this engagement process is to consider the Flyer Theory and how it relates to Instagram. The thought of the Flyer Theory is portrayed as poster wall in a major city with hundreds of business flyers and is completely cluttered. So, what do you do? You must attempt to be the flyer that stands out by actively developing good quality content, interacting with your users, encouraging people to tag your profile and re-sharing content. Additionally, by exploring #hashtags across the platform you can find relevant content and interact with new users and accounts. However, you must be strategic, you can’t go crazy with your activity and likes, as you may receive a ban from Instagram. Therefore, it must be tactful, and remember things take time, you aren’t going to get to a million followers overnight.

LinkedIn is a well-respected business networking platform where an organisation can engage with followers, generate leads, showcase career opportunities, and strengthen public image. A corporate LinkedIn page promotes the development of an online community where employees can help build brand awareness as they share information about themselves including their employment history within your organisation.  

A corporate LinkedIn page can be a quick way for people to source information about your company, how many staff you have, what industry you work in and general contact information. In addition, page posts are also a great way to share professional content like team milestones, promotions and business updates. LinkedIn job posts can also help entice new talent to join your organisation, letting people know that you are actively hiring whilst showcasing your brand. LinkedIn may not end up being everyone’s cup of tea, but the platform is growing with more than 1 billion users in more than 200 countries.  

As mentioned at the start of this blog, there are a wide variety of social media platforms available to businesses today and this post only just scratches the surface. If you would like further guidance, support and expertise in the world of social media marketing and engagement, we would love to hear from you. Here at Spectrum Comms, we have experienced staff who can support your organisation or project.