Social media is a vast, ever-changing landscape. By now, most marketers know it can be easy to miss the mark. As new platforms debut and users shift allegiances, the cliques are even more pronounced.
Before you make yourself crazy trying to do it all, remember that you don’t have to be on every channel. Instead, we recommend being selective about which platforms to use based on your target audience.
Below, we break down the core social media channels for better brand engagement. More importantly, we’ll cover the expectations of people across each of those channels. When social media apps can change on a dime, this guide lays out the fundamentals, so you can make more informed decisions.
The importance of social media marketing for any brand
It’s clear all organizations can benefit from social media sites, regardless of sector. The trick is adjusting your digital marketing and social media strategy based on your audience.
Brand visibility
Brand visibility and social media go hand-in-hand. Instead of waiting for people to search for your product or service on Google, you can leverage even a small following while creatively showcasing your brand to new audiences.
In terms of numbers, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are particularly noteworthy if you’re expanding your demographic. In addition to being the three most popular platforms, they provide marketing tools and ad functionality that open doors in niche and general spaces. Maybe even more importantly, they’re the places where your potential customers likely spend a significant amount of time.
No matter where you establish your business profile, though, you should incorporate consistent branding elements and strong storytelling. For example, you might weave your logo into every post to help your brand stand out and improve recall. As you get the word out, you can use the best social media management tools to judge which efforts are most effective.
Audience engagement
Social media provides endless ways to creatively engage with your customers. Spark discussions in real time, and give people the chance to chime in on what’s important to them.
So whether your brand’s values are hot-button topics (like climate change) or not, you can use the responsive nature of these platforms to hook your demographic. The more quality engagements you inspire, the deeper your customer relationships will be. You may even notice loyal customers assuming the role of brand advocate—without being asked!
If you’re looking for social media marketing tools to measure engagement, there are numerous options available. For example, we designed our platform to help you refine strategies in real time, showing you which topics spark the most interest so you can capitalize on the spike. So, if your product or service happens to tie in with a breaking local news story, you might post on different social media platforms and then measure which tactics yielded the best reactions.
Targeted advertising effectiveness
Social media platforms offer increasingly sophisticated targeting options to reach the right demographics with the right messages at the right time. When you can pinpoint exactly who benefits most from which content, whether that’s live video or a steep discount, you can improve your conversion rates and brand awareness.
If you’re wondering how to run a successful social media campaign, analytics tools can help you track who’s responding to which content. For example, you may find that professionals between the ages of 35 and 45 engage more with promotions if you post in the morning, whereas those between the ages of 25 and 35 are more responsive in the afternoon.
Top 12 social media channels you should know
Social media may change fast, but you should still know the major players (and their rules). Here, we look at the top 12 channels, why they matter, and how to harness each of their advantages for better brand awareness and ROI.
1. Facebook
Facebook continues to boast an active daily user base. According to an eMarkerter study, the average user spent just over 30 minutes per day on the platform in 2023. This is down from its peak of nearly an hour in 2019, though the average still represents a significant sliver of a person’s time.
The most important age bracket on Facebook is the 25–34 crowd, with teens dropping off in favor of platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. For success on one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, use audience insight tools to gauge interest and leverage Facebook Ads targeting to build more followers.
For example, if you find that your Facebook followers love your brand but lack the disposable income for your e-commerce products, you might continue posting aspirational content and search for paying customers elsewhere. (As a general rule, the most compelling content on Facebook pertains to important company news, product releases, or sales.)
To advertise based on user interests, Facebook Ads has built-in segmentation features. For example, you might promote a pair of tennis shoes to people who like sports and sneaker culture, but not to people who like stilettos. Facebook’s broad audience base can be intimidating, but there are ways to dig deeper and find a supportive community.
2. Instagram
In 2024, Instagram reached 2.4 billion active users. Owned by Facebook’s parent company, Meta, Instagram is a visual platform that appeals to younger audiences. The layout, with its eye-catching photos and simple calls to action, inspires shoppers to buy. Of the 500 million daily users, around 26% will buy straight from the platform, to say nothing of people who tap through to your website.
With Instagram and Instagram Stories, it’s easy to optimize purchase flow and functionality. The platform’s ad functionality requires only a couple taps to convert. The key is beta testing your ads so it’s simple for unaffiliated audiences to take action. Whether that’s buying, visiting a landing page, or viewing longer video content, Instagram is known for its user-friendliness.
3. X (Twitter)
X (formerly Twitter) provides users with bite-sized information via microblogging. With trending topics and hashtags, it’s easy to jump in on existing conversations and engage with your target audience.
If you’re just getting started on Twitter, though, you should know that the recent name and ownership change led to a 7% loss in brand engagement. Of course, this drop creates opportunities for marketers to deploy smarter strategies that leverage X’s devoted user base.
Twitter also remains an important communication tool to respond to customer complaints and questions. In fact, people have come to expect a brand presence here and tend to rate companies higher in customer service when they can interact on Twitter.
4. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the top-performing social media platform for B2B lead generation, and it’s an excellent place for professional networking. The user base typically signs in to find solutions for their professional needs.
LinkedIn’s posts focus largely on advice, tips and tricks, and job postings, making it a great place for all B2B marketers. Plus, it’s the number one trusted platform for brands, with 70% of marketers expressing confidence in LinkedIn’s ability to drive ROI.
People often waste time on social media networks just scrolling, but they invest time on LinkedIn. When marketers can plumb professional data and target people based on job title, industry, and company, it’s no wonder 40% of marketers say that LinkedIn drives high-quality leads.
5. Pinterest
Pinterest is a social networking site with around 498 million active monthly users. Its base flocks to the platform primarily for inspiration, but also to shop for products that fuel their projects.
This is a place for creative brands to shine, though it’s important for all companies to consider how to best pep up their products to fit the needs of their demographic. For example, if you were marketing phone chargers, you might pair one with a bedazzled phone case to give your ads some sparkle.
Once you’ve deployed your ideas, you can use Bitly Analytics to track the pins and boards that drive traffic and create the most engagement.
6. TikTok
The short, engaging content on TikTok set off a phenomenon, with an estimated 31% year-over-year revenue growth by the end of 2024. This platform, favored by 18–34-year-olds, features an array of short-form video content.
To shine on TikTok, you should find the common thread in your demographic’s favorite clips. Once you have all the facts, you can develop content that similarly engages your fan base.
You can further track your success with social media management by posting Bitly short links in your business bio and video descriptions. Using Bitly tools, you can assess engagement across content and campaigns to better understand your audience.
7. Snapchat
Snapchat is a social media networking site known for its immediacy. This instant messaging app deletes content as quickly as it pops up, making it a near-instant hit with 15–25-year-olds. Since its debut, Snapchat branched out with augmented reality (AR) filters and interactive stories, all of which cater to their younger demographic.
With Snapchat, you can create engaging, time-sensitive campaigns that are as relevant to the user as they are to the brand. For example, if you post ads between Snapchat stories, you might use the 10 seconds to showcase a limited-time product. Just like the user’s messages disappear at some point, so too will the product.
Snapchat is notorious for its user-friendly analytics features, making it easy to measure your campaign metrics and, ultimately, assess engagement.
8. YouTube
Dwarfed only by Google, YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world and an excellent place for video sharing. Brands can make and post product reviews, tutorials, or influencer content that speak to the heart of their brand.
Since people prefer watching videos to reading text, YouTube is the perfect place to highlight the most surprising or intriguing parts of your brand without the limitations of Snapchat or TikTok. Plus, you can improve your SEO with high-quality videos that rack up the views.
We highly recommend integrating YouTube Analytics with Bitly links to capture viewer engagement and improve user experience. For example, a shortened Bitly link in a video description is a chance to reinforce your brand and describe the digital destination (e.g., landing page, contact form, etc.).
9. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a messaging platform trusted by 2 billion users, with around half choosing WhatsApp to connect with a brand via its Business app. According to a Kantar study, 66% of users reported that WhatsApp interactions would inspire repeat buys.
Brands can use WhatsApp for customer service, booking appointments, or providing exclusive offers. For example, you might have an influencer post a beauty tutorial on social media with a link to WhatsApp. Through the channel, followers can ask individual questions about how to best apply the advice.
10. Telegram
Telegram makes use of channels and bots to help digital marketers automate their branding experience. For example, chatbots are a free way to engage with users and improve customer service on a wider scale.
Marketers can also use Telegram’s channels to broadcast news or promotions. Telegram excels at both speed and security, making it something of a bullet in social media platforms. While it may not last, Telegram is one of the more unique platforms for delivering the type of content that fosters community.
11. Reddit
Reddit forums are community-driven. And because the platform values quality, its audience’s groups and subreddits are usually ready to engage. Marketers with a novel or thought-provoking perspective not only add value to Reddit communities; they can spark loyalty, brand awareness, and sales.
Before posting, it’s important to first understand the values of your target communities. Your posts need to be as authentic as they are relevant to their interests. For example, if you’re marketing synthetic oil, make sure you haven’t accidentally stumbled into an electric car community.
We recommend using Bitly links to track your Reddit campaigns so you can see how many people are engaging, which groups they’re in, and whether they convert.
12. Quora
Quora is a thought leadership platform where people come for advice on industry-related questions.
Brands can use their expertise and authority to not only establish credibility but also guide people toward more information on landing pages or websites. This establishes trust and encourages customers to dive deeper into your specialty.
Similar to Reddit, you can embed Bitly links to track traffic from each insightful response. Once you know where people are engaging, you can focus on the forums where your audiences hang out.
Enhance your social media marketing strategy with Bitly
Now that you know more about the core channels, you can single out the best ones on which to execute your social strategy. If you want to maximize your brand visibility, engagement, and conversions, we cannot overstate the importance of being selective! There are simply too many platforms for blind experimentation!
If you want to refine your strategies, Bitly can be an excellent partner. It starts with finding your base, improving the user experience, and tracking your responses. Our link-shortening tools and analytics software provide all the elements you need to engage customers and point them in the right direction.
Want to learn how to optimize your posts and track engagement on the best platforms? Get started with Bitly today!