5 PLATFORMS TO MARKET ON OTHER THAN INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK

When it comes to social media marketing, Instagram and Facebook lead the way. Between these two giants, they are a hotbed for marketers and influencers. 

The unfortunate downside to their soaring popularity is that the marketing competition is just as high. This can result in failed ventures, unraveled marketing plans, and a great deal of online grief. Whether you’re a budding social media marketer or a seasoned business owner, it’s important to remember that there are other online platforms out there which can generate just as good – if not better – marketing results. Maybe the grass really is greener on the other side.

Here are 5 platforms to market on other than Instagram and Facebook:

YOUTUBE:

YouTube is the world’s second largest social media site and one of the largest search engines for finding fresh content. By creating a YouTube channel, you can control your own brand narrative and take advantage of its ginormous user-base of more than 2 billion active monthly users. Just be sure to have a sound strategy in place before you begin. For instance, if you have any upcoming campaigns, video ads and display ads would be a massively beneficial way to generate audience interest in any product or service you’re advertising. If you have an audience that requires regular instructions, a tutorial or explainer video would be your best bet. 

To give you an example of a clever YouTube strategy, Bed, Bath & Beyond’s YouTube channel is straightforward and effective: it categorizes its videos into playlists, such as bedding, electronics, seasonal items and kitchen tools, making the process abundantly easier for its viewers. 

TIKTOK:

TikTok has taken the world by storm, and it’s only going to grow from here. It allows its users to create short videos with a vast catalogue of filters, music snippets and sound effects to enhance the appeal of the videos. Its users are immensely engaged, and almost half of them have claimed that they have made purchases after seeing the product on the platform. TikTok is also the hotbed of influencer marketing campaigns, as Dunkin’ Donuts’ long-term sponsorship with Charli d’Amelio can testify. This makes it an ideal site for generating brand interest and driving sales.

If your target demographic is young, TikTok is the best platform for your business to be on. Make sure that you think long-term if you plan a TikTok strategy: generating creative content and engaging with your audience on a frequent basis is the best way to stimulate brand interest and customer loyalty.

PINTEREST:

If you want to buy or sell products online, Pinterest is your dream destination. It allows its users to “pin” posts with links to blog posts, websites and various other pages across the internet. The majority of weekly Pinterest users purchase items based on what they see on the site, making it a brilliant platform for generating interest in your brand or product. It’s common for pins to be viewed weeks (or even months) after they’re posted, so it’s safe to say that Pinterest is a guarantee of success. 

Popular topics on the platform include beauty, fashion, gardening, food and home. If your products are associated with these categories, Pinterest is the best option for you. Just make sure that you optimize your pins by posting them at the right time and photographing your products well. For instance, Benefit Cosmetics is active on Pinterest and famous for their killer aesthetic: a pastel pink color palette never fails to catch the eye.

TWITTER:

Twitter is a spectacularly chaotic network of thoughts and ideas which highlights real-time information and is particularly useful to marketers. Several Twitter users use the platform to follow brands, with the average user following at least five businesses. If you’re trying to build audience engagement, make sure that you develop a strategy: concise and catchy Tweets are helpful if you want to generate broad interest, while a series of Tweets is helpful for specific answers or explanations.

Several brands tend to use Twitter as a customer service channel, with Salesforce calling the platform the “New 1-800 Number for Customer Service”. So, if you’re using Twitter as a marketing platform, make sure that you retweet customer compliments and respond to customer inquiries, as it’s the best way to gain your audience’s trust.

Innocent Drinks uses Twitter in a particularly creative way. Rather than aggressively promoting their smoothies and drinks, they use the platform to promote their free-spirited and fun-loving brand personality, ensuring that their customers remain agreeable and loyal.

SNAPCHAT:

SnapChat is a fun messaging app that allows its users to send and receive photos and videos, which makes it tremendously helpful when it comes to building an audience. If your target audience is teenagers or young adults, SnapChat is the app for you. It is perfect for promoting your product through appealing “snaps”, location-based marketing, and giving customers a behind-the-scenes look at your brand. Make sure that your posts are vibrant and catchy, and don’t forget to post frequently, as SnapChat is designed for regular audience engagement.

Taco Bell, a famous fast-food chain, is a leading brand on SnapChat. Its Cinco de Mayo Snapchat lens turned its users’ faces into gigantic taco shells, generating more than 224 million viewers in just one day. They are also known to offer their consumers exclusive deals by creating QR codes.

There you have it! These five platforms are creative, helpful and tried-and-tested. Some of them, like TikTok, may even surpass Instagram and Facebook when it comes to user engagement in the near future, so make sure that you hop on the bandwagon before it’s too late. Just remember that you don’t have to be everywhere all at once. Consider your product and your target audience and choose your online marketing strategy accordingly.