Every business knows how important it is to get active on social media. However, most organizations struggle to figure out which social channel is right for their needs. It used to be that all you really needed, if you wanted to be active online, was a Twitter account or a Facebook page. However, now there’s everything from YouTube and SnapChat, to Pinterest and LinkedIn to think about.

So, how can you figure out which option is right for you? The simple solution is to ask yourself these questions:

• Who Is Your Target Audience?

The ultimate question to ask yourself when you’re deciding which social media channel to use – is who is your target audience? The right channel for any business will be the one that your customers spend the most time on. An excellent way to start looking is to think about what kind of customers you advertise to. For instance, are you more looking for a B2B audience like LinkedIn? Or a trendy millennial audience like the people on Instagram?

• What Do You Want To Accomplish With Social Media?

In simple terms, what do you want to get out of this campaign? Social media can be used for a selection of things, including building community engagement, handling customer service, and driving sales. Knowing what you want to achieve with your social media campaigns will help you to choose the right channel for you.

• What Are Your Competitors Doing?

Finally, while you should never just copy the things that your competitors are doing, they can give you some useful information about where your social media efforts should take place. Use social listening tools to explore what your competitors are doing and ask yourself whether the same campaign could work for you.

If you think that you could be getting more out of your social media strategy, it may be time to start working with the experts. Click here to find out why you could benefit from working with a social media manager to boost your brand.