The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Business: 10 Platforms You Can't Ignore

In 2023, failing to have a social media presence for your brand is a missed opportunity! With social media, you can significantly expand your brand’s reach, engagement and even leads or sales. With a multitide of platforms available to take advantage of, it can be difficult to know where to start. We’ve put together a list of our top 10 social media platforms for business you can’t ignore.

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How to Get Started with Social Media for Business

Not sure where to start? When it comes to choosing the right social media platform for your business, there are a few important things to consider. First and foremost, you need to analyse your target audience. Who are they? What are their demographics, psychographics and behaviours? Secondly, you need to know your goals. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Increase sales or leads?

Your audience and goals will determine which platform is best for you. While most social media platforms have millions - or even billions - of users, there are commonalities around what type of people are found on each platform and why they use that platform. For example, over 30% of Facebook users are aged 25-34, while 38% of TikTok’s userbase are aged between 18 and 24. Also, it is common for users to be in different mindsets depending on the platform they are using. On TikTok, users are seeking entertainment. On Facebook, users are often information searching.

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Our Top Ten Social Media Platforms For Business

1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. TikTok
4. YouTube
5. Reddit
6. Twitch
7. Snapchat
8. Pinterest
9. LinkedIn
10. X (formerly Twitter)

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#1. Facebook

Of the best social media platforms for business, the number 1 is still Facebook. Importantly, Facebook is owned by Meta Platforms, which also owns Instagram, Whatsapp and Threads, meaning you can save time by pushing and managing your communications across multiple platforms all from the one place.

Facebook is our number 1 choice of social media for business for a variety of reasons. Firstly, Facebook has the largest userbase out of all social media platforms, with the audience spanning from 13 to 65+. This allows brands to reach a huge amount of users both organically and through paid advertising.

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Facebook Statistics

Don’t just take our word for Facebook being the number one social media platform for business - let the statistics talk!

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Source: Hootsuite 2023

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Facebook affords an incredible opportunity for the majority of brands to reach a large, engaged customer base and spread information about their brand. Whether you have an e-commerce brand, a service-based brand or a brick-and-mortar store, you’re likely to find your audience here.

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#2. Instagram

Instagram, the home of all things visual, is another Meta-owned app that millions of businesses across the world use. Through compelling visuals and stories, businesses can showcase their products, engage with customers, and build brand loyalty. Influencer partnerships, hashtag campaigns, and targeted ads further enhance a brand's reach, making Instagram an essential tool for marketing and brand building.

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Instagram Statistics

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Instagram is the #1 most-downloaded app in the world

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Source: Hootsuite 2023

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About Instagram

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Instagram, also owned by social media giant, Meta, gives brands the opportunity to reach a slightly younger audience than Facebook with visually appealing static and video content. Instagram is a popular social media platform that focuses on sharing photos and short videos. Users can create profiles, post content, and follow others. It's known for its visually appealing format and features like filters and stories, making it a hub for personal expression, social interaction, and brand promotion.

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#3. TikTok

Leading the consumer attention sphere, TikTok users spend on average 1.5 hours on the app every single day. A relatively new app in the social media space, TikTok’s app boasts 3 billion downloads since launching in 2016. In 2022, it was the second most downloaded app globally.

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Source: Influencer Marketing Hub 2023, Sprout Social 2023

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About TikTok

With higher engagement rates on TikTok compared to other platforms for both posts and influencers, brands can leverage brand-customer interactions on a whole new level. If you’re looking for a social media strategy to increase engagement, you may want to consider adding TikTok to your list, provided your target audience will be there.

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#4. YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing platform where users can upload, view, and interact with videos. Brands utilise YouTube for marketing by creating content that showcases their products or services, educates their audience, or entertains viewers. They leverage ads, partnerships, and subscriber engagement to reach and connect with a broader audience.

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YouTube Statistics

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Source: Oberlo 2023

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About YouTube

Brands should use YouTube when they want to visually showcase products, share informative content, or engage with a wide audience through video. Being a search engine, there is ample opportunity to get your content seen by your audience by posting content they would be interested in. This could include explanations, tutorials, recipes and more!

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#5. Reddit

Reddit is a social media platform and online community where users can share, discuss, and vote on content. It's organized into numerous topic-based communities known as "subreddits," covering a wide range of interests. Users can post links, text, and media, and discussions are driven by user-generated content and comments.

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Source: Foundation 2023

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About Reddit

Reddit fosters discussions, information sharing, and often, humour. Its user-driven nature and anonymity make it unique, but also require users to adhere to specific guidelines for respectful and constructive interactions.

Brands can make use of Reddit in several ways, including:

1. Sponsored Content: They can place targeted ads within specific subreddits to reach relevant audiences.
2. Joining Discussions: Brands can get involved in conversations, provide answers, and offer value in relevant subreddits.
3. Hosting AMAs (Ask Me Anything): Prominent figures within the company can conduct AMAs to interact with the Reddit community.
4. Sharing Content: Posting informative or entertaining content can help brands connect with Redditors if it aligns with the subreddit's interests.
5. Using User Feedback: Reddit can be a valuable source of feedback and ideas for brands.

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#6. Twitch

Twitch is a live streaming platform primarily focused on video game content. It allows users to broadcast themselves playing video games or engage in live discussions while viewers watch, chat, and interact in real-time. Over time, Twitch has expanded to include other content categories like creative arts, music, and "IRL" (In Real Life) streams. It's popular for its gaming communities and live interactions.

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Twitch Statistics

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Source: Business of Apps 2023

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About Twitch

Brands can harness the power of Twitch in various ways to connect with a tech-savvy and gaming-centric audience. They can opt for sponsorships, collaborating with popular streamers for product promotion and sponsored content. Running targeted ads on the platform is also effective for brand exposure.

Creating branded content related to gaming, streaming, or live events helps in brand visibility. Co-streaming events like product launches or gaming tournaments is another avenue, and brands can engage with the community by actively participating in chats and supporting relevant streamers. The key to success on Twitch lies in maintaining authenticity and relevance to the platform's passionate and interactive audience.

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#7. Snapchat

Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app that allows users to send photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed, usually within a short time frame. It's known for its interactive features like filters, stickers, and stories, which users can share with their friends or followers. Snapchat also offers Discover, a platform for publishers and content creators to share short-form content. It's popular among younger users for its casual and temporary nature.

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Snapchat Statistics

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Source: The Social Shepherd 2023

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About Snapchat

Brands can use Snapchat as a marketing tool in several ways:

1. Snap Ads: These are full-screen video ads that appear between user stories, providing a brief but engaging way to promote products or services.
2. Sponsored Lenses and Filters: Brands can create custom augmented reality (AR) lenses and filters that users can apply to their photos and videos, promoting brand awareness and interaction.
3. Snapchat Discover: Companies can publish short-form content on Discover, reaching a broad audience.
4. Story Ads: Brands can run ads in the Discover section or within curated Our Stories, giving them visibility to a large user base.
5. Direct Messaging: Brands can use Snapchat's private messaging feature to engage with customers, provide personalised content, and answer inquiries.

Brands should focus on creating content that resonates with Snapchat's younger and more casual user base while embracing the platform's creative and interactive features.

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#8. Pinterest

Pinterest is a social media platform and visual discovery engine that allows users to find and curate images, known as "pins," on virtual pinboards. Users can collect, organise, and share images related to their interests, hobbies, or projects. It's a popular platform for discovering and saving ideas for home decor, fashion, recipes, travel, and more. Pinterest also offers e-commerce features, allowing users to shop for products directly from pins.

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Pinterest Statistics

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Source: Hootsuite 2023

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About Pinterest

Brands can leverage Pinterest by creating visually captivating pins that tell their story, showcasing products, sharing tutorials, and collaborating with influencers. They can also use Pinterest Ads for broader reach. Pinterest is particularly effective for industries where visual inspiration and product discovery are essential, like fashion, home decor, and food.

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#9. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional social networking platform designed for connecting individuals and businesses in a business and employment context. Users can create profiles, network with other professionals, share their work history, skills, and achievements, join professional groups, and access job listings. It's a valuable tool for job searching, recruitment, B2B networking, and professional development.

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LinkedIn Statistics

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Source: Hootsuite 2023

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About LinkedIn

Brands can utilise LinkedIn in various ways:

1. Company Pages: Create and maintain a professional company page to showcase brand values, products, and services.
2. Content Sharing: Share industry insights, thought leadership articles, and updates to engage with the professional community.
3. LinkedIn Ads: Run targeted advertising campaigns to reach specific audiences.
4. Recruitment: Post job listings and leverage LinkedIn's robust recruitment tools for talent acquisition.
5. Networking: Build and nurture relationships with other businesses and professionals to explore collaboration opportunities.
6. Employee Advocacy: Encourage employees to promote the brand and its content, amplifying its reach.

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#10. X (formerly Twitter)

Twitter is a social media platform and microblogging service that enables users to post and read short messages, known as "tweets." These messages are limited to 280 characters and can include text, images, videos, and links. Twitter is widely used for real-time news updates, sharing opinions, networking, and following a wide range of interests, celebrities, and organizations. Users can also engage through hashtags, mentions, and retweets to amplify content.

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X Statistics

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Source: Exploding Topics 2023

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About X (formerly Twitter)

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter and rebranded the platform to X, X lost almost half of its advertising revenue. Though the platform has a significant userbase, we would advise brands to be cautious of only using X for their brand.

Brands can leverage X (formerly Twitter) for various marketing purposes:

1. Engagement: Interact with customers and followers, addressing inquiries, and participating in conversations to build a stronger brand-customer relationship.
2. Content Promotion: Share content like blog posts, videos, and images to reach a broader audience and drive traffic to websites.
3. Real-Time Updates: Use Twitter for live event coverage, product launches, and sharing real-time updates, making it a valuable news source.
4. Trend Utilisation: Engage with trending hashtags and topics to increase visibility and connect with a wider audience.
5. Customer Support: Provide quick and responsive customer support through direct messaging.
6. Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with influencers to promote products and services.
7. Twitter Ads: Run targeted advertising campaigns to reach specific demographics.

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Twitter's real-time nature and broad user base make it a valuable platform for brand promotion, news dissemination, and customer engagement. Brands should maintain an active and authentic presence to succeed on Twitter.

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The Fastest Growing Social media platforms in 2023

Threads has been hailed the fastest growing social media platform of 2023, gaining 100 million users in one week. Threads, owned by Meta, can be understood to be a Twitter ‘dupe’, leveraging the fall of Twitter following the new ownership by Elon Musk. As of May 2023, other fast-growing social media platforms include:

• BeReal (313%)
• Twitch (29%)
• LinkedIn (20%)
• TikTok (16%)

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Social Media Usage Comparisons Year On Year

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Apart from YouTube, every social media platform experienced an increase in users from 2022 to 2023 based on data from the US. Even Facebook, a well-established and long-standing social media platform gained 1% in users year on year, showing that social media has no plans to slow down!

If you are weighing up what is the best social media platform for business 2023, it’s important to analyse the growth of platforms to ensure the platform is likely to remain relevant longer-term.

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Which social media platform is best for my business?

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The best social media platform for your business will vary based on your business goals and audience. Your industry can also impact which social media platform will be best for you. Below, we list our top 3 social media platforms and note the types of audiences that you are more likely to reach, as well as their behaviour on a platform-by-platform basis.

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Facebook

- Wide audience range, skewed older

- Audiences on Facebook seek information & news

- More likely to influence website traffic

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Instagram

- Popular with Gen Z

- Visually appealing/entertaining static and video content

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TikTok

- Popular with Gen Z

- The ability to create fun, entertaining content is crucial for success

- High engagement on posts & influencer content

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Conclusion

With so many platforms available, each with their own advantages, disadvantages, and typical customer base, it can be overwhelming to decide where to start. To streamline your business’ social media, you may want to outsource social media to a talented digital agency, such as Born Social. We offer a range of social media management packages tailored to your individual brand needs, with tertiary-qualified social media marketers assigned to your account for optimal results.

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FAQS

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What social media platform should I use in 2023?

The social media platform you should use depends on your goals and target audience. However, overall, Facebook will afford you the opportunity to reach the largest audience globally both organically and through paid social media advertising.

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What is the fastest growing social media platform in 2023?

The fastest growing social media platform in 2023 is Threads, owned by Meta. The platform gained over 100 million users in under 5 days, however the longevity of Threads is questionable, with growth having slowed significantly since the platform’s launch.

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How to use social media for business 2023?

Businesses can utilise social media to reach a range of marketing goals, from brand awareness to sales. There are several platforms to choose from, all affording a range of different benefits and purposes.

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Is Facebook still relevant for business 2023?

Yes, absolutely. Research shows that over 70% of social media referral web traffic comes from Facebook, a platform where billions of users research and interact with brands every single day.