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Choosing a social media channel

Choosing a social media channel

There is a constantly growing list of social media platforms available to online users. As a marketer and business owner, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of and differences among the array of available social media platforms.

Their core user base, functionality, commercialisation and application can vary widely. Before delving into social media, it’s important to develop a strategy that’s integrated with all your other marketing initiatives to ensure consistency across all consumer touchpoints. Equally important is understanding how your audience uses social media in today’s fast-paced online environment.

Social media can be split across five main categories:

  1. Major consumer social media channels allowing social interaction between family and friends as well as interaction between companies and customers, such as Facebook.
  2. Communication based channels that provide messaging such as Whatsapp.
  3. Image based channels provide visual content such as Instagram.
  4. Service and review based channels such as Yelp.
  5. Major business to business channels allowing for networking such as LinkedIn.

Creating a social media presence can positively build your brand, create word of mouth buzz and help you build stronger relationships with your target audience. The key is to choose and use those social media channels that will best assist your business achieve its marketing objectives and to work consistently and strategically to build a social media profile.

Follow this link to put your knowledge of social media to the test and play our social media identification game. Alternatively there is a PDF version of the answers in the Download area.


Check out this video on ‘Which Social Media Platform is Right for Your Business’

Based on your understanding of the different social media platforms and their applications, identify which channels you believe you might use to build your business’s social media presence.

Discuss your top three and provide an explanation for your selection in the Comments area.

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This article is from the free online course:

Online Business: Digital Marketing for Success

RMIT University