When and When Not To Use Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc., are all tools in the marketers toolbox. While they are free and available, it doesn’t mean that you should use them. I’m not suggesting that you don’t use social media as they can be effective tools. However, you have to start with an understanding of who your target market is, then select the social media platforms (tools) that align with your customer demographics and interests.

Which social media platforms should I use?

Choosing which social media platforms to employ is easy when you fully understand each platforms' demographics and their strengths and weaknesses.

The good people at Buffer (my favorite tool to use when scheduling social media updates), put together a Social Media Marketing Resource Kit that I highly recommend.

Here’s what the kit includes:

1. A guide to choosing the right social network for you
2. A guide to coming up with a voice and tone for your social media marketing
3. A checklist of the way to create an awesome bio
4. A checklist and examples for the essential of completing your social media profile
5. Infographics for the best time to post, the best day to post, and the best length for your updates
6. A spreadsheet for tracking and auditing your social media growth
7. A spreadsheet for measuring the impact of your tweets
8. A list of the IFTTT/Zapier recipes we use to help automate helpful tasks
9. Free stock photos to use however you want—background images, social shares, etc.!

The best part about this kit is that it’s absolutely free; they don’t even require an email to download it. Do yourself a favor and download it now. The information and insights included are a must-have for any serious marketer.

What Makes You Stand Apart

What’s important to remember is that a professional marketer never makes assumptive decisions when data is available to educate your theories. The worldwide web is full of data to back up your assumptions, and it’s your job to find and understand it.

The difference between an amateur and professional marketer is experience and education. Your job as a professional marketer is to assess the goal and know which tools NOT to use.