One of the main advantages of social media is that it gives you the opportunity to reach people that you never thought possible before. Due to this, many brands are tempted to get on as many platforms as possible so that they can spread their sales message even further. Now, while you would think that this is an effective method, you would be mistaken.

The top platforms at the moment are Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and LinkedIn. However, there isn’t necessarily too much of overlap when it comes to various demographics. Therefore, you will need to figure out which one is most useful for your brand. Thus, you will need to consider the type of business that you are running, who you are hoping to reach, and what your ultimate purpose is.

Fortunately for you, if you hire social media services you will find it even easier to narrow down the most suitable platform. If you don’t mind doing some legwork, though, here are some of the points to ponder when identifying which platform will yield the best results for your brand:

Is Yours a B2B or B2C Company?

It should come as no surprise to learn that businesses and individual consumers rely on vastly different platforms. So, the first thing that you will need to do is to narrow down which site your target audience is most likely to visit. If your sales pitch is focused on other businesses, you will find that LinkedIn and Twitter is the way to go. Facebook also remains quite popular with such businesses.

If you want to advertise to the Average Joe, though, you are going to need to set your sights in other directions as well. Here, more community-based sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. This doesn’t mean that these individuals don’t frequent other sites but they spend most of their time on these platforms.

What Age Are You Targeting?

The next point to contemplate is the age demographic that you are attempting to reach. Keep in mind, there tends to be a generational gap when it comes to social media platforms. The older generation will tend to stick with older, familiar platforms and will not be as quick to transition to newer apps. The younger generation, on the other hand, will adopt newer and cooler platforms within a short period of time.

Let’s look at a real life example of this. For instance, Facebook is still quite popular but if you were to take a closer look at the user demographics, a pattern would emerge. Most of the users are middle-aged with a lower percentage of young adults. You will discover few teenagers here as most Generation Z individuals will not bother to create an account.

If you want to appeal to a younger audience, then YouTube and Instagram are the places to focus on. Of course, keep in mind that if you do decide to get started on these platforms that high-quality images and videos are a must. This is what the younger generation is expecting.

Is Your Brand Gender Specific?

As a whole, women tend to use social media more than men. However, when it comes to most platforms, you will find that there is an equal number of men and women using any particular platform. The only real standout is Pinterest. Here, it is estimated that a majority of the users are female. If your products cater more to men, then YouTube does show a slightly higher male engagement.

What Is Your Business Goal?

It is also important to think about what you hope to achieve by using social media. Some companies are focused on the prospect of e-commerce or to increase product awareness. If this describes your plan, then Instagram will hold the most potential for you. Not only have consumers gotten used to using this platform as a shopping catalogue, but its very concept also makes it easy to “sell” to your audience.

If you would rather start with user engagement, you will discover that Facebook and Twitter will be excellent avenues. In case you are a B2B company, LinkedIn will make it easier for you to directly engage with the decision makers.

As you can see, it is important to narrow down which social media platforms are right for your brand. By figuring this out, you can make sure that you allocate resources to where they are needed most. This, in turn, increases that any campaign or tactics that you do rely on will be a great deal more successful.