How Small Businesses Should Utilize the Underdogs of Social Media — A Deeper Look at Snapchat and Reddit
Facebook and Twitter are arguably the most popular social networking sites of the last decade. Incredibly, many people — particularly millennials — look to these social media platforms not only for socializing, but also as their primary resource for breaking news and information. However, as new generations turn to social media, the landscape continues to shift and grow. While Facebook and Twitter will remain popular for a long time (and quite possibly the long run), small businesses should look to platforms like Reddit and Snapchat for alternative digital marketing distribution.
Snapchat is a hot social media platform right now, especially among the high school, collegiate, and yuppie crowds. Because people can send photos back and forth that are only available for a short amount of seconds, it’s an easy way to communicate ideas without the hassle or concern of posting something with long-term accessibility to all of your friends. Now, Snapchat has expanded beyond just selfies shared amongst friends. Businesses are able to communicate inside information about their company in a matter of seconds. The idea of exclusive offers and product updates that the general public doesn’t yet know is enticing to consumers. Thus, “snapchatting” photos to a wide population pushes information out easily and effectively.
When McDonalds featured shots of LeBron James in their recent campaign, it was a coveted find by Snapchat users who felt special for being let in on the tangible secret. Utilizing the app’s time limit and providing interesting information in an entertaining way is the secret to gaining Snapchat popularity. With the amount of people using this social media outlet, it is important for small businesses to take note: move away from the rigid belief that social media marketing equates to simply creating facebook and twitter accounts.
Reddit is used by savvy Internet users across the globe as a hub for constant entertainment. Uniquely, Reddit is a site dedicated to rewarding good entertainment and burying bad entertainment where it can no longer be seen. Reddit surf the site in order to find something interesting to make their day better and maybe even just pass the time. Some businesses may see this as the perfect opportunity to post about their products and services; however, Reddit users do not want to be advertised to. They don’t want to be sold — they want to discover interesting content on their own.
One of the best things about Reddit is that it has boards that users can browse through, which are dedicated to various categories of topics. There is even a Reddit board for small businesses. On this board, business owners can ask Reddit users questions, while subtly advertising at the same time. If a business posts something interesting enough, it can get enough upvotes to make it one of the most popular sites on the social media outlet. Positing something entertaining and fun that can apply to a young audience is vital in getting a small business’s name out there — in both the virtual and real marketplaces.
Understandably, small business owners are busy people who wear many hats. The vast number of social media outlets available can seem a little overwhelming, but these platforms are important to utilize for increasing brand awareness and engagement. Dashboard tools such as SumAll allow you to comprehensively track and manage social media analytics together in an easy to use platform. With the help of online tools, startups and small businesses can have the ability to grow their target audience, engage with these interested prospects, convert them into product consumers, and nurture them into lifelong customers.
[image error]
