The best rule of thumb is to choose platforms that you feel confident becoming regularly active on and that are the right fit for your business. There’s nothing worse than signing up for every social site just because it is “new” and then not proactively managing it. A site that sits dormant may actually do more harm than good. The key is to have a few really strong and engaging platforms for your business in which community engagement thrives.
Keeping in mind that your company’s goal for social media is to communicate with your audience and be perceived as a thought leader in your industry. You need to ask yourself who is your audience? Where is your audience? What type of content are they looking for?
Should my company be on Facebook? Yes. Facebook should be your social hub. It is a great platform to source as an extension of your Website. Facebook allows you to learn A LOT about your consumers and is a great way to communicate quickly. Leveraging Facebook has many benefits. You can prove your worth as a thought leader in your industry, share relevant content & photos, answer questions or concerns, ask for opinions from your fans or show just how great your company culture is. With Facebook insights, you can gauge the type of content that accumulates the most activity, and go from there.
Should my company be on Pinterest? If your product is visual, creative or design specific, yes. If the answer is no, think outside of the box for a minute and your answer may change. Sharpie did a great job at this because at first glance, a marker is not very visual. Instead of pinning photos of their Sharpies (boring!) they pinned photos of doodles and drawings their customers CREATED with Sharpies. Get creative!
Should my company be on Instagram? Instagram is great for story telling through photos. Everyone loves photos, and Instagram is a great tool to show people why they should get to know you. If your “behind-the-scenes” work is interesting, capture it and allow your consumers to be a part of the brand. With multiple filters to choose from, the dullest object can appear vibrant and awesome.
Should my company be on Twitter? Twitter is an awesome platform for your business to share short news updates. The perception of Twitter to your customers is this: Twitter is where I get my news from. It’s a great tool to address customer service concerns in real-time and for people to follow topics in your industry that you tweet. With more than 175 million tweets a day and 500 million account users, you’re bound to find new customers.
Should my company be on FourSquare? Companies that have a physical location that consumers come too should claim a FourSqaure venue. It’s also a great platform to offer deals and discounts, and allow your customers to shout out to their friends where they are.
http://www.flowtown.com/blog/the-6-best-social-media-platforms-for-your-business
http://www.marqui.com/blog/infographic-finding-the-right-social-platforms-for-your-business.aspx