The Top Five Social Platforms to Target in 2019 – and Why They Matter

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By Boris Dzhingarov

When drafting your company’s online marketing efforts for 2019, there is no doubt that there is a focus on social platforms. Social platforms are not only a place for people to connect and chat, but they have become a cornerstone for businesses looking to expand their reach, build their brand, and target new customers. It provides companies with a method to market/advertise in a way that feels less pushy and overt, and almost organic.

With that said there are a whole lot of social platforms that people are using such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, so it’s only natural to question which are the best ones for your company and for achieving the company’s goals. Here we’ll take a look at the most buzzworthy social platforms of 2019, and not just the platform but the area or focus of your efforts, and why it matters.

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YouTube with a Focus on Influencers/Social Influencers

Most people are well aware of just how huge YouTube has become. According to statistics from 2018, there are more than 1.8 billion users each and every month on the platform, and that accounts just for the ones that are logged in. That number grows even higher once you factor in those who aren’t logged in but are viewing content on the platform. From there you can start looking at individual channels and their subscriber rates to get an even better feel for the platform.

That leads us to the whole creation and generation of influencers. Social platforms, in particular, YouTube, have created this phenomenon wherein everyday people start posting content, create content, and then start trending themselves. Influencers tend to have expertise in a particular area, and that is what their content focuses on. From there they are able to “influence” product and service purchases from their audience.

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From a company’s standpoint, it can then be extremely useful to team up with these influencers in the form of sponsored content. With sponsored content, you are paying the influencer to discuss and showcase your product. There is also organic coverage from these influencers in which they talk about your product without any sort of sponsored deal, they just choose to do so on their own. Because sponsored content is just a nice way to say a paid ad, obviously the organic mentions are the most coveted.

Instagram with a Focus on Influencers/Social Influencers

Instagram is always another huge social platform for companies to showcase their products and services. Outside of the business having its own Instagram account, again it can be helpful to team up with trending influencers of the moment. They come with their own built-in following that is likely much bigger than your company’s. Just be sure you are picking an influencer whose audience is also your target audience/customer.

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Live Video through Facebook Watch and IGTV

Last year, Instagram launched something brand new – IGTV – which is Instagram TV. The point was to provide people with a way to post videos that were longer than 60 seconds in length. While many saw this as competition to YouTube, Instagram still sought to create its own spot in video sharing. Now because there are all kinds of social influencers on Instagram already, this was a natural platform for them to be able to post longer content and engage much more.

So it goes back to those influencers again, and this is yet another avenue you can take in terms of sponsored content.

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Outside of that it also gives your business the opportunity to showcase its products better. Think about it, you can post videos that show you using or demonstrating a product, introducing new launches, discussing hot topics and trends in your industry, etc. It’s a great way to engage with your viewers in a way that is convenient for them.

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Facebook Groups

While Facebook may be dipping a bit in terms of appeal and popularity, it is far from being considered “over”. Facebook is still a massively successful social platform and should absolutely be added to your online efforts in 2019. Where you may want to make some changes, however, is where and how you engage with people.

Sure, it’s wise for your company to have its own Facebook page, but getting into the Facebook Groups is where it’s at for 2019. One of the many ways you can use the Groups feature is to create a group meant for VIP customers as part of a loyalty program. It can be a spot where you chat about all the latest events and happenings, talk about upcoming events, connect with all-important brand ambassadors, and really reach a broader audience.

The key to using Facebook Groups is that you need to consistently be posting, responding, and engaging with people.

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LinkedIn

LinkedIn is nothing new but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a strong social platform. In fact, many would argue that LinkedIn is just as important for companies today as it was a couple of years ago. Today you can take advantage of LinkedIn influencers, video, and the relaunch of its Groups feature. There is a real focus on building much bigger audiences and followers, which means it’s an excellent opportunity for business to be seen.

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In a nutshell, LinkedIn is going through a bit of a rebirth at the moment, recognizing what is new, trending, and modern in terms of social platforms and then making the necessary adjustments. Rather than struggling to keep up with trends, it’s aiming to create its own trends and buzz. In other words, don’t count LinkedIn out of the mix.

Be Sure to Diversify

Each of these platforms and avenues offers its own unique benefits and opportunities in terms of growing your audience. That is exactly why it’s so important not to focus on just one of these platforms but rather you want to diversify your efforts and make sure that you are giving everything a fair shot. Expect there to be a bit of trial and error at first, but in very little time you’ll start to perfect your social platform efforts.