Your 4 new business Friends

by | Sep 2, 2016

Most organizations are active on social media’s big two, Facebook and Twitter. Many are also active on (or at least familiar with) LinkedIn and Google Plus. But new and different social networks are constantly bubbling up. Many are even sticking around and building an audience.

So what’s the benefit of testing out a new social network for your business or nonprofit? There are a few:
(1) You may arrive at the party before it gets too crowded;
(2) you get the chance to reach different demographics; and
(3) you just might find it’s a great fit for your brand and your marketing strategy.

In today’s post we’ll look at four unique and relevant social networks you may not be using in your marketing and explain why you just might want to consider giving them a GO.

4 Social Networks Your Organization Should Test Out This Year

Unlike the social marketing heavyweights mentioned above, these social sites tend to fly a little under the radar for most organizations. These are up-and-comers and consistent performers that may hold more value than most brands realize…

 

#1 – INSTAGRAM


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Instagram is all about visual content. In the past couple years, Instagram has grown into a major player in the social world. The image-based network surpassed 400 million users and launched advertising in 2015. Recent reports reveal user engagement on Instagram is seven times higher than Facebook and Twitter.

Key stats on Instagram:

  • Instagram users have shared over 30 billion photos to date
  • Users share an average of 80 million photos per day
  • There are 3.5 billion likes on Instagram each day
  • Instagram’s per-follower engagement rate for top brands is 58 times higher than Facebook
  • 55% of online adults ages 18 to 29 use Instagram

Check out these Instagram brand pages for inspiration:


#2 – SNAPCHAT

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Snapchat is one of the hottest social networks—especially among the under-25 demographic. Most brands have at least heard of Snapchat at this point, and more and more are giving it a whirl. For those who don’t know, the unique selling point of Snapchat is that posts (or “snaps”) disappear after 24 hours.

Key stats on Snapchat:

  • 200 million monthly active users
  • 100 million daily active users
  • 19% of teens say Snapchat is the most important social network (vs. 15% for Facebook)
  • 71% of Snapchat users are under 34 years old
  • More than 400 million Snapchat stories are created each day

More info on how top brands are using Snapchat:

 

#3 – PERISCOPE

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The major addition to the social networking world over the past year is live streaming video—and Periscope has emerged as the leader in that arena. Periscope allows individuals and brands to broadcast live feeds that people can watch, comment on, and like. Periscope is owned by Twitter and was named Apple’s app of the year for 2015.

Key stats on Periscope:

  • Launched in March 2015 and surpassed 10 million users in August
  • Estimated 2 million daily active users
  • 100 million Periscope broadcasts to date
  • 350,000 hours of video streamed daily
  • 40 years of video watched per day

Learn more about how brands are using Periscope:

 

#4 – YOUTUBE

youtube

You may not think of YouTube as a social network, but it is. You can subscribe to channels, like and dislike videos, and comment on them. It is a platform for sharing and encouraging people to share—the very definition of a social network. It also has a huge user base.

Key stats on YouTube:

  • Over a billion users (almost one-third of all people on the Internet)
  • It’s the second largest search engine in the world
  • Approximately 33 percent of all online activity is spent watching video content
  • Reaches more 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S.
  • The number of people watching YouTube per day is up 40% year over year

Check out these YouTube brand channels for inspiration:

Social media marketing can grow stale pretty quick. Sometimes a new canvas can give you just the creative jolt you need. It also provides another opportunity to think about your brand, your message, and your audience—and that’s always a good thing.