As a business owner, the goal is to grow your small business by leveraging relevant strategies. With over 4.7 billion social media users globally which equates to 59% of the world’s total population, this is the best time for a business to leverage the different social media platforms available, depending on business goals.

To grow your small business, you must know your target audience and what social platform they use. This will enable you to deliver your message in a way that will resonate with them

Of course, there are several social platforms you can use to connect and engage with your audience, and as a result, it might feel overwhelming to choose the best platform that will work to grow your small business

In this blog, I will be sharing four social media platforms that you can choose to grow your small business depending on your target audience and business goals.

1. FACEBOOK

In 2020, Facebook generated 86 billion dollars and 115 billion dollars in 2021. You might ask, how is Facebook generating this much revenue? They do so through ads

Facebook has a total of 2.93billion users globally with 56.6% men and 43% women, and the popular age range of 34-44 years old.

As a business owner looking to grow your small business, it is necessary to learn how to generate traffic because that is the lifeblood of a business.

Facebook is great for lead generation and can help you narrow advertisements to your target audience. It is an excellent tool for connecting and engaging with your target audience. Storytelling works perfectly on the platform as it helps your target audience have a personal feel of your brand, turning them into buying and loyal customers.

Types of content that work on this platform are:

• Behind-the-scenes content
• User-generated content
• Community groups with shared interests.
• Videos (long and short form)
• Facebook Live, etc.

Although Facebook is a platform that will help you reach tons of people, you still have to ensure it aligns with your business goals. With these, you can create strategies to help you stand out amongst your competitors.

2. TIKTOK

TikTok is unarguably one of the fastest-growing social media platforms. According to research, in 2021, TikTok raked in nearly $4 billion in revenue, mainly from advertising, and is expected to hit $12 billion in 2022. 

• In 2016, a Chinese firm, ByteDance, developed TikTok.
• In 2017, TikTok bought Musical.ly, a platform with 200 million users.
• TikTok had 1 billion monthly active users globally in September 2021.

TikTok was the most popular social media platform in 2021, and active brands are generating tons of revenue for their business. The app quickly overtook Facebook and WhatsApp as the most widely used social networking platform. 

 Most TikTok users are under 30 years, but the platform is dominated by 18-24 years.    This is crucial to know, as you must ensure any platform you choose must align with your business goals.

For example, if you sell a product designed for a younger age group between 18 – 30, TikTok is a place to be, particularly if you want to increase online sales and grow your small business.

Short videos featuring trending music or sounds make up most of the platform’s content. These can help your video go viral.

Although TikTok marketing is still in its early stages, your brand can rapidly grow organically if you learn how it works and apply it to your content strategy. TikTok can help you build a large following quickly, which will become customers and help grow your small business.

3. Instagram

As an entrepreneur who wants to grow a small business, Instagram is a platform you can leverage to achieve your goals. When Instagram was first launched in 2010, it was just like any other social platform: filled with pictures.

Fast-forward to 2022, Instagram has transformed from a simple photo-sharing app to a full-on marketing channel.

• Kevin Systrom developed Instagram in October 2010.
• In 4 years, Instagram went from 1 to 300 million users.
• Facebook purchased Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion.

Since then, Instagram has grown to 1.21 billion monthly active users, surpassing Facebook to become the social network with the fastest growth rate (5 percent growth per quarter). This rapid growth has also increased the number of marketers who use this platform to grow their small businesses.

Whether in e-commerce, education, media, or whatever industry, building an audience on Instagram is pivotal to your business growth. It is of great necessity to understand how the platform works and how you can structure your content marketing strategy to get results.

Instagram constantly releases new tools to help business owners connect with their audience. Most online shoppers said they first saw a product on Instagram before deciding to buy it. The platform gives you the opportunity to showcase your product in a high-quality video format across several features in the app.

Here are some exciting Instagram features you can use to grow your small business:

• Professional dashboard
• Live rooms
• Interactive bios
• Reels
• Collabs, etc

When mastered, Instagram is a tool that can help you increase online sales and grow your small business.

4. YOUTUBE

When you need information in a video format, you rush to YouTube, right?

You are not alone. Over 2.6 billion people use YouTube monthly to learn and get information. Due to this, YouTube Ad revenue grew from 19.77 Billion USD in 2020 to 28.84 Billion USD in 2021. Several marketers are leveraging this platform to connect and share valuable content with their target audience 

• YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. 

Ever since YouTube introduced ads in 2009, advertisers have used the platform to grow their small businesses and engage users with quality and educative videos. 

So, what makes YouTube a great social media platform for 2022? 

• Posting on YouTube will help your target audience find you on the Google search engine.
• Increased qualified traffic
• Get exposed to a larger audience
• Generate revenue through Adsense.

One sure way to grow your small business is to ensure that you drive quality traffic to your content and convert them, With YouTube, you can create a content marketing strategy (mostly videos) that will enable you to attract qualified traffic and convert them to paying customers.