TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram: How to Use Social Media to Your Advantage

Of course, things aren’t always that simple. With so many social media platforms to use, it can be overwhelming to decide which one to focus on — if any at all. In this article, we'll take a look at three of the most popular social media platforms for businesses - Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok —  and explore how they can help take your brand to the next level.

‍

Instagram: Made for Stunning Visuals

With more than one billion monthly active users logging on to check their feeds, Instagram is a photo and video-sharing platform that has quickly become a staple. Especially for businesses looking to showcase their products or services in a visually compelling way. Instagram's visual nature makes it an ideal platform for industries such as fashion, beauty, food, and travel, with a wealth of influencers ready to serve. Here’s all you need to know about Social Media Marketing on IG.

Instagram Pros

• Instagram's algorithm favours content that generates high engagement, which means that it's possible to reach a large audience through organic reach alone.
• Instagram offers a range of features, including Instagram Stories and Reels, which allow you to showcase your brand's personality and connect with your audience on a more personal level.
• Instagram's user base tends to skew younger to middle-aged, making it an excellent platform for businesses targeting millennials, Gen X and Gen Z.
• Instagram’s engagement levels mean users are typically highly active and frequently interact with the content they come across. As a result, it's an excellent platform for businesses looking to build relationships with potential customers.

Instagram Cons:

• Instagram's algorithm is constantly changing, which can make it difficult to keep up with the latest trends and best practices.
• Instagram's visual nature means that it can be challenging to stand out in a sea of similar content.
• Instagram's ad platform can be expensive, especially for small businesses with limited budgets.
• Given Instagram's widespread popularity, the platform can be highly competitive, with a vast amount of content being posted on a regular basis. To get noticed, it's essential to create content that stands out from the crowd.

Businesses That Often Nail Instagram

• Fashion and beauty brands: Instagram is a visually-driven platform that allows fashion and beauty brands to showcase their products in an engaging way.
• Food and beverage businesses: Instagram is a great platform for showcasing mouth-watering food and drink photos that can attract customers.
• Travel companies: Travel businesses can use Instagram to  share beautiful images of exotic destinations to inspire wanderlust among their audience.
• Fitness and wellness brands: Instagram is a great platform for showcasing before-and-after transformation photos, workout videos, and wellness tips.
• Home décor and design companies: Instagram provides an opportunity for home décor and design businesses to showcase their creativity and design styles.
• Artisans and craft makers: Instagram can help small artisan and craft businesses to showcase their unique products and reach a larger audience.
• Personal and professional development coaches: Instagram provides an opportunity for coaches to share motivational quotes, tips, and snippets from their coaching sessions.
• E-commerce brands: Instagram's shopping feature allows businesses to sell their products directly from the platform, making it an ideal platform for e-commerce businesses.

‍

YouTube: Made For Tutorials & Reviews

With over two billion monthly active users, YouTube is the second largest social media platform, offering businesses a vast potential customer base. Additionally, since Google owns YouTube, there's a great chance that your target customers are already using it. However, YouTube is a crowded platform, with hundreds of millions of channels already vying for attention. 

To stand out, businesses NEED to create high-quality content and promote their channel heavily. YouTube is definitely more suitable for businesses that can showcase their products or services through visuals.  If your business doesn't lend itself well to visual content, YouTube may not be the ideal platform. YouTube's user base tends to skew slightly older, making it an excellent platform for businesses targeting Gen X and Baby Boomers. Here’s all you need to know about Social Media Marketing (SMM) on YouTube.

YouTube Pros:

• YouTube's search engine optimisation (SEO) capabilities make it an ideal platform for businesses looking to drive traffic to their website.
• YouTube's long-form video format allows businesses to provide in-depth tutorials and product demonstrations.
• YouTube's ad platform is highly customisable, allowing businesses to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviour.

YouTube Cons:

• Producing high-quality video content can be time-consuming and expensive, making it a challenging platform for businesses with limited resources.
• YouTube's algorithm is highly competitive, making it difficult for new businesses to gain traction and grow their audience.
• YouTube's user base tends to be less engaged than other social media platforms, which can make it difficult to build a loyal following.

Businesses That Often Thrive on YouTube

• Beauty and makeup brands can use YouTube to share tutorials, product reviews, and behind-the-scenes footage.
• Gaming companies can use YouTube to stream gameplay, share reviews, and showcase new releases.
• Food and cooking brands can use YouTube to share recipe videos, cooking tutorials, and restaurant reviews.
• Education and e-learning companies can use YouTube to share tutorials, lectures, and educational content.
• Travel and hospitality brands can use YouTube to showcase destinations, share travel tips, and provide virtual tours.
• Technology and gadget brands can use YouTube to share reviews, product demos, and tutorials.
• Music and entertainment companies can use YouTube to share music videos, live performances, and behind-the-scenes footage.
• Personal development and coaching businesses can use YouTube to share motivational content, self-improvement tips, and lifestyle advice.
• Home decor and DIY brands can use YouTube to share tutorials, how-to guides, and before-and-after transformations.

TikTok: Taking Products & Making Them Trends

With over a billion monthly active users, TikTok is a short-form video app that has taken the social media world by storm. TikTok's algorithm makes it easy for videos to go viral, giving businesses the potential to reach a massive audience in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, with a young user base dominating the platform, products are often seen as trends, coming and going in the blink of an eye. With that said, it could still work well for products and brands that target tweens and teens. Here’s all you need to know about Social Media Marketing on TikTok.

TikTok Pros:

• TikTok's algorithm favours content that generates high engagement, making it possible for businesses to reach a large audience through organic reach alone.
• TikTok's short-form video format makes it an ideal platform for businesses looking to showcase their products or services in a visually compelling way.
• TikTok's user base tends to be younger, making it an excellent platform for businesses targeting Gen Z.

TikTok Cons:

• TikTok's user base tends to be less affluent than other social media platforms, which can make it difficult for businesses targeting high-income customers.
• TikTok's algorithm is constantly changing, making it challenging to keep up with the latest trends and best practices.
• TikTok's ad platform is relatively new and may not be as effective as other social media platforms.
• TikTok’s creators live for trends, meaning your hard work and investment may only last a couple of weeks before falling into oblivion.

Businesses That Often Do Well  on TikTok

• Fashion and beauty brands: TikTok is an excellent platform for showcasing clothing, makeup, and other beauty products.
• Food and beverage brands: With its short-form video format, TikTok is ideal for sharing recipes and cooking tips.
• Fitness and wellness brands: TikTok can be used to share workout routines and health tips, as well as to showcase fitness apparel.
• Home decor brands: TikTok's visual nature makes it an excellent platform for sharing interior design inspiration and home renovation tips.
• Music artists: TikTok is a powerful tool for promoting music and engaging with fans through challenges and trends.
• Pet-related businesses: With its large and active pet-loving community, TikTok is a great platform for promoting pet products and sharing pet-related content.
• Travel and tourism brands: TikTok is an excellent platform for showcasing travel destinations and sharing travel tips and recommendations.

‍

Leave Your Social Media Marketing to the Experts

Social media marketing can be a complex and time-consuming process. From developing a strategy and creating content to managing ad campaigns and analysing results, it can be a challenge for businesses to keep up with the latest trends and best practices.

That's where Talk comes in. Our team of social media experts can help take your social media marketing to the next level. We have experience working with a variety of businesses across different industries, and we can create a tailored strategy that aligns with your goals and objectives.

We can help you develop engaging content, manage your ad campaigns, and analyse your results to optimise your social media presence. With our help, you can focus on running your business, while we take care of your social media marketing. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you grow your brand on social media.

‍

So, what are you waiting for? Let's Talk!