There comes a time in every marketer’s social media campaigns to sit down and make some difficult decisions. At first, they were challenged to create impressive accounts on popular networks, and then to build strong followings before finally proving their social media content was driving bottom-line results.
Once the initial groundwork is completed, marketers must go back to square one and decide which channels are the best outlets for their brands. A recent Gigya study revealed that half of all social content sharing takes place on Facebook, but is the largest network the best choice for every brand?
The answer is both yes and no. It’s smart for businesses to be active on Facebook for many reasons, including the fact that it has the widest reach nationally and globally. It’s also the leader for conversions. Brafton previously reported on a Vision Critical study, which showed that 38 percent of account holders have purchased items they discovered through the network, indicating they were swayed to convert after Liking or sharing products and services.
However, Facebook may not be the more effective platform for ecommerce companies. Pinterest topples the social network for online shopping shares with 41 percent of all content. Consumer-facing brands have a heavy presence on Twitter, while media and publishing companies prioritize Facebook.
Despite a recent report that Google+ sharing is expected to surpass Facebook within three years, the search engine-sponsored network currently accounts for only 2 percent of all shared content, according to the source.
When marketers are faced with these difficult decisions, it’s best to look at the cold hard data. Content analytics show marketers where qualified traffic primarily comes from to indicate the channels on which brand advocates are active.
