6 Steps to Deciding Which Social Media Platform is Best for Building Your Online Community

Are you wondering which social media platform is best for building a community? If yes, then you have come to the right place.

Let’s face it: Businesses and marketers across all industries know that their audiences spend a lot of time on social media. We also all know that social media has changed the way we connect with others, whether it’s family members or brands.

There’s no doubt that choosing the right social media platforms for marketing and engagement is crucial to the long-term success of your business.

But with so many platforms out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.

If you’ve had this experience recently, you’re in luck! Today, I’m going to share with you the benefits of building an online community through social media, as well as the steps you can take to decide which platform is best for you and your customers.

Let’s take a deeper look!

The benefits of building an online community on social media

Before understanding how to choose the right platform to build your own online community, I think it is necessary to first understand the importance of pursuing and mastering this marketing strategy .

• Increased engagement – ​​Social media is designed to bring people together, so it’s a great place to increase engagement . If you take the time to post and interact with others on social media, your audience is likely to join in on the discussion, ask questions, and share their thoughts.
• Build Brand Loyalty – Building a community on social media will increase brand loyalty. When your community sees that you are responsive and value their opinions, they are more likely to stick around and tell others about you. Responding to comments, hosting webinars , or posting regular updates will make your followers feel included and appreciated, further strengthening their loyalty to your brand.
• Collect customer feedback – Social media provides a channel for real-time feedback. By engaging with your audience, you can quickly learn what they like, what they don’t like, and how to create a better experience both on and off social media. Without a doubt, all this customer feedback drives your success.
• Cost-effective marketing – Social media marketing is actually one of the most affordable ways to reach an audience. With the right mindset and platform, you can grow an online community with relatively little investment . As your community grows and your content organically reaches new followers, your growth has a good chance of snowballing.
• Opportunities to expand your network – Social media is also a great tool for networking . By building an online community, you can attract potential clients, influencers, and other industry leaders. These connections may lead to collaborations, interviews, and strategic partnerships that can help expand your influence.
• Increase Brand Awareness – Last but not least, social media is a great way to increase your brand’s reach . When your followers engage with your content, their networks will also see it, which will greatly increase your reach. Posts that resonate deeply with your audience may go viral, helping you gain new followers and recognition without any extra effort.

How to Decide Which Social Media Platform Is Best for Your Community

Now that you know the benefits of building a social media community , let’s talk about some actionable steps that will help you get the best results.

Before we dive in, I think it’s worth mentioning that hong kong lead every brand is different. It’s always important to consider your own industry and resources when implementing these tips for yourself.

Step 1: Identify your goals

Before choosing a social media platform, it is important to be clear about your goals.

Think of it this way: There’s no point in launching a boat into the ocean without a map and a destination, right? The same is true for social media marketing.

If you rush into something without a destination in mind, you’ll likely end up disappointed, which is neither good for you nor your client.

So, ask yourself: Are you trying to increase brand awareness, provide customer support , or boost sales? Maybe you want to generate leads or build detailed buyer personas.

Whatever your goal is, having a clear idea of ​​what you hope to achieve will make the whole process more manageable.

Once you’ve determined your goals, start thinking about metrics that will show you’re on the right track. For example, if you want to see an increase in traffic, set a goal and check your current traffic baseline and referral traffic so you can see if you’re on the right track once your program launches.

Step 2: Understand your audience

Now that you know what you want to achieve , you should gather as much information as possible about your target audience .

If you don’t know who you want to join your community, it’ll be hard to find them and convince them to click and follow.

Here’s something to consider: Nearly 60% of the world’s population uses social media. If you want to connect with even a fraction of that one percent, it’s in your best interest to understand your audience’s goals, needs, and pain points so you can build detailed “buyer personas.”

 

Since your audience is basically a needle in a haystack, you’ll need to spend a lot of time conducting audience research, reviewing on-site analytics , analyzing customer feedback forms, and practicing social listening.

Once you’ve gathered enough data to build your buyer personas , you can start evaluating where your audience spends their time.

For example, if your research shows that the majority of your audience is 40 or older, TikTok isn’t the best place to build a community.

Likewise, if you’re creating a fun “hobby” community, you probably don’t want to bother getting to know LinkedIn, since it’s primarily for professionals who want to talk business.

On the other hand, let’s say your target audience is event planners who specialize in holiday-themed parties. Platforms like Pinterest and Facebook might be great for sharing ideas and engaging with seasonal content like New Year’s Eve appetizer recipes or Halloween party games for adults .

Generally speaking, the more you know about your audience before you decide to build an online community, the better.

Step 3: Analyze features

Each social media site has a set of features that make it unique.

As a marketer, if you want to build a strong community, you need to evaluate these core features based on your long-term goals and audience.

For example, Facebook Groups are a great way to build a community around an idea and engage people in detailed discussions, while Instagram Stories and Reels are great ways to give short, visually appealing updates.

LinkedIn, on the other hand, features networking and industry-specific content, making it a good choice for B2B companies.

Each platform is slightly different, so consider how each site’s functionality matches your content and customers.

If you plan on producing video content, which is a good idea considering 91% of marketers say video has helped them increase traffic and generate new leads, then you’re probably better off choosing a platform like YouTube or TikTok . For brands that are more interested in long-form engagement and discussion, they might want to try Facebook or Reddit.

Both types of content have a place in most marketing strategies.

I also recommend checking how each platform integrates with the tools and services you already use. You don’t want to invest a lot of time and money into a social media platform that isn’t compatible with most of your tools. This mistake is bound to disrupt your workflow and delay your goal of building a community.

Step 4: Consider content strategy

Next, it’s time to think deeply about the type of content you want to produce and how to match it with the platforms you want to use.

Earlier I mentioned that TikTok and YouTube are both great for video content, but that’s not the end of the discussion.

If you want to build a community around long-form video content and live streaming, YouTube might be a better choice, but you can cut long videos into short clips and share them on TikTok, Instagram, or even reintroduce them into the YouTube algorithm through short clips.

Your content strategy should also include a plan for how often you post. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram benefit from frequent updates, while LinkedIn users may not expect content every day.

Ideally, you should post at a frequency that your audience likes, and this is often determined by where your audience likes to spend their time. For example, you can’t produce a high-quality 30-minute YouTube video every day, so your posting frequency will necessarily be different than if you wanted to share 1-2 sentences on X (formally known as Twitter).

With this in mind, it’s important to make sure the platform you choose can support your content plans without overwhelming your resources.

Step 5: Evaluate budget and resources

It’s important to evaluate the resources you have available to manage your community on each platform.

I strongly recommend you ask yourself the following questions

• Do you have a dedicated team responsible for social media, or do you handle it yourself?
• How much time do you need to devote to posting on social media?
• Do you need to find a moderator?
• What resources do you need to commit to make your strategy successful?
• Is it possible that you might need to outsource ?

All of these questions will help you consider any costs involved, such as advertising, recruiting, or purchasing social media tools.

This will put your community building at a standstill.

I also think it’s important to assess the time investment required to effectively manage each platform.

Platforms like YouTube take longer because they require a lot of video editing and production time, while updates to Facebook and X may only take a few minutes.

At the end of the day, it’s in your best interest to choose a platform that fits both your budget and your available resources.

Step 6: Test and Evaluate

Once you’ve gone through all of these steps, you probably have an idea of ​​what social media platform you should choose. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, you should also keep an open mind.

There are so many opportunities out there on so many different platforms. If you’re not willing to experiment and find new ways to grow your community and reach, you could be missing out on some important opportunities to develop and build relationships with your audience.

I recommend testing a few different options once you have your site up and monitoring the results. Keep a close eye on follower growth, engagement rates, and how they interact with your content. This strategy will help you open up new avenues and grow your community in ways you never expected.

My overall advice here is to remember that not all social media strategies are set in stone.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right social media platform is a critical step in building a strong, thriving online community. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, and what works for one brand may not work for another.

It’s important to identify your goals, understand your audience, and test your strategy.

Ultimately, flexibility and adaptability are critical to your success. Continuously evolving your strategy over time will ensure that your community continues to grow for years to come.