The best social media network to use ?

Just recently, someone asked me: What is the best social media network to use to market my real estate business?

The answer is simple.  The best social media network to use is the social media network that most of your clients/customers are using . . . easy huh? 

But besides this obvious answer, seriously think about your business and your industry.  Which social media network would be the best tool to promote your business?  

Let's just say you are in the business of music . . . Soundcloud or any social network that features audio and allows your music to be played easily should be the social network you should focus on.  

Let's say your business is real estate, you should look at social media networks that allow you to feature pictures or video of your properties, which would be maybe Pinterest, or Google+ or Instagram.  

Are you a consultant?  LinkedIn groups or Facebook pages would be the logical tool to highlight, feature and sell your consulting services to an audience interested in your topic.

But, more importantly then finding the right social media network to amass an audience, when you are beginning your online marketing efforts you should focus on developing your audience on ONE social media network.  

Let me explain the logic of my method: when you focus on one network you reduce the changes of being overwhelmed by social media tasks.  Also, you will have a much greater success in developing an engaged audience that will follow you anywhere.  Why is an engaged audience that will follow you so important? Because if you have an engaged and loyal audience you can direct them to other social media networks and accounts you will open in the future.  

Let's just say you have worked hard and smart and developed a large audience of 3,000 followers on Twitter.  Great, but you have a real estate business and featuring your business on Pinterest would be much more suitable for your business.  On Pinterest you would be able to feature photos of your latest properties for sale and even feature a video tour or two. Because you developed a loyal following of 3,000 people on Twitter, it would be a simple matter of you opening a Pinterest account, pinning your photos and videos of properties and then going back to Twitter and letting your audience know that they can "view" some of your properties on your new Pinterest account!  Wha-la, an instant Pinterest audience.

But don't be an amateur social media user, the point is not to acquire numbers . . . 5,000 followers, 1,000 connections, 10,000 likes mean nothing! The real key to success on any social media network is the interaction you have with your audience.  Truly, you should focus on acquiring an audience on the social networking platform that you enjoy visiting and using -- because you will be visiting this site often to talk to your "people."  The key to success is to have conversations with your audience.  Responding to comments, questions, concerns are key to developing a loyal audience of potential clients. 

So, in summary:

1.  Use the social media network that your potential clients love to use (your audience is there, you just have to let them know that you are there to help them);

2.  Focus on developing an audience on one social media network before venturing onto others when you first start out (focus your efforts);

3.  The point is to be available to your potential clients and easily engage with them no matter what social media platform you use.

 Good luck in your endeavors! 


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