Which Social Network Should You Use in Your Coaching Business?

Whenever I work with a new client, I always begin by asking which social media networks they are currently using in their business.

If they are new to social media marketing, I like to find out which ones they are considering using. The answer is very often ‘Facebook'!

This comes as no surprise, as it is one of the biggest networks, and the one that many people are familiar using through their own personal Facebook accounts. So, using it in a business context can feel like an easier step to take.

But is Facebook the right network for your business? Or Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat…..the list goes on. And how many networks should you use? Should you focus on one or two, or try to cover them all? With literally hundreds to choose from, these can be hard questions to answer.

Questions to Ask Yourself

In trying to decide on the best approach for you and your business, there are 5 key questions you should ask yourself:

1. Where Does Your Ideal Customer Hang Out….In Their Greatest Numbers?

Do you know who your ideal customer is? Who would you most like to work with? What type of person would you love to fill your diary with? What age are they? Which gender? Where do they live? What stage of life are they at? The answers to these questions will give you a description of your ideal customer (it's not everyone!), and the next step is to work out which of the network(s) that particular demographic uses in their greatest numbers.  

2. How Many Networks Can You Manage?

Be honest with yourself. Just how much time and resource do you have to spend on social media in your business? Is it one hour a day? A couple of hours a week? It is estimated that it takes 35 working hours to manage and use ONE network well each month. That's 1.5 hours a day! Whatever the time it takes, there is certainly a fair degree of effort involved in finding, creating and posting fabulous content consistently enough that you are noticed and can raise your profile. So being realistic, just how many networks can you cope with? If the answer is one, that's absolutely fine! Choose the one that was top of your list from question #1. Don't spread yourself too thin in the time you have available.

3. Where Are Your Competitors?

Which networks are your main competitors using? If they appear to be on one network more than another, there could be a good reason for that, and you'll be missing out by not having a presence there. But sense check that it is where your ideal customer hangs out. After all, it could be that your competitors didn't do their research!

4. What Do You Want To Achieve?

Whilst you may think that all social media networks are much the same, the truth is that some are better at delivering certain results than others. Pinterest may be a smaller network, but it is incredibly good at driving traffic to your website. If you want to improve your SEO, Google+ or YouTube might be your first networks of choice. Try to match the results you want from social media with the network that is best at delivering it for you.

5. Are There Any Geographical Differences to Consider?

If you are working internationally, there may be some geographic differences that you need to take into account. Some networks are more popular in some countries than others. For example, Facebook is huge in the Western world, but is little used in China. Take account of these potential differences in choosing your social media presence.

Next Steps

Armed with the answers to these questions, it's time to choose which networks you should focus on. Close, or stop your activity, on the ones that didn't make the short list. Focus all your effort on the ones you have identified as being most important to your business.

How did you decide on which network to use? Do you have any other tips to share?