What Social Media Platforms are Best For Your Brand?

In less than a month, Twitter became X. Meta introduced Threads; a new social media platform with over 100 million users after only five days, and TikTok introduced TikTok Shop, a new on-platform shopping solution. 

How can anyone keep up with the volatile world of social media, especially while trying to build a business empire?  

We spoke with Alexa Sorensen, a social media expert at Inspira Marketing, about which platforms business owners should prioritize and the different social media tools available.  

"The top players would tend to be Meta, Instagram, TikTok, and maybe LinkedIn and Pinterest," Alexa said. "However, that would depend on the type of brand you are, your overall content goals, what you're looking for, and how this will fit into your general marketing objectives."  

With limited resources (capital, personnel, and time), how should emerging brands utilize social media? Alexa offers her insight about the various social platforms and examples of how CPG companies effectively use them.  

• Instagram: Known as a visual social networking platform, Instagram is the place for showcasing products or services with photos or videos. Owned by Meta, Instagram is a great place to explain how to use your product, communicate your entrepreneur story, and share user-generated content.  

  Example: Swoon. A zero-sugar flavor drink company showcases brand collaborations, including a partnership with Mattel in support of the Barbie movie. Check out "Think Pink! Woman Founders Shine with Barbie Collabs" to learn more about the collaboration.  

• TikTok: It’s the fastest-growing social platform. If your product or service caters to Generation Z, your brand should be on TikTok. Check out our blog post "TikTok Tips for Small Businesses" for specific pointers. TikTok users create and share videos between 15 and 60 seconds. These videos are meant to be light-hearted and entertaining in nature.  

  Example: Deux. Yes, you saw the product and founder Sabeena Ladha on Shark Tank, but Deux's TikTok presence keeps consumers returning. Deux, a healthy-for-you cookie dough, regularly produces new content with its products incorporating trending songs, clips, and themes.  

• Facebook:  Facebook is still the largest social networking site, with nearly three billion monthly users. This means roughly 37% of the global population are Facebook users. Facebook, owned by Meta, is great for businesses looking to build a community with consumers worldwide and targeting a broad demographic.  

  Example: Osea Malibu. Founded in 1996, Osea has continued evolving and made itself relevant today. Billed as skincare from the sea, Osea received outside investment from CAVU Ventures, which uses an in-house marketing agency, Uncommon, that works with brands across e-commerce, Amazon, social media, PR, influencer relations, and packaging.  

• LinkedIn:  LinkedIn allows you to promote yourself as an entrepreneur and your brand as a company. Many founders share their successes and challenges to connect with other business owners, investors, and supporters. It is a great place for news, including retail launches, brand collaborations, and press mentions.  

  Example: April Wachtel. April, the founder of Cheeky Cocktails, shared on the platform a blog about a partnership between Cheeky Cocktails and 818 Tequila, founded by Kendall Jenner for National Tequila Day. The post tagged Cheeky's LinkedIn business page and connected to the brand's website.  

• X (formerly Twitter): X emphasizes real-time bite-size information in just 280 characters. X is great for brands looking to participate in the daily news cycle. 

  Example: Healthy Roots Dolls. Founded in 2014, Healthy Roots Dolls creates dolls and storybooks that represent and empower young black girls and their curls. Their founder, Yelitsa Jean-Charlies, initially used the platform to engage with peers, share thoughts, and learn from others. However, she saw the value of promoting her business as well. Yelitsa posted a picture of herself and one of her dolls that went viral.  

  "Oddly enough, I don't really plan most of my Tweets," Yelitsa said in an interview with the platform. "Being actively engaged on (X) has shown me that the content that connects the most with people is often totally random or genuine. To me, (X) is about being in the moment, and that viral Tweet was a collective moment of shared joy during a challenging social and political climate in our country."  

• Pinterest: Pinterest encourages users to discover new products from others. On Pinterest, users "pin" photos that link to websites, product pages, blog posts, and other content across the internet. According to Pinterest, users are 7x more likely to purchase products they've pinned.​ Check out "Should You Be Using Pinterest for Your Business?" to determine if the platform fits your brand well.  

  Example: Golde. The superfood blends Pinterest page provides numerous recipes and links directly to the ingredients on their website. Videos are simple, brief, and pleasant to watch.  

• Threads: Created by Meta, Threads is the newest social media platform meant to be an alternative to X. Threads is still working out the kinks, but it does allow users to connect directly with their established Instagram accounts, so there's a built-in audience.  

  Example:  Editor’s Note: Threads was created in July 2023, so brand examples are limited as companies take a watch-and-see approach. However, fashion and beauty brands have already made their presence known. Tatcha, a Japanese skincare and beauty brand, teased its new product release on Threads.  In a Glossy article, Tatcha's CMO, Kylene Campos, said, "The launch of Threads presented a new opportunity for us to connect with our existing community as well as make connections with new people. Giving this audience one of the first looks at our new Indigo Cleansing Balm was the perfect way to start new conversations with the growing Threads audience." 

What social media resources are available for entrepreneurs? 

Social media marketing requires effort, planning, and strategic thinking. However, even if you are a one-woman show, tools are available to support establishing and maintaining a social media presence. Alexa provided some of her favorite resources.   

• Canva: The go-to for creating your social media content. Canva provides templates for static and video posts. On Canva, you can add your brand's logo and color template to make everything personal for your company.  

• Gain: This software allows you to schedule social media posts and provides in-depth reporting metrics.  

Social media marketing is about authentically building a community  

With potential consumers on a plethora of social media platforms, you might feel pressured to have a brand presence everywhere.  

However, it's important to remember that your time is a precious commodity and creating content for social media is a sliver of marketing a business.  

"Social media is only one piece of your marketing strategy; keeping this in mind will be a HUGE help, especially in the organic landscape," Alexa said. "Your social media platforms should be used to authentically build a community surrounding your brand. You do NOT need to spread yourself too thin! Do not feel the need to join and strategize for every platform; only join what feels authentic to your brand voice and audience."