The Best Social Media Platforms for Your Brand’s Marketing

Social Media Platforms Are Like Digital Marketing Events

Some of them are events you need to attend, some are ones you need to know how to attend, and some are ones you need to stay away from. Think of digital marketing as occupying the most massive and multidimensional conferencing centre you’ve ever seen. Each social media platform is a different event. They’re all happening at the same time – and they’re all wildly different. Each has its own unique atmosphere, guest list, and unspoken rules. 

From the clean, calm, and professional feel of LinkedIn’s networking event to the vibrant, “anything-could-happen” deliciousness of a TikTok music festival, there’s a perfect event for every brand. And some brands can even attend a few events all at once. 

But how to choose? Find out in this blog.

Social media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.–Brian Solis, world-renowned digital anthropologist and futurist

Facebook: The Family Braai

Picture that family reunion that happens every few months. It’s a relaxed atmosphere of people catching up, chilled background music and a very diverse crowd – from your quirky aunt who crochets turtles to your older brother who’s into rugby to your mom who just wants everyone to get along.

The Platform’s Purpose

This platform lets people catch up, share memories, share interests, form communities… and maybe show off a little.

Facebook appeals to its users because it provides real-time information but with a deeper feel. It may not necessarily break news as fast as Twitter, but when it does, it provides greater detail and a platform for discussion. (Thanks, Hubspot.)

The Platform’s Conventions

Expect lots of personal stories, family photos, and event invites. Come to this event ready to have casual but also informative chats. Like when Aunty explains just how many types of crochet needles there are. 

Don’t be that guy who pitches his pyramid scheme to anyone within pitching distance. People aren’t at this event to be sold to – but that doesn’t mean you can’t sell to them. You just need to know how. 

The Platform for You?

If your brand would benefit from community-building, Facebook is the event you need to be at. Engaging storytelling is a must. If done right, you can build long-term relationships and nurture a loyal fan base on this platform. Remember to give your shared content a personal touch here and there; this space is for connection and community.

Best Examples

Nike “gets” the family braai. It knows not to push hard sells on Facebook and to rather have conversations with others about the latest science insights, charity organisations, and social trends. When it does talk about a new product, it does so by focusing on the research and development that went into the design. 

Instead of saturating your Facebook Page with content about your products, can you use it as a place to establish and reinforce your brand message? 

(Asking all the important questions there, Hubspot.)

LinkedIn: The Networking Book Launch

If you’ve ever been to a book launch where your not-so-secret goal was primarily to network, then you know what we’re talking about. This event is calm, insightful… and all about putting on your best professional face.   

The Platform’s Purpose

The lady in the corner sipping coffee is here to find out more about digital marketing (she should tap into our free Flume resources, right?). The author who’s about to speak is here to punt their book, yes, but also to share insightful expertise about their field. And the audience member upfront is hoping to make a career-building change, so they’ve come dressed to impress. 

The Platform’s Conventions

Keep it professional. Sharing pictures of your dog doing things (only you find cute) will not go down well. This is not the place for memes or casual banter. People are at this event to gain or contribute to thought leadership and industry insights.

The Platform for You?

If you’re looking to establish your brand as an expert in a field, share company news and showcase its culture, or recruit top talent, attend this event. LinkedIn is designed to engage with other professionals, so if your brand relies heavily on networking in its traditional sense, it’s a fit. It should come as no surprise that it’s the ideal place for B2B marketing. 

According to Social Media Strategies Summit, the audience of LinkedIn is different from any other social media site in that it’s comparatively affluent (53% of LinkedIn users have a high monthly household income, while 29% are in middle-income households) and generally well educated. Because LinkedIn’s audience comprises high-level individuals like executives,  it usually wields at least some buying power; four in five LinkedIn members drive business decisions.

Best Examples

Microsoft is the insightful, suited-up, and generous guy at this book launch who loves to enable others with relevant info. How does he benefit? Well, he establishes himself as the go-to expert when the time comes to spend big money on important products. 

Microsoft has already taken advantage of LinkedIn Newsletters, a relatively new feature on this platform; “The Monthly Tech-In” shares in-depth and valuable long-form content with subscribers. Why is this a winning strategy? LinkedIn’s organic (ie non-paid) reach is dismal. By offering a free and valuable newsletter, Microsoft attracts the attention of people at this event who will engage with and share its branded content. (Read more about how successful the first two editions were here.)

Instagram: The Durban July

Did you follow the 2024 Durban July? The glitz, the trendsetting, the eye candy, the GOSSIP… This event is all about excitement and the aesthetic, just like Instagram. 

However, don’t be fooled because, like Instagram, this event can also be serious and socially impactful:

Fashion activism was the order of the day at the Durban July at the weekend with [Mzukisi] Mbane using the Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse as his runway to spread a positive message of owning your sexual health. 

The fashion collaboration featuring bespoke garments flaunting emotive slogans and messaging sewn into signature Imprint fabrics, forms part of the HIV awareness and prevention campaign Forever Wena.–Sowetan Live

The Platform’s Purpose

Both audiences and brands are at this event to admire and be admired, to inspire and be inspired. 

The Platform’s Conventions

This isn’t the place for comprehensive thought leadership speeches or long-winded stories about how you trekked all over the city to find the right yarn for your latest project. Instead, you’d post a well-crafted reel that educates your audience with industry insights or a “Clarendon filtered” pic of you and your crochet masterpiece.

High-quality visuals are a must (duh), and copy-heavy content is a must-not. Make sure you always present yourself as visually cohesive at this event; there’s nothing more satisfying than a beautiful Insta grid!

The Platform for You?

If your brand shines through visuals – think fashion, food, travel, or lifestyle – Instagram is an absolute must-attend for you. It’s perfect for creating visually appealing content, engaging with influencers, and building a brand aesthetic that attracts a younger audience. But this event’s guestlist has grown over recent years, and it’s not only visual brands and young people attending it these days.

Instagram has become a great social media platform for all sorts of brands, such as service-based businesses, educational institutions, NGOs, tech companies, and even B2B companies! As long as your brand’s posts are platform-fit and executed properly, they can do well. A plumbing company – not exactly “sexy” in most people’s eyes – can share client testimonials, behind-the-scenes content, and success stories to build trust and showcase its expertise. 

Best Examples

There are two running themes at this event: aesthetics and storytelling. If your ‘fit is not lit and your tea’s not tasty (ie if you’re sharing visually unappealing content that’s not entertaining), you’re likely to bomb at this race. Be like GoPro, a brand that’s nailing the July:

GoPro uses its Instagram to tell stories from the product’s unique point of view. The feed is a source of inspirational and aspirational content, full of pictures and videos taken using GoPro cameras by actual customers. The brand’s goal with its Instagram is to use that content to drive consideration for how you could use its unique camera in your life, ultimately leading to purchase.

GoPro has expanded the amount of content they share by opening regional handles featuring localized content and customers in over ten markets. This decision resulted in growing their total follower base to over 20 million.–Global Strategic Management Institute

TikTok: The Vibey Music Festival

This Coachella-style social media platform offers its audience an intoxicating atmosphere where a mix of videos, trends, and challenges always keeps things interesting. This event has everyone, from young and impressionable “Woo Girls” to creative, meaning-seeking Gen Zs to millennials, keen for a laugh and a sense of community. 

The Platform’s Purpose

Driving engagement and fostering community through fresh and relatable video content – that is TikTok’s vibe. It is generally fast-paced and trend-driven.

TikTok provides easily consumable, shareable, bite-sized material. Additionally, the app’s interactive elements – such as challenges, music, and filters – align with [its audience’s] demand for participatory and engaging media. 

Rather than being passive consumers, these younger users are makers, trendsetters, and active participants.– IMM Graduate School of Marketing, South Africa

The Platform’s Conventions

Authenticity is key, so highly polished content, like that industry insights reel, may seem out of place. Creativity is also a must. Remember to embrace trends and challenges, and to keep things light and fun. This event’s attendees are usually skilled at spotting purely promotional, hard-sell content so using forceful sales tactics here will bomb.

Part of authenticity is actually understanding and caring about your audience, which is why “campaigns that show a knowledge of regional terminology, customs, and culture typically have higher success rates.” (Thanks, IMM.) 

The Platform for You?

If your brand is big on thinking outside the box and engaging with a younger, trend-savvy audience, this event’s for you. At this festival, you’ll see creativity (the Afro-pop punk band), humour (the MC who gets the crowd warmed up), and viral content (that beach ball crowd surfing). If you can match TikTok’s vibe, then it’s right for you. 

Best Examples

Wallaroo Media case studies McDonald’s and its “grimace shake” trend:

“McDonalds has been doing a great job on TikTok for a while now. But what has happened recently with the Grimace Shake trend is absolutely insane. Brands – take note. McDonalds fully leaned into the trend across social media and especially on TikTok. The hashtag #GrimaceShake has garnered hundred of millions of uses and billions and billions of views! Relatively minimal investment [was] needed to achieve these results.”

X/Twitter: The Film Premiere

Exciting conversations on the red carpet, celeb tweets, and blockbuster-type trends – this is the X (formerly Twitter) event. Short bursts of exciting, newsworthy, and real-time info is the name of the game here!

The Platform’s Purpose

Think celebs and other VIPs being interviewed and offering behind-the-scenes info about a movie everyone’s been waiting for (like the next Dune… can’t wait). This event offers real-time engagement for users who are eagerly awaiting the next big reveal. It’s where news breaks, memes are born, and communities rally around shared interests.

The Platform’s Conventions

Aesthetics are less important than at TikTok’s music festival or Insta’s July, but being concise and using trending hashtags are equally important. This event is also fast-paced, but the focus here is on impactful, informative (or entertaining) messaging – said in only a few powerful words.

I tweet, therefore my entire life has shrunk to 140 character chunks of instant event & predigested gnomic wisdom. & swearing.–@NeilGaiman

Brands attending this event are using it more and more to not only inform their audiences but also entertain them. “Infotainment,” as the industry calls it… (Can we get another name for that, please? We know it makes sense, but gosh, it’s ugly.)

In South Africa, “up to 64% of users say they use the platform to keep up with breaking news. About 63% of South Africans use Twitter to engage with humorous content and entertainment. Therefore, businesses utilising ‘local banter’ within their brand voice often receive the highest amount of online engagement.”–The Agency 

The Platform for You?

Brands that excel on Twitter/X are those that rely on interaction and know how to create enough buzz to prompt and maintain it. Technology brands unveiling innovative products, entertainment companies promoting new releases, and fashion labels showcasing the latest trends do well. Engaging hashtags and timely responses help these brands captivate their audience – kind of like how a film premiere captivates its attendees! 

Best Examples

It should be no surprise that Nando’s does very well at this event. It posts humorous, brave, thought-provoking content that frequently integrates the vernacular. This brand excels at staying on top of (and leveraging) breaking news. 

Not only does Nando’s tongue-wagging content spark conversation, but the brand also then puts effort into continuing the interaction with its followers. It frequently replies to retweets and comments with quick-witted and timely responses. 

Remember, however, that we can’t all be Nando’s. As The Agency points out, “This bold and often cynical commentary is not appropriate for most brands.” 

Youtube: The Mega Mall

Youtube is such a multifaceted beast that likening it to just one event is tricky – even for us. Youtube is more like a venue… A mega mall, as it were. 

Not only is YouTube the second most popular platform for influencer marketing, it’s also the second most popular website in the world, reaching over 2 billion users each year. This massive reach makes it the perfect platform for putting your brand in front of a large audience.–Sprout Social 

The Platform’s Purpose

In this crowded mall, visitors come to find a variety of shops (channels) that offer different products (content). A wide variety of cravings – from fashion to tech to beauty to food to travel to education to… (you get it) – can be satisfied here; this environment aims to cater to anyone looking for slightly more in-depth content.

The Platform’s Conventions

Quality over quantity! Content that has high production value and engaging storytelling will always do better. Avoid clickbait… promising a mall passer-by a demo of the latest iPhone and then showing them how to use a yo-yo instead will not go down well. So, ensure your content delivers on its promises.

The Platform for You?

Most brands can benefit from frequenting this mall because it is so multidimensional. If you’re able to create informative and/or entertaining video content that is engaging and well produced, this is the platform for you – regardless of what your product may be. However, this platform is especially suited to brands that can post tutorials, product reviews, and content that tells a story.

Best Examples

Too many to showcase… Check them out for yourself here (influencers), here (the Googles, LEGOs, and Vogues of the world), and here (“smaller” South African brands and influencers). 

Conclusion

Choosing the best social media platform/s for your brand can be intimidating AF. Each platform has a unique environment catered to certain audiences and designed to achieve particular purposes. It’s tempting to feel like you want to attend aaaaallll the events… but remember that you can end up being the social pariah who doesn’t understand the events’ unspoken rules. 

By understanding the digital marketing nuances of each platform, you can choose the events that actually align with your brand and create content that is not destined to fail. Instead of leaving the party feeling unseen, arrive confident and ready to make a memorable and impactful debut.

Contact us today to find out how. 

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Flume is an independent, full-service digital marketing agency providing services that include SEO, web design and development, public relations, media buying, client service, UX/UI, and creative production. For more information visit www.flume.co.za or email us  to say, well, “hello”.