Your Brand Voice – Which Social Networking Site is the Best For You?

By Ryan Connors

The first step in deciding which social networking sites are best for promoting your blog is really learning more about who your ideal readers are. If you don’t know who you’re talking to, how can you know where to find them? By identifying your blog’s “brand” identity before you start any type of marketing regimen you’re saving yourself tons of time and effort in wasted research.

Whether you write a food blog, a tech blog, or even a parenting blog, there’s a social outlet perfectly suited to your customer base. Below we take a look at some of the most popular social networking sites and break down which sites are best for which types of blog.

So, which social networking site is best for you?

FACEBOOK

Facebook is the granddaddy of social networking and it’s still a great place to be. If you’re going to engage in only one type of social networking, Facebook should likely be it. The site provides the most opportunities for marketing and a diverse array of ways to promote your blog. Odds are, your customers are on Facebook if nowhere else.

TWITTER

Twitter is a terrific platform if your blog industry is fast-changing. When you have a constant need to put out new content (“Check out this cool new product!” or “New blog post!”), Twitter is the place to be. It’s also a good network to use if you plan on interacting with other bloggers a lot. If you’re going to be on Twitter, however, be sure you can commit to updating daily at the very least.

LINKEDIN

Is your blog more professionally-focused than personal? If the information you put out pertains to businesses more than individuals (or perhaps to individuals engaged in business) then LinkedIn may be a great spot to invest in. LinkedIn allows you to post content, start discussions, and even endorse other members for certain skills. More than that, though, it can be a great data mine to come up with your next blog topic or to find out what people in certain industries are talking about.

PINTEREST/INSTAGRAM

Pinterest and Instagram are similar enough that they can be grouped together, although you should probably focus your efforts on one or the other to avoid repeat content on two sites. If your blog features lots and lots of photos, whether of hair, houses, or ham sandwiches, a photo-sharing platform is a smart choice. Be sure you can update regularly and that you’ve got the conditions (and a good enough camera phone) to take sharable photos. And learn the power of hashtags before you begin.

YOUTUBE

Many people don’t consider YouTube a “social networking” site but it absolutely is. If you’re not consistently producing videos, YouTube is not the place for you; however, it’s worth considering if you write about a subject matter that’s video-friendly. For example, if you run a craft blog, why not post informational videos on how to best use certain products? The great thing about YouTube is that production quality doesn’t have to be high – as long as the quality of your content is.

Deciding which social networking site is right for your blog promotion is up to you, but it’s always smart to research before you spread yourself too thin. In general, choose two to three sites to focus all your effort on and ignore the rest. It’s better to be a big presence on one or two sites than a tiny presence on ten.