Top Social Media Platforms for Business & Strategies for 2024

9 Top Social Media Platforms For Your Business

Let’s zoom in on the nine standout social media channels of 2024. Each platform has its own flavor and audience, offering unique opportunities for your business to connect, engage, and grow. 

Here are nine social media networks to consider for your business activity:

• Facebook – best for community engagement, and customer service. It is also oftentimes used as a messaging app.
• Instagram – best for visual storytelling, influencer marketing, and visual brand building.
• Threads – best for real-time engagement, public discourse, and sharing concise, impactful content.
• TikTok – best for trend-based content, creative branding, and engaging with a young audience.
• X (Twitter) – best for real-time engagement, brand visibility, and thought leadership.
• YouTube – best for long-form content creation, educational videos, and brand storytelling.
• Pinterest – best for visual inspiration, product discovery, and driving web traffic.
• Google Business Profile – best for local SEO, social media campaigns, online reputation management, and customer engagement.
• LinkedIn – best for B2B connections, showcasing the company culture, professional networking, and talent recruitment.

1. Facebook

Facebook, a longstanding leader in the social media domain, will continue to be a versatile platform for businesses and individuals alike in 2024, boasting 2.09 billion daily users. 

Facebook’s strengths lie in its advanced targeting options for advertising, diverse content formats including live video, Stories, and standard posts, and robust analytics tools. It remains a top choice for businesses aiming to build a comprehensive online presence, engage in community building, and drive customer interaction.

Here’s what you should know about Facebook as a social media platform for business:

• Target audience: The largest group of Facebook users (23.6%) are aged 25-34, followed by 18.4% aged 18-24.
• Best for: Community engagement, and customer service. It is also oftentimes used as a messaging app.
• Best performing content types: User-generated content, video content, and interactive posts.
• Advertising options: Advanced targeting options based on demographics, interests, behaviors, location, and custom audiences. Offers formats like image, video, carousel, slideshow, and collection ads.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: Its status as one of the best social media platforms with advanced targeting options and a massive user base. A key differentiating factor can be its Facebook Groups, allowing social networking between a business’ leads and Facebook users. At the same time, it’s important to note its integration with Instagram for advertising.

Starbucks, a leader in the coffee industry, has a significant social media presence across multiple platforms, with Facebook being a key component. As one of the best social media platforms, Facebook allows Starbucks to connect with a wide audience.

Their Facebook strategy includes regular social media posts on the latest trends in coffee and seasonal offerings. This online marketing approach helps Starbucks maintain its status as a popular brand on this great platform.

2. Instagram

Instagram, a popular social media platform, is great for visual storytelling. It’s key for brands in lifestyle and aesthetics.

If you are thinking about using Instagram for your social media marketing, here’s what you should know:

• Target audience: More than half of the global Instagram population worldwide is aged 34 years or younger.
• Best for: Visual storytelling, influencer marketing, and visual brand building.
• Best performing content types: High-quality images and videos, Stories, and Reels.
• Advertising options: Sponsored posts, Stories ads, and ads on the Explore page.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: A focus on high-quality visual content and a highly engaged user base.

Nike’s Instagram strategy is centered on inspiring athletic storytelling, showcasing top athletes and innovative products, and emphasizing motivational and empowering themes.

As we can see, Nike uses Instagram to post about the latest trends in sports and fashion, making it a great platform for their online marketing. 

3. Threads

Threads, a new app from Meta, is quickly gaining traction as a formidable player in the social media world. With over 100 million sign-ups in its first week, including a great number of brands, celebrities, and journalists, Threads is emerging as a serious competitor to established platforms like Twitter. 

Its primary appeal lies in its real-time, text-based posting format, similar to X, but with a 500-character limit. The platform blends aspects of Instagram’s aesthetic and navigation, allowing direct sharing to Instagram Stories and offering both public and private account options.

Here’s what you can expect from using Threads as one of the social media platforms for your business:

• Target audience: The largest age group of users in Threads belongs to the audience aged between 15 to 23 years constituting 28% of its user base.
• Best for: Real-time engagement, public discourse, and sharing concise, impactful content.
• Best performing content types: Text-based posts, photos, videos, and cross-sharing to Instagram Stories.
• Advertising options: Currently no ads, but potential for future integration into Meta’s advertising network.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: Combines X-like text posts with Instagram’s visual flair and a higher character limit, catering to a user base seeking both informative and visually appealing content.

In an interesting turn of events, TikTok itself a leading social media app, has established a presence on Threads. 

This move highlights the evolving landscape of social media platforms, where even popular platforms are engaging with each other to maximize their online reach.

On Threads, TikTok effectively utilizes its expertise in creating viral content. To make its Threads content stand out, TikTok employs a strategy of relatable humor, often referencing popular memes, sayings, and videos from its own platform. 

This approach not only resonates with its existing user base but also appeals to a broader audience on Threads, showcasing how a brand can creatively leverage its content across multiple social media apps for enhanced engagement and visibility.

4. TikTok

TikTok has changed social media with its short-form video content. It’s essential for businesses targeting young audiences.

If you want to use TikTok for your social media marketing, here’s what you should know:

• Target audience: Primarily Gen Z and younger millennials. TikTok’s global audience includes 18.2% women and 18% men aged 18-24, along with 16.3% women and 16.6% men aged 25-34.
• Best for: Trend-based content, creative branding, and engaging with a young audience.
• Best performing content types: Short, engaging videos and user-generated challenges. It also allows users to post Stories.
• Advertising options: In-feed ads, branded hashtag challenges, and branded effects.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: Its unique content discovery algorithm and emphasis on user-generated content, allow for the creation of niche communities.

Chipotle, the renowned fast-casual restaurant, has mastered TikTok, making it a key part of its social media presence. TikTok’s format is perfect for Chipotle’s engaging and trend-focused content. They actively showcase their fresh ingredients, humorous behind-the-scenes looks, and customer interactions.

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Chipotle’s use of TikTok for social media posts that tap into the latest trends and challenges exemplifies effective online marketing. Their success on this platform shows why TikTok is considered one of the best social media platforms for interactive content.

5. X (formerly Twitter)

X, which evolved from Twitter, has changed social media with its focus on real-time content and public conversations. It’s dynamic for businesses wanting to engage and stay relevant.

Here’s what you should know about introducing X in your social media marketing:

• Target audience: X (formerly Twitter) has over 550 million monthly users, with 58% under 35 years old, a male-to-female ratio of 2:1, and about 25% being American.
• Best for: Real-time engagement, brand visibility, and thought leadership.
• Best performing content types: Concise, impactful posts, live updates, and hashtags.
• Advertising options: Include promoted tweets, trends, and tailored ads.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: A real-time content feed and a special approach to public conversations. This makes it stand out in the social media world.

Wendy’s, known for its witty and humorous brand voice, knows how to post on X. X serves as a great platform for Wendy’s social media efforts to engage with customers in real-time.

Their strategy on X involves crafting clever social media posts that often go viral, demonstrating the effectiveness of a well-managed online marketing presence on multiple platforms.

6. YouTube

YouTube, the second largest search engine, is one of the most popular social media platforms. It continues to dominate the realm of video content on social networking sites, making it a vital platform for businesses focusing on in-depth storytelling and tutorials.

Here’s what you need to know about YouTube as a social media site for your business:

• Target audience: YouTube’s global audience includes 12.2% males aged 25-34, about 9% females of the same age, 9% males aged 35-44, and 7.9% females aged 35-44. It has a lean towards viewers seeking detailed and educational content.
• Best for: Long-form content creation, educational videos, and brand storytelling.
• Best performing content types: Tutorials, vlogs, and product reviews.
• Advertising options: Various formats including skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable in-stream ads, in-feed video ads, bumper ads, outstream ads, masthead ads.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: Emphasis on long-form video content and a robust search engine. Offers possibilities for monetization.

Red Bull, synonymous with energy and adventure, utilizes YouTube, a popular social media platform, to showcase thrilling content. Their social media presence on YouTube is a testament to their dynamic marketing strategy.

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Red Bull’s YouTube channel features videos that align with the latest trends in extreme sports and adventure, making it a prime example of leveraging social media sites for effective brand marketing.

7. Pinterest

Pinterest, known for its visual discovery tools, is a social media marketing tool crucial for businesses in design, fashion, and lifestyle, helping to drive website traffic and sales through visual pins.

Here’s what you should know if you are considering Pinterest as one of the social media platforms for your business:

• Target audience: Mainly female users (72.6% of the total users) interested in DIY, fashion, home decor, and recipes.
• Best for: Visual inspiration, product discovery, and driving web traffic.
• Best performing content types: High-quality images, infographics, themed boards and step-by-step photo guides.
• Advertising options: Pinterest’s ad offerings include promoted pins for increased visibility, promoted video pins for engaging content, shopping ads for direct e-commerce integration, and promoted carousels for showcasing multiple products. Collections ads offer a visually rich format, while try-on product pins provide an interactive augmented reality experience.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: A focus on visual bookmarking and idea generation and an advanced visual search engine more than a social network, ideal for long-term content relevancy.

IKEA’s use of Pinterest is a key part of their social media marketing plan. Their presence on Pinterest aligns with their brand ethos of design and functionality.

IKEA’s Pinterest strategy includes posting well-curated content that provides home decor inspiration, showcasing the platform’s potential as a great tool for engaging with audiences interested in design.

8. Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile is vital for businesses aiming to enhance their presence in local search results, making it a key tool in any social media strategy for customer engagement and lead generation.

Here’s what you should know about Google Business Profile as a social media marketing platform:

• Target audience: Local customers and people searching for specific services or products.
• Best for: Local SEO, social media campaigns, online reputation management, and customer engagement.
• Best performing content types: Business information, customer reviews, and local updates.
• Advertising options: Local search ads and Google Ads integration.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: Direct integration with Google Search and Maps, essential for local businesses.

The Home Depot leverages Google Business Profile, an essential tool for businesses looking to strengthen their online presence. This platform is crucial for connecting with local customers and enhancing online marketing efforts.

They also had a well-performing social media marketing campaign running around on the social platform.

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Their use of Google Business Profile for posting updates and responding to customer queries exemplifies how to effectively manage a presence across multiple social media platforms.

9. LinkedIn

With over 13.5 million daily active users, LinkedIn stands as the top professional networking site, making it essential for B2B marketing, professional branding, and recruitment strategies.

Here are some key elements of LinkedIn as a social media marketing stride:

• Target audience: Professionals, business decision-makers, and job seekers are the monthly active users. 60% of LinkedIn users worldwide are between the ages of 25 and 34 years old.
• Best for: B2B connections, showcasing the company culture, professional networking, and talent recruitment.
• Best-performing content types: Industry-related articles, company news, and professional posts.
• Advertising options: Sponsored content, InMail ads, and lead gen forms.
• Differentiating features from other platforms: Its professional focus and network of business professionals are what make LinkedIn stand out from other social media platforms.

Microsoft has a prominent social media presence on LinkedIn, a platform ideal for professional networking and B2B marketing. LinkedIn serves as a great platform for Microsoft to share industry insights and corporate news.

Microsoft’s approach to LinkedIn involves sharing content that aligns with the latest industry trends and developments, making them just a few examples of a brand effectively using social media sites for professional engagement and marketing.

How to Craft a Social Media Marketing Strategy in 2024

As a social media marketer, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of a good strategy.

Crafting an effective social media marketing strategy in 2024 requires a blend of clear planning, understanding your audience, and staying adaptable to the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Here’s a guide to developing a robust social media marketing strategy:

• Define clear and measurable goals: Begin by establishing clear, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives. Whether your aim is to build brand awareness, generate leads, or enhance customer engagement, having well-defined and quantifiable goals is essential for gauging success effectively.
• Understand and segment your audience: Deeply analyze your audience’s demographics, preferences, and behaviors. Segmenting your audience allows for more tailored and impactful content and campaigns. SocialBee is a social media management platform that can assist in understanding audience engagement and preferences.
• Choose relevant platforms: Select social media platforms where your target audience is most active and that align with your brand’s voice. This might mean focusing on LinkedIn for B2B marketing or Instagram for visual storytelling.
• Diverse and engaging content: Develop a comprehensive content strategy that includes videos, blogs, infographics, and interactive posts. Ensure consistency in posting and maintain a content calendar in your social media management tools of choice. SocialBee’s content categories feature can help organize and plan diverse content.
• Post consistently: Leverage SocialBee’s AI tools for streamlined content creation, scheduling, and publishing. This ensures a consistent presence on your chosen platforms.
• Customize content for each profile: Use SocialBee’s post customization feature to tailor content for different social media profiles. This ensures that your content is optimized for each platform, maximizing engagement.
• Adapt to trends and technologies: Stay flexible and responsive to new trends and technologies in the social media landscape. This includes adopting new platform features and content types or following new social media marketing courses.
• Utilize advanced analytics for strategy refinement: Utilize analytics tools such as SocialBee to track the performance of your campaigns and understand user behavior. Regular analysis helps in identifying what works and what doesn’t, allowing for timely adjustments to your strategy.

If you are looking for a method to manage your social media strategy, SocialBee’s tools allow for seamless scheduling and managing of content across various social media platforms, ensuring a consistent and impactful online presence.

Plan and schedule your social media content with ease.

Start your 14-day free trial at SocialBee today!

SocialBee’s key attributes as a social media management solution are:

• Platform compatibility: Supports diverse social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky, Google Business Profile, TikTok, and YouTube.
• Design integration: Offers design tools like Canva, Unsplash, and GIPHY for creating social media posts.
• AI-driven features: SocialBee offers AI-driven features. These include generating captions and images, and helping with social media strategies.
• Content management: Enables categorization, scheduling, and recycling of content for efficient posting.
• Customization options: Provides tailored post customization for each specific social media platform.
• Scheduling and previewing: Features a calendar-style interface for organizing and previewing posts for all social platforms.
• Collaboration : Offers collaborative workspaces so all team members can work at the same time.
• Analytics: Provides detailed performance analytics for each social media post.
• Engagement tools: Allows direct interaction with followers within the social media management platform.

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