THERE IS VALUE IN DIVERSIFYING SOCIAL CHANNELS

They can help brands overcome scalability issues, provide testing opportunities, and open the door to new content formats. But making the decision whether to invest time and budget in these channels can be complicated and nuanced. R+K has created this decision tree exercise to help brands determine whether investing in social channels besides Instagram and Facebook makes sense for them.

Should my brand invest in social channels besides Facebook and Instagram?

Find out now

QUESTION 1

Is your target audience in the channel?

Understand your buyer’s journey. At any point from awareness to purchase, are they consuming content on this channel?

QUESTION 2

Will the platform help accomplish your communication goals?

Different channels are better suited to help reach different objectives. For example, TikTok drives consumer spending and brand awareness. It can also help tell a story.

Could it help achieve communications goals in the future?

Is it helpful to begin establishing an organic presence in the channel?

QUESTION 3

Does your budget allow for paid advertising on this channel?

Most social channels do not have paid advertising minimums. That said, it is important to weigh the return on investment in paid advertising as it relates to your communications goals.

Could establishing an organic presence in the channel help achieve future communications, should your future budgets increase?

QUESTION 4

Are you able to effectively target your desired audience on this channel?

YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter have the strongest targeting capabilities. We recommend applying a secondary data source – either existing or purchased via an audience partner – to narrow in further on target audience. This generally requires additional budget.

Do you have the budget and time to build a presence in the channel?

QUESTION 5

Does your brand have a presence in the channel?

Best practice is to support any channel presence with a steady stream of relevant, quality content and monitor comments and reactions.

QUESTION 6

Do you have the resources to develop ongoing content for the channel?

Platform recommendations range from 2 to 20 posts per week, depending on the channel. Keep in mind that your brand may be able to repurpose existing content.

QUESTION 7

Are you able to measure in your channels?

Most social platforms generally have similar measurement capability but nuances may vary. Ensure each active social channel can provide metrics that measure up to your marketing goals.

The social media landscape is constantly evolving. Adding additional social channels might not make sense for your brand today, but it could in the future.

Read more about how to evaluate your social media marketing strategy in light of market trends in this blog post.

Investing in additional social channels seems logical for your brand.

If you’re ready to add social channels to your marketing mix, the first step is getting your organization on board. For tips, check out our blog post "Is It Time To Add New Social Channels? Here's What You Need To Know". Or if you feel ready to dive in, download our Social Channels Checklist.