The social media landscape is quite diverse. From Facebook and TikTok to Instagram and the newly rebranded X (previously Twitter), there are a lot of apps to choose from. While new competitors like Threads and BeReal aim to capture audiences looking for different experiences, they sometimes struggle to retain users. The Threads app continues to lose daily active users, and the same goes for BeReal.
That being said, there are a handful of core platforms that brands should consider when establishing a strategic social media presence. It’s not just a matter of which specific social media platform to share content on, but also how many apps to use.
Is it possible to be on too many social media platforms at once? Is it possible to be on too few?
Keep reading as we share the advantages and benefits of being on one, two, or three or more social media platforms. We’ll also provide our expert tips on how you can narrow down your choices for how many social media apps on which to establish your brand’s presence!
Should Your Brand Use Just One Social Media Platform?
Many brands just starting to establish themselves on social media often focus on one platform. For example, we see this with small to mid-sized businesses in the B2B space that focus first or solely on LinkedIn.
Advantages of using just one social media platform:
- It’s easier to manage, takes less time, and fewer resources — great if your marketing team is just one person!
- You only need to create content for one specific social media app.
- Marketers new to social media only have to focus on one app, which means you’ll gain a better understanding of the platform over time.
Disadvantages of using just one social media platform:
- The one social media platform you’re on may not offer important features that could benefit the brand. For example, LinkedIn’s newsletter article feature is an excellent way for companies to share long-form thought leadership content, but this isn’t available on an app like Instagram.
- Your entire social media strategy must be based on one app and what that one app can offer. At times, it may not be helpful in driving toward certain business goals.
- You’re putting all of your eggs into one basket. As we all saw with Twitter and the many brands that eventually left that platform, marketers that only use one app are more vulnerable to platform changes — or even shutdowns.
- Only using one social media app means you have limited reach to a broader audience. You miss out on connecting with relevant social media users that may be on other platforms, but not the one your brand is on.
- It’s not just the size of your reach that’s impacted, but also how targeted it is. Marketers only using one app may experience difficulty with reaching specific demographics. This is especially true if your brand offers different products or services for different audience segments.
- Social media users may be wondering why your brand isn’t on a particular platform. Keep in mind that many consumers use social media as a way to research products and services. No presence on a particular app means you aren’t able to build trust and credibility with potential customers on that app.
Should Your Brand Use Two Social Media Platforms?
In many cases, B2C brands prefer using a multi-platform social media approach, focusing on more consumer-friendly apps, such as Instagram and TikTok. For B2B brands, LinkedIn and X is a popular combination.
Advantages of using two social media platforms:
- Compared to using just one app, establishing a presence on two social media platforms allows you to create a stronger balance with your content. If you have a lot of work culture and employee-related events you want to share, post those on Instagram or Facebook. If you have a lot of branded content from your website and executives, use LinkedIn or X.
- In most cases, repurposing content from one app to another isn’t difficult. For example, you can take a longer LinkedIn post and create a shorter version for X, or share the same video on both TikTok and Instagram as a Reel.
- Establishing your brand on two platforms gives you a wider reach and increased visibility and brand recognition.
- Unlike with using just one social media app, marketers using two platforms are able to adapt to platform trends and changes more easily.
- Marketers have the opportunity to engage with different audience segments.
Disadvantages of using two social media platforms:
- Depending on the two platforms you choose, repurposing content can take more time, especially if the content is completely different (as with the case of the work culture versus branded content example we shared earlier).
- Adding a second social media app will take time and effort: an upfront strategy for both platforms, a strategy for ongoing content, ongoing management — the list goes on.
- Marketers must ensure that both social media platforms are updated. We often see some B2B brands keep their LinkedIn profile updated, while their Instagram or Facebook profile is out of date. This isn’t a good first impression for customers.
Should Your Brand Use Three or More Social Media Platforms?
This is a viable choice for companies with larger marketing teams. Smaller teams or solo marketers who don’t have a lot of time can partner with a social media content creation agency that can provide strategy, content creation, and management support. This allows marketers to build out their brand’s presence on more social media platforms.
Advantages of using three or more social media platforms:
- Not every online user will be on all social media apps. The more platforms your brand has a presence on, the better your chances of appealing to the right audience at the right time.
- Different social media platforms will give you access to a much wider range of audience demographics.
- Stemming from this, there’s greater potential for community growth and engagement if brands are on three or more platforms.
- Every social media app is unique. Being on multiple platforms means you can pick and choose which features to take advantage of, whether it’s X’s short-form posts, Instagram’s focus on photos and videos, or Facebook Groups to create a community.
- With more tools in your pocket (or social media apps in your strategy), you can tailor each of the platforms to suit your different business objectives.
- Brands on multiple social media platforms have enhanced search engine visibility.
Disadvantages of using three or more social media platforms:
- Marketers run the risk of spreading themselves too thin, especially if they already have a lot on their plates. Managing three or more platforms is very resource-intensive.
- If you’re not actively sharing different content on each platform, social media users won’t have much incentive to follow you on the different apps.
- More time and thought are required when developing the initial social media strategy. You don’t want all three or more apps to share the exact same content.
- Managing engagement and comments can take a lot of time across multiple platforms.
- Just like with two platforms, marketers must be careful not to neglect one or two platforms in favor of another.
Quick Tips On How To Choose Social Media Apps
As you can see, there are benefits to being the jack of all trades or the master of one.
If you’re still unsure how to choose the number of social media platforms to establish your brand’s presence, consider the following:
- Your goals: What business objectives are you trying to achieve?
- Your capabilities: Do you or your marketing team have the capacity to handle multiple social media platforms, or do you plan on partnering with a third-party social media marketing agency?
- Your audience: Are you primarily targeting a B2C or B2B audience?
Lastly, for more advice, click the link below to schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our experts who knows all the ins and outs of today’s top social media platforms (and which ones are the right fit for your industry).
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