7 Best Social Media Platforms for Businesses in 2022

Social media marketing is an indispensable part of every digital marketing strategy nowadays. But what are the best social media platforms to use in 2024? Which benefits do they bring to the table? Keep reading to find out!

Half of the world’s population is on social media. However, there are also many platforms out there. So how to choose the best platforms for your business?

We’ve looked at the latest data and compiled a list of the best social media platforms for businesses in 2024. We also suggest how each platform can be beneficial for your branding and marketing efforts.

Facebook: biggest reach

In 2023, there were over 3 billion monthly active Facebook users, making it the most popular social media platform in the world. Although many people spend more time on other platforms, having a Facebook business page is a must, due to the sheer volume of this site. 

It is excellent for both organic reach and paid promotion. It also offers its own ecommerce solution (Facebook Marketplace), which has over a billion users monthly.

Facebook Ads is the best tool to reach people who do not know about you yet, but are in the targeted audience group. Facebook is great for making potential conversion into a real deal.

Another area in which Facebook is still one of the best social media platforms for businesses is customer service.  According to the latest data, 60% of consumers use Facebook messenger to get in touch with businesses. 

Instagram: build brand awareness

Instagram is the best social media platform to represent the visual aspect of your product or service or build brand awareness. 

Instagram has over 2 billion active users, and the average time spent on the platform is a solid 30 minutes daily. But more importantly, a whopping 80% of Instagram users engage with businesses, and 81% use the platform to research products and services.

So, if increased sales are your goal - Instagram might be the best social media platform for your business.

Most content on Instagram nowadays are short video snippets. The platform is rich with influencers and vloggers, who are available for collaborations and will promote your business or product.

You can also Instagram shop and connect a product catalog, so your audience can buy items from there. The ability to buy directly on an app will for sure raise your chances of selling the products since it makes the purchase simple.

Instagram is mostly used on mobile phones. So, when it comes to social media design, make sure to create eye-catching graphics with smaller screens in mind.

Twitch: champion of live streaming

Twitch is a live streaming platform that permits content creators to interact with their public in real-time, and video game enthusiasts mostly use it. 

Since it allows you to record yourself while working and let your audience watch and engage with you giving you the live feedback, it is great for those who can benefit from this type of advertising. 

This platform has over 30 million visitors per day, mostly between 16 and 40 years old, so you should consider using Twitch to promote your brand if your targeted group is in this age range. Twitch platform allows you to connect personally with your targeted audience, and if your business is based on B2B principles, then this platform is your next destination. 

Just like influencer marketing, you as a streamer can make a living on Twitch via subscriptions, ads, and donations which makes sense if you are musician, life coach, or personal trainer, a cook, video game creator, fashion blogger, or anyone else who provides non-material products and services.

LinkedIn: best B2B social media platform

LinkedIn is a social media network designed for business people to connect with each other. 

This platform serves all those who need help in professional linking with other companies, brands, sites, and experts. LinkedIn is great for outsourcing job offers, collaborations, human resources, etc.

This is the best B2B social media platform, as it provides features like organic content, product pages, LinkedIn Live plus, and LinkedIn advertisements. LinkedIn marketing runs on B2B connections, so this platform is a must if that is your prerogative.

LinkedIn is not about the numbers like Facebook and Instagram; It focuses on quality and connecting you with the people who are relevant to your business.

TikTok: trending social media platform

TikTok is a social media platform focused on short form video content that plays in repetitive loops. This network might be restricted in some countries, considering it has a bit of reputation, yet it is still on the rise and viral among Gen Z. 

This platform provides its own advertising service called TikTok for Business, and you can use this service without a marketing team. Keep in mind that this can still be expensive for you since the starting price is $10 per 1000 views, and those views pile up very quickly. You can also choose more expensive options, such as exclusive timed hashtags, showing your ad wherever ads are available, TopView, In-Feed ads, etc. 

In addition, you can also partner up with an influencer to have your brand advertised on their profiles as well. TikTok is a great platform for fashion, entertainment, and publishing business. 

TikTok offers high ROI, and it is just behind Instagram and YouTube; that is why a majority of social media marketers plan to increase their investment or continue investing in their TikTok campaigns in 2024.

YouTube: second biggest search engine in the world

Anyone who uses the internet knows about this social media platform. It’s an effective video-sharing platform with billions of users, and millions of them are using it every day. YouTube is great for boosting your connection with the audience.

Videos you upload can be shared, rated, commented on, and your audience can subscribe to your channel to receive notifications when you post new content.

The most searched content on YouTube is “How to” videos, which can bring you a lot of attention, so use this trend and make informative videos that educate your viewers about your product or brand.

YouTube integrates with Google Ads, so your marketing team can opt to spend some extra money to get more views, or you can use the right keywords and choose the organic SEO route to rank higher.

X (Twitter): start a conversation

It’s no secret that this major social media network isn’t what it used to be. After Elon Musk acquired it in 2022, it lost approximately 13% of its user base. Ouch.

Nevertheless, as one of the best social media platforms of all time, it still has immense marketing potential. There are also several changes that will affect how the platform is used. 

X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) now offers a paid monthly subscription that includes verification, shutting down bot accounts and an option for creators to get paid.

It’s still one of the best B2B social media platforms, as it’s intended to spark conversations and discussions around a particular topic.

Pinterest: best for link building

Pinterest marketing is a set of tactics that will help your brand reach a lot of people since it is the 14th largest social network in the world with 459 million active users each month.

Create a Pinterest strategy, use high-quality visual content to promote your brand that is followed by fun and descriptive copy that will enhance the SEO strategy and encourage your audience to click on the link.

With its detailed product pins, shopping features, and exciting adverts, Pinterest created an excellent marketing atmosphere that can help you increase organic reach and traffic quickly.

Snapchat: connect with a younger demographic

TikTok gained worldwide popularity thanks to gen Z, but millennials, and older generations are quickly becoming a part of this social platform.

Although it’s much older, Snapchat still reigns supreme as one of the best social media channels for reaching a younger demographic. According to the latest data 48% of Snapchat’s user base are people aged 15-25.

The platform is designed to be more fun and casual, so it’s a great way for brands to embrace a more playful side. 

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Discord: create a community

Discord’s been around since 2015. However, it emerged as one of the most popular social media platforms during the pandemic years. Along with Zoom, people used Discord to connect virtually.

However, while Zoom is more similar to a messaging tool, Discord has a strong social component because of communities. This feature, introduced in 2019 allows Discord partners to create virtual platforms for their fans or supporters to connect with each other. 

For example, the most popular Discord community at the moment is TikTok videos. So, this social media site is also a great way to repurpose content from other platforms and increase your reach.

Tumblr: boost your content marketing efforts

Tumbler is definitely not the best social media platform for businesses in every industry. However, in the right niche it can be one of the most effective marketing strategies. 

Tumblr is not a traditional social networking site. Instead, it’s a unique content sharing platform, where people share anything from insightful blog posts, niche memes, artwork, opinions, and everything in between. 

Thanks to this eclectic mix of content, Tumblr ads often look quite organic and unobtrusive. According to one study, 60% of users found Sponsored posts on Tumblr fun and engaging. 

Aside from paid advertising, Tumblr can be a great place to build brand awareness. Thanks to extensive customization options, you can use your Tumblr profile as a second business website. Make sure the design fits your brand guidelines, and keep sharing content that your target audience will respond to.

Bonus: Threads

Threads was launched in 2023, and is not yet an independent social media platform - you need an Instagram account to use it.

Essentially it’s Instagram’s version of X (Twitter).

At the time of writing the platform has around 160 million users. It gained 70 million users in the first 48 hours after its launch, so it’s definitely one of the fastest growing social media networks out there.

With the restrictions and changes made to Twitter, it’s  possible Threads will resurface as a “replacament” for the old Twitter. However, that’s not likely at this point.

Threads focuses on curated content for each user, tailored to their interests. In contrast, X covers a much wider range of topics. At the time of writing, Threads still hasn’t got a trending topics section, although there’s word this feature is in the works. 

Why are social media platforms relevant for business promotions in 2024?

Whether you are a small business owner or a well-known brand, being present on social media is crucial for your subsistence. 

Over the years, trends and platforms may change, but there is always one thing for sure, and that's how social media platforms remain the most effective bond between you and your customers.

All social media are monetized, and no matter which one you choose, you will reach a wider audience and enhance brand awareness.