When Social Media started in 1997, there wasn’t much to it.
It started to get its rise in the early 2000s — when the first big-idea(s) regarding the power of online networking started and was in its infancy.
In fact, there were many great ideas that came across the social media platforms at the time. Two of the most popular features, with the staying power of time (amazing within a social media world), have been “groups” and “pages”. Now, almost all of the major networking sites, e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, NextDoor, etc., have them for you to join or create.
As such, we are now in a time where these features, and how they work within the platforms, are fairly standard… yet they serve two very distinct purposes.
So what are the Social Media differences regarding Groups & Pages?
Essentially, if you’re looking to establish a brand and promote your business to a large number of people, a Facebook or LinkedIn Page makes the most sense. If you’re a new or small business looking to establish a presence, a group can be of great help, especially if you sell niche products.
Further “Groups” are great for things you are passionate about that you want a sense of community. Pages, on the other hand, are more for broadcasting your message or narrative of your brand. They will both support your big-ideas, blog announcements, daily thoughts, however, the decision on which to have, is largely how you want the interactive & engagement aspects to take place.
So… which is best for you?
Social Media Groups
Groups make it easy to connect with specific sets of people, like teammates or coworkers. Groups are dedicated spaces where you can share updates, photos or documents and message other group members, which makes them great for networking as well as sharing.
Facebook is easily the largest social networking site in the world and one of the most widely used. The general advantage of Facebook is that your message can get to virtually everybody who’s on social media anywhere in the world. The disadvantage is that your message can get to virtually anybody who’s on social media anywhere in the world, so you have to be clear about the purpose is of your group and ensure your description is easy to understand, as well as, create a set of rules and guidelines, so you can moderate the page effectively.
This also goes for the other major business networking site, which is LinkedIn. I personally love LinkedIn and they have a very strong library of groups that you can join. However, with both of these group platforms, if you are not regularly active, you can get lost in the mire of it all.
Social Media Pages
Inherent to the nature of social media, pages are unique in that they are primarily for a business’s brand and are, overall, fantastic for being able to capture a brand’s web presence. However, you are much more likely to get an issue-based engagement directed at your customer service.
Pages are great for customer service in that you can see who your directly dealing with — as Facebook has vetted that for the user to be able to speak to you — in other words, the customer has almost immediate access to you and your service-complaint-department, allowing them to feel more in control; one of the key component to an effective customer service department.
There Are Many Social Media Platforms With Groups & Pages
I am not sure of how many platforms have groups and pages, as that number is changing almost monthly. However, most Social Media allow you to create, manage and engage, within a much more specific way via your interests. Some of the top ones are:
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- NextDoor
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100+ Social Media Demographics that Matter to Marketers in 2021
Hootsuite just released “100+ Social Media Demographics that Matter to Marketers in 2021” where “Understanding social media demographics will help you fine-tune your marketing strategy and reach the right people with your message.” It’s a good read and I highly recommend it!
Anyway, if you need guidance with your marketing, Cortex provides a variety of services that may be a good fit for you. Please reach out at 1-888-502-3523 or schedule a quick chat and I will call you.
Writing Your Social Media Descriptions
Are you a small business owner that is struggling with the all too typical problem of not knowing what to write, how to start, or how to position what you want to say to be compelling and influential? I know you did not get into your business to write about it, however, this is overwhelming for many.
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2) KEEP POSTING, POSTING, POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
4) SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT ABOUT THE PITCH
In today’s online world, it is crucial to pay attention to your online presence and the many ways in which ‘a potential customer’ can discover more about you or your business.
And while your personal and business presence may seem like distant cousins, they are more like brother and sister. Each has its own set of pros and cons, and you should examine — if not leverage — each of those.
That all said, optimizing your site for its message, its focus keyword & content friendliness, and its code, is a synergy that just cannot be ignored these days.
Being Visible Online
Ah, Social Media, It is kind of hard to even think about being online without it anymore.