6 Steps to Decide Which Social Media Platform Is Ideal to Build Your Online Community

Intro

Are you wondering which social media platform is best for building a community? If so, you've made it to the right place.

Let's face it: businesses and marketers across all industries know their audience spends a ton of time on social media. We all also know that social media has transformed the way we connect with others, whether it be a family member or a brand.

There's no question that choosing the right social media platform for marketing and engagement is vital for your long-term success.

But with so many platforms available, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.

If you've experienced this recently, you're in luck! Today, I'm going to share the benefits of building an online community through social media and the steps you can take to decide which platform is best for you and your customers.

Let's dive in!

Benefits of building an online community on social media

Before we take a look at the steps you should follow when choosing the right platform for building your online community, I think it's important to understand the importance of pursuing and mastering this marketing strategy.

• Boost engagement - Social media is designed to bring people together, so it makes perfect sense that it's a great place to increase engagement. If you spend time posting and engaging with others on social media, your audience will likely join in on discussions, ask questions, and share their thoughts.
• Build brand loyalty - Building communities on social media will result in more brand loyalty. When your community sees that you are responsive and that you value their input, they are more likely to stick around and tell others about you. Responding to comments, hosting webinars, or posting regular updates can make your followers feel included and appreciated, which will further strengthen their loyalty to your brand.
• Gather customer feedback - Social media provides an avenue for real-time feedback. By engaging with your audience, you can quickly learn what they like, what they don't like, and how you can create a better experience both on and off social media. There’s no question that all of this customer feedback can drive your success.
• Cost-effective marketing - Marketing on social media is actually one of the most affordable ways to reach your audience. With the right mindset and platform, you can grow an online community with relatively little investment. As your community grows, you'll reach new followers with your content organically, and there's a pretty good chance your growth could snowball into something much larger.
• Expand networking opportunities - Social media is also an excellent tool for networking. By building an online community, you can attract potential customers, influencers, and other industry leaders. These connections could result in collaborations, interviews, and strategic partnerships that will help expand your reach. Engaging with professionals in your field through social media will also elevate your brand's credibility and expose you to new audiences who may not have discovered your work otherwise.
• Improve brand awareness - Last but not least, social media is a great way to improve your brand presence. When your followers engage with your content, their networks can see it, too, which can dramatically improve your reach. A post that resonates deeply with your audience can go viral, helping you gain new followers and recognition without any additional effort on your part.

How to decide which social media platform is best for your community

Now that you know the benefits of building a social media community, let's talk about some actionable steps that will help you get the best results.

Before we get too far into it, I think it's worth mentioning that every brand is different. When you're implementing these tips for yourself, it's always important to consider your industry and resources.

Step 1: Define Your goals

Before choosing a social media platform, it's important to define your goals.

Think about it this way: steering a ship into the ocean without a map and destination doesn't make much sense, right? Well, the same can be said for social media marketing.

If you try to jump in without establishing your destination, there's a pretty good chance you're going to walk away disappointed, and that's not good for you or your customers.

So, ask yourself: are you trying to raise brand awareness, provide customer support, or drive sales? Perhaps you want to generate leads or build detailed buyer personas.

Whatever your goals are, establishing a clear vision of what you hope to achieve will make the process much more manageable.

Once you've identified your goals, start thinking about indicators that show you're on the right path. For example, if you want to see your traffic increase, set a goal and check your current traffic baseline and referral traffic so you can see if you're on the right path once your plan is in motion.

Social media Marketing Goals // Source: Sukhpreet Singh on LinkedIn

Step 2: Know your audience

Now that you know what you hope to achieve, it's time to gather as much information as possible about your target audience.

If you don't know who you're trying to get to join your community, you're going to have a hard time finding them and convincing them to click follow.

Here's something to consider: nearly 60% of the world uses social media. If you're trying to connect with a fraction of one percent, it's in your best interests to know the goals, needs, and pain points of your audience so you can build detailed buyer personas.

Example of buyer persona // Image Source: MemberPress

Since your audience is essentially a needle in a haystack, you'll need to spend plenty of time conducting audience research, reviewing your on-site analytics, analyzing customer feedback forms, and practicing social listening.

Once you've gathered enough data to build your buyer personas, you can start assessing where your audience spends their time.

For instance, if your research reveals that most of your audience is 40 or older, TikTok is not the best place to build a community.

On a similar note, if you're starting a fun "hobby" community, you might not want to bother with LinkedIn because it's mainly for professionals who want to talk business.

On the other hand, let’s say you're targeting a community of event planners specializing in holiday-themed parties. Platforms like Pinterest and Facebook may be ideal for sharing ideas and generating engagement through seasonal content such as New Year’s Eve appetizer recipes or adult Halloween party games.

Generally speaking, the more you know about your audience before you decide to build an online community, the better.

Step 3: Analyze features

Every social media site has a list of features that make it unique.

As a marketer, you need to evaluate these core features in the context of your long-term goals and audience if you want to build a strong community.

For example, Facebook Groups are a great way to build a community around an idea and get people involved in detailed discussion, while Instagram Stories and Reels are great for short, visually appealing updates.

LinkedIn, on the other hand, features networking and industry-specific content, which makes it a good choice for B2B companies.

Each platform is a little different, so with that in mind, consider how the features of each site will align with your content and customers.

Social Media Characteristics // Image Source: Prism Global

If you plan to produce video-heavy content, which isn’t a bad idea when you consider that 91% of marketers say videos have helped them boost traffic and generate new leads, you'll want to lean toward platforms like YouTube or TikTok. For brands that are more interested in long-form engagement and discussions, they might want to try Facebook or Reddit.

Both types of content have a place in most marketing strategies. For example, On the other hand,

I also suggest checking how each platform integrates with the tools and services you already use. You don't want to end up in a position where you invest a ton of time and money into a social media platform that isn't compatible with most of your tools. This mistake is bound to disrupt workflows and delay your goal of building a community.

Step 4: Consider your content strategy

Next, it's time to think deeply about the type of content you want to produce and how it will fit in with the platforms you want to use.

Earlier, I mentioned that TikTok and YouTube are both good for video content, but that's not really the end of the discussion.

If you're interested in building a community around long-form content and live streams, YouTube might be the better option for you. But you can cut up your longer videos into shorts and share them on TikTok, Instagram, and even reintroduce them to the YouTube algorithm through Shorts. Sharing these short clips on TikTok can help you get more TikTok views by leveraging the platform's viral potential and increasing exposure to a wider audience.

Your content strategy should also include a plan for how often you'll post. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram benefit from frequent updates, while LinkedIn users may not expect daily content.

Ideally, you should post at a frequency your audience appreciates, and this is actually often determined by where they like to spend their time. For example, you can't produce a high-quality, 30-minute YouTube video every day, so that frequency is bound to be different than if you want to share 1-2 sentences on X (formally Twitter).

With this in mind, always make sure that the platform you choose supports your content schedule without overwhelming your resources.

Step 5: Assess budget and resources

It's important to assess the resources you have available for managing a community on each platform.

I highly suggest asking yourself the following questions:

• Do you have a dedicated team for social media, or will you be handling it yourself?
• How much time do you have to commit to posting on social media?
• Will you need to find moderators?
• What resources will you need to invest in to make your strategy a success?
• Is there a chance you'll need to outsource?

All of these questions will help you consider any costs involved, such as advertising, hiring, or purchasing social media tools.

You don't want to come up with a solid plan only to realize that the budget is actually 3x what you were willing to spend. This could stop your community-building in its tracks.

I also think it's very important to evaluate the time commitment required to manage each platform effectively.

Platforms like YouTube take a lot longer since they require significant editing and production time for videos, while Facebook and X updates may take a few minutes.

Ultimately, it's in your best interests to choose a platform that aligns with both your budget and your available resources.

Social Media Budget Breakdown // Image Source: Influencer Marketing Hub

Step 6: Test and evaluate

Once you've gone through all of these steps, you'll probably know exactly what social media platform you should pursue. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, you should also keep an open mind.

There are plenty of opportunities out there across many different platforms. If you're not willing to experiment and find new ways to expand your community and build your reach, you could miss out on some pretty significant opportunities to grow and build rapport with your audience.

I suggest testing a few different options once you're established and monitoring the results. Keep an eye on follower growth, engagement rates, and how they interact with your content. This strategy will help you unlock new avenues and grow your communities in ways you might not have anticipated.

My general advice here is to remember that not all social media strategies are set in stone. Continuously evaluate the performance of each platform and be open to making adjustments over time because the needs of your audience and where they hang out could change over time.

Final thoughts

Choosing the right social media platform is a critical step in building a strong, thriving online community. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, and what works for one brand may not work for another.

It's important to define your goals, understand your audience, and test your strategies. By considering factors such as platform features, content strategy, and available resources, you can make the best decision possible for your brand and your customers.

Ultimately, flexibility and adaptation are vital to your success. Being open to evolving your strategy over time will ensure your community continues to grow for years to come. Now that you know that social media is an incredibly powerful tool for building a loyal, engaged audience, the only thing left to do is start building your community!