5 Underutilized Social Media Platforms Marketers Everywhere
Ought to Use, But Probably Aren't

Most marketers in the business get it by now – utilizing social media in your marketing strategy is important. In addition to using social media as a cheap and effective strategy for connecting with your customers and building up your brand, a company's presence on social media can also play a big part of how they get ranked on internet search results.

More than likely, you're already using at least one of these "big three" social media platforms:

• Facebook because it will earn you the largest following
• Twitter for quick industry updates and product blasts
• LinkedIn for professionals and business-to-business interactions

Most marketers and small businesses online have considered these social networks. However, there are other lesser-known networks where you may be missing additional opportunities. Continue reading for 5 of the most under-utilized networks and how you can harness them to drive more engagement, traffic and leads.

Pinterest

Pinterest is quickly becoming more popular because of its share feature (a.k.a "repinning") and image based platform. The format of Pinterest works best for businesses with products that can be shown off through photos. These businesses can utilize Pinterest "boards" to creatively showcase their new products. In addition, you can create visually attractive infographics to tell people more about your services if you don't have physical products.

Instagram

Like Pinterest, the world of Instagram revolves around photography. According to Forbes, there are 200 million active users on the social platform and an average of 60 million photos shared each day, meaning Instagram can reach a huge number of potential clients daily. However, because Instagram is more known for being used by people who share information with a close circle of family or friends, most marketers have ignored this platform as a viable means of marketing their products. Nevertheless, with 200 million users, this sheer number alone makes it worth a shot – and it's a free service!

Another aspect of Instagram is it can be integrated with your (probably already existing) Facebook and Twitter accounts; thus allowing easy access for all your clientele. Tying the three together allows you the freedom to showcase a variety of photos, as well as events you're attending. Feel free to use (appropriate) hashtags and to engage with your users.

Tumblr

Although it boasts over 130 million blogs, people still overlook Tumblr in terms of its marketing potential. This may be because Tumblr is better known for being the "semi-underground refuge for teens and young adults" as a forum for self-expression. However, in 2003, Yahoo purchased Tumblr and it is no longer the "hangout" it used to be.

Now, Tumblr is more like a social take on the traditional blog. In this way, it can be used as an additional publishing platform for your content. The beneficial aspect is that Tumblr allows users to find your blog easily.

Sulia

One of the newer platforms is Sulia, which was created as an attempt to refine the social media experience by only showing a small selection of content that social media users actually want to see. Twitter and Facebook browsers are typically inundated with unnecessary and undesired content. Sulia empowers users to choose the information they find relevant.

While Sulia is more designed for locating content, it also allows you to focus your content to individual sections of your audience which builds a stronger readership. Although you may get less social response with Sulia, these readers will have a better, more tailored experience.

Bubblews

Bubblews is different from any other social media platform on this list. As Forbes puts it: "Instead of posting all its own content or relying on its users to generate free content it can leverage, Bubblews shares all its ad revenue with its contributors. Right now, there aren't that many people using Bubblews, so the revenue being shared is miniscule and the readership is limited. However, as it grows, there is a key opportunity for brand promotion."

In no way does this list mean that your business needs all 5 social media platforms to run a successful social media campaign (or 8 if you already employ the big three). However, for better results and traffic via social media, you should look outside the big three and experiment with another platform.

Need help identifying the right social media strategy or figuring out how to harness these resources to their maximum advantage? Continue browsing our blog and knowledge resources for more information, or contact us to discuss your social media needs today.

About SEO Advantage^®

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