10 MUST KNOW Platforms For Sharing Content And Boosting Your Reach

Get to know the biggest and best social media platforms for sharing content and boosting business.

There are many reasons why engaging with social media can be good for your business, including brand awareness, lead generation, SEO improvement, engagement, and a boost in sales.

Relevant and high-quality content can make consumers see your business as trustworthy and personable, making them more likely to make a purchase.

With so many platforms out there, it can be hard to know where to start sharing content. That’s why we’ve put together our very own guide to the best social media platforms for your business.

Top Sharing Content Platforms

1. Facebook

Facebook surpassed 2.6 billion users per month in 2020 and 1.85 billion people use Facebook every day. With numbers like this, there’s simply no denying its importance as a platform.

What’s the benefit of using Facebook for your business? Firstly, it allows you to share diverse types of content, from text to video. It also offers the biggest reach of any platform, and easily lets you connect directly with customers both publicly and privately.

Best For: All content types, including text, images, and video. Facebook is a true all-rounder sharing content platform.

If you want to know more about Facebook specifically, check out these incredible stats from Hootsuite.

2. Twitter

The microblogging platform changed the way people communicate online, championing brevity, and though you might not immediately associate it with business it can still be a very valuable tool.

It now has 330 million users per month, which means you can’t really afford to ignore it. With its 280-character limit, it’s ideal for quick updates as well as dealing with customer queries quickly and efficiently.

Best For: Short form written content and images, as well as links to your website or blog.

3. LinkedIn

LinkedIn works a little differently to the majority of platforms listed here, as its focus is on corporate networking rather than engaging with customers.

It’s still equally as valuable however, as you can share your industry expertise and know-how using its blogging platform, as well as connect with other businesspeople to expand your network.

Best For: Publishing in-depth written content showing your industry knowledge.

4. Instagram

Instagram is the king of photo sharing apps. It’s strongly related to lifestyle and consumerism content and it’s utilised by some of the biggest companies on the planet – including Coca-Cola, Apple, and Starbucks – for sharing content and promoting their brand’s unique image.

Instagram is doubly useful as it not only allows you to share images but written text to accompany it. Include relevant hashtags, and you’ll increase your follower count and drive sales.

Best For: Image sharing – whether it’s showing off your products, sharing inspirational quotes, or giving customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business.

5. YouTube

YouTube has more than 2 billion users, meaning you can’t pass up the opportunity to make the most of it.

If you have a product, sharing an engaging informational video to YouTube is an opportunity to put it on the screens of millions of potential customers. If you have a service YouTube is a place where you can share your knowledge through vlogs or even tutorials.

In addition to this, YouTube is one of the biggest advertising platforms on the web. By integrating Google Adsense, you can drive revenue even further.

Best For: Sharing engaging and informative video content – it is the biggest video sharing platform on the web after all!

6. Pinterest

Again, you may not automatically think of Pinterest when planning your social media strategy. But with its focus on image sharing and content curation, it’s a great idea to make time for it. Visual posts on the site are ‘pinned’ into different topics, making it easy to organise and curate content.

Around 84% of weekly users use Pinterest to decide what to buy. The platform has a predominantly female user base and is increasingly popular with young people, so it’s ideal if your target market fits these demographics. Sharing content accordingly will be spot on.

Best For: Sharing images to boost brand exposure and awareness.

7. Tumblr

While it’s still considered an underdog in the world of social media Tumblr has 200 million active blogs and 80 million unique posts every day.

With Tumblr, you have a range of multimedia features at your disposal to share content with potential consumers. You can even sponsor your posts to boost your visibility and reach an even wider audience.

Best For: Building an active and loyal fanbase by sharing all content types, including written blogs, images, and even audio.

8. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most used messaging services in the world, but did you know it can be good for business too?

The company has launched the WhatsApp Business app, which is totally free to download and designed with small business owners in mind. It lets you create a business profile and communicate with customers – even letting you save replies to your most frequently asked questions.

Best For: Communicating one on one with your customers in a personal, efficient way.

9. TikTok

New to the social media scene is TikTok, a video sharing app popular amongst young audiences and their parents alike. It has 800 million active monthly users and has been downloaded over 2 billion times.

Initially used to share lip syncs and viral dances, its power is being harnessed by businesses to engage with audiences in a new and exciting way by sharing their own videos. It might not be for every business – but now could be a great time to get onboard.

Best For: Creating fresh and light-hearted video content to engage your audience.

To learn more about TikTok and the way it’s being adopted by businesses, check out this guide from Social Media Examiner.

10. Reddit

Unlike Facebook or Instagram, Reddit might not be the first social media platform you think of when deciding where to market your business. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a useful resource.

Reddit has thousands of subreddits, where users make posts and discuss niche topics, so it’s a great way to insert yourself and make your products or services known to a pre-existing community.

You might need a more subtle and long-term approach here as the majority of Reddit communities ‘ask that you contribute 80% of the time and only self-promote 20% of the time.’

Best For: Getting a feel for your target market and engaging with an already existing community.

Final Thoughts

Your approach to social media will depend on a whole host of factors – not least your type of business, your target market, and your overall business ethos.

In addition, these ten platforms are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to apps and websites where you can share content.

Every good social media marketing plan is tailored to suit your personal business needs, so make sure you think and plan carefully before making those all important first steps.