With over 200 million businesses relying on social media to communicate with their audiences, it’s evident that these platforms provide a vital function. Whether it’s to connect with new users, increase brand awareness, or even just to display company achievements, social media is a powerful tool that can engage and capture attention.
In 2017 alone, the number of business accounts on Instagram was around 25 million, up from 1.5 million in 2016.
However, with the recent uncertainty among some of the most-used social media platforms, many brands are considering alternatives for 2023. In fact, there are many new choices emerging which provide a different experience for both users and brands – some of which may be the perfect fit for your business.
Why do Businesses Use Social Media?
Before we explore which social media alternatives are best for your business, it is essential to understand what social media offers. For many brands, especially those in the iGaming industry, social media is a way to build a community that is interested in what your business provides. It is a channel where you can showcase company news and communicate with your audience. Through community building, brands can increase trust, find new partnerships, and show a more authentic side to their business.
Social media platforms also allow for e-commerce, where some brands can directly attract customers or clients to purchase items from their online store. With links to their website, images or testimonials about products, and even reviews or comparisons, many brands choose to conduct business in this way.
Finally, social media can also be a place where businesses increase brand awareness. Unlike community building or e-commerce, some brands use social platforms to increase their online visibility. Rather than building a dedicated audience or selling a product, brands raise awareness to grow their potential customer/client base by making general audiences more familiar with their name.
Social Media Alternatives for your Business
Most of us are aware of the main social platforms that businesses use, as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are very common marketing channels that brands employ to communicate with audiences. But what other options are there to expand your social reach and make the most of your social media strategy?
Below we look at some of the most popular alternatives to the main channels:
Mastodon: Founded in 2014, Mastodon is a great alternative to Twitter for both brands and general users. It is a decentralized platform, meaning anyone can join and use it as they wish. As a social platform, Mastodon allows users to create unique servers and communities, called “Instances”, and moderate them as they wish. Each Instance brings together people who are passionate about similar topics and ideas, making these communities a great place to connect with other users.
Alignable: A great option for B2B marketing and building professional partnerships, Alignable is an alternative to LinkedIn, especially for smaller businesses or those looking to expand. It’s a platform where brand owners gather to build their business further by communicating and collaborating with other owners in similar industries.
Caffeine: A relatively new concept, Caffeine is an “independent social broadcasting platform” that allows brands to livestream their events, competitions, and more. Although not exactly like Facebook or Instagram, Caffeine offers brands and influencers a chance to connect with fans through easy interaction and a visual medium. Loyal supporters also get early access to any livestreams.
Hive Social: Like a mix of Instagram and Twitter, Hive Social offers chronological feeds with visual posts and personalization of user profiles. Despite being in a testing stage, this platform promises to bring more authenticity to social networking.
The Takeaway
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to choosing which social media platform is best for your brand. In reality, businesses use various channels in unique ways to achieve whatever function is needed at that time – this can fluctuate often as your business may have different priorities as it grows and develops. However, knowing what each channel offers and how your brand may benefit by using them will enable you to make the right decision. And staying up-to-date on new platforms and emerging channels will let you make the most of your social efforts.
We hope this exploration and analysis helps your social media strategy as we head into 2023!
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