Introduction
Every entrepreneur today knows that the internet is a compelling space and that you must present your business there to succeed. Among the easiest and, at the same time, most challenging platforms for advertising are social networks.
Social networks are based on connections, as they map the relationships between people. So to be successful, it is essential to understand how the platform works and to know how to present a business online. This article has compiled a list of the most suitable social media for business promotion and tips on using them.
According to Internet World Stats, Europe has an average internet penetration of up to 65 %. As of January 2020, Malta is the European nation with the highest active social media penetration. Cyprus comes in second with an 83 % penetration rate, followed by Iceland – at 82 %. On the other hand, there are countries with the lowest use of social media. In Moldova, for example, Internet penetration is only 35% this year.
Most people (aged 16+) regularly visit digital versions of newspapers. Digital newspapers are frontrunners in terms of circulation on the European web.
As this year's statistics show, Facebook continues to be at the top of the chart of all social platforms. Its reach in 2022 is almost 3 billion active users. That's exciting maths: 4.5 billion people worldwide use social networks. And two out of every three use Facebook. Up to 300 million European consumers used Facebook daily in the first quarter of 2022.
The most demanded social media among businesses
Social networks promote and sell services, manage customers, and analyse the marketing funnel. But, of course, the main goal of any business is to make a profit and rest assured that a well-made Instagram or Facebook profile will help your business do that. So let's start the breathtaking journey into the world of internet marketing!
A few statistics: Germany's most used social media channel was YouTube just two years ago. In the meantime, however, this top position belongs to WhatsApp as messaging platform. According to Hootsuite's Digital Report 2021 for Germany, 79.6 % of internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 use the platform every month. YouTube is the next, which has a user share of 74.8 %. Interestingly, Facebook in Germany only has a user share of 60 %, which has mostly stayed the same in recent years. Instagram even has only 46.9 % of users.
Let's take a closer look at the individual social media channels:
TikTok
Speaking not only about Germany but the whole of Europe, TikTok – the video-sharing app was the most downloaded in Europe with 102 million instals. TikTok is the fastest growing social media and can be a reason your business will start making short videos to promote your services. For instance, TikTok fits language teachers, psychologists, and gym trainers. Just study the examples to motivate yourself.
Just behind TikTok in popularity are messaging apps, WhatsApp and Telegram.
Now that everyone is talking about WhatsApp in Europe, it's essential to understand that you can use it for business purposes and by chatting with your colleagues and sending messages to your family. In addition, you can get in touch with your customers and support them with instant, personalised customer service. First of all, you need a WhatsApp Business account for this.
What you could do: Like with regular WhatsApp, you can use WhatsApp Business accounts to send chat messages and voice or video calls. A business account also makes it easier to send welcome messages, away messages, company messages, startup updates and more. You can also monitor the number of messages read to keep an eye on your company's engagement. It's ideal for small to medium-sized businesses on a tight budget.
YouTube
Although YouTube is not a social network, it is a video hosting platform or social media channel that directly contributes to business development. YouTube channel is the most popular video streaming app in Europe, while WhatsApp is the number one social media app. Overall, each user spends an average of 12.6 hours per month on the platform. This value is twice as high as the time spent on the region's second most popular video streaming app, Netflix.
Using YouTube should therefore be an essential part of your marketing strategy. Building your channel with valuable, helpful and engaging content is an excellent place to start. If you look at some of the most well-known and trusted brands, they strongly use YouTube. For example, you can make short videos about your business and add them regularly to playlists to enhance the user experience. The content should also be relevant: with descriptive, precise titles for search purposes. These videos are usually short and play an important role: they arouse the interest of potential customers.
In Europe, Instagram attracts almost half of all internet users between the ages of 16 and 64. In addition, numerous European influencers have millions of followers, from rap musicians to business gurus to athletes. And although Twitter is only the sixth most popular social channel in Europe, developing connections between your platforms can help increase interest.
Remember that branded hashtags make your posts easier to find and share. Also, create location-specific channels to tailor your strategy to your target region. This could mean using different language and tone on each account and focusing on country-specific events, ideas and topics that interest your audience.
Still, Facebook has a significant number of European users. It is still a perfect marketing channel for companies targeting audiences in European countries. With the majority of Facebook users (96%) accessing the platform via mobile devices, Facebook marketing is an ideal way to grab people's attention on the go. So research your target audience to determine when they will most likely engage with your brand. It allows you to post content at peak times. The average Facebook user aged 18+ clicks on ads about 14 times a month, far exceeding the number of 'likes' or comments on posts.
How to set up an online appointment on Facebook
Xing (german-speaking market)
With 19 million members in Germany, Austria and partly Switzerland now, Xing is the leading online business network in the German-speaking world, offering a wide range of services related to professional life.
It is well known that Xing attracts German-speaking members who want to position themselves as industry experts. So for a company whose target group is this region, it makes sense to be present on this platform. Furthermore, if you are looking for business partners, various cooperations or simply colleagues in your industry, this network is right for you.
EasyWeek software for promoting your business
With an automation software, you will be able to attract more customers. You can take advantage of multiple social media channels and make appointments from each platform simultaneously. So how do you do this?
You can generate an EasyWeek link for online booking and add it to your BIO on social media. A plan of action using Instagram as an example:
Go to your company profile on EasyWeek, select Integrations > Instagram and copy the link to your company's online calendar. Post the link in BIO on your Instagram business account.
In addition, EasyWeek appointment software offers:
Social media integrations with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, etc.
Helpful tools to manage your customer base.
The software allows you to track customer behaviour and TOP the services that are a lead magnet or bring the best profit.
Convenient scheduling: no more messing up with calls, misunderstandings with emails and the constant hustle and bustle.
A financial module that allows you to pay commissions to your staff, reward them and collect fines.
Consumables accounting.
Business analytics to analyse advertising and marketing campaigns as efficiently as possible.
Try EasyWeek software to attract more customers and stand out from the competition. It's the best and easiest solution for beauty and nail studios, hair salons and brow bars. Use our free 2-week trial to see if it works well for your business.
