Maybe you've tried Facebook for small business marketing and it didn't fit your brand. Or perhaps you're already running successful Facebook marketing campaigns and want to branch out to other social networks.
Whatever you reason for looking further afield when it comes to social media, in this guide we'll look at the best Facebook alternatives for small businesses so you can find something that works for you.
Let's get started.
Facebook alternative 1: Instagram
Okay, so Facebook actually owns Instagram. But the two platforms are still very different and have different audiences.
Instagram is especially good if you have a visual brand - think fashion, food, or collectables.
Enticing photos of your products will make them look more desirable and help you attract more followers on the site, and hopefully more customers too.
Instagram also has paid advertising options, meaning you can reach potential customers quickly and easily.
Facebook alternative 2: Twitter
Twitter is another well-established social media network, and one that also offers paid ads to help you get noticed quickly.
The main differences between Twitter and other networks is that it focuses on brevity and keeping the conversation following.
So while you can market your business using viral tweets and promoting tweets with links to your product/service pages, it's also a very good idea to build your brand by interacting with people one-on-one.
In fact, many businesses - large and small - find Twitter is a great way to offer customer support.
Facebook alternative 3: Google My Business
You may have heard that Google Plus is shutting down, but that doesn't mean that Google has nothing to offer when it comes to small business social media.
As the name suggests, Google My Business is purely business-focused. Set up your profile, and customers will be able to see your business details (and photos) at a glance, and they can also leave reviews.
Another big advantage of Google My Business is that having a listing means you can be included in Google's local search results, as in the example below.
You can read more about why it's a good idea to have a Google My Business listing in this guide.
Anyone thinking of creating a website using GoDaddy's Website Builder (and existing customers) will be able to easily create a Google My Business through their dashboard on a Business Plus or Online Store plan.
Facebook alternative 4: Pinterest
This is another social network that will benefit brands that are primarily visual in nature. Pinterest might not get quite as much attention as it used to, but it still has a very active user base.
Sponsored Pins - Pinterest's advertising platform allows you to reach potential customers quickly and easily.
Facebook alternative 5: Reddit
Reddit has something of a mixed reputation among marketers, and it's true that it isn't a good match for all businesses.
If you've never used Reddit before, it's a platform where people connect around subreddits, each of which is focused on a particular topic. It's kind of like a giant collection of old-fashioned internet forums.
Although Reddit does offer a paid advertising option, outright marketing often doesn't do well on this site.
This guide looks at what makes a good Reddit campaign.
What to do if you're too reliant on Facebook as a source of leads or sales
So far, we've covered the best of the rest in terms of social media sites. But often when businesses are looking for Facebook alternatives, it's because they fear they're relying on the site too much when it comes to generating sales.
As the saying goes, you should never put all your eggs in one basket and that's true when it comes to sales and lead generation.
After all, if 100% of your sales come from Facebook and something happens that means you can't access your account, you run the risk of losing 100% of your sales.
Now this is an unlikely scenario, but it's not impossible. That means you need to take steps to protect yourself.
Here's what to do to make sure your business isn't reliant on Facebook.
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Build a presence on at least one other social network
An obvious one, and we've already covered the main alternatives to Facebook in this guide. But it bears repeating that if you can build a successful presence on another network, you won't have to rely on Facebook.
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Work on your SEO
Good search engine optimisation (SEO) is a time consuming process, so maybe you went with Facebook for a quick win and then never really got to grips with your Google rankings. Whatever situation you're in, trying to rank highly for relevant keywords is always a great idea because it can attract people who are interested in what you're selling. You can read this checklist on ways to improve your SEO rankings to help you get started.
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Consider Google AdWords
Another quick fix, but one that works. AdWords ads let you pay for adverts to be included in Google's search results and can be a great way to attract more customers.
Just be sure you know what you're doing as AdWords campaigns can be an expensive failure if things go wrong.
This AdWords guide will help you get started if you want to run your own ads, or you could always consider hiring a PPC company to run them for you.
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Build an email list
If you're using email marketing then even if all your other marketing channels fail you you'll still be able to contact people who are interested in being your customer.
A good email marketing list can transform your sales. You can build one by asking visitors to your website to sign up, and sending existing customers news of deals and offers. (Just make sure you always comply with GDPR.)
To get started with email marketing, you'll need a product like GoDaddy Email Marketing. You can also read this guide to learn how to start building your email list in the right way.
Summing up
Facebook can be a great tool for any business, but if you're relying on it too much it can cause problems. So make sure you aren't limiting yourself to just one social networking site, and always get people to sign up to your email list when you can.
