The top industries that should utilise social media for business
Before I begin my tangent, let me first just make a disclaimer. If your industry is not on this list, I don’t mean that it shouldn’t ever use social media for business, or even that social media isn’t the right avenue to use for marketing! All situations are different, so if you have any questions, leave a comment or drop us a line and we can let you know exactly what we think.
But even with saying that, there are always going to be industries that fit better. It’s this reason why we’ve compiled our top 5, starting from the bottom, and working our way up to the industry we think works the best for social media!
5. Retail
This one should be obvious, but when selling a product, it’s best to give people a chance to trust it, and to see it from all angles. Garnering a large amount of interest online from users, and potential customers, is easy once you get them talking. Not to mention, all of those testimonials flooding people’s feeds will do wonders. Well – if those testimonials are positive! Just think Instagram teas and waist trainers, those blow up sofas that are supposed to inflate from the wind, and countless other successfully marketed retail items. But your product doesn’t have to be a scam or fad item. Your staple brands and items find equal or more success by utilising social media for business.
This section requires no example. In fact I’m sure all of you are already picturing a digital retail brand or two you’ve seen killing it on social media!
4. Entertainment
I’m talking movie theatres, mini golf, paintball, you name it. People love to be entertained, but often they’re spoilt for choice. The beauty of social media is the localised targeting, making sure your mini golf course is promoted to those in the vicinity. Entertainment is also great because it has a lot of opportunity to do fun and crazy things online. Crazy and fun content often goes viral, which will definitely help your page grow.
One example of this is the Hairspray LIVE musical that aired across televisions in the US. You would think that TV advertising would be what they would stick to, but instead they decided to include those across the world on Facebook. By having Darren Criss (well known Broadway and TV star) go live on the platform to share the event they ensured people would be talking about this everywhere.
3. Not for profits
Although this is a massive scope, as not for profits can actually cover a massive number of industries, it’s still important to mention for one big reason: social media is affor
dable. I (Morgan) have volunteered at a NFP for a few years, and I understand how difficult it can be for an organisation to afford services and items it needs. Social media is an amazing alternative to many marketing services, and is 100% FREE. It can be used to give insights, promote events, or even encourage donations – it has so many areas that it can cover.
Our favourite example of this is the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary. Everybody loves dogs, but it’s the heartwarming stories, and the personal touch that goes into their posts that make people eager to support and donate this NFP.
2. Beauty & hair services
For me, this industry almost nearly hit the number one spot, because of its penchant to go viral. All of those clips of amazing hair transformation, addictively satisfying pimple poppers, and glamorous makeup looks make for perfect social media advertising. For businesses in this industry to utilise their marketing budget, social media is their best option – t
he biggest investment they’ll need to make is on the visuals. The right photo or video of their product or service is the difference between a few likes, and a viral video. If your hair salon or makeup business isn’t making the most of social media yet, it’s time to re-evaluate your options.
The best example of this is Guy Tang – Guy is a mastermind marketer, making sure to feature plenty of top Youtubers and influencers, by transforming their hair, ensuring he reaches near-infinite numbers of audiences. People are quite literally fighting for a spot in his chair.
1. Literally anything to do with food
I don’t care if you sell one single cooking utensil, or if you’re a large restaurant – if your business is related to the food industry you NEED to be using social media. If there is one universal thing that everyone in the world can agree on, it’s eating. We all love to do it. And with the audiences on social media being so diverse, and relying almost solely on visuals, food is the optimal industry to be utilising it. If you sell a single cooking utens
il you’ve got it made. You can make a million videos making stunning, mouth-watering dishes using your utensil and you’ve already hit the big time. For restaurants? There’s even more potential. It won’t waste your money, and if you play your cards right you’ll find yourself directly in the spotlight.
One example I can use is Tasty – their model of filming recipes has been so successful it has been replicated again and again until it’s become the staple method to film food.
While these 5 industries often achieve the best results on social media, there is no reason to say your brand cannot. Often, all it takes is a creative flair, and some exceptionally choice visuals, and you can make anything engaging on social media. Do you have a favourite business or brand killing it on social right now? We’d love to hear about them!
Want to make sure you’re ahead of the social media game and making those ever-important conversions? Check out our social media services or contact us today!
Want to get ahead immediately? Check out our list of the best social media starters for businesses.
