It might feel like a minefield to begin with, but with 88% of people admitting they are influenced by reviews and online comments, businesses can’t afford not to get social.
According to CGA, two-thirds of guests to London’s 100 most influential bars say they have uploaded a picture of a cocktail onto social media.
First things first if you’re a beginner, you need to decide which social media channel works best for your business and which is worth investing time into. Take a look at the information we’ve provided on who is using which channel and why you might prefer one over another:
Facebook

Typical audience: 30 – 59 year olds (2.3bn users/month)
What can you do: Post updates, pictures, videos or link to your menu or latest offers
You can also: Set up event notifications and answer customer questions
Best for: Targeting your customers in a specific area
Downside: Crowded with competitors
Did you know? Your Facebook page can play host to reviews and recommendations from customers
Twitter

Audience: 18 – 39 year olds (321m users/month)
What can you do: Post status updates within 280 characters
You can also: Engage with new followers through hashtags
Best for: Jumping on the back of existing events or hashtags
Downside: Limited character space for your updates
Did you know? Twitter has become an increasingly popular platform for customer service queries
Instagram

Typical audience: 18 – 39 year olds (users/month)
What can you do: Post image led updates
You can also: Create stories for live events
Best for: Sharing your latest photos
Downside: You can’t include links within posts
Did you know? Instagram continues to expand and has now launched its IGTV app where you can share up to 10 minute videos