Which social media network is best for your brand?


Comparing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

It’s safe to say that in this day and age, most businesses are well aware of the importance of a strong social media presence, but it’s not enough for a company to simply be on social media. Businesses need to utilize each platform differently depending on their audience and goals. After determining these factors, use this guide to better decide how your business should be using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.


Facebook is rising in popularity with older generations and in rural areas. 41% of Americans over the age of 65 are on Facebook, and it’s the most popular social media platform amongst middle-aged adults so it’s a great platform for businesses looking to target an older demographic. Despite being heavily used by older generations, all ages, genders, locations, and interests can be targeted by paid Facebook ads. And, stats still show that Facebook is leading the pack for overall audience penetration.

In addition to fine tuning your targeting, Facebook allows you to create a detailed business page. This is where potential clients and customers can find your contact information, hours, reviews, events, website, and all the information they may be looking for about your business in an organized fashion.




Twitter is more popular amongst younger generations, specifically in urban areas. 40% of Twitter users are 18-29 years old. People turn to Twitter to receive quick and real-time updates about current events, in fact 43% of 30-49 year olds report using the platform as a news source. Twitter is a great platform to quickly respond to customer concerns and questions as well as comment on a trend or news story. Like Facebook, Twitter also offers targeted ads based on demographics and interests. It’s more effective to use Twitter to reach a younger audience in cities, and more effective to use Facebook to reach an older, rural audience.




Instagram is a visual platform that allows businesses to share videos, photos, gifs, collages, and other creative content as well as pay for targeted promoted posts. Like Twitter, it’s immensely popular with younger audiences, with 59% of American users being under the age of 30. Businesses like restaurants, cosmetics brands, and designers can benefit greatly by showcasing their services and products on Instagram, but all companies can utilize the platform. Shots of day to day happenings within your company such as lunch meetings, awards and accomplishments, or events your employees attend make for engaging content. Be sure to keep the focus on the visuals and employ relevant hashtags. Using Instagram stories allow businesses to create posts that disappear after 24 hours, so these are great for providing short updates to your audience and documenting conferences and events. Instagram Live allows for more engagement with your audience. When you start streaming, Instagram will notify your followers so they can tune in, and viewers can comment during the live streaming. Everyone can see comments, when someone joins, and the number of people viewing.




LinkedIn allows businesses to share professional content about industry news and trends. It’s great for B2B marketing and outreach as well as scoping out talented employees. 61% of LinkedIn users are between 30 and 64 years old, an age group made up of professionals that have amassed strong skill sets within their fields and extensive experience. Utilizing the “groups” feature helps you join conversations within your industry and connect with other professionals. LinkedIn is different because it’s solely for professional use, so it’s not the best place for B2C companies to reach consumers. However, it’s still important to create a detailed company page with updates about your business as well as posts that share your thoughts on relevant news.



Social media is an essential tool for businesses to use in order to connect with their audience, establish their brand, and start conversations. Social media is still new in comparison to other forms of media, so there’s lots of room for improvement and adjustment. Stay informed about trends and tools on different platforms and utilize them according to your company’s needs.




Jess graduated with a B.A. in Public Relations from Penn State where she helped lead student-run events such as concerts, lectures, and other free activities. Before Elisco, she held a variety of internships in marketing, public relations and SEO. As Account Coordinator at Elisco, Jess provides support to the agency account team and works with all things media to negotiate, purchase, and monitor digital and traditional advertising on behalf of clients.