Adopt First, Ask Questions Later? How New Social Media Platforms Should Fit Into Your Digital Strategy

Caid Christiansen• May, 28 2015

Every second, 8,796 photos are shared on Snapchat. By the time you reach the end of this sentence, that means that somewhere in the neighborhood of 90,000 photos will have been sent via this new platform.

The sentiment of, “It’s popular, so we need to get on it now!” is common in marketing boardrooms. After all, who could turn down a platform with so many new potential users?

Not so fast. Before you try to squeeze that new social media platform into your digital strategy, ask yourself a few questions:

• What is the audience on this new social media platform? Who’s using this platform? What do you know about them? If this platform has the chance to open your product up to new people, it may be worth pursuing.
• Does that audience match my target audience? If yes, proceed. If not, you probably don’t need to be here just yet.
• Does this platform offer new features that my current stable doesn’t? Is this platform truly innovative, or is it a crappy Facebook knockoff? Avoid platforms that marginally improve on current platforms and look for those doing something entirely new.
• How much do I understand about this new social media platform? Sometimes, it’s okay to learn as you go. In general, though, it’s usually best to understand most of the inner workings before getting started.
• How will this platform add value to my portfolio? Finally, what sort of value will this platform bring you? How will it help you attain your goals? If the answer to this is even a little bit hazy, think long and hard before you devote too much time to a new venture.

Being adept at social media and being on every single new social media platform are not the same thing. Those who are truly skilled in the space will do a careful evaluation of a new platform long before they think about hopping on the Meerkat bandwagon.

Don’t be the business that adopts new platforms first and asks questions later. While you may think that will win you points with the boss, you’ll likely hurt yourself in the long run when it comes time to have the conversation about ROI.

New social media platforms likely have a place in your digital strategy, but it’s up to you to make sure you uncover what that place is before you make the leap.