It’s not easy being marketer these days. We’re continuously bombarded with information especially on social media. The current state of the industry leads many companies to want to be everywhere all the time, however, doing this won’t get you the results you want in the long-run.

Do you need to be on social channels? The short answer is no, because not all digital marketing tools will work for everyone. While it’s critical for your brand to maintain a strong online presence to stay competitive, not all channels are suitable for your product, target audience and business goals. Learn the best ways to help you identify the online platforms for marketing your brand.

A digital marketing strategy is necessary for defining your primary goals. Do yourself a favor by having a plan. The first step is to benchmark where your digital marketing is now and where you need to be in the future.

Outline your strengths and weaknesses, so you know what to keep doing well and can identify any major gaps. Be careful not to pigeonhole yourself into any one channel before completing a full analysis of your business goals, so focus remains on what’s best for your company.

Your target audience is who you need to be reaching and communicating with about your product, regardless of your end goal (i.e. brand awareness or conversions). Define the characteristics, personalities, interests and habits of the consumers you want to engage with on social media and go to them. It doesn’t make sense for you to share content on a platform your customers aren’t interacting. Do your homework and confirm where your target audience is spending their time online, before investing time and resources into a platform that won’t help you hit your performance targets.

Social media marketing is time consuming and requires a unique skillset, so your budgets need to be set and your resource requirements discussed prior to executing on your strategy. Be realistic about what your company can handle given any relevant business limitations. If you don’t complete these critical checkpoints, you could be risking your brand reputation.

Every marketer knows that as soon as you get comfortable in your routine and are gaining momentum, everything changes. Platforms rollout updates all the time that disrupt workflow and cause you to rethink your entire strategy. Remain open and flexible to these disruptions so you can go with the flow. While you may not need to be on all channels, it’s highly recommended that you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Before opening up accounts and sharing on all channels, complete your benchmark analysis and select platforms based on your strategy and target audience. Build trust by delivering authentic content and increasing presence and engagement on channels that help you reach your business goals.