Social media is a place where many people spend their free time scrolling, posting, and watching whatever comes across their feed. With so much engagement, these platforms are ripe for marketing opportunities and a way for companies to directly interact with consumers. The challenge companies face when using social media has been thrust into the forefront with recent developments at Twitter and the emergence of a new platform. Meta launched Threads last week and it became the fastest growing app of its kind. Companies wasted no time in joining the platform and learning the intricacies of this app. With so many ways to reach consumers at a personal level, how do companies avoid spreading themselves too thin and diluting their message?

The race to win the social media marketing wars will never end, yet there are clearly those that have carved out their niche. Having a presence is an important aspect for any company, though nailing down how to engage is always a work in progress. Twitter accounts like Wendy’s are well known for being quick witted with topical posts that have garnered legions of fans. However, this approach is not right for every company and the wrong tactic to social media can lead to backlash and lost sales. The sheer number of social platforms creates a challenge as each one requires a significant time and monetary investment to get the most out of it. The recent emergence of Threads has raised the question of whether a company should jump on board or wait to formulate a strategy.

A social media presence can get you in front of more people than other more traditional methods of advertising. It also gives you the chance to go viral which could explode the reach of your brand. We’ve seen platforms like Tik Tok take advantage of viral videos and do more marketing for a brand than a commercial could ever hope to. With so many platforms available it has become a challenge for companies to choose which ones to engage with. Videos may not be right for every company and engaging with a platform without an understanding of what makes it popular could be a waste of money and doom a brand to low engagement. Threads has created a dilemma where companies want to get in on the ground floor, yet it is impossible to predict how the platform will evolve. Threads is similar in style to Twitter and has vertical integration with Instagram, which could make the transition to new marketing opportunities easier. All of this is complicated by recent changes to Twitter like the addition of a rate limit that could throttle the number of advertisements users are able to see. And as we’ve seen with other platforms like Myspace and Google+, seemingly large social competitors can go offline overnight.

The inherent risk with social media is that companies have limited control over their marketing campaigns. Changes like the rate limit at Twitter are out of user control, yet they have an adverse effect on the ability to market effectively. Similarly, it can be hard to predict how successful an ad campaign will be and if it will achieve viral status or reach the customers you desire. To achieve the proper results, advertising campaigns must be tailored to each individual platform, and this requires an intimate understanding of the platform in use. The oversaturation of social media apps does run the risk of inflating budgets or spreading teams too thin to make an impact. The sudden arrival of Threads has highlighted these issues and every company using a social platform will have to make a choice. Threads is unlikely to be the last social media platform created and each new iteration will bring similar questions. Companies must find a balance to stay current and keep their core message and strategies intact.

For more information about how to use social handles for B2B marketing and reach both buyers and consumers, check out our Marketing 101 series. Chain Store Guide researches and verifies contact information for retail & foodservice decision makers and includes phone, email, address, and social media like Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact us for more details.