This is a question that crops up from time to time from businesses that have a variety of different products or services: Should you have multiple social media pages for each of your products / services / sub brands?
The answer is… it depends. (I know, that’s annoying - but it really does depend)
The key things to consider when deciding if you should have one umbrella company page on social media or multiple brand pages for different products or services, are:
·        Are your products / services aimed at very different groups of customers?
·        Do you have individual brand names for each product type / service?
·        Does the customer’s location affect how or where they buy from you? I.e. do you have different store or office locations that affect the customer?
·        If you already have multiple pages set up, do you have a large following on your existing individual pages that would be a big loss if you closed excess pages down?
The Pros
One advantage of having different pages is that you can focus your content specifically on the benefits of a single product or service for a specific group of people.
As a result, you should attract the same types of people (your ideal customers) to each page. There should be no confusing mix of posts that may not resonate with all your followers.
If you have, for example, a really popular product or service with a recognisable brand name, it might be a smart move to have a social media page that’s named by that brand. It will most likely be something people search for (rather than your company name) and having a specific page for it will make it easier for people to find you and follow you.
If you have multiple stores, it can work well to have different pages for each location as you’ll usually appear higher up on the search results if you’re in the area local to the person on social media.Â
The Cons
If your ideal customers are the same across all your products / services, having multiple pages might not be necessary – in fact, it could be a hindrance as it will prevent you from cross-selling your other products and services.
You’d also likely have duplicate content across each page if there’s not a distinct and significant difference between what each page represents.
Plus, it’s time consuming (and more costly, if you’re outsourcing your social media management) to nurture multiple social media pages.
If you have different locations and your business model relies on physical footfall, there are still some drawbacks to having different pages for each one.
For example, will it be the same person managing them all? If not, you’ll need to carefully control the tone of voice and branding that’s used across these pages to ensure consistency for your overall company.
Another key consideration is: what happens if, further down the line, you need to discontinue a particular product / service?
Having a ‘dead’ social media page is not a good look and, when you’ve invested time and effort in building up a following, losing a large (and hopefully engaged) audience is painful to swallow! Products don’t last, but companies do.
What should you do?
For many smaller businesses, it makes sense to have one company page for all your products / services.
Bear in mind, your social media page(s) should primarily exist for brand awareness and credibility purposes (usually helped by being seen by a broad audience).
If sales are your priority, social media advertising can be very effective and will allow you to push specific products / services to very targeted groups of people – all from the same, single, page account.
Also remember, most ‘new’ people will discover you on social media by finding your post in their newsfeed (rather than going to your page and seeing all your posts).
So, as long as you use the right keywords and messaging for each product / brand you’re posting about, the right people will still be able to discover you.
If you’re not sure which direction to take your social media set-up, get in touch with me to arrange a deep dive into your positioning, your offering, and your purpose.
Because, like I said, the answer is very much IT DEPENDS!
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