Social media has become a huge part of any business’s marketing presence. But is it really necessary to have a dedicated profile on every single social media platform out there? Or is it a better idea to push yourself through certain platforms that will effectively get you the most promotion for your effort? For energy brokers, it may not be necessary to have a Pinterest account for people to follow, but that doesn’t mean more effective social media can’t help you out. Here are a few of the essential social media platforms that you should look at developing to attract more customers and spread your brand.

Facebook

Let’s start with the big one. Facebook boasts the most users of any social media site by far, and also has the most monthly active users. This is important, because some sites, like Twitter, have a large number of accounts, but don’t have nearly as many active users. Facebook users are willing to like a page if it means they can get some type of discount or coupon. If you’re looking for individual customers, Facebook is great, but it’s less effective for attracting other businesses that might be interested in energy broker services.

Twitter

Like we said before, Twitter doesn’t have the highest number of active users, but you shouldn’t ignore it altogether. Twitter provides a great opportunity for interaction with followers, and a dedicated Twitter account can be an effective marketing tool for your energy brokerage.

Google+

Love it? Hate it? Google+ simply isn’t as mainstream as most other social media sites, but you would be wise not to ignore it. Google+ is great for B2B brands, as well as any brand that relies heavily on SEO as part of their customer acquisition strategy. You won’t hear Google+ mentioned as much as the rest of these, but you’ll find dedicated communities for nearly any subject on Google+.

LinkedIn

Don’t listen to anyone that tells you LinkedIn is just for job hunters. LinkedIn members can now publish blog posts and tap into the huge potential exposure generated by LinkedIn’s members. The beauty of this is that it acts as a blogging forum, but with a more strict business tone. People are expecting to read about your business and services, and not your recent vacation to Spain.

YouTube

Watching a video on a product or service is proven to help customers decide, and it’s an easy way to post an explanation of your services that can be viewed by millions. You can break down who you are, what you do, and why people need your services into a video that has a huge potential audience.

Part of effectively using social media platforms is keeping your posts relevant and up-to-date. Effective content is both informative and entertaining, and you should be able to develop it on multiple social media platforms.

Once your new marketing efforts start bringing in new customers, you’ll need a streamlined way to handle all those new energy price quotes and contracts. BOX offers the solution in our proprietary EnergyEngine platform. If you’d like more information on how we can help you take your energy brokerage to the next level, contact Brokerage Online Exchange today.