11 Things To Consider Before Adopting A New Social Media Platform

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Forbes Technology Council

Successful CIOs, CTOs & executives from Forbes Technology Council offer firsthand insights on tech & business.

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Social media platforms pop up so often that it can be a challenge to keep up with them all. In a world where we all seek to get more connected, joining another social media platform seems like a smart move.

However, for a company, knowing when to jump in can be pretty tricky. After all, you’re eager to connect with more potential customers but you also don’t want to alienate them before you’ve had a chance to engage them. Vero, a new-ish social media platform seeks to offer a new kind of experience to social media users. What should you consider before adopting a new social media platform? We asked members of our Forbes Technology Council to see if they could shine some light on the subject.

1. It Depends On Your Business

My marketing team believes that if your business is centered on being trendy or socially active, or your work is focused on social media channels, then you will want to be an early adopter of new social platforms. For the rest of us, it is best to wait a while before investing time in a new platform — typically when a clear value of the channel can be established. – Marcus Turner, Enola Labs

2. The 80/20 Strategy Can Help Make The Decision

This is a special case of a more general question: when to exploit and when to explore? One answer is to have a policy of investing 80% of your resources in proven tactics and 20% in new tactics with potential. So if you’re not already investing 80% in channels that work, start there. If you are, add Vero to a list of ideas, and prioritize versus other ideas using an impact/effort matrix. – Simon Smith, BenchSci

3. Target Audience Members Can Lead The Way

It’s important and test the social media platform yourself for awhile and see who else is on there and how they are using it before you add it to your company. Many have already come and gone so you want to make sure it’s worth the time and effort. – Chalmers Brown, Due

4. After Testing and Researching, Consider It

Vero is still in beta so it would be best to try it out personally for awhile and see where they go with the platform first. With social media, being an early adopter is not always good because it may turn out not to be a platform widely used. – Muhammed Othman, Calendar

5. Your Target Audience Must Be There

There are many social platforms out there, and if your target audience happens to be prevalent on an unusual one like Vero, it may be an excellent one to focus on. In other words, there’s no one-size-fits-all — find where your target audience goes and target any social media platforms where you can reach them. That will be your best path to profit from your efforts. – David Murray, Doctor.com

6. “Wait And See” (But Register First)

It’s never “too soon” to register your brand on a new social media network; timely registration prevents your name from being claimed by someone else and prevents the headache of filing trademark complaints. Registering early doesn’t mean that you should start posting immediately. Waiting until users feel okay with brands in their new space helps prevent a negative brand image on the platform. – Jason Gill, The HOTH