How to choose the social media channels you should invest in?

You can love or hate social media, but one thing is certain – at some point (and often sooner than you think), you will start considering your company's presence on social media. If you don't have accounts on 10 different platforms, will your business fail to exist? Or maybe it's completely unnecessary in your industry?

The space sector has its own specific characteristics. Companies in this industry most often fall into the so-called Deep Tech category. This means that effective communication should be conducted in a completely different way than in the case of SaaS (software-as-a-service) companies. Long periods of research and development, years to reach the first market-ready product, or a customer acquisition model based on direct contact with potential customers – all this often makes running social media profiles seem like an unnecessary effort.

But that's a mistake! It's a resource that, when used well, can give you a huge advantage in your business. That's why today we're going to help you choose the channels that will really work for you.

Let's start with the basics – don't start by choosing social media channels

Everyone has a Facebook fan page these days. And an Instagram profile. And a LinkedIn profile too. Let's not forget about a YouTube channel. The most sensible option, then, is to set up accounts on every portal. And that's the first mistake. It's like choosing a store before you think about what you want to buy.

The first step before you start any activity on social media is to define your goal and understand your audience. These two things may vary at different stages of your company's development – and your communication should vary as well.

Are you at the idea stage? Social media can help you validate the market, build a community around the problem you are trying to solve, and gauge interest. Do you already have a PoC or MVP and are looking for your first investor? Your profiles will allow you to gather initial feedback that will guide product development and serve as a platform to showcase your expertise on a given topic. Are you looking for your first customers to pilot your solution? Your social media will build your credibility as a partner worth investing time in and will become your base of potential early adopters.

To start, you need to determine a few things:

• Who is your audience at this stage (and who will be in the near future)? Investors, technology partners, potential staff, customers, scientists?

• What resources do you have (in terms of your team, available time, and budget)?

• What is your goal in running social media? (lead generation, market education, idea validation, employer image)

Channels that you will consider as a company operating in the space industry

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a portal for professionals. This makes it easy to use to build an image as an expert in a given field, especially since less than 5% of people regularly publish content there, while the rest only consume it. The search engine allows you to search very narrowly for people who interest you, so it's easy to focus on a specific group that is important to you.

However, this portal requires regular content, preferably packed with specific knowledge. Nice photos with a single sentence description can sometimes bring reach, but they won't work in the long run.

Protip: it is easier to build a personal brand than a corporate brand on LinkedIn. Consider developing your own profile and supporting your company's communication in this way, or use Employer Advocacy and your employees as the faces of your business.

Want to know more about the tools and strategies for activity on this portal? More on that in future posts.

Twitter/X

On X, you will find an active community of space engineers and enthusiasts, including those from space agencies. It's a great place to build relationships with decision-makers (if they are there), because they will appreciate the value you can bring to the discussion.

However, from a company's point of view, it is a very difficult medium. It requires a lot of commitment, quick reposting, and engaging in (substantive) discussions, which means that the involvement of your technology experts in this channel will be essential.

Protip: Using hashtags allows you to quickly search for people active on this portal on a given topic and present your opinion. This can be an interesting medium for sales based on direct relationships.

Instagram/TikTok

They are difficult to use for customer acquisition, but they are great for employer branding. Having trouble recruiting? Visual content-based portals are a great choice for building a community of enthusiasts. They are also a good channel for publishing short educational content, so if your goal is to educate the market, this will be a good platform to verify whether the content will be interesting.

Other platforms

Are you looking for a platform to publish longer content? Consider Substack or Medium. Do you want to build a thriving community around yourself? Think about Discord or Slack. Do you want to reach scientists? Use ResearchGate. Is it easier for you to speak than to write? Consider your own podcast.

Do you need to hire a full-time social media specialist?

The key to effective communication is choosing the right channel and strategy. You don't have to spend 40 hours a week developing your profiles to achieve results. In the early stages of your company's development, you can achieve measurable results (not only in terms of the number of views, but also in terms of specific relationships established with potential customers or initial sales conversations) by spending just two hours a week.

Interested in specific tactics for each of these social media channels? Follow our channel or contact us directly.