How to Choose What Your Primary Platform Is
While many influencers create content across multiple social media platforms, most creators devote the most effort to one platform and see their biggest successes there. These primary platforms can make or break an influencer’s career. Not every platform is a fit for every influencer, and choosing the right primary platform can be critical to launching a successful influencer career or preventing creator burnout. We’re here to help you figure out which primary platform is right for you. We’ll break down the factors you need to consider before you choose your primary platform and the benefits and obstacles of using some of the major social media platforms. Let’s go!
Three Steps for Choosing Your Primary Platform
There are several things to consider as you choose your primary platform as an influencer, whether you’re just starting or considering an influencer rebrand. Here are the three steps you need when selecting your primary platform:
1. Evaluate your goals
Every influencer is different and brings a unique perspective and skill set to their audience. Depending on your skills and perspective, you will have an equally unique set of goals for your influencer career. Some questions to consider include:
How much time per week do I want to spend on creating content?
Do I want to make money from my content creation?
Do I want to interact with or collaborate with other creators in my niche?
Do I want to partner with brands, potentially through sponsorships or affiliate marketing?
Deciding these factors upfront can clarify the types of content, monetization options, and audiences you should seek in your primary platform. Do the work now so you have direction and clarity when choosing your primary platform.
2. Define your content style
Specific long-form platforms like YouTube may require more time, expertise, and resources to create content than shorter-form platforms like Instagram and X. Similarly, these short-form platforms can more easily host lower-intensity or spontaneous content. For these reasons, it’s essential to consider the types of content that thrive on each platform and how they align with your own creative expectations. Do you want to spend months perfecting an hour-long video essay, or do you prefer to post funny photography carousels every other day? Remember that, regardless of the primary platform you choose, building a strong social media strategy is key to success.
3. Identify your target audience
Equally crucial to the content you create is the audience you hope to reach. Who will be engaging with your content, and how does that align with your influencer goals? Take time to determine:
What are your audience’s chief demographics? Consider factors like age, location, occupation, education level, and gender.
What are your audience’s online habits? How do they typically engage with content? How often do they expect new content? What kinds of online purchases do they like to make?
What are your shared interests or values? What will attract your audience to your content, and what will keep them engaged?
One of the best ways to determine your target audience is to explore established creators in your prospective niche and evaluate their audiences. Don’t be afraid to spend time on a variety of platforms as you explore the user experiences and creator trends on each. To learn more, check out How to Build a Fanbase.
What Should Your Primary Platform Be?
Once you’ve established your goals, identified your target audience, and decided on a type of content to create, you’re ready to choose your primary platform. Other popular influencer platforms not listed below include Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Substack. There are also newer social media platforms, such as Lemon8, that have the potential to grow and attract larger audiences alongside their influencers. There are even creator-owned networks that unite like-minded influencers on one platform. With so many options to choose from, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with as many as you can before you choose your primary platform. We’ve made it easy to start by breaking down some of the most popular primary platforms below:
Visual media reigns supreme on This Large, popular social media platform. Influencers who make highly stylized or visually compelling content thrive on Instagram, making it a go-to primary platform for many fashion, wellness, cooking, and fitness influencers. With the rise in popularity of Reels, Instagram’s short-form videos, many short-form video creators have flocked to the app, making Instagram one of the most versatile primary platforms for influencers out there.
YouTube
For long-form video content, no platform is better than YouTube. Influencers who specialize in gaming, video production, video essays, or other long-form video content find great success on this platform. Prospective creators should note, however, that the production quality of many successful YouTuber channels can be high, which may require more time, resources, and capital than on other primary platforms.
TikTok
Short-form video content excels on this popular social media platform. Everything from educational content to financial advice and comedy lives on TikTok. TikTok Shop is also a growing hub for influencer and affiliate marketing campaigns. TikTok is a strong platform for creators seeking to partner with other brands. Still, creators should be aware that regional availability uncertainties could complicate the platform’s long-term success.
X
Formerly known as Twitter, X is an excellent primary platform for creators who specialize in short-form, written, or observational content. With millions of users worldwide, X supports thriving fan communities across sports, music, media, and more. While its video and visual media capabilities are not as robust as those of Instagram or TikTok, X excels at short-form written content and promotion. Several alternatives to X offer similar experiences, including BlueSky, Threads, and Reddit.
Final Thoughts
Whatever your primary platform is, it’s essential to consider and leverage the unique content, audience, and monetization opportunities it offers. Your primary platform is critical to your success as an influencer, and choosing the right one can help you realize your career or rebrand goals.