Social media can be a cost-effective way of establishing your brand and attracting new customers.

Many small companies have become household names after being found on Twitter and Instagram. But for every cronut bakery there are hundreds of small companies that have wasted countless hours on the wrong social media networks.

Before joining a social media network, be sure to ask yourself where your customers are.

Audience Mismatch

The IRS was mocked pretty heavily last winter after the official IRS Tumblr was discovered by Mashable’s Alex Fitzpatrick.

“No one reblogs the IRS’ Tumblr,” Fitzpatrick wrote, pointing out that there was virtually no engagement on the agency’s six month old account.

The IRS Tumblr is a classic example of a social media “audience mismatch.” No one reblogs the IRS Tumblr because the agency’s target audience is not on that social network.

The bulk of Tumblr users are teens and young adults. Even if a Tumblr user is old enough to file taxes, it is unlikely that their return is complex enough to make the IRS Tumblr informative and interesting.

Research the demographics of a social network before joining. If the people on a social network are unlikely to become potential customers, then it is probably not worth your company’s time.

Dennis Jansen is Upsize Minnesota’s digital editor. Follow him at @DennisJansen.