Social media marketing can be a bit tricky to get the hang of at first. Given the overwhelming range of platforms and their individual characteristics, one of your first challenges will be to decide which ones to focus on. Thinking in terms of demographics will make life a lot easier.
Having the largest social media user base on the planet, Facebook should certainly command a significant amount of your attention. When compared to many others, one key attribute of this platform to note is its fairly even distribution of users when it comes to age. Despite its reputation as a millennial-heavy environment, it’s cited by many marketers as the best platform to reach Gen X and baby boomer users. It’s also a major hub for retail shoppers discovering new products, either via shared content or paid advertisement. Overall, Facebook offers a lot of range for businesses across a broad spectrum of target audiences.
As massive and influential as Facebook is, it shouldn’t necessarily be your one-stop shop. At 317 million, Twitter’s user base may not be as large as that of Facebook, and it may skew a bit towards the under-40 age bracket, but it’s a hotbed for brand discovery. Almost 80% of Twitter users retweet small and medium sized enterprises, and almost 85% use the platform for dealhunting or to find special offers and reviews. Between rural, suburban, and urban locations, Twitter’s user base is distributed quite evenly, while average user income leans a bit more towards the wealthy side when compared with Facebook.
Almost 60% of Instagram users are under the age of 30, with a majority female user base at 58%. Unlike Facebook’s 35 average minutes per day, users spend an average of 15 minutes per day on Instagram, which is still nonetheless significant. Perhaps most crucial for businesses to consider, however, is that 53% of Instagram users follow brands. If you’re targeting teens, you should note that 53% of teen Instagram users cite it as their go-to platform for learning about new products. Finally, with more than four times the amount of mobile users than desktop, Instagram is a testament to the importance of a mobile-friendly site!
Taking social media seriously is one of the most important decisions you can make as a modern business owner. We’ve only listed a fraction of the platforms you should consider for your strategy. We can help you conquer these and so many more. Call us at (403) 456-0072 today!
