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Using social media in marketing strategies has become a must for many companies. The question many businesses face is what social media platforms should they use or focus on. Posting on every social media channel is not efficient and can be a waste of time and resources. The best thing businesses can do is to post on the social channels their audience or target audience is on. Here are some key demographics to help you determine what social channels to use.
Facebook is still the dominant social media channel and is used by a wide variety of audiences. Here are some key demographics to be aware of (percentage is based on those who use the internet):
- About 79% of all online adults use Facebook.
- The demographics lean slightly more towards women with 83%
- Men are slightly lower with 75%
- The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age, with only 62%
- The ages of 18-29 are the largest demographic with 88%.
Instagram is the second most popular social media platform, but still does not compare to Facebook. Instagram is very image dominate and is great for very visual businesses, like clothing lines, bakeries, or travel-related industries. It is difficult for businesses that are more service based, but not impossible. High-quality, and preferably original, images are important.
- About 32% of all online adults use Instagram.
- The demographics lean more towards women with 38%
- Men are lower with 26%
- The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age, with only 8%
- The ages of 18-29 makes up the largest demographic with 59%, much greater than the next age range, 30-49, with 33%
Pinterest’s popularity did not increase much between the 2015-2016, but it still remains a popular platform just under Instagram. This again is another visual social media platform, but the great part about Pinterest is the lifespan of pins and the high conversion rates. Infographics and how-tos are very popular.
- About 31% of all online adults use Pinterest.
- This platform heavily leans towards women with 45%
- Men, while a growing demographic, only sit at 17%
- The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age with 16%
- Pinterest is one of the few platforms that spans age ranges, with no particular age range holding a larger portion. Ages 18-29 are still the largest with 36%, but ages 30-49 and 50-64 are 34% and 28% respectively
- Pins lifespan lasts months, not hours or minutes
- 88% of users purchase something they pin
LinkedIn is very popular among professionals of all ages and genders. It contains the most varied demographics, but is tailored for working adults. If your target is teens, housewives or retirees you may want to consider a different channel.
- About 29% of all online adults use LinkedIn.
- The demographics are almost equally tied with men being slightly greater at 31%
- Women are just slightly lower with 27%
- The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age with 20%
- Linked, like Pinterest, is one of the few platforms that spans age ranges, with no particular age range holding a larger portion. Ages 18-29 are still the largest with 34%, but ages 30-49 and 50-64 are 33% and 24% respectively
Twitter has struggled with gaining popularity and has been surpassed by the previous platforms mentioned. However, it is easier to target audiences that use Twitter through the use of Hashtags. The only other platform that does this is Instagram, but it does not have the same ability to go viral that Twitter has.
- About 24% of all online adults use Twitter.
- The demographics are almost tied with women only being a margin more at 25%
- Men are just slightly lower with 24%
- The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age with only 10%
- The largest age demographic is the ages 18-29 with 36%, but ages 30-49 and 50-64 are 23% and 21% respectively
The key thing to do when developing a social media marketing strategy is to monitor the various social channels and adjust accordingly. If you find that you attract your audience on one platform more than the other, focus on that social channel. The more you learn and adapt the more successful your social media marketing will be.
By Ashleigh Cue
