In a recent survey, I asked business owners what platforms they were on and why. The overwhelming answer was Facebook and Instagram and the top 3 answers were:
1. Brand awareness
2. People telling business owners they “need” to be on social
3. To market products
Facebook and Instagram are two of the most popular social sites, but is that actually where YOUR audience is? Don’t just be on social media because someone told you that’s what you needed. Ask yourself WHY?
Why are you choosing Facebook over X? Or why TikTok over Instagram? Or perhaps you try to be EVERYWHERE. Well, you can’t be everything to everyone, so it all begins with knowing your audience. Your business should be where your ideal customer is so that they can discover you. Here are a few demographics for the major social platforms as well as special features that make each unique, and possibly a better fit for your brand.
- Over 3 billion users worldwide
- 69% of all US adults use Facebook
- Largest age demographic is 25-34 year olds (30%), followed by 35-44
- Slightly more women users
- The average user is on the app/website for 31 minutes a day
- Great for groups, events, and MarketPlace
- Facebook is the mode widely used social media platform globally
- Over 2 billion users worldwide
- 47% of all US adults use Instagram
- Largest age demographic is 18-24 year olds (31%), followed by 25-34
- Slightly more women users
- The average user is on the app/website for 31 minutes a day
- Great for storytelling & influencer marketing
- Offer Instagram Shops for shopping within the app
YouTube
- Over2.5 billion users worldwide
- 69% of all US adults use YouTube
- Largest age demographic is 25-34 year olds (21%), but is popular across 18-44 year olds
- Slightly more men users
- The average user is on the app/website for 48 minutes a day
- Great for long form video content and educational videos
- Offers monetization options for creators
- Over 1 billion users worldwide
- 45% of all US adults use LinkedIn
- Largest age demographic is 25-34 year olds (60%), followed by 35-54
- Slightly more men users, but fairly equal
- The average user is on the app/website for 31 minutes a day
- Great for job searching and B2B marketing
- Designed to be your professional portfolio. Not a great place to share cat videos (unless that is your business of course)
TikTok
- Over 1.7 billion users worldwide
- 48% of all US teens use TikTok
- Largest age demographic is 13-17 year olds (48%), followed by 35-44
- Slightly more women users
- The average user is on the app/website for 54 minutes a day
- Great for short form videos and creativity (not just dance challenges)
- TikTok is used for entertainment purposes and short form video
X (Formerly Twitter)
- Over 368 million users worldwide
- 69% of all US adults use Facebook
- Largest age demographic is 25-34 year olds (38%)
- Slightly more men users
- The average user is on the app/website for 34 minutes a day
- Great for real-time updates and short form content
- The hashtag was first used on Twitter
In closing, know where your audience is. If your business can be where your customers are, you have a higher chance of them finding you. Also, keep in mind, this is NOT an all inclusive list. There are other social media platforms out there, so make sure you do your homework. Don’t waste your precious time posting on platforms that do not serve your customers needs. Not sure where your customers are? Contact me here and we can sit down and dig into the answer!