With so many social media platforms out there, how do you decide which one is right for your business? With there being Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram,and Pinterest, just to name a few, you probably have no idea where to start. Maybe you’ve joined all the social media platforms so you can get your brand as much exposure as possible and you’re confused at what goes where. It’s likely after doing this, you want to throw in the towel already and not join any social media platforms.
You feel confused, stressed, and are thinking you won't have the time to manage all this social account anyway, so why even try? Let us tell you why it’s important and how to make it work for you. We’ll take this journey together, come along!
It's extremely important for your business to be on some form of social media, because whether you’re in control or not, you have a social media presence. So, how do you decide which presence you want to manage?
Begin by, taking your target audience into consideration. Keep in mind their age and gender, as well as what type of media is shared on specific platforms. After you have established who your target audience is and have a firm grasp on what they like and where they are (what social media platform they're on) you can make a very educated and well supported decision. Take a glimpse at these demographics to get you started:
Social Media Platform Demographics
Facebook:
- 1.19 billion Worldwide users
- 71% of the US adult population uses the platform
- 46% of Facebook users are female
- 54% of Facebook users are male
Instagram:
- 17% of the US adults uses the platform
- 57% of users access the platform daily
- 18-29 is the primary age group
Twitter:
- 18% of the US population
- Used more frequently than any other platform
- 46% of users use the platform daily
Google+:
- 67% of Google+ users are male
- Average age of a Google+ user is 28
- Most users are in technical and engineering fields
Pinterest:
- 21% of US adult population uses the platform
- 84% of users are female
- 16% of users are male
For more social media demographics click here!
While it has been seemingly true that almost any business can make it on Facebook, this may not ring as true for Instagram. In my experience, businesses such as coffee houses, retail clothing stores, and restaurants are great for Instagram, because you can share rich and beautiful photos relating to your business.
The direction we want to point you in is to not dive in head first. Before join every social media platform under the sun, you should research your target audience and use the platform they are using. Sometimes, less is more. Having a strong and thriving social media presence on one platform can be much more effective than a weak and boring presence on multiple platforms.