If you agree that marketing is to a large part about being in the right place at the right time (i.e. in the mind of someone who is choosing or recommending a service that you provide at the time that they are doing so), then you would agree that your presence on social media helps increase your odds. Whether posts, comments, ads, or other activity, your social media engagement provides another opportunity to “touch” these potential clients or influencers. The concept of “social media” includes an ever-growing list of platforms, all seeking to provide their users with an experience that isn’t offered elsewhere. And like anything else, consumers’ tastes differ and evolve.[i] So where is everyone?[ii]
YouTube and Facebook were the most widely used online platforms, and their user base is most broadly representative of the population.[iii] But it really depends on a number of factors.
For example, those with a high school education or less: 64% Facebook; 30% Instagram; 10% LinkedIn.
For those with at least a college degree: 73% Facebook; 49% Instagram; 51% LinkedIn.[iv]
Forty-two percent of those aged 18-29 are on Twitter while only 18% of those aged 50-64 are.[v]
Forty-eight percent of those aged 18-29 are on TikTok whereas only 22% of those aged 30-49 are.[vi]
Only 12% of those people making less than $30,000 per year are on LinkedIn, whereas 50% of those making more than 75% are.[vii]
Facebook continues to remain the largest social platform among consumers and marketers.[viii]
Though time spent on Facebook has fallen (from 38 minutes per day to 33 minutes) over the past five years despite overall social media usage spiking.[ix] Facebook’s user growth rate has slowed to a grinding halt with only a 0.8% change increase during 2021.[x] Following last year’s social media demographic data, younger consumers continue to flock to TikTok and Snapchat versus Facebook and Instagram.[xi] Facebook ad revenue continues to climb regardless.[xii]
While everyone might not be on social media, most folks are. Regardless of how you feel about it, if you want to use all available reasonably priced tools for reaching out and touching potential clients and referral sources, social media ought to be in your toolkit.
[i] According to Pew Research Center, the percentage of U.S. adults who say they use at least one social media site: 45% of those over 65; 73% of those aged 50-64; 81% of those aged 30-49; and 84% of those aged 18-29. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/ [ii] And I mean everyone. According to Pew, in 2005, just 5% of American adults used at least one of these platforms. By 2011 that share had risen to half of all Americans, and today 72% use some type of social media. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/ [iii] Id. [iv] Id. [v] Id. [vi] Id. [vii] Id. [viii] https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/#facebook-demographics [ix] Id. [x] Id [xi] Id. [xii] Id.
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