If you’ve ever uploaded a photo to Instagram, created a post on Facebook, or watched a video on YouTube then you can consider yourself one of the estimated 3 billion people worldwide who use social media. Social Media refers to online platforms where users can share content and connect with other users instantaneously through the internet. But when it comes to social media marketing, not all platforms are created equal. The type of social media you choose to use can determine the content you create, the tone of your brand presence, and the audience you’ll reach. Keep reading to find out what you should be posting on each social media platform and who you can expect to be interacting with.
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Although it wasn’t the first social media network developed, Facebook is by far the biggest with over 2 billion users logged in in 2020. Users on Facebook can share photos, text posts, images, and links with friends, family, and shared interest groups. With so many users and different forms of content available, narrowing down your Facebook marketing strategy can be a little more tricky than other platforms. However, there are some key statistics that could help you determine whether Facebook makes sense for your marketing strategy.
The largest age demographic for Facebook is users aged 18-29. Facebook users are also more likely to be college graduates, and the medium income of Facebook users is $30k-$40k. Facebook users are much more likely to be accessing the platform through their phones, and the content that users tend to engage with the most is videos. So what does all this mean for your Facebook marketing plan? If you’re interested in targeting millennials and Gen X consumers, and you’re selling a product or service directly to consumers that is a median price point, Facebook could be a good option for you. Unfortunately, this also makes it a good option for the millions of businesses that also Facebook.
If you’re looking to increase your reach on Facebook or increase your sales, using Facebook Ads for digital advertising can be an excellent way to stand out from the crowd. Especially if you’re creating mobile-optimized videos and photos that users will find interesting enough to like, comment, and share.
Youtube
Did you know that Youtube is the second largest search engine after Google? With nearly 2 billion users each month, Youtube has become a central hub for long-form video content.
Youtube is especially popular amongst younger demographics: according to this study over 90% of internet users between the ages of 18-30 use Youtube. Much like Facebook, internet users who have completed college are more likely to use Youtube, and most users access the platform through their phones. When it comes to the types of videos users are watching, top video formats include vlogs, educational videos, best-ofs, and product videos, among others.
The barrier for entry for Youtube is much higher than most other social media platforms. You have to film and edit videos as opposed to just writing short posts or sharing photos. But, if you find that your customer demographic exists in this space, it could be a worthwhile investment to create content to upload. However, if you aren’t able to devote the time to create your own content you could consider partnering with Youtube influencers to promote your product for you. Many internet shoppers turn to Youtube for reviews and informative content on products they are considering purchasing. By partnering with the right Youtube influencer (whose subscriber audience matched your customer demographic), you can gain a valuable advocate for your brand who will create high-quality video content for you.
Although Instagram has fewer users than Youtube, it has greater user engagement, with the second-most engagement among all social media platforms. This can be an important statistic to keep in mind when thinking about which social media platforms will give you the most direct access to your customers. Following that trend, over 80% of Instagrammers say they discover new products on Instagram and 50% follow at least one brand account. Building a strong Instagram following can be an important part of a social media strategy that aims to build a loyal customer base as well.
So who are you reaching on Instagram, and how should you be reaching them? Instagram is second only to Snapchat as the most popular social media platform for teenage social media users, and the overall user demographic skews towards users under the age of 25. Instagram also contains a lower percentage of users with college degrees and higher incomes compared to Facebook or Youtube (possibly because of the greater amount of teenage users on the platform).
And while you might think that high-quality photos are the key to a killer Instagram account, short-form video content is steadily picking up steam as the best content for engaging users. Stories, an Instagram feature that allows users to share photos and video clips for short periods of time, is used by 500 million accounts every day. And 1/3 of the most viewed Stories on Instagram come from business accounts. This doesn’t mean that you need to create super polished video content for Stories – many accounts use this feature to share behind-the-scenes clips, run a Q&A, or host a poll that users can vote on. Overall, if the product or service you’re selling is visual and you’re appealing to a slightly younger demographic, Instagram can be one of the most effective ways to engage directly with your audience.
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