Over time, how people around the world consume information has changed. People are now able to quickly access real-time news and entertainment from their devices as long as they have access to the internet. Social networks like Facebook and TikTok make the sharing of information easier than older communication options like snail mail and smoke signals. As a business owner, you have to know where your target audience is active and how they consume their information.
More consumers are active on the internet than ever before
Data is being generated online non-stop. According to Domo, the amount of data produced doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Here's what’s happening every minute of the day based on Domo’s research:
Instagram users share 65k photos
Facebook users share 240k photos
Facebook Live receives 44M views
TikTok users watch 167M videos
Google conducts 5.7M searches
Clubhouse creates 208 rooms
Zoom hosts 856 minutes of webinars
Amazon customers spend $283k
People are busy making moves online. From YouTube to Snapchat, humans are engaging with each other and various brands. What does this mean for you? How can you capitalize on the information you have to grow your business?
Identifying where your target audience spends its time
As the internet has become more accessible, it’s safe to assume there’s a good chance your ideal customer/client is online. You can definitely reach them through online marketing but the key is identifying which platforms they use and how they interact online. Here are some of the most popular social platforms and who tends to use them:
Facebook: The fastest growing demographic on Facebook are the Baby Boomers. They’re new to social media compared to later generations. Baby Boomers don’t spend as much time creating content compared to Millennials and Gen Z users but tend to engage with reactions and comments. There are still a good number of Millennials still active on Facebook but a migration to other platforms has already started.
Instagram: The top two age groups on Instagram are Millennials and Gen Z. Most users on Instagram are following at least one brand on Instagram. 43% of US adults on Instagram are college graduates. About 51% of Instagram’s ad audience identifies as female. The most popular interests on Instagram are travel, music, and food/drink.
Pinterest: Approximately 60% of Pinterest users are female and many are Millennials. What sets Pinterest apart from other social platforms are Pinners (users of Pinterest) are ready to shop. They tend not to use the social platform unless they are looking to make a purchase. Pinners also tend to be more educated and have higher incomes than Facebook users.
TikTok: What used to be a hangout spot for just Gen Z users is starting to change. Millennials who are tired of the influx of Boomers on Facebook are making their way to TikTok. TikTok content covers everything from dancing to comedy to shopping to mental health. Approximately 80% of all TikTok users are between the ages of 16-34.
Twitter: More than a third of Twitter’s users are between 25 to 34 years of age. Twitter tends to be popular among people who want to stay in the loop with current and trending topics. These users want to share their opinions and also find what everyone else has to say about what is going on. 33% of Twitter users have at least a 4-year college degree while about 14% of Twitter users have a high school degree or less education.
YouTube: This platform is one of the greatest search engines available. It’s the second-most visited site in the whole world and is also the second-most used social platform. 77% of 15-35 year-olds in American use YouTube. About 67% of people in the US ages 56+ also use YouTube. The average adult YouTube user spends about 42 minutes on the site on a daily basis.
You’ve identified which social media platform is right for you. Now what?
Now that you’ve figured out which social network is best for your brand, start creating content! Content is the backbone for all of your marketing tactics. Without content, you don’t have anything to share with your target audience. Content helps you connect with others and helps people understand how you provide value for them. Here are a few key pointers to follow:
Create content for the platforms you’re using. Make videos for social media networks that allow you to share videos. Post images on apps that allow you to do just that. Share links to blog posts if you’re using networks like Twitter and Facebook.
Focus on answering the questions you receive the most often. For example, if you own an auto repair shop and people always ask you about oil, create several pieces of content that answer everything from how often you should be doing oil changes to the benefits of regular oil changes. Help people understand how you can solve the problems they’re dealing with.
Post consistently! It’s hard to collect any meaningful data if you’re posting sporadically or not posting at all. A regular posting schedule helps you see trends such as the best posting times for your brand to which types of content people engage with the most.
The tips you just read above can be put to work right away for your brand. Start creating content now so you can increase your online presence!
Do you have any questions about connecting with your target audience? Let us know in the comments below!