One important facet of social media planning and strategy is knowing who (in a demographic sense) is using each social media platform and what they’re using it for. This allows you to tailor effective messaging for each audience. Doing the research – and staying on top of it year over year – can be time consuming, so we compiled a few stats to get you started.
First, off, why should you care about social media demographics? According to recent research by Hootsuite, social media users spend an average of 2 hours and 29 hours on social media each day. That’s a lot of time and opportunity for you to showcase and market your brand.
Now let’s take a look at who’s using each platform:
Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok skew towards a younger audience. Pew research shows that for the 18 to 24 age group:
- 76% use Instagram
- 75% use Snapchat
- 55% use TikTok
Do your research to understand the best way to message your brand to this age group. What works on one platform doesn’t necessarily work on another.
Don’t take Pinterest off the table just yet. Pinterest has a reputation for being a little harder to use as a marketing and brand awareness tool. However, for some brands, especially those looking to target the GenZ audience, there is opportunity. According to Pinterest research, in Q2 of 2020, the number of Pinners under age 25 grew twice as fast as Pinners 25 and over.
What type of content is being consumed, and where?
People really do enjoy videos, but mostly for entertainment. YouTube has shown steady growth over the years, with more than 2 billion users worldwide, and over 126 million unique monthly viewers. However, only 18% of users say they use YouTube to follow brands or companies. This means a thoughtful YouTube strategy is needed in order to build brand awareness and followers.
It’s not just YouTube, with Instagram Reels and IGTV gaining influence, 58% of video marketers planning to include Instagram in their 2021 video marketing strategy. And let’s not forget about TikTok. In the US alone, users average 858 minutes per month viewing videos on TikTok! If you haven’t added video into your marketing strategy, now is the time.
Mobile viewership is gaining popularity. More and more people are accessing social media through their mobile devices. For brands, your social media posts need to look good on both desktop and mobile. According to Statista:
- 61% mobile social media penetration rate in North America
- 79% of social media visits in the United States were from a mobile device
Here’s what it all comes down to: There is an abundance of social media data available.
The stats we’ve shared here is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to data and demographics available for social media platforms. A few helpful articles to get you started include Sprout Social’s Social media demographics to inform your brand’s strategy in 2021 and Hootsuite’s 100+ Social Media Demographics that Matter to Marketers in 2021.
And of course, we are always happy to help you strategize and generate your social media content– don’t hesitate to reach out!