7 popular social media sites and their audiences
Even the most social media-savvy person can likely agree that there’s an overwhelming number of social media networks available today. It’s a little crazy to expect someone to have personal accounts with all of these websites, so we don’t expect businesses to have accounts everywhere, either. You may recall that last month we spoke about the importance of your businesses maintaining at least some social media presence; these accounts are great for connecting with customers and clients. Now, let’s talk about choosing the right social media accounts for your business. Here are seven of the most popular social media sites and some of their audience stats; all you have to do is create accounts for the sites that match your target demographic.
According to statistics compiled by Oberlo, Facebook is the leading social media app with 59 percent of social media users. There are 2.80 billion monthly active users and more than 200 million small business pages! Sixty-three percent of Americans ranging from age 12 to over 65 use Facebook, but it’s the preferred site for adults aged 30-49 (77 percent, according to Pew). Following close behind are adults aged 50-64 with 73 percent and adults 65 and older with 50 percent. According to Pew, 74 percent of U.S. adult Facebook users are Black, while 72 percent are Hispanic and 67 percent are White. The app is most commonly used in urban and suburban areas.
Instagram is one of those social media platforms that can benefit businesses of any kind, because so many people of all demographics use the site. According to data compiled by Hootsuite, Instagram had 1.2 billion active users in October last year. To be specific, the biggest advertising audience on Instagram consists of 25-34-year-olds. Pew Research Center found that, as of February 2021, 40 percent of U.S. adults use Instagram. However, only 29 percent of these adults are between ages 50-64, while only 13 percent are 65 or older. Forty-nine percent of Instagram’s adult users are college graduates and 45 percent live in urban areas.
Twitter has gone up and down in popularity since its start in 2006. According to Twitter’s Q3 2020 report, the site has 187 million daily active users. However, that number is predicted to grow this year by 2.4 percent. In America, which houses the largest number of Twitter users, 23 percent of adults are on Twitter. According to Hootsuite, the overall Twitter population is 70 percent male compared to 30 percent female. In terms of age, Pew data revealed that 42 percent fall in the 18-29 age range. Only 7 percent of 65-and-older adults use Twitter.
Pinterest has become a home for inspiration of any kind, whether it be recipes, fashion advice, hair color and style, home decor, management tools, and more. The site saw some massive growth last year and now has 450 million monthly active users, according to Pinterest Business. In the U.S., adults make up nearly half the population on Pinterest at 46 percent, according to Pew data. Pew also found that the most common age range on Pinterest is 50-64-years-old (38 percent), though the platform is also popular among 30-49-year-olds (34 percent) and 18-29-year-olds (32 percent). Highspot also found that 80 percent of mothers in the U.S. are active on Pinterest.
The professional network, LinkedIn, has 660 million users across more than 200 countries, according to LinkedIn Pressroom. Pew’s studies found that 31 percent of U.S. adult males use LinkedIn, compared to 26 percent of U.S. adult women. The site is most commonly used by U.S. adults aged 30-49 (36 percent). Most U.S. LinkedIn users live in urban or suburban areas. In terms of education and income, the U.S. population on LinkedIn mostly consists of college graduates (51 percent) and annual earnings of more than $75,0000 (50 percent).
TikTok
TikTok has taken the world by storm, especially among Gen Z internet users. The company shared in court filings last year that TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2020. The app has 698 million monthly active users. Unsurprisingly, the majority of U.S. adults on TikTok are in the 18-29 age range at 49 percent. According to Pew, the U.S. adult population on TikTok is mostly made up of women at 24 percent. TikTok is definitely a great platform for reaching a younger audience.
Youtube
During the pandemic lockdowns, people across the globe increased their social media usage across pretty much all platforms, but the site that saw the most growth was YouTube. According to eMarketer data, 25 percent of U.S. adults ‘significantly increased” their usage of YouTube. Overall, the site has more than 2 billion monthly users. Again, the most populated age range on YouTube among U.S. adults in 18-29-year-olds (95 percent), but 30-49-year-olds follow closely behind at 91 percent, according to Pew. Additionally, 80 percent of U.S. parents say that their child of 11 years or younger watches YouTube videos.
Contact October Dreams Marketing to discuss your business’s social media presence.
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