6 Social Media Channels To Advertise On In 2021 – Which One Is Best For You?

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There are 4.33 billion social media users globally in 2021. These users spend an average of two hours and 25 minutes per day on social media channels. Are you targeting this audience effectively?

Developing a clear understanding of your social media target audience is critical for successful social media campaigns. In defining your social media audience, you can identify your niche market for improved results.

Audience research and specific targeting will help you create relevant content, messaging and ads – all of which will ultimately lead to higher conversion rates and sales.

Social media channels demographics

Define Your Target Audience

A social media target audience is the specific group of people you want to reach through both organic and paid advertising with your social channels. These are the people who are most likely to be interested in your products, services or content based on characteristics such as demographics and behaviours.

As you develop your target audience definition, don’t be afraid to get very specific as high quality of traffic is better than a high quantity of traffic. Particular points you might want to consider are:

  • Age: Focus on learning what age group your social media target audience is in.
  • Location (and time zone): Where does your audience live? This helps you determine the geographic areas to target and what time you should schedule your posts for maximum visibility.
  • Language: What language does your target audience speak?
  • Budget and spending patterns: How much money does your target audience for social media have to spend and how do they approach purchases?
  • Interests: What interests your target audience and how do you capitalise on this?
  • Challenges: What pain points are your potential customers dealing with that you can address?
  • Stage of life: Does your social media target audience include college students, teenagers or retirees, etc.

Which Social Media Channels Match Your Target Audience?

It’s excellent to increase your customer touchpoints and have a social media presence on multiple channels – but if you’re spending time and resources on a social media channel that is not mainly for your target audience, it may be best to focus on the channels that do. Here is the breakdown of demographics for each social media channel – which one is best suited to you?

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1. Facebook demographics and usage

  • Number of monthly users: 2.7 billion
  • Main age group: 25-35 (26.3%)
  • Gender: 56% male, 44% female
  • Average time spent per day: 38 minutes

Breakdown of Facebook demographics

  • Despite ongoing controversies increasing competition, Facebook remains the most used and engaged social platform.
  • The influx of baby boomers highlights why it is a prime channel to run ads, particularly among older demographics with increased expenditure.
  • The younger audience has not entirely abandoned Facebook, as widely speculated (but it is certainly not the younger demographic’s preferred platform).
  • Due to Facebook’s size and engagement rate, it makes sense to test advertising on this channel in your marketing strategy.
  • In fact, Facebook advertising revenue and general usage have increased amid Covid-19, as the platform remains many people’s key channel for social media.

2. Instagram demographics and usage

  • Number of monthly users: 1 billion
  • Main age group: 25-34 (33.1%)
  • Gender: 57% female, 43% male
  • Average time spent per day: 29 minutes

Breakdown of Instagram demographics

  • Instagram’s continued growth positions it as the second largest network following Facebook.
  • The shared Facebook and Instagram ad platform presents many cross-promotional opportunities for businesses.
  • Instagram is facing significant competition for younger users. TikTok (29%) recently surpassed Instagram (25%) as teenagers’ preferred platform.
  • Instagram is a key channel that demonstrates the value of influencer marketing.

3. Twitter demographics and usage

  • Number of daily users: 192 million
  • Main age group: 30-49 (44%)
  • Gender: 34% female, 66% male
  • Time spent per day/week: 3.53 minutes per session

Breakdown of Twitter demographics

  • Twitter’s user base, usage and growth have remained consistent in recent years.
  • The platform is relatively straightforward and shorter-term interactions mean it is a good channel for news updates or customer service.
  • Twitter’s status as a place to discuss events and gather breaking news makes it a prime place to share content and drive discussions for organic traction, but advertising remains complicated.
  • 42% of Twitter users have university degrees which highlights the platform’s demographics for higher-earners.

4. LinkedIn demographics and usage

  • Number of total users: 756 million
  • Main age group: 46-55
  • Gender: 51% male, 49% female
  • 63% monthly users and 22% weekly.

Breakdown of LinkedIn demographics

  • Millennials make up approximately one-quarter of the platform, although there is a reference that it is generally an older demographic.
  • A higher-educated, higher-earning B2B demographic makes LinkedIn a promising channel for advertising – although this platform is more expensive to advertise on than others.
  • According to LinkedIn, it is the top-rated social network for lead generation.

5. TikTok demographics and usage

  • Number of users: 732 million
  • Main age group: 18-24
  • Gender: 59% female, 41% male
  • Time spent per day: 45+ minutes

Breakdown of TikTok demographics

  • The platform has a rapidly increasing high user rate, with the average user spending 21.5 hours per month in 2020 compared to 12.8 hours in 2019.
  • A younger user base can be challenging for ad-targeting, although influencer marketing is popular for this channel.
  • TikTok is also growing among older demographics and additional advertising features are expected to be introduced as the platform continue to grow.
  • Increased growth is expected as video content continues to rise.

6. YouTube demographics and usage

  • Number of monthly users: 1.9 billion
  • Main age group: 15-25
  • Gender: 69% male, 31% female
  • Time spent per day: 41.9 minutes among viewers over 18

Breakdown of YouTube demographics

  • YouTube’s popularity highlights the ongoing shift toward video content.
  • This channel is the second most used online search engine after Google.
  • However, only 18% of YouTube users claim to use YouTube to discover brands and products.
  • Ads can be subjected to the ‘skip’ feature, which drastically reduces the length of time users will see your paid advertising content.

To conclude, it is essential to get specific when you are targeting your audience. While there are many social media channels available to promote your brand, it is important to prioritise resources and invest in the channels best suited to your target market.

Do you want to create a winning social media strategy? Contact our team today for a free consultation.

 

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