Social Media Platforms and Marketing

There are so many social media platforms available to everyone today, including marketers. It can be very overwhelming for the everyday consumer to keep up with multiple different platforms, and some choose not to have any. It is the duty of marketers, however, to know and understand the importance of each social media platform. Not surprisingly, 92 percent of marketers say that social media has helped increase exposure, which means that if you aren't using social media to its fullest, you're missing out on a huge opportunity (Gaskin, 2019).

Be Where Your Customers Are

When it comes to being a business/brand on social media it is important to be sure that you are where your customers are. Each social media platform tends to have a slightly different prominent demographic. It is important to consider your main target market, the social media platform, and the user demographics when deciding which social media platforms to use, or how frequently to use them. After considering this information, a company should decide which one or two social media platforms to focus on the most. For each brand and company this can be completely different.

Let’s take a look at the social media platform demographics (and see how they differ):

Facebook is the “reigning” social media platform, with 2.27 billion monthly active users. This is over a quarter of the entire world population (West, 2019). Of that number, nearly 1.5 billion users check their accounts daily. 68% of adult social media users are on Facebook.

 

Source: Smith & Anderson, 2019

Instagram is owned by Facebook, and has 1 billion monthly active users, and 500 million daily active users. It consists of 35% of all US adults (West, 2019). It is a photo and video sharing platform, with the option to share stories which are available for 24 hours and can be added to the profile as a highlight.

Source: Smith & Anderson, 2019

Twitter is very popular among younger generations and has become a branding opportunity for businesses, from creating relatable content, to utilizing it as a customer service tool (West, 2019). It is in chronological order and "tweets" are a maximum of 280 characters. Photos and videos can be shared in tweets.

Source: Smith & Anderson, 2019

LinkedIn is a professional connection platform, and has over 590 million registered users (West, 2019). It is a "virtual resume" and users can message each other and apply for jobs.

 

Source: Smith & Anderson, 2019

Pinterest is a visual search engine that has 250 million monthly active users. It has transformed the way that people search and shop for products, and 61% of users have made a purchase after seeing a product on Pinterest (West, 2019).

Source: Smith & Anderson, 2019

Snapchat is popular among teens and young adults and is a way to chat and share photos through a unique messaging system. It has 186 million daily active users (West, 2019).

Source: Smith & Anderson, 2019

The information included above is only on the most popular social media platforms. There are many, many more, including fairly new platforms, such as TikTok, which is extremely popular within GenZ. Considering research information about their target consumers will allow for marketers to determine which social media platforms are best of the specific brand/business at hand, and should determine at least two to use. In my opinion, that is a good number of social media platforms to focus on in terms of creating content and ad spending. However, brands should be on all of the social media platforms that their target customers are on (probably most of them). Choosing which to primarily focus on depends on the brands current situation, its target consumers, and budget.

Social Media Content

Social media content should be relatable and targeted to the demographic(s) who use that social media platform. Again, each one will be different. It is important, in the digital age, that consumers can relate to a brand. Keeping up to date on current events, holidays, and pop culture are important, especially when connecting with younger generations, and "throwbacks" can be used to connect with the nostalgia that older generations may have. Establishing a brand voice is important. A brand voice encompasses everything from the words and language you use, to the personality and image your marketing assets aim to invoke. It plays an important role in making sure your message cuts through the noise and makes a lasting impression on potential customers (CoSchedule, n.d.).

Therefore, reflecting on the situation at hand is important. For example, AARP should not choose to use Snapchat as a main social media platform, because only 13% of those over 50 actually use the platform. According to their website, AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age (n.d.). It would mean time, money, and effort wasted. But, Facebook and LinkedIn could provide great opportunities for AARP because their target audience uses those platforms more than others. Retailers can use Pinterest to reach and connect with their consumers, and potentially sell more products, or Instagram, which has introduced shopping and product features.

Defining Goals

Another thing to consider is defining goals for utilizing social media. Each platform offers a unique opportunity. Twitter is a great option if your goal is to make your business more transparent and improve on customer service. However, you also need to consider training and hiring employees to answer questions or concerns. Wanting to increase traffic to your site, or better connecting with consumers to increase brand awareness are other goals to consider. 

What are you already good at?

One last thing to consider when choosing which platform to use is reflecting on what things your business/brand is already good at. This could be photos, video, graphics, user-generated content, blog posts, and more. If you are already good at writing blog posts, Instagram may not be the best for you. Or, it could present an opportunity to transform your brand and turn the words into photos or videos.

Content vs. Conversation

Content vs. Conversation plays a huge role in making a decision. In my opinion, content (aesthetics) only does so much. Otherwise, it is just broadcasting, or advertising (Novak, 2010). While aesthetically pleasing and quality content is extremely important, it should introduce conversation with consumers, that way they can really connect with the brand itself. So many brands and businesses offer the same or similar goods and services, so conversation is a way to set it apart.

I recently started doing my own nails at home, and I have only used one brand so far and it is because of the way it connects with consumers. On Instagram, they share user-generated content on their stories, and promote products through beautiful photos and videos. However, I really connect with this brand because they have a "Nail Customer Community" Group on Facebook, where they share exclusive deals, show products before they are released, and talk directly with consumers. Customers share photos and users can talk with each other and the brand. "Community" is a perfect word and that has really allowed me to connect with this brand over the numerous other similar ones.

Conclusion ---
There are so many potential social media platforms for marketers to consider, and much of the decision relies on the situation of the business itself. Many unique opportunities can present themselves, and listening to customers and consumers (in the target market) is a great place to start.

Works Cited

AARP® Official Site - Join & Explore the Benefits. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/.

CoSchedule. (n.d.). How to Establish a Unique Brand Voice and Tone the Best Way. Retrieved from https://coschedule.com/marketing-strategy/brand-voice/.

Gaskin. (2019, March 21). Which Social Media Platforms Should You Use for Your Business? Retrieved from https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/en-us/blog/2017-11-30-which-social-media-platforms-should-you-use-for-your-business.

Novak, C. (2010, July 27). Why conversation, not content, is king. SocialMediaToday.com. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://socialmediatoday.com/wordspring/152636/why-conversation-not-content-king

Smith, A., & Anderson, M. (2019, April 17). Social Media Use 2018: Demographics and Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/.

West, C. (2019, September 26). Social media demographics to drive your brand's online presence. Retrieved from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/.