Tag Archives: demographics

social media

What Are The Most Effective Social Media Platforms For Your Business?

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If you are over 40, social media might seem like a minefield. The news is filled with social media gaffes and blunders. If it’s not gaffes and blunders, you hear about the latest controversies sparked by celebrities and politicians. Behind all of that, though, is a remarkable opportunity to grow your business — one that shouldn’t be ignored.

While new social media platforms are popping up every single day, for this article, we’ll talk about the top seven, and each of those seven are distinct and should be used very differently. Not only do the main social media platforms have varying and specific purposes, they have very different demographics, and to ignore that could mean wasting a lot of time and even money.

Before venturing into social media, determine your goals. Are you looking to grow your business or stay in touch with existing clients? Do you want reviews, or perhaps you just want to show your expertise. Your goals will determine how much you post and what you post to what platforms.

Facebook

In many ways, Facebook is the Grandmommy of all social media platforms. It’s not the oldest, but it’s perhaps the best known. Its users span the generations, although young people have begun an exodus. Still, Facebook’s 1.5 billion daily users are spread out over a large age range. They do skew female more than male.

Unless you advertise, Facebook is arguably best for maintaining relationships, since your content will target your existing followers.

You should post on your Facebook business page a couple of times a day. Aim for sharable content that might go beyond your followers. While you absolutely want to share things related to your business, like pictures or blog posts, you should also share links that appeal to your customers. For example, if you run a furniture store, post links about design trends. Whatever you share, make sure the headline and featured picture are compelling.

Facebook is growing as a review site. Watch your Facebook page like a hawk and answer any questions or reviews within the same day.

Twitter

Thanks to our President, Twitter now has the reputation of being the epicenter for political spats and quick one-liners. While that is true, it’s also younger and more male-oriented than Facebook and it’s a great place to cultivate relationships and to prove your expertise.

Twitter is fast-paced, so tweet often throughout the day. Draw relevant followers by following social media influencers in your industry.

Despite the fact that Twitter moves very quickly, its reach is generally higher than Facebook’s, often twice as high. Use Twitter to help build your business.

LinkedIn

Most social media platforms are geared toward B2C companies, but LinkedIn is best for B2B, although both can benefit. You should post a few times a week, but LinkedIn is more about who you know than what you post. If you are a Realtor, for example, you should connect with mortgage brokers in your area. All of your social media efforts should reflect your expertise, but LinkedIn perhaps more than all.

Instagram

Instagram’s demographic is young, and its visual format makes it a good platform for those in design, fashion, restaurants and any industry that appeals to aesthetics. Post a couple of times a day and build a following.

YouTube

Of all the social media platforms, YouTube is by far the most time-intensive. To build an effective YouTube channel, you want to stick to original videos, ideally less than two minutes long. Look at YouTube videos as a way to share your expertise. It’s also a great way to build content to share on other platforms. While engagement is critical on social media, you might want to make a exception of YouTube. YouTube comment sections are notorious troll havens. Opt for turning comments off.

Pinterest

Like Instagram, Pinterest is a visual, photo-oriented platform. Unlike Instagram, Pinterest’s demographic is a bit older and female. Pinterest is good for those in design, travel, the food industry, etc. Post frequently. Pinterest is ideal for nurturing existing relationships.

Yelp

Yelp may not fit some people’s definitions of social media, but if you are in a B2C business, you will have a Yelp account whether you want one or not. Take control of your Yelp account by posting a lot of pictures and with inviting business descriptions. Keep control of your Yelp account by answering every review, whether positive or negative. Note: while you should always encourage reviews, Yelp has strict rules against specifically soliciting Yelp reviews.

Featured image via Jason Howie/Flickr.

It’s Time to Realize that 18-34 Year Olds Don’t Hold All The Advertising Power

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A few weeks ago, an owner of a successful blog lamented the fact that his demographic reach was strongest with women over 45. “My readers should be 18-34 year old men,” he complained.

“Women over 45 are reading your blog,” I stressed, “I would just go with it.”

The blog owner wasn’t happy with the answer, insisting that it was his blog that needed to change, not his target demographic. He needed, he felt, to feature articles that appealed to a younger audience in order to stay viable.

In the blog owner’s defense, he’s not alone in believing that 18-34 year old men are a magic goal – that if he were to reach the proper number of that elusive subset then advertisers would start pouring money in his direction.

There was a time when people over 35 were seen as set in their ways. They already knew the type of detergent or underwear they preferred and they were unlikely to deviate. In other words, young people’s minds could still be manipulated by advertisers.

That idea (largely mythological), began during the “Mad Men” era of advertising. 20+ years after the beginning of the Baby Boom, the American population was young. Specifically, in 1966, 45% of the population was under 25. That meant if a product didn’t appeal to younger audiences, they were potentially cutting their market in half.

But even then, not all advertisers thought of the young Baby Boomers as a gold mine. If a product – like a luxury car – symbolizes having arrived in life, there’s little point in targeting people who probably won’t be able to afford it for another 20 years. Even during the 60s and 70s, much of the advertising had a stodgy feel. Advertisers did know, however, that if they could convince a young person to buy a Ford Mustang, brand loyalty might encourage them to graduate to a Lincoln once they did achieve financial success. But they also knew that if they advertised Mustangs as younger, more sporty vehicles, Lincoln buyers might also purchase a Mustang as a speedy fountain of youth.

Brand loyalty has all but died since the Golden Age of Advertising. Americans are getting older, but we are also becoming increasingly youth obsessed. It’s not uncommon to see parents and teenagers wearing similar clothes, listening to similar music, buying the same electronics and being “friends” on various social networking sites.

18-34 remains the gold standard in advertising demographics, even though today’s  older consumers are nearly as malleable as younger buyers – and the older consumers generally have more money to spend.

From MediaPost.com in 2009:

“According to McKinsey Consulting, by 2010 (3.5 short months from now) 50% of all consumer spending in America will be by people over the age of 50. People 50+ earn $2.4 trillion annually compared to $1 trillion for the 18-34 group (and they spend at the same rate). Also according to McKinsey, people 50+ generate 41% of all disposable income, while they represent only 30% of the population. They buy 60% of all packaged goods, over half of all new cars and spend 75% more per vacation than consumers under 50. And in 2007, those over 50 spent 3 times the national average holiday shopping online.

And yet, less than 10% of all U.S. marketing dollars are spent against the 50+ consumer, and nationwide research shows that the majority of consumers over 50 feel that advertising and marketing either portrays them negatively or ignores them altogether.”

So, why don’t advertisers target older consumers? Perhaps it’s because many 50-year-olds see themselves as 30-year-olds or perhaps it’s because despite the fact that advertising is a creative industry, ad buyers are slow to discard decades-old notions. Perhaps it’s simply because it’s what they were told in college.

If you run a successful business, like the blog owner above, analyze your market. If women over 45 are reading your blog or buying your product, don’t reinvent the wheel. Embrace your market. Expand it if you can, but unless you have the reach of a product like Facebook, there are many millions more that can be tapped in your existing demographic. In other words, often the best marketing plan is simply to do more of what you’re already doing and never, ever, turn your back on your existing customer, no matter how old they are.