Let’s talk niche markets and strategy.
Let’s say you need to drive a screw into a wall to hang a picture on. Could you use a hammer to do that? Sure. Probably. But it wouldn’t be the best way to do it, the most elegant or efficient way of doing it. What you really need is a screwdriver; ideally one with the bit for your screw’s head.
Social media is the same. Could you use Snapchat to market to grandparents? Sure. But it probably won’t work very well.
Certain age groups are drawn to using certain kinds of social media, so if your product or service is primarily trying to sell to that demographic, that’s where you should be.
Let’s look at some social media tools and match them with the demographics that fit best.
Facebook: the fastest growing demographic on FB are baby boomers and grandparents. They want to stay in touch with their kids and grandchildren, and FB is the best way to do that. Who’s not on FB? Teenagers. My son’s generation does not feel like FB is where it’s at. It might surprise you to realize that millenials are also on FB. That’s because they grew up with it, and many have never left.
Instagram: Millenials love Insta. They spend a lot of time on there, and since they’ve instituted things like messaging and Instagram Stories, the platform is doing even better. Instagram is also a great fit if your business is highly visual; meaning–you can make it look pretty and take pretty photos. But you don’t have to–even posting inspirational quotes can be enough to have a successful Instagram account.
Pinterest: if you are trying to reach the 30-44 year old female demographic, Pinterest is where you need to be. What’s interesting about this demographic is that we also know that they still hold the vast majority of the purchasing power in the household, and many people will purchase things they saw on Pinterest. Baby boomers also like Pinterest.
Snapchat: this is where the teenagers are. Recently rebranded to “Snap,” it’s a social network that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s young and a little silly, but it is growing by leaps and bounds, so don’t underestimate it as a marketing tool.
And now, here’s today’s Infographic on which social media tool is right for which demographic:
