The Internet has revolutionized the way in which Americans live.  The way we shop, work, and access information has changed drastically in the last several decades.  The use of social media has had far reaching implications.  A Pew Research Center report released in June 2016 found that a “majority (56%) of these workers believe that using social media ultimately helps their job performance.”  All evidence shows that the Internet has entrenched itself in many aspects of modern American life.

So the question for business owners today is how can they use social media to reach the American public?  In my blog post on November 30, 2016, I outlined the benefits to business for using social media. In this article, I would like to take one step further and look at the changing demographics of social media users, discuss which platforms they use, and the benefits your business can enjoy.

 Changing Demographics of the Social Media User

The phenomenon of people wanting to connect is not new in human history. Communication and interaction has always been an essential trait in human development. However, the movement from face-to-face contact to using social media has developed within the past couple of decades.  Sites like LinkedIn and MySpace became popular in the early 2000s.  In 2005, YouTube created an entirely new way for people to connect and share information.  The following year, Facebook and Twitter became available to users throughout the world.   More specialized sites, such as Spotify and Pinterest, developed to fill specific social networking niches.

In June of 2015, Business Insider conducted an in-depth study about the user habits in the United States of popular social media platforms and concluded the following:

  • Pinterest has tremendous reach among women (42% of female Internet users in are on Pinterest).
  • Instagram is the most most-used social network for teens (32% of US teenagers cited it as their most important social network).
  • Snapchat, Vine, and Tumblr have the most users between the ages of 18 and 24.
  • LinkedIn is used by 44% of Americans with income of $75,000 or more.
  • Messaging apps also have become more broadly popular, but mainly with the teen and young adult audience.
  • The original social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, are “aging.”

Once you recognize the audience you want to target via social – whether you are selling a good or service or providing information – the benefits can be immense.  Consumer goods seem to sell well on Facebook, users tend to turn toward Twitter for news, and LinkedIn has stayed true to its original purpose of being a networking site for white-collar professionals.

Benefits for Your Business

The initial investment of time and money to develop a social media presence is minimal compared to the numerous benefits.  For example, the largest growing consumer group in America, young people aged 17 to 34, will spend $200 billion annually beginning in 2017.  Most Millennials prefer to shop online and stay connected to each other via social media.  In addition, 88% of this target audience gets their news from Facebook, 83% from YouTube, and 50% from Instagram.

Consumers are using the growing online marketplace to their advantage, searching for the best deals on products and services.  Given this data, businesses must take advantage of social media to market their product or service. Need advice on how to do this?  Contact us at DeSantis Trusted Advisors.