I have a confession to make. I used to think Pinterest was just for women. It was only after listening to a recent podcast that I realized the error of my ways. Pinterest actually contains a lot of content for men, too. While I’m sure I’m not the only one who was surprised by this finding, it got me to thinking about which other social media sites have demographics that might surprise people.
For example, did you know one of the fastest growing segments of Facebook users is seniors ages 65 and up? More than 50% of internet users in this age group now use Facebook, according to research published at pewinternet.org in September 2014. The same research indicates that the percentage of Hispanics and African Americans using Instagram is significantly higher than the percentage of Caucasians who use it. Among Twitter users, the percentage of men using the platform has surpassed the percentage of women who use it. The statistics go on and on.
My point in sharing this information is to caution you about stereotyping social media demographics when determining which ones to use in your marketing and branding strategies. Don’t just do your research once. Social networking statistics change very quickly.
Read the rest of this blog post in my monthly e-newsletter. Also, read about what would make your financial institution’s brand Blue Bell strong. Could your bank or credit union recover from a crisis that had you closing your doors temporarily? Food and money are two different things, but we can all learn something from the strength of Blue Bell’s brand.
Helen,
I’m glad you enjoyed the post (and the newsletter piece offers even more info). The key with any new technology toy (Facebook, Vine, SnapChat, etc.) is understanding when it’s going to “tip” as Gladwell points out in “The Tipping Point.” You may not understand one tech tool today but tomorrow it might tip and become something everyone uses. So watch those stereotypes (including the ones about young people!).
Mark
This is a great piece! I’ll be signing up for your newsletter to read the rest. Furthermore, I wanted to comment on the statistic about the fastest growing demographic on Facebook being 65+. I think this plays into the idea, that the generation above you does things 10 years later. Gary Vanyerchuk talks about this a lot, and I think it’s spot on. (His insights are great!)
Just using myself as an example, I remember waiting for my college email address to get sent to me so I could sign up for Facebook. My mom thought I was nuts. 10 years later, she has adopted it into regular life. So it doesn’t surprise me that the fastest growing demographic is older than she is. When I look at younger generations, I see them moving further away from Facebook and using SnapChat, Vine, and other such platforms. While I do use them, I don’t use these platforms as much as they do. I’m sure in 2-3 years I’ll be singing a different tune…