Soar on Social

Soar on Social

Who’s using social media anyway?

We hear it all the time: Facebook is for grandma, Twitter is for politicos, Snapchat is for tweens, Pinterest is for stay-at-home moms, Instagram is for influencers, YouTube is just videos, TikTok is for dancing, Twitch is for gamers, etc. These labels, while a stereotype, touch on the reality that most people are participating in social media daily, weekly, and monthly.

“Social media has become an integral part of how we communicate in the 21st Century. This trend was established long before COVID-19, but since the start of the pandemic, these numbers have skyrocketed.”

The increase in social media use over the past year, by generation: +78% for Gen Z; +77% for Millennials; +75% Gen X; +54% for Baby Boomers

Since March of 2020, social media usage has increased among every generational block, in large part due to a lack of in-person social connection. For the youngest generations, Millenials and Gen Z, nearly a third of each day is now spent on social media platforms (Millennials spent on average 3.8 hours/day; Gen Z spent on average 4.5 hours/day).

Americans are using social media every day to connect with friends and family. They are engaging with news content, sharing information, and entertaining themselves with the content in which they scroll. This means businesses have a unique opportunity to engage with new or existing customers like never before. The generational blocks who will soon be the predominant spending forces in our economy are also the ones who are 90% more likely to buy from their favorite brand if they have a presence on social media.

“Nearly one in two businesses consider [social media] their primary [communications] channel now.“

For any business, the ability for social media to grow your customers base, strengthen your brand identity, and differentiate yourself from your competitors makes this tool a critical component of any marketing strategy. To take advantage of this opportunity, however, requires a level of agility and flexibility. Spending time truly understanding your audience, analyzing the relevance of your content, and being on top of current trends is vital to any social media presence.

What does this mean for me?

The truth is: Social media moves fast, so companies need to move faster. If your business is not actively engaging your audience on social media, then another business, and likely your competition, will. This may seem like a bold statement, but the numbers above back this up.

Social media platforms give you a place to invite your customers to engage with your brand. 

To succeed, make your content:

• Easy to absorb & fast to read, 
• Catchy to be remembered, 
• And true to your brand.

To answer the question about who’s using social media: 7 out of every 10 Americans are using social media. It’s not as much about who’s using social media but what social media platforms they are using! 

“7 out of every 10 Americans are using social media.”

Taking advantage of this opportunity could be the best thing that has happened to your business. In short, spend time on your strategy, and if you need direction, we’re here to help — just contact us!