Social Network Demographics

Social network demographics go something like this:

Facebook is used mostly by the young, but is rapidly growing among 45-54 year olds.

Instagram and Pinterest are especially popular with women.

LinkedIn is global, male dominated.

Twitter is hip with the young 18-29 demo.

Google+ is… well, we already know what Google’s network is all about: geeks and nerds. (In my estimation, G+ still has the best user interface by a landslide. Shame the company didn’t launch it a few years earlier.)

These are just some of the findings out today in a new report from Business Insider on social media demographics.

Though Cooper Smith dubs these findings “surprising” I found them, for the most part, predictable–but, hey, I’m all for provocative headlines! Nevertheless it makes for interesting reading, especially for marketers and those involved in targeting products and services via social networks. Demographics go hand-in-hand with messaging when tailoring campaigns for consumers so understanding where potential customers (or fans) are hanging out online is critical.

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BI notes that in order to be effective brands and businesses “need platform-focused social media strategies, rather than a diluted strategy that aims to be everywhere at once.”

I completely agree.

Just as in traditional media, marketers needed to align campaigns via television, billboards, print and radio, today’s modern social marketers need to align them with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and other new media channels. Just a wild guess, but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to learn that most fashion and wedding-based companies heavily target Pinterest.

[Social Media Demographics: The Surprising Identity Of Each Major Social Network]

Clinton shoots videos for Stark Insider. San Francisco Bay Area arts, Ingmar Bergman and French New Wave, and chasing the perfect home espresso shot 25 seconds at a time (and failing). Peloton: ClintTheMint. Camera: Video Gear