The Where and Why of Social Media

If you’re posting on social media, about to post on social media, or confused on how social media works, let’s break it down in an easy-to-understand way! First off, you actually don’t need to post on every social platform. Posting everywhere may only lead to stress and burnout. You only have so much time and so much bandwidth, so you’ll want to be the most effective with the time you have by considering the following demographics. Content typically needs to be repurposed, reworked, and rewritten given each platform, which is a huge contributor to why businesses work with marketing agencies rather than handling the content themselves. Either way, it’s important to stay informed on where and why you’re posting.

Instagram’s primary user age is between 18 and 34 years old. Primarily young adults and millennials use the platform for various interests with an increasing trend of popularity among 35 to 54 year olds. The content on instagram is vastly wide ranging but the algorithm favors shareable and saveable posts and reels. The current ‘get followers quick’ scheme is posting short reels with long descriptions on catchy topics. Of course, this totally depends on who your clients are. Oftentimes Instagram may simply be a brand awareness platform but, if used correctly, can bring prospective customers your way. If you have strong bandwidth to spend on social media, definitely put emphasis on the content you are posting to Instagram. Consistency and quality is key. 

Facebook is for a much older demographic with the average user age of 25 to 54 years old. The younger demographic on Facebook is less active than its older demographic with a steady trend of younger users leaving the platform for other social platforms. This means the key demographic is adults and middle-aged individuals. Despite common expressions of how FaceBook is a great place to advertise, it’s actually one of the most difficult if you aren’t putting money into your advertisements. Even then, the platform is fatiguing more and more of its users with ads and prospective clients becoming less receptive to the content you are releasing. Consider these factors if you’re looking to post on FaceBook. Join groups, stay very active with your followers and those posting on groups, and build yourself a network of engaged followers that will eventually lead to a stronger net of followers.

LinkedIn generally has users aged 25 to 49 years old with practically all users being professionals, entrepreneurs and job seekers. The going trend on LinkedIn is a growing user base among younger professionals. LinkedIn is an amazing platform for Business to Business (or B2B) as the majority of business professionals and entrepreneurs are relatively active on LinkedIn. If you are looking for Business to Consumer (or B2C) transactions, then LinkedIn isn’t necessarily the place to post consistently, however all businesses should promote themselves on LinkedIn. The platform has a dual purpose for posting jobs and hiring qualified candidates. To perform well on LinkedIn, connect with lots of people in a similar field and branch out with fellow entrepreneurs and those who will engage with your content. Think of this platform like a networking event in which you want to connect with and establish relationships with as many people as possible.   

YouTube’s demographics vary rather significantly with a primary user age of 18 to 49 years old. This key demographic is a broad range of users including younger generations and adults with continued growth in all ages, particularly among older adults as a product of varied content. YouTube is a little more difficult to provide insights on due to its broad range of content and viewers. There isn’t necessarily one “right way” to post on YouTube but there are a few useful practices. Include an engaging thumbnail, add subtitles, use good lighting, film high quality video, cut out any “uhhs” and “umms,” and provide a catchy title and descriptive description. Aside from that, use other social media platforms to draw audiences attention to your YouTube.

Twitter/X has very young demographics with the primary user age being 18 to 29 year old young adults and news enthusiasts. To stay trendy, I’m going to refer to Twitter as “X,” I know a few of you will really appreciate it and a couple of you will get lost along the way! X has seen an increasing diversity in user age with more older adults joining as of recent. Like a few of the other social platforms, namely YouTube and Instagram, X has very diverse interests and there’s very likely a crowd of people on the platform waiting to engage with your content. The problem? Finding them. To build up your audience, engage with those that you would like to gain as followers. Post content that leverages the connections you have, inviting them to repost or quote your work. Users on X typically favor short and valuable sayings, hot topics, or questions rather than descriptive posts with lots of visuals. X requires a strong time commitment to build up a following, so keep that in mind as you go to use the platform. 

TikTok is increasingly popular among teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 24. The platform's appeal is global, attracting users from diverse backgrounds who contribute to various creative communities. If you’re looking to post on TikTok, you’ll want to optimize content visibility, understand the platform's algorithm, create eye-catching thumbnails, produce short and engaging videos, leverage popular trends, maintain a consistent posting schedule, engage with the community, and play with TikTok's trendy features! Doing each of these will help maximize your reach and engagement. TikTok takes a lot of creativity and, as mentioned, particularly caters to younger demographics, so only spend the time on this platform if you’re willing to commit!

Choosing the platforms you use is crucial to your success and, honestly, your headspace. Instagram prioritizes shareable and saveable content, leveraging short reels for brand visibility. Facebook demands strategic ad investment to combat user fatigue. LinkedIn excels in B2B connections, while YouTube requires a versatile approach. Twitter (X) and TikTok relies on concise, trendy interactions with a time-intensive commitment. In general, prioritize consistency, quality, and tailored approaches across these dynamic platforms to truly do well on social media!