Selecting the right marketing platforms for your brand is a big decision, as doing so significantly impacts whether you meet your business goals. But with new platforms popping up left and right, finding the perfect mix can seem impossible. That’s why the experienced digital marketing team here at Midwest Marketing have taken a moment to guide you through the process of choosing the right options to meet your business needs.
- Get to Know Your Target Audience
We all know that the foundation of any successful marketing campaign is a deep understanding of your audience, but it bears repeating – take the time to know your audience! An easy way to do so is to look at your website analytics to get a breakdown of who is already visiting your website. Through this method, you can learn valuable information such as the age, gender, and location of those who have visited your website. That information can help you decide what platform makes the most sense for your company to utilize, especially when you consider the following data* for each platform:
Facebook:
- Almost 50% of all Facebook users are between the ages of 25 to 34.
- Male users ages 25 to 34 make up the biggest demographic of Facebook users.
Instagram:
- Instagram is the most-used social network (72%) by American social media users aged 12 to 34.
- 7% of Instagram users worldwide are male.
- Almost 70% of global Instagram users are under the age of 35.
- 62% of teens in the U.S. use Instagram.
X (Formerly Twitter):
- 9% of X users identify as male.
- 23% of U.S. teens use X.
- 88% of X users are also on Instagram.
LinkedIn:
- 7% of LinkedIn users are female; 56.3% are male.
- 60% of worldwide LinkedIn users are 25 to 34 years old.
- 50% of U.S. adults who earn over $75,000 a year use LinkedIn.
TikTok:
- TikTok is predicted to see the greatest user growth worldwide of all social platforms starting in 2024, at 0%.
- 24% of women in the U.S. use TikTok, compared to 17% of men in the U.S.
- In the USA, 67%of Americans aged 18 to 19 use TikTok, along with 56% of those aged 20 to 29. Of Americans aged 60 to 64, 16% use the platform.
- 84%of TikTok users also use Facebook.
YouTube:
- Globally, 6%of YouTube users identify as female, and 54.4% identify as male.
- 95%of U.S. teenagers use YouTube. 19% say they use it “almost constantly,” and another 41% use it several times per day.
Pinterest:
- 60%of Pinterest’s global audience are women. The largest user group is women aged 25 to 35, who represent 5% of the total interest audience.
- However, the percentage of male Pinners is increasing 40% year-over-year.
- 31% of Americans aged 12+ use Pinterest.
- 37% of Americans aged 12 to 34 use Pinterest, compared to 34% of Americans aged 35 to 54 and 21% of Americans aged 55+.
Snapchat:
- 51% of Snapchatters are femaleand 48.2% are male.
- 20%of users are aged 13 to 17, and 38% are aged 18 to 24.
- 59%of U.S. teenagers use Snapchat.
- Define Your Marketing Goals
Clearly define your marketing objectives before you select your platforms. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness? Drive website traffic? Boost sales? Each goal may require a different platform and tactic.
If you want to increase your overall brand awareness, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are all great choices. Facebook is great for driving website traffic, as well as acquiring sales. If you’re looking to attract potential employees, LinkedIn will probably be your best bet.
- Evaluate Platform Relevance
It’s also crucial to look at the relevance of each platform to your industry and brand personality. For instance, if you are a very visually oriented brand with a lot of photo assets, Instagram or Pinterest would be ideal choices. Have a huge video library? Get a TikTok or YouTube channel going! If your company is mostly B2B, LinkedIn would be the perfect match for your goals.
- Think About Budget Constraints
How much budget you have will greatly impact how many and which platforms you should stick to. If your overall budget is small, you may want to concentrate on only one or two platforms. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube may be more costly to be on because they require more graphic and video assets.
- Test and Re-Evaluate
“Set it and forget it” is a phrase that doesn’t really have a place in the marketing world. Once you decide on a platform and get going, make sure to analyze the platform’s analytics and performance metrics regularly to ensure you’re not wasting your marketing dollars. If you don’t see any headway being made after a few months, it might be best to focus your energies elsewhere.
If you need help reaching your business goals, contact the professionals at Midwest Marketing! Our team will evaluate your brand to decide the best platform(s) for you, as well as design a strategy that will get you noticed!
*Data from Hootsuite
