All marketers talk about focusing your social media on the platforms your target audience uses most. For many entrepreneurs, the question then becomes how do I find out which platform that is?
I’m hoping at this point you have identified your target market. If you haven’t, start by reading this blog post which I wrote November 16 2013. Once you know WHO you should be targeting, it’s time to find out WHERE they are hanging out.
One good place to start is the Pew Research Internet Project. Their Demographics of Key Social Networking Platforms will give you a good indicator of where your audience is spending their online time.
As an example, Kay has defined her target market as:
Male
White
Age 40 – 55
Education Level: College
Income Level: Above $50,000
Checking the demographics at Pew Research she finds:
| Demographic | |||
| Male | 66% | 17% | 24% |
| White | 71% | 16% | 22% |
| Age 45-59 | 79% | 19% | 27% |
| Attended College | 75% | 18% | 38% |
| Income $50,000 + | 69% | 24% | 60% |
From these findings it would appear her audience is primarily on Facebook followed by LinkedIn. However before dumping all your marketing efforts in one platform you should consider some other variables. Such as:
Facebook is the #1 social media platform and approximately 33% of social media users report that this is the only platform they use.
Is Kay targeting a business to client audience or business to business prospects? If it’s the latter, then LinkedIn would be the top choice.
Kay should also check her website analytics and see where current visitors are coming from and the corresponding bounce rate for each. This will give her a good indication of who is listening and interested.
Ultimately, there is some trial and error involved. Try a couple of the major platforms, check your analytics and engagements on each and then decide where your marketing time and dollars are best spent.
Have a question or need help? I’d love to hear from you. Please leave me a comment.
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