With so many different social media platforms to choose from, it's difficult to know the right one for your business.
A study released by the Pew Research Center, this year can help you find your way. The study looked at social media use across all demographics--from age and ethnicity to income--to determine which platform was most popular for each group.
Facebook is no longer the most popular platform, according to the study. Although still highly popular, with 68 percent of adults saying they use it, Facebook has fallen behind YouTube, which is used by 73 percent of adults in the U.S. Other smaller platforms, like Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat have gained ground. YouTube was more popular than Facebook in every age and income demographic, as well as in urban, suburban and rural areas.
There are several issues that could have caused Facebook's popularity to dip; the social media giant has been the subject of several negative news articles recently, related to its political leanings, privacy concerns and its ever-evolving algorithms.
The study also found that most adults use more than one social media platform; the average adult uses three. More adults used YouTube, but Facebook users visited their feed more often, and for longer periods of time.
What does this mean for you? If you've been thinking about branching out into other social media platforms, the study is a wealth of knowledge--or, at least, a good starting point. You can easily find which platform is the most popular with your target audience, for example, and build a presence from there. If you're looking to reach women, Pinterest might be the best place to establish a beachhead. If your audience is younger, Snapchat or Instagram would be the place to supplement your Facebook business page. If your business caters to senior citizens, you probably want to go with more traditional advertising.
Whichever you decide, remember: you don't have to have a presence on every site. Pick the ones that work best for you and your customers and do them well. Quality will always trump quantity!
What platforms do you use? Let us know in the comments!