Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +….there are so many social networks out there to choose from. It can make a marketer’s head spin. The rule of thumb has always been not to jump on every new social network that comes along, and when you’re just starting out, not to try to get involved in them all. Which networks your company ultimately decides to use will depend on several factors:
1. How much time does your company have to devote to social media?
2. Where do your customers typically “hang out” online? Who is your target audience?
3. What are your goals with regard to social media – brand exposure? More traffic? Increased sales?
I found a great inforgraphic that Zintro created and Mashable shared recently that shows the different uses for different social networking sites. Each social networking site has its own purpose, and it’s important to realize this when starting a social media intiative. For example, Facebook and LinkedIn are similar in many ways, but LinkedIn is more of a “Facebook for professionals.” You’ll want to highlight your professional life on LinkedIn, but it’s not the place to share family pictures from a recent vacation. This holds true for businesses as it does for individuals.
Here is a quick breakdown of who is using each social network the most. The infographic is included below.
- Facebook – largest segment of users are males and females between the ages of 21-24
- There are more Twitter users who are male, with the leading age group falling between 31- 49 (users between 18-29 are a close second)
- LinkedIn users fall into the 25-54 age group, with most users between the ages of 35-44. Males and females use this site almost evenly
- Males are predominant users of Google +, with 69% of the user population being male
- While Pinterest didn’t make this infographic, the current statistics show that females dominate this site, at least right now
