Now that Grandma’s on facebook, how do you connect?
The under 25s aren’t using facebook to chat anymore and have reduced their posts because their aunts, uncles and grandparents are on their timelines. They’re talking through tweets and sharing “self-destructing” photos on Snapchat. Ask a 15 year-old about Pinterest and they’ll laugh “it’s for grandma and her recipes”. And Instagram is on every smartphone… and facebook is visited occasionally to see what’s on.
It’s all different now and it will change tomorrow…
Social networks have become fashion statements… and as part of the current “hipster” mentality of people wanting to be truly unique individuals, we are experiencing audiences jumping between social networks to become the first on the next wave of communications.
These constantly changing patterns in the landscape of social media are having a dynamic impact on the marketing and communications world. Brands are being forced to determine how to best stay in touch with their target audiences as they move from platform to platform.
So the big question is how do you communicate with your audience? Which platforms should you be in and where should you put your effort?
To determine the most effective use of your time and budget, you have to understand the differences and the uses of the platforms and determine which one(s) best suit your target markets today.
Email:
The beauty of email is that you have a direct contact point to your customer that is not affected by social network changes. The downfall is that email is becoming old technology and generally not used as much by the under 25 crowd.
Facebook:
With over 900,000,000 users worldwide and over 52% of the population of Canada onboard, it is the natural place to be involved. Facebook is constantly changing and has seen growth in the 50+ sector which has resulted in a decline in use by the under 25 sector. And when combined with the 970,980* Canadians who have stopped using Facebook over the last 6 months you need to be aware of where your followers are going. (*based on market insights from socialbakers.com)
Twitter:
Twitter has become the communication tool of choice for the under 25 category. With 500 million users, it is just as much a platform for Justin Bieber to tweet to his 37 million followers as it is for you to market to your followers to let them know what’s happening with you brand. Engage and be engaged.
Instagram:
This IOS-only app has evolved into a social media network now available as an Android app and online since it was launched in October of 2010. This is one of the reasons that Facebook purchased it for $715 million. Instagram is now the staple photo-sharing app with a user base of 100 million and it’s definitely a place for any brand to leverage.
Pinterest:
Pinterest has a user base of over 10 million with over 80% being female and half with children. It is known as the decorating and fashion tracking link or scrapbook site.
Tumblr:
Tumblr has a 6% share of the internet with a significantly younger user group in the 18–29 age group.
Snapchat:
Snapchat is an interesting photo-sharing app being used 30 million times a day by millions of users. It allows users to quickly shares photos and messages with friends for a limited time. . . and then they disappear. The potential business usage of this app is undetermined. Here’s what J.J. Coloa at Forbes thinks about this app.
The most important aspect of any social media program is to get started and stay involved. This is a full-time commitment that needs to be monitored and responded to on a daily basis. Social media is a conversation controlled by your audience Because a brand is what people think of you, it’s important to know what they’re thinking and saying about you.
Cheers
grant
Grant Ivens, RGD
brand surgeon | rocket scientist
Say What! Communications Corp.
“love your brand”
116A Main St North, Markham, ON, Canada L3P 1X8
T 905.752.3110 grant@saywhat.com
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