Social media has affected our lives greatly since its introduction in this modern world. It has spread so much that there is no single aspect of our lives without its influence. That is why marketers are now considering social media as their new marketing strategy. But how to determine whether the specific social media platforms will help them or not? How will they understand the better way to reach people through social media? Well, the demographics of social media users help marketers get a better knowledge about that.
As social beings, social media is the source of every type of information for us.
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We rely on such media for not only funny posts but also for serious, informative ones.
The demand for social channels has hence increased very much in recent times.
The marketing sector has also come under its influence.
As a result, the necessity of demographics also rose.
Besides, demographics represent all social media users.
Just looking at the charts, you understand all the related data and surveys more clearly.
We will share different aspects of media demographics in the next paragraphs with the necessary demographic data.
It will help the audience understand a lot better about the influence of social media marketing.
Most importantly, we will include demographics about every top social media platforms.
Age Demographics of Social Media Users
At first, let us talk about the age demographics.
As marketing strategies vary upon the age of people, the age demographics are crucial to know.
But first, let us know what different terms for age demographics refer to.
There are three age groups of active social media users- millennials, generation X, and baby boomers.
Let us know what these generation terms indicate with the approximate user number.
You will then know which generation uses social media the most- the most asked question in recent years.
Like all other sectors in the modern world, gen Y or millennials are ruling social media platforms.
For your information, millennials are the people born between 1980 to 2000.
So in 2021, they age from 21 to 40 years old. Surveys found that a huge 90.4% of millennials or Gen Y actively use different social media platforms on a daily basis.
The main reason behind this vast number maybe their most use of smartphones.
Besides, they are the advanced adult generation.
These factors might be the cause of their most use.
On the other hand, Gen X possesses another considerable percentage of 77.5% active daily users.
These users are likely to use tablets instead of smartphones.
This generation covers people whose age is now between 41 to 55.
They are the active earning people of the current world.
That is why their use of social media is significant to social media marketing specialists.
If you are trying to boost your business, reaching this generation is crucial.
Reaching Gen Y is no less significant, though.
Baby Boomers and Generation Z
Baby boomers are the oldest generation of the present world.
One might think that they will use social media at a low rate.
However, the situation is entirely the opposite.
A massive percentage of 48.2% of baby boomers are daily active.
This statistic proves that the old generation is bridging between their old age and the world of technology.
Their increased interest in social media can be helpful for impactful social media marketing.
Another age group that we tend to mention less is Gen Z.
They are the newest population in this world.
Although they are the lowest in age, their influence is not the lowest.
However, we do not find any specific information on these demographics of social media users.
Maybe that is because almost every social media requires the user to be at least 18 years old.
Nevertheless, their influence in marketing sectors is no less.
That is because their parents tend to keep their demands.
And as a result, although they have no active account, they are also crucial.
It is maybe one of the most asked questions around the world now.
Well, the number is almost half of the total population.
We know that there are above 7.5 billion people in the whole world.
Amongst them, a considerable number are under the age of using any social media.
And among the rest, many older adults do not have any interest or necessity in social media.
So when we say there are 3.5 billion active users, it is more than astonishing.
Because if you think straight, there are no more than 4 billion people eligible for social media use.
3.5 billion among 4 is quite much, indeed.
45% of the total population use Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat, etc.
Different surveys conducted in 2019 show this result.
However, the number is much higher in 2021, that we can say for sure.
Why is the number so high?
The main reason may be the increased use of mobile phones.
Besides, all social media now have mobile apps.
Also, the websites are now optimized for mobile users.
You can directly reach your favorite sites with a simple touch of your fingers.
Therefore, using Facebook, Snapchat, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms have become much easier.
Platforms Demographics
We have previously discussed age demographics and generation based social media users.
Now comes another essential demographics to know.
That is specific social media demographics.
In the next paragraphs, we will share the demographics of the top social media channels.
Facebook Demographics
As you might have already known, Facebook is the top social media used by adults.
As it has the most users, understanding and reaching them is crucial for any business.
That is to say that if you want to promote your business, you cannot leave Facebook behind.
Active user of Facebook is the most in number.
There are an enormous 2.7 billion active monthly users of Facebook.
Compared to the total 3.5 billion users, Facebook’s percentage exceeds 80%.
Indeed, the number is more than one can expect.
Now, let’s go to the age demographics of Facebook.
Surveys show that among people between 18-29 years old, 86% use Facebook.
With the increase of age, the percentage of users decreases.
For instance, 77% of people between 30 and 49 years use Facebook.
On the other hand, for people of 50-65, the percentage of Facebook users is 51%.
Similarly, when the age group is above 65, the rate of active Facebook users decreases to 34%.
Surveys have been conducted on gender demographics, too.
Statistics show that 46% of Facebook users are male.
On the other hand, 54% of users are female.
Hopefully, you have already understood how important Facebook is for marketing in a social media age.
Yet, there is more.
On average, a Facebook user spends 35 minutes of their time per day on this platform.
Another thing that you should consider is the device type the users prefer.
Statistics show that Facebook users via mobile phone are 96% of the total users.
On the other hand, desktop or laptop users are 25% of the total Facebook users.
Instagram Demographics
A few years ago, Instagram as a social media platform, was popular, but not this much.
However, after Facebook bought the platform, it has gained popularity in a very short time.
And what is more, the popularity is still rising.
You can easily understand that by looking at the following statistics.
The demographic for Instagram shows that its active users were 800 million in late 2018.
And now, the number of monthly active Instagram users have exceeded 1 billion in 2020.
The number of active daily users is also very impressive.
Almost 500 million people use Instagram on a daily basis.
Like Facebook, Instagram has more female users than males.
51% of users are female, while 49% are male.
As Instagram is an image and video-based platform, its users spend more time than they do on the owner platform.
An Instagram user spends a considerable 53 minutes on the platform every day.
For businesses and various services, Instagram has been proven as a booming marketplace.
The statistic that shows 71% of US businesses using Instagram accounts proves the fact.
But that does not mean only companies are using Instagram.
Instagram users also find the marketplace perfect.
For instance, 83% of Instagram users find convenient services and products on Instagram.
Indeed, that is a guide for social media marketing.
Instagram age demographics are yet to consider.
Like all other social media platforms, age matters in the case of Instagram, too.
While 67% of 18-29 years old people use Instagram, the number is only 8% for people over 65.
The middle-aged people are in between the two ranges.
Among people from 30-49 years, 47% use Instagram.
On the other hand, 23% of 50-64 years old people use the platform.
Snapchat Demographics
Some people do not find Snapchat very useful.
However, the demographics say something different.
Demographics show that there are almost 400 million monthly active Snapchat users.
As a result, Snapchat has crossed so many other applications, as the social media demographics say.
For Snapchat, there is no desktop or laptop-user.
That is because Snapchat is only for mobile users.
There is something more about the Snapchat mobile app.
The Snapchat application is holding 2nd place among the overall mobile app usage.
This demographic proves how crucial this platform is for any business.
And now comes the age demographics for Snapchat.
Snapchat is more young-adult based than others.
That is why we find more young users of Snapchat than other social media platforms.
However, the age pyramid remains the same.
That means that youngers use social media platforms more than elders do.
For people between 15-25 years, more than 50% use Snapchat.
The number declined slightly for the next age group, with 34% active users between 26 and 35.
The percentage is the lowest with 4% for people over 56 years.
For people in the range of 36-45 years, the percentage of users is 18%.
Similarly, the rate is 11% for people between 46 and 55.
Gender plays a vital role for Snapchat users.
While we find both genders, females are almost double in number.
61% of Snapchat users are females, with the rest being males.
Demographics do not show any such difference in other social media platforms.
The daily usage time for Snapchat is not as much as that of Instagram and Facebook.
Both of those exceeded half an hour’s daily usage time.
But for Snapchat, the daily usage time is 30 minutes, no more than that.
Youtube Demographics
Among all the social media platforms, Youtube is maybe the most versatile one.
It covers every type of information and knowledge.
You can get videos on literally everything, from funny videos to serious educational ones.
That is why this platform is one of the most suitable social media platforms for any business.
No matter what type your business is, you can post a related video on Youtube and reach your target audience in no time.
Especially if your service is information-based, there is no alternative to Youtube.
In the parameter of active users, Youtube owns the second position.
The first position goes to Facebook, as already mentioned.
Youtube has a tremendous 2 billion monthly active users.
And like the previous social media platforms, most of Youtube’s users are females.
An unlikely thing about Youtube is its daily usage.
We tend to think that people will spend more time on Youtube than on other platforms.
However, the daily use of Youtube is much less than our expectations.
While other social media platforms exceed 30 minutes, Youtube’s daily usage is around 12 minutes only.
Previously we found Snapchat, which was available only on mobile devices.
However, Youtube is different than Snapchat in this aspect.
It offers both mobile use and computer and laptop use.
However, more than 70% of users browse Youtube on their mobile devices.
Youtube Age Demographics
Unlike other social media platforms, Youtube has high popularity even among people of old age.
Social media demographics for other platforms show that no more than 20% of over 60 years’ users use those platforms.
However, the whole statistic in this regard is incorrect in the case of Youtube.
58% of people over 56 years use Youtube.
Nevertheless, the younger ones are more in number.
For the lowest age group of 15-25, 81% of people use Youtube.
People from 26 to 35 are in the next range.
71% of these people use Youtube.
For people between 36-45 years, 67% are active Youtube users.
Similarly, for people around 50 years, 66% are active Youtube users.
Suitable Networks for You
Now comes the most vital part applicable for any social media marketing strategy.
That is which networks you should include in your next plan.
As you might have understood from different demographics, people vary from platform to platform.
Let’s give some examples.
Let’s say that you are trying to reach teens with your service or product.
In this case, demographics show that Snapchat will be the perfect choice for you.
However, as your target audience grows older, your use of Snapchat becomes dull.
And for people over 60 years old, Youtube might be the best choice for you.
And for mid-adult people, demographics prove that Facebook and Instagram are similar convenient besides Snapchat.
Another thing you should consider is the type of your industry.
Although that does not seem to be crucial, it is.
For example, Snapchat is ideal for industries like retail, media, sports, and CPG.
On the other hand, Snapchat does not have much effect on industries like financial services and automotive.
If you are in the health care industry, you should not use Snapchat as your social media marketing strategy.
That is because demographics show that Snapchat is not at all ideal for the health care industry.
However, to reach people from the health care industry, Pinterest and Twitter might be the right choice for you besides Facebook.
Analyze Your Social Media Marketing
If you want to succeed with your marketing strategies, you must be willing to follow the demographics.
And to help you with that, here is a tip from us.
Try to be mobile-friendly.
As you have noticed from the demographics, people now use mobile more than laptops or desktops.
We see its proof by the Snapchat app.
The Snapchat app managed the 2nd place just for being a mobile-only platform.
So if you want to reach the most audience, there is no alternative to using something accessible from mobile devices.
Statistics show that 91% of all social media users use different platforms from their mobile devices.
Moreover, the total time spent on mobile devices is much more than that on desktops and laptops.
The demographics showing 80% of total time proves that.
There is more. People carry mobile phones with them all the time, no matter where they go.
So if you want them to reach you anywhere and everywhere, be accessible through mobile phones.
Another thing you should keep in mind is your target location.
Demographics show that Snapchat is suitable for places with a higher economy.
On the other hand, Facebook is the same popular in different regions.
So if you want to reach people with a higher economy, you might consider using Snapchat and Instagram.
Final Thoughts
Demographics are essential for any marketing strategy.
It is no different in the case of demographics of social media users.
But if you want to get the best out of various media demographics, you should analyze everything.
At first, analyze what your goal is.
Then, based on your goal, choose your target audience.
Now, compare different platforms.
Check which one corresponds to your demands the most.
For example, if your service is based on pictures or videos, Instagram might be the right choice.
On the other hand, there is Facebook for any purpose.
Facebook has become so versatile that it accommodates any variety of content.
So when pursuing your strategy, keep these statistics in mind.
