Choosing Your First Social Media Platform

The best way to choose your first social media platform starts with knowing your audience and then choosing the platform where they mostly are.

Instagram

• 35% of US teens rate this their favorite social media app, 2nd to Snapchat
• 75% of 18-24-year-olds use Instagram
• There is a slightly more female population using the app
• More than 116 million US users. The highest of any country

If you want to reach mostly a younger demographic, this is a key platform.

Facebook

• India (268 million users) beats the US (183 million users) with the number of accounts
• About 3/4 of FB users visit the site on a daily basis
• 68% of 50-64 year olds use FB but don’t discount younger generations as well with 84% of 25-30 year olds and 76% of 18-24 year olds

You may have heard Facebook is an old soul but it can help reach a wider variety of audiences if you are not generation specific, OR if you are wanting to reach older generations. This app is where they are most active.

Twitter

In the US 22% of adults use this social media platform. So, if your business is primarily for adults this may be a good fit! This one also has more men account users than women. With 330 million users, 262 are OUTSIDE the US.

If you want a short-written content platform that reaches adults, and even globally, this may be the best first platform for you.

*special note: this platform is recommended for those in multiple professions such as writers, speakers, business owners/CEOs, etc.*

Pinterest

• More than 300 million people use this site worldwide
• 42% of US women have a Pinterest account
• 18-24-year-olds and 30-49-year-olds rank the highest in usage

If your audience is female, Pinterest is a platform you need to utilize at some point even if it is not your first platform.

Snapchat

This app, in 2020 is split evenly by gender and is used by 73% of 18-24-year-olds.

Primarily used by teens and young adults, this can be a useful tool but it can be harder for smaller businesses to gain traction using this app. This one is not usually a good first and only platform choice.

YouTube

• 73% of US adults use this video streaming app/site
• 38% of these log in multiple times a day
• This site is used by all ages by more than 70%
• The most is 25-30 year olds at 93%

These statistics are researched via Sprout Social from their May 5, 2020 article titled, “Social media demographics to inform your brand’s strategy in 2020”. All rights of statistics are reserved to Sprout Social and its writers.