Social Media Users - New Demographics/Stats

Brands are making great use of social media platforms, for example during the infamous SuperBowl blackout of 2013 we all heard about how Oreo quickly created an engaging Facebook post that quickly became a viral sensation. However, do you know who is using these social media platforms? It’s important to know which demographics are growing in each social platform so you can tailor your content to new social media users. A recent article on Marketing Profs.com highlighted new stats from the Pew Research Center – great information as you are planning your social media content calendars. According to the article, Facebook is still a favorite among users – 67% of online adults in the U.S. use the social network.

Twitter is trailing behind with only 16% of adults utilizing the platform – however this number has doubled since 2010. From the MarketingProfs.com article, here’s more information on Twitter users:

• Online adults under age 50, and particularly those age 18-29 (27%), are the most likely to use Twitter.
• Blacks (26%) and Hispanics (19%) are more likely than whites (14%) to use Twitter.
• Urban-dwellers (20%) are more likely than both suburban (14%) and rural residents (12%) to use Twitter.

Another popular social media network that is gaining users and marketers attention is Pinterest. Recent statistics show the following information about users:

• Women are five times more likely than men to use the site (25% vs. 5%), the largest difference in gender of any site featured in the Pew report.
• Pinterest is equally popular among those age 18-29 (19%) and those age 30-49 (19%).

We’re all familiar with our favorite filter-induced photo sharing social network—Instagram—and according to the research 13% of Internet users are sharing photos on the site. The most recent stats include:

• African-Americans (23%) and Hispanics (18%) are more likely than whites (11%) to use Instagram.
• Urban-dwellers (17%) are more likely than both suburban (11%) and rural residents (11%) to use Instagram.
• Women are more likely than men to use the site (16% vs. 10%), as are those under age 50.

For a quick overview on demographics across all the major social media platforms, check out the chart below and read the article on MarketingProfs.com.

— Cara