Beyond Assumptions: Using Demographic Data to Find Your Audience
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, staying ahead of the game means understanding which platforms your target audience uses most. With emerging platforms constantly vying for attention, it’s easy to fall prey to misconceptions about social platforms: Is TikTok exclusively for Gen Z? Do Millennials still use Facebook? Is Instagram reserved solely for young influencers?
Marketing Platform Demographics
In this blog post, we’re here to debunk misconceptions and shed light on the true demographics and audience profiles of common advertising platforms, from search engine marketing to social media brand building. Read on for insights you need to make informed decisions about where to focus your marketing efforts.
Google vs Bing – User Demographic Comparison
Understanding the nuances in audience demographics between Google and Bing lets you tailor your advertising strategies accordingly. Although both of these platforms are search engines, there are differences in the audience base that uses each platform.
Google boasts a massive user base and captures the lion’s share of online searches. With billions of daily searches, Google provides unparalleled reach, making it an ideal platform for businesses targeting a wide range of audiences. Google’s audience is diverse, encompassing users of all ages, genders, and interests. However, it tends to attract a larger percentage of younger users, particularly millennials and Gen Z. This demographic tends to be tech-savvy, receptive to online advertisements, and actively engages with Google’s suite of products, including YouTube, Gmail, and Google Maps. (Search Engine Journal)
On the other hand, Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, has a more niche audience that can’t be ignored. While it may have a smaller user base compared to Google, Bing’s audience tends to skew slightly older and more affluent. It attracts a significant portion of the older demographic, including baby boomers and Gen X, who may prefer Bing’s interface and features. Bing’s audience also includes a higher percentage of professionals and decision-makers, making it a valuable platform for B2B marketing efforts. Additionally, Bing often appeals to users seeking specific information, such as travel, shopping, or financial services. (Search Engine Journal)
YouTube – User Demographics & Performance
YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing platform, boasts an incredibly diverse user base of 2.5 billion users making up almost one-third of the entire internet. The average user spends over 23 hours a month on the platform and 70% of users bought from a brand after seeing content on YouTube. (Hubspot)
While YouTube attracts users of all ages, it particularly resonates with younger demographics. Generation Z and millennials make up a significant portion of YouTube’s user base, with these tech-savvy and content-hungry viewers spending a considerable amount of time on the platform.
Source: https://www.similarweb.com/website/youtube.com/#demographics
For companies targeting the age range of 45-54, there might be hesitancy to advertise on YouTube. Nonetheless, it is important to consider that even a 12% share of the 2.5 billion user base is still 300 million individuals. The sheer size of YouTube’s audience combined with Google’s advanced targeting capabilities makes the platform a powerhouse for brands to engage with viewers.
For those that don’t have video content, we do recommend investing in some video assets that could be as simple as overlaying text on images. In 2022, 82% of global internet traffic was from video (The Social Shepard). So it’s important to include video in your marketing strategy to stay relevant.
Meta: Facebook & Instagram – Audience & Tendencies
Facebook and Instagram attract distinct but overlapping audiences. Let’s dig into the distinctions between these platforms to help us understand where to find the ideal audience.
Facebook tends to have a slightly older user base, particularly with a significant representation from the 25-54 age group. Facebook enables users to find like-minded communities who share similar interests. Facebook then gives advertisers the ability to target users based on those interests.
On the other hand, Instagram attracts a slightly younger audience with a strong presence among millennials and Gen Z. Instagram’s user base leans towards a more creative demographic with it being more visually driven than Facebook, making it an ideal platform for lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and entertainment-related advertising.
In the table below, Facebook is represented by the dark color on the left and Instagram is on the right in orange.
Source: https://www.similarweb.com/website/facebook.com/vs/instagram.com/#demographics
Instagram also enables users to tag products in their images and videos, making it a go to shopping platform. The Explore page lets users search for specific products, shop and buy directly from Instagram. This simple checkout process can help increase sales for fashion-forward, visually driven brands with a strong organic Instagram presence.
TikTok Demographics & Tendencies
With over 1 billion world-wide users, the viral video-sharing platform experienced explosive growth and captured the attention of a wide range of users around the world. TikTok’s appeal extends to users from varied backgrounds, cultures, and interests. The platform’s algorithm-driven “For You” page showcases a personalized feed tailored to individual users’ preferences, ensuring each user sees the most engaging content that keeps them on the platform.
Adults in the US spend an average of 46 minutes per day on TikTok, and this is projected to increase over the next couple of years (Statista). Moreover, the average user opens TikTok 19 times per day (The Social Shepard). Because users spend so much time on the platform and trust the information provided by other users, TikTok reports that 1 in 3 users bought a product because they saw it on TikTok.
Because of the trust that has been built between users on the platform, TikTok helped explode influencer marketing, making it a go-to for users seeking product reviews and recommendations. TikTok’s age demographics definitely skew to the younger side, with the majority of users being between the ages of 18-34 and thus a great platform for brands targeting Gen Z and Millennials.
Source: https://www.similarweb.com/website/tiktok.com/#demographics
The new TikTok Shop feature allows users to tag products directly on their videos, enabling viewers to easily click and link and purchase products directly on TikTok. TikTok reports 47.6 billion views of the #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag. TikTok also reports that a whopping 92% of users take action after seeing a tagged product video (TikTok).
TikTok’s rapidly growing user base and its unique blend of creativity, entertainment, and authenticity make it an exciting platform for businesses to explore and connect with a dynamic and enthusiastic audience.
LinkedIn Demographics & Tendencies
Unlike platforms focused on personal connections and entertainment, LinkedIn caters specifically to professionals and businesses. As a result, its user base consists primarily of working professionals, job seekers, industry leaders, and decision-makers. LinkedIn attracts professionals across various sectors, making it an ideal platform for B2B marketing efforts and targeting specific industries or professional roles.
In terms of age demographics, LinkedIn skews slightly older compared to other social media platforms. While it has a presence among younger professionals, its primary user base is composed of individuals in their late 20s to mid-50s, with a higher concentration of users in the 30-44 age group.
LinkedIn also offers a few distinct ad types like Document Ads, which enable advertisers to offer gated, downloadable content directly from the ad. Advertisers can also send ads directly to users’ message inboxes to start conversations that feel more personal.
LinkedIn’s unique audience demographics translate into distinct advertising opportunities for promoting B2B products and services, talent acquisition, thought leadership, and professional development.
How to Use This Data
While it’s tempting to rely on stereotypes and generalizations about who uses each platform, the truth is often far more nuanced. TikTok appeals to more than just Gen Z, Facebook’s user base spans across age groups, and Instagram reaches beyond young influencers. By relying on the data and understanding the true demographics of these platforms, informed decisions can be made regarding where to invest advertising efforts and effectively engage with the target audience. So, let’s break free from assumptions and embrace our ability to reach your audience where they truly are.
