Social media is a powerful tool to connect with multiple generations. Each generation uses one or more social platforms more than others.
Remember, social media is about hearing your audience rather than traditional marketing which is about “pushing” your message out there. Our aim is to engage with them and hear what they are actually interested in hearing and learning more about.
Favorite Platforms per Generation:
Gen Z (13-19) – Instagram
We need to shift focus to Gen Z as they are starting to lease apartments. They do not need to know what they do not know because they can find the information at their fingertips. They adapt easily, therefore you must focus on the message you are sending, regardless of the platform. This generation represents $44 billion in purchasing power and the average attention span is 8 seconds. A fun fact is that they do not like Facebook and are very visual. They want to read things quickly and express themselves through visual means and this means they are going to want this same type of communication from you.
Millennials (20-35) – Facebook
This generation is fully invested in Facebook. If your residents are Millennials, this is where you need to be to reach them. All of our milestones are stored on this platform, which means we are so fully invested, we are not going to leave Facebook. A total of 87% of Millennials are using this platform. For Millennials, written content is more valuable than branded content, so if your residents are Millennials, Facebook is where your ad dollars need to be focused.
Gen X (36-49) – Pinterest
Of Pinterest users, 36% are between 30-44 years old. They use Pinterest to plan everything from meals to weddings. Pinterest represents a beautiful story of what you want your life to be. Pinners also love visual images, yet only 8% of Gen X use Instagram. Social media is a place to be informed, not just look at pretty pictures. About 40% of the Gen X population prefer to view information on their laptop versus their smartphone. They do a lot of online shopping and they are comfortable getting information online.
Baby Boomers (50-65) – Variety
Baby Boomers are curious about social media, yet are still very formal and professional with their profiles. A total of 84% of Baby Boomers have Facebook accounts and 41% have Pinterest accounts. They are not afraid of social media, it just took them awhile to get familiar with it. Remember, 75% of the US income is held by this generation. They are more receptive to branded information and they have smartphones too! As a result, Baby Boomers are no longer relying on their kids to get information.
Platform Specifics
The platform specifics will help you determine which platform will work best for marketing based on who lives in your community.
- 90% of Instagram users are younger than 35
- 400 million users
- Over 80 million photos are uploaded every single day
- 70% of hashtags are branded
- 500 million tweet are sent each day
- Check your mentions
- Twitter users expect you to respond within an hour
- 42% of all women online use Pinterest
- 100 million users
- 60% of branded content comes from Brands
- 75% of activity on Pinterest take place on mobile devices
YouTube
- Over 100 billion users
- Over 300 hours of video uploaded every minute
- Only 2% of small businesses use YouTube
Audience Segmentation
To be successful with social media marketing, or any marketing, you must know your audience. Social media ad spending is projected to exceed $35 billion this year. Use audience segmentation to make sure your dollars are well spent.
Basics: Age, Gender, Persona, Geography
Next Level: Educational level, Resident Life Cycle, Content Format, Interest Level, Reviews and Referrals
Your clients are on social media; Americans check their social media accounts 17x per day! Make sure you are on the right platform and they see your content rather than your competitor’s information.
Remember to consider your demographics when you are creating your social media marketing plan!
Presented by:
Misty Sanford, Founder
North of Creative