Social media has become a critical platform for marketers, but not all sites are created equally. While social media platforms have exploded in popularity, they differ greatly in terms of user demographics and how their users engage with the site. With the holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time to perfect your social media marketing plan. At Observation Baltimore, we wanted to get a better sense of how Baltimore residents engage with social media, so we polled over 1,100 residents to find out how they use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Read on to learn more about our findings!
How is your target market using social media?
User Engagement is a Key Consideration When Choosing Social Media Marketing Channels
Our survey respondents are highly engaged on social media, with more than 75% having an account on at least one platform. While having an account on social media is one thing, engagement is what really drives marketing efforts and in this category the platforms varied widely. Facebook users were the most likely to check their account daily, with 73% of respondents stating that they logged into the site at least once per day. Instagram had the next-highest level of engagement with just over half 52% of participants stating that they check their account daily. Twitter 25%, Pinterest 22%, and LinkedIn 11% lagged far behind in terms of daily user engagement, suggesting that they are not the most cost-effective channels to use for marketing efforts.
When it comes to social media advertising, Facebook has a reputation for reigning supreme and our survey results backed it up. 60% of respondents have clicked on an advertisement on Facebook, while only 40% have done so on Pinterest, 34% on Instagram, 26% on Twitter, and 20% on LinkedIn. Facebook users are also much more likely to make a purchase after clicking on an ad: In 2013, Facebook’s overall conversion rate was 1.83% while Instagram–their next closest competitor–had a conversion rate of only 1.08%. With over a billion active monthly users, it’s no wonder why Facebook is considered the king of social media marketing.
By using different social media platforms, we can get a better understanding of what the community is interested in. Using these different interactions, it allows us to broaden the boundaries for market research.
About Observation Baltimore:
At Observation Baltimore, we understand that the success of your research is directly tied to the quality of your participants. Recognized as one of the top Maryland market research facilities and rated “One of the World’s Best” by Impulse Survey, we believe that Experienced Recruiting Makes the Difference. Our experienced recruiting is the foundation of our mission, as well as courteous and proactive hospitality and client services. Just six minutes from BWI airport and AMTRAK, our Baltimore research facility has a great location. Most importantly, we understand market research!