These Social Media Demographics for 2022 Will Tell You What Channels You Should Use

Social media demographics provide a baseline of whether we are using the right channels to reach our ideal clients. For example, if you wanted to reach those 65 years of age and up, you probably shouldn’t focus on TikTok or Snapchat because less than 5% of that demographic has an account on those platforms. Your time would be better spent using your Facebook Page to reach these seniors.

Around seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with others, share information, engage with current content, and entertain themselves. This means that if you’re not leveraging social media when marketing your business, you’re missing out.

As more people begin to adopt social media into their everyday routines, the social media user base has seen growth more representative of the broader population. In fact, the earliest social media adopters were young adults who continue to use these sites at high levels. However, older adults are becoming increasingly interested in social media nowadays especially when it comes to seeing friends and family that live far away.

If you are getting serious about using social media to generate sales, one of the first steps is to identify the right channels for your business. This way, you can attract the right customers. Let’s take a look at the current top 10 channels in the USA right now to learn more.

Top 10 Social Media Channels in the United States

#1 – Facebook

Despite the ever-shifting demographic and your industry, there is certainly room for you on Facebook. Right now, the leading industries on Facebook are eCommerce, financial services, gaming, retail, telecom, media, entertainment, consumer goods, and automotive businesses.

One prevalent issue with Facebook is that the News Feed often suppresses business posts, though, this can be easily fixed. There are many ways to bolster engagement without having to invest in ads. [Read: 8 Actionable Tips that Lead to One Client’s 1,400% Increase in Engagement on Facebook]

To get the most out of it, you should also consider creating or joining groups, using live videos to increase engagement, and consider using a Facebook Messenger chatbot.

Who Uses Facebook?

Total: 69%

Ages:

18-29 (70%)
30-49 (77%)
50-64 (73%)
65+ (50%)

Men or Women:

Men (61%)
Women (77%)

Income:

Less than 30K (70%)
$30K-$49,999 (76%)
$50K-$74,999 (61%)
More than $75K (70%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (64%)
Some college (71%)
College graduate (73%)

Relevant Information

Facebook is the most popular social network.
Facebook has 2.7 billion monthly users.

#2 – YouTube

YouTube was the very first video social media platform. It boasts a huge dominance within the market. In fact, it holds second place for the most monthly active users at 2 billion. The potential for YouTube is unmatched.

This is because roughly 73% of US adults frequent the platform. These are numbers that can’t, and shouldn’t, be ignored. YouTube has a fantastic user base across many different age groups.

Yes, even that hard-to-reach 65+ demographic. It is second only to Facebook. YouTube covers a whole diverse range of genres from gaming, beauty, and DIY home improvements, to education. With video being an ever-growing medium for content marketing, this is the best platform for brands to invest in.

Who Uses YouTube?

Total: 81%

Ages:

18-29 (95%)
30-49 (91%)
50-64 (83%)
65+ (49%)

Men or Women:

Men (82%)
Women (80%)

Income:

Less than 30K (75%)
$30K-$49,999 (83%)
$50K-$74,999 (79%)
More than $75K (90%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (70%)
Some college (86%)
College graduate (89%)

Relevant Information

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world.
YouTube reaches more adults aged 18 to 24 than any other tv network on mobile devices alone.

#3 – WhatsApp

Did you know that WhatsApp remains one of the most popular social messaging apps? Yes, even more, popular than Facebook Messenger! While WhatsApp may not seem like the most popular or obvious choice for brands, you’ll be surprised to know it has a 98% open rate compared to the 20% open rate offered by email marketing.

It has a very captive audience. On top of that, WhatsApp messages are free to send, unlike SMS. You will soon realize the potential for brands is huge with WhatsApp if you choose to use it for customer services.

If you learn how to leverage WhatsApp, you have a fantastic and direct marketing channel for your target audience.

Who Uses WhatsApp?

Total: 23%

Ages:

18-29 (24%)
30-49 (30%)
50-64 (23%)
65+ (10%)

Men or Women:

Men (26%)
Women (21%)

Income:

Less than 30K (23%)
$30K-$49,999 (20%)
$50K-$74,999 (19%)
More than $75K (29%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (20%)
Some college (16%)
College graduate (33%)

Relevant Information

Two billion minutes are consumed every day on WhatsApp.
There are two billion users on WhatsApp.

#4 – Instagram

Instagram is the perfect social media platform for influencers, product-based businesses, and coaches can thrive. In 2018, it introduced shoppable posts which made the potential for ROI product-based businesses skyrocket higher than ever. Now, not only. Can B2B’s connect with a huge audience, they can link product information, as well as sales, directly from Instagram.

If your target demographic is under 35, Instagram is the platform for you.

Who Uses Instagram?

Total: 40%

Ages:

18-29 (71%)
30-49 (48%)
50-64 (29%)
65+ (13%)

Men or Women:

Men (36%)
Women (44%)

Income:

Less than 30K (35%)
$30K-$49,999 (45%)
$50K-$74,999 (39%)
More than $75K (47%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (30%)
Some college (44%)
College graduate (49%)

Relevant Information

100 million users launch or watch live videos on a daily basis.
Instagram is the 4^th most active social media platform.

#5 – TikTok

TikTok currently names itself as the leading destination for short-form mobile video. The company’s mission is to bring joy and inspire creativity. TikTok has seen incredible growth despite being the youngest app to market.

There is no denying that it has firmly cemented its place in society. If you’re looking to appeal to Gen Z, TikTok is the platform for you. In fact, as of January 2021, time per user spent on TikTok exceeded that of Facebook.

While some mocked this young platform, it has proven to be excellent for marketing businesses and building connections with your target audience.

Who Uses TikTok?

Total: 21%

Ages:

18-29 (48%)
30-49 (22%)
50-64 (14%)
65+ (4%)

Men or Women:

Men (17%)
Women (24%)

Income:

Less than 30K (22%)
$30K-$49,999 (29%)
$50K-$74,999 (20%)
More than $75K (20%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (21%)
Some college (24%)
College graduate (19%)

Relevant Information

TikTok is the 7^th most active platform in the world.
TikTok has 689 million monthly users.

#6 – Snapchat

If your target demographic is young, you definitely don’t want to miss out on using Snapchat. The most active users on Snapchat are 13-year-olds. Usually, they spend upwards of 30 minutes per day on the app.

Snapchat is great if you’re considering exclusive offers, behind-the-scenes videos, and influencer takeovers.

Who Uses Snapchat?

Total: 25%

Ages:

18-29 (65%)
30-49 (24%)
50-64 (12%)
65+ (2%)

Men or Women:

Men (22%)
Women (28%)

Income:

Less than 30K (25%)
$30K-$49,999 (27%)
$50K-$74,999 (29%)
More than $75K (28%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (21%)
Some college (32%)
College graduate (23%)

Relevant Information

Snapchat has 433 million monthly users.
Snapchat is ranked 2nd worldwide based on overall mobile usage.

#7 – Reddit

Reddit is most commonly known as the front page of the internet. It is one of the top 20 most-visited sites according to Alexa rankings. Reddit has very unique content and community blend.

In fact, there are more than 150,000 communities dedicated to every topic you can imagine and more. With so many different niches, every brand and business has a place on Reddit. It is only a matter of finding where your potential customers are active.

Be warned, however. Reddit can be a fickle place. Nobody takes kindly to blatant self-promotion.

You’re better off trying to navigate the site for some time instead of going into it full steam ahead. Otherwise, you could risk commentators trashing your brand.

Who Uses Reddit?

Total: 18%

Ages:

18-29 (36%)
30-49 (22%)
50-64 (10%)
65+ (3%)

Men or Women:

Men (23%)
Women (12%)

Income:

Less than 30K (10%)
$30K-$49,999 (17%)
$50K-$74,999 (20%)
More than $75K (26%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (9%)
Some college (20%)
College graduate (26%)

Relevant Information

Reddit has 430 million monthly users.

#8 – Pinterest

If you’re in the food, fashion, décor, workout, wedding, or DIY industry, Pinterest will welcome you with open arms! As long as your content has rich visuals, you will thrive. If you have a predominantly female audience, Pinterest will likely be a huge help for your business.

Who Uses Pinterest?

Total: 31%

Ages:

18-29 (32%)
30-49 (34%)
50-64 (38%)
65+ (18%)

Men or Women:

Men (16%)
Women (46%)

Income:

Less than 30K (21%)
$30K-$49,999 (33%)
$50K-$74,999 (29%)
More than $75K (40%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (22%)
Some college (36%)
College graduate (37%)

Relevant Information

Pinterest has 416 million monthly users.
Pinterest is the 14^th most active platform.

#9 – Twitter

If your business has something to do with sports, entertainment, tech, politics, or marketing, you stand to thrive on Twitter. When you use Twitter, you have a huge opportunity to hone in on your target audience and find your voice. There is so much room to be personable, clever, helpful, and informative.

You can provide value, jump into threads, join the nonstop conversations, and share your own content.

Who Uses Twitter?

Total: 23%

Ages:

18-29 (42%)
30-49 (27%)
50-64 (18%)
65+ (7%)

Men or Women:

Men (25%)
Women (22%)

Income:

Less than 30K (12%)
$30K-$49,999 (29%)
$50K-$74,999 (22%)
More than $75K (34%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (14%)
Some college (26%)
College graduate (33%)

Relevant Information

Twitter has 353 million monthly users.
Twitter is the 15^th most active platform.

#10 – LinkedIn

LinkedIn has a massive network of open-minded professionals. In fact, you will find over 61 million users in senior positions on this great platform. If you are on the hunt for decision-makers who have the power to stock your product, hire your company, or partner with you, LinkedIn is the number one platform.

LinkedIn is very much focused on connecting you with elite groups of professionals who can truly make a difference for your business.

Who Uses LinkedIn?

Total: 28%

Ages:

18-29 (30%)
30-49 (36%)
50-64 (33%)
65+ (11%)

Men or Women:

Men (31%)
Women (26%)

Income:

Less than 30K (12%)
$30K-$49,999 (21%)
$50K-$74,999 (21%)
More than $75K (50%)

Education Attainment:

High school or less (10%)
Some college (28%)
College graduate (51%)

Relevant Information

LinkedIn has 310 million monthly users.
Roughly 46% of social media traffic to a company’s website comes from LinkedIn.

Conclusion

Now that you know what channel to focus on, read about why people follow brands on social media and how you can keep them interested.

Whether you run your own business or form a part of a social media team, these insights will help you navigate your way through the ever-changing dynamics of social media platforms. Now, you can plan out your winning social media strategy to reach new levels in 2022.

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