In a phone poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International earlier this year, participants were asked if they used Twitter… and here’s what the findings show:
So what juicy marketing details can we squeeze out of this tasty table…
If your target market has anything to do with any of the following:
- Ages 18 – 49
- Urban or Suburban
- College Educated
- Black or Hispanic
Then Twitter is a great channel for you to start communicating with your audience.
Twitter isn’t just for people ages 18-24
Twitter’s adoption is still very high in the age ranges of 18-24, but comparison from 2011 results vs. 2010 results showed some very interesting doubling growth in age groups 25-34 and 35-44.
If you were waiting for “older people” to start using Twitter before implementing it into your marketing mix, the time is NOW. There are people, your people, using Twitter right now, so it’s time to quit making excuses and start thinking about trying your hand at Twitter.
You see, it’s easier to gain great leagues of followers as they’re introducing themselves to something new. When users just start using Twitter they often turn to following people they respect and want to stay in contact with, it’s easier to get over the barrier of entry to get them to follow you, than say… six months from now when their Twitter streams are jammed packed with friends, deals and noise you have to shout over to get their attention.
African-Americans and Latinos Love Twitter
According to the poll, 25% of online African Americans now use Twitter, compared with 9% of polled caucasians. African-American and Latino internet users are each significantly more likely than their caucasian counterparts to be Twitter adopters. Even more notable: One in ten African-American internet users now visit Twitter on a typical day—that is double the rate for Latinos and nearly four times the rate for caucasians.
If you’re a college, beauty product, nightlife spot, musical artist, a hair salon or any number of communities, businesses, or organizations dedicated to dark tone ladies and gents you should definitely check out Twitter, because your customers are.
Statistics make your marketing mix more certain
I love statistics like this. Mostly because numbers don’t lie and they really tell tales far bigger than themselves that you can take into consideration when selecting what channels to include into your marketing mix.
Making sure your audience is really inside the newest hottest thing is really important before hopping in, but once you know they’re there, it’s time to shed your worry and jump in with both feet.
So, are you still on the fence about getting into Twitter for your business based on these new findings? Would love to hear about your personal opinion.
If you’re looking for a great way to get started on Twitter, I would suggest checking out the free Twitter for Beginners ebook by Social Media DIY.
[Check out the whole report]
April Holle, Principal of Made Better Studio
racist, much?
“If you’re a beauty product, night life spot, musical artist, a hair salon or any number of communities/businesses/organizations dedicated to dark tone ladies and gents you should definitely check out Twitter, because your customers are.”
So I guess the only businesses that African Americans and Hispanics visit are the stereotypical ones listed above. I especially love the reference to “dark toned ladies and gents”
Joy,
This post is not at all meant to have any tones of racism. There is no hatred at all for any culture or race in this post at all.
I am merely pointing out where people who are looking to serve those ethnic/demographic groups could go to meet more of their audience. It’s post about connecting people with interests and needs with those who can serve them.
Right in the quote you mention it says, “or any number of communities/businesses/organizations dedicated to” that could mean everything from colleges to churches… I’m not trying at all to be stereotypical, just helping the reader understand real-life services that do have heavily based markets in other cultures other than anglo.
I apologize if this post offended you in any way, it was not meant to.
Interesting post. While using social media outlets may be good for some things, I personally try and stay away from them. I actually take this research as proof of my convictions; I wonder if others (and consumers) are starting to get tired of being friends with or following brands. As much as I love shopping at say, Target, I don’t want to be buddy-buddy with them on social media platforms; likewise I don’t see why anyone would want to follow my little business either. It’s a shame that every. single. company now feels the urge to jump on that bandwagon, regardless of whether or not it’s actually appropriate for their business.
It really is starting to seem that Twitter, in particular, is only used by a teeny percentage of society, yet keeps making itself out to be big or influential. I’m starting to feel like it’s the 90/10 thing: 10% of people that use make up 90% of the noise. For a term project, my statistics team conducted a survey of social media and usage; the results were staggering. Barely a handful of respondents (out of over 100) self-reported that they used Twitter. And these were college students.
Maybe someday I’ll have to convert out of sheer necessity, but for now I’m happy to stay away from all the noise.
What I’m curious is, do you think Twitter (and other social media) will continue to grow as a viable marketing tool? Or will that bubble eventually burst, like the dotcom bubble of yesteryear?
I think social media, particularly Twitter, is great for personal connections, learning more about others, sharing, etc. I really enjoy the connections that I’ve made, and I wouldn’t shy away from using anything that connects you with other like-minds or knowledge that can help you out.
I think you’re right about the fact that not everyone wants to follow ALL the brands they buy. But, people still DO follow business and cause pages because they’re interested, they want to know more, and for whatever reason they want to be affiliated.
People still do business with people, so being out there and allowing them to connect if they want to is still a great way to raise awareness of who you are and what you stand for. That being said you have to be relevant and helpful to the people who do follow you or chances are they’ll drop out.
Social Media channels are only as noisy as you make them, since you get what choose who you follow in any social media channel. If you’re feeling like the people/brands in your stream are “just noise”, then I’d suggest doing a mass unfollow of the people that are mucking up your stream. You have the control to edit what comes to you, that’s one of the powers this particular media provides.
Anything that connects people in a relevant way that allows them to share stories and info will continue to grow. But, I don’t think that the current system of putting valuations on these tools are particularly accurate. It’s hard to put a money value on tools that allow for more connection and sharing, those are ubiquitous to being human.
I’ve looked at my stats for my previous business… most of “my people,” clients and customers, do NOT use twitter. As with any technology, evaluate whether it fits your demo/psychographic, and then check back in on it a few times a year, possibly on a quarterly basis, then again determine if it is worth the effort and expense. The same goes for FB, twitter, Yelp, LinkedIn, YouTube and any other media used on a regular basis.