- The number of U.S. Facebook users in the 12- to 17-year-old demographic declined by 9.9 percent in 2017, eMarketer found, or about 1.4 million total users. ... Overall, eMarketer found Facebook lost about 2.8 million U.S. usersunder 25 last year. And Facebook's 2018 doesn't look much better.
- Age 25 to 34, at 29.7% of users, is the most common age demographic. (Source:Emarketer 2012) What this means for you: This is the prime target demographic for many businesses’ marketing efforts, and you have the chance to engage these key consumers on Facebook.
- Highest traffic occurs mid-week between 1 to 3 pm. (Source: Bit.ly blog) On another note, a Facebook post at 7pm will result in more clicks on average than posting at 8pm (Source: Forbes). Go figure. How this can help you: You have the potential to reach more consumers and drive higher traffic to your site during peak usage times, but people may be more likely to be more engaged in the evenings. This statistic may be a factor when you are planning social communication scheduling. (Also consider that Facebook has a global audience, so you may want to plan around the time zone of your key market.)
- There are 83 million fake profiles. (Source: CNN) The Takeaway: Nothing is perfect, so always remain thoughtful and strategic in your efforts. Also, fake or not, these are still potential consumers. There are various reasons for fake profiles, including professionals doing testing and research, and people who want to segment their Facebook use more than is possible with one account.
- People are exiting Facebook: https://www.
theverge.com/2018/9/5/ 17822736/facebook-break- delete-app The Facebook exodus among young people is real, and disenchantment with the leading social media platform is extending to older users, too. According to new data from Pew Research Center that sampled US Facebook users aged 18 and up, 4 in 10 (42 percent) of those surveyed have taken a break from the social network for “several weeks or more” in the last year; a quarter of respondents said they’ve deleted the mobile app entirely from their smartphones. Pew’s survey was conducted between May 29th and June 11th, so the burnout and frustrations stemming from Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal were still fresh in the minds of users. But it’s an alarming sign that shows people have a bad taste in their mouths from Facebook after months hearing about privacy mishaps, election meddling, misinformation campaigns, and questionable moderation practices. Today, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg is testifying before Congress regarding how foreign countries are wielding technology platforms to sow discord and unrest in the United States.
The movement away from Facebook really does seem to be generational: 44 percent of users between 18 and 29 told Pew they deleted Facebook’s app versus the 20 percent of people aged 50–64 who did so. For users over 65, that number dropped to 12 percent.
YouTube Demographics
- 62% of YouTube users are Males.
- 80% of YouTube users come from outside the U.S.
- 9% of small businesses are on YouTube.
- 35+ and 55+ age groups are the fastest growing YouTube demographics.
- 75% of adults turn to YouTube for nostalgia rather than tutorials or current events.
- Millennials prefer YouTube two to one over traditional television.
- 37% of the coveted 18 – 34 demographic are binge-watching.
- YouTube services 88 countries in 76 languages (or 95% of all internet users).
- Males are primarily watching soccer or strategy games.
- Females are primarily watching beauty videos.
- There 50 million creators on YouTube.y
Our own industry-wide survey points to this, with YouTube being one of the top places for monetizing video content. Similar to other social networks, you need an active, engaged audience on YouTube for monetization to work. It’s the only way to draw advertisers to you.We asked our Director of Content, Rebecca Stefansky, to share some tips from operating the Wochit Studio’s YouTube channels. So whether you’re looking to get started with a YouTube channel or you just want to optimize the one your organization already has, she has some important advice to help you make the most of it:
1. Start with one channel.
Even if your organization has different divisions or content streams, starting with one channel allows you to speak in a singular voice. Stick to your core brand and target your ideal audience.
2. Set up the landing page for your channel.
The landing page is very important. Invest in your trailer, thumbnail and banner so they speak to what your channel is all about.
3. Fill out all of the fields in the About section.
Bots can’t watch your video to index it, so they rely on the text you provide to match your content up with interested viewers.
4. Don’t just upload videos, curate the content.
Make playlists of your videos for different topics or interest. And make sure your most popular content is above the fold.
5. Commit to a schedule.
Whether you want to publish 5 videos a day, 1 video every 2 days, or whatever – set a schedule and stick to it! If you’re just getting started, publishing 3 times a week is a good place to start.
6. Publish at the right time.
Early mornings, around lunchtime, and in the evening are the best times in the day to push out new content.
7. Engage your viewers.
Make content that prompts engagement, and interact with your subscribers – respond to comments, or at least give them a thumbs up. For a channel to succeed, 50% depends on the video production and 50% on interacting with your following.
8. Utilize CTAs.
You need people to subscribe and come back – interaction does that, but also you can use the tools youtube offers (e.g., in-video CTAs) to drive subscription.
9. Give your audience the content they want.
Entertainment and News both work well in terms of monetization.
10. Stay engaged.
Once your channel is up and running, don’t neglect it! Up-keep doesn’t need to be a huge timesuck, though. An hour a day should be enough to review your comments and engage with your audience.
While video is the main focus all across social, YouTube remains the leader in terms of monetization opportunities. With our advice, you should be able to grow a successful channel and tap a new revenue stream with your video efforts.
Do you even need a website anymore?
It's something a lot business owners are now asking themselves. Thanks to the increasing sophistication of social media platforms, building online relationships with prospects is now easier than ever before. As reported by Ad Week, there are now more than 40 million active small business pages on Facebook.
Over the past several years, the social platform has continually introduced new upgrades focused on keeping users from leaving the site. If you have ever tried to share a Facebook-hosted video with a non-Facebook user, you have experienced this phenomena. The video has no "home" outside of Facebook, meaning your friend must visit the social network to watch it (whether they have an account or not).
The company also now gives higher "organic weight" to content consumed on its own site, as opposed to links that send users away from Facebook. A video uploaded straight to Facebook, for instance, will get a significant organic boost over a video link pasted from YouTube.
And other platforms are following suit. So, do you really need that website?
Business Website vs. Facebook Page: Which is Best?
It may sound tempting, but don't drop your company website just yet. If you're going to have marketing success in the age of platforms, you're going to need your website to be a hub for all of them.
In this article, we'll explain why business websites are not going obsolete any time soon.
1. LESS COMPETITION
The competition on Facebook is fierce. As reported by BuzzSumo, the average number of engagements with Facebook posts created by brands has fallen more than 20 percent since January 2017. The company analyzed more than 880 million posts and gleaned the average number of engagements fell from 340 to 264 over the first 6 months of the year: 
Put simply, there is now more content being created than there is time to absorb it.
The average newsfeed displays 1,500 stories, according to Facebook. The company's director of product management told TechCrunch last year that the typical Facebook user increased their total number of page likes by 50 percent in 2016. The more pages someone likes, and the more friends they have, the more competition businesses have to break through.
Compare that to your company Website, where you have someone's undivided attention -- even if it's only for a few seconds. Will you have to do something to drive traffic to your site? Yes, but that's nothing a solid organic search strategy can't handle.
Companies who practice inbound marketing may have hefty competition for keyword search terms at the beginning of their journeys, but that competition will significantly decrease over time with consistent effort. Conversely, Facebook competition is only likely to increase.
2. YOU CONTROL THE EXPERIENCE
Another benefit of maintaining a company Website?
You are 100% in control of the brand experience. A well-designed website will function as an extension of your company vision, values and services. Not only will it provide visitors with valuable information, but it will also help them to better understand your Unique Selling Proposition.
Sure, you can customize your Facebook business page with a background photo. But, at the end of the day, the page still looks like... Well, Facebook! With so many choices available today, potential customers want to know what makes you different from the competition. A company website is much more conducive to telling your brand story in a clear and engaging manner. Furthermore, your site won't be subject to the effects of Facebook's ever-changing algorithm. Relying on third-party sites means following their terms of service, like it or not.
3. YOU OWN THE LEADS
While creating content for native platforms is great, there is no substitute for capturing a prospect's email address. According to the Data and Marketing Association, email still provides the highest ROI for modern marketers. Once you have someone's email address, you have the power to deliver the right marketing message at the right time.
While Facebook is ideal for attracting fresh prospects, it doesn't provide everything you need to complete the sales cycle. Ideally, you want to motivate your Facebook followers to your website where they can then sign-up to stay in contact. You can't guarantee a placement in their newsfeeds, but you can count on being recognized within their Inboxes. So, how do you get them to part with their email addresses in the first place?
Create an enticing lead magnet that motivated them to sign-up. If you have a long sales cycle, your online marketing strategy should include layered content for every stage of the Buyer's Journey. Ideally, your website should act as the hub for all of your online marketing efforts. Use social media channels for lead generation, but nurture those leads through your website and email newsletter.
WEBSITE VS. FACEBOOK: WHICH IS BEST? BOTH!
None of our clients rely on one platform entirely. Instead, they are using platforms to build audiences where their target personas spend their time. Then, they are using their website to generate leads and nurture those leads into customers.
The bottom-line: There is no substitute for the level of brand control, user personalization and lead nurturing that can be accomplished via a business website. While solely utilizing Facebook might work great for certain consumer-based businesses (e.g. bars, restaurants, massage studios), it's a pretty ineffective strategy for B2Bs.
If your typical buyer does a fair amount of research before making a decision, your best bet is guiding them through a strategic content funnel on your site.