Choosing the RIGHT Social Media Platform for your New Zealand Business?
Choosing the RIGHT Social Media Platform for your New Zealand Business?
Social media usage has been consistently growing over the last decade and now has a total of 4.14 billion active social media users worldwide. Globally, the average person has 8.8 social media accounts in 2020. This was an increase from the 4.8 per person that was recorded in 2014. With so many consumers using social media, you can’t afford to not be on the social media platform.
But what is the best social media to use?
Not all social media platforms are the same. So, it is important to make sure we are on the right platforms for our target market.
Is a platform that allows businesses to share their thoughts and opinions. They can use pictures, video and articles with their posts.
Facebook is one of the most popular platforms with 83% of the population claiming to use it. It is most popular with those in the 25–34 year-old demographic with 730,000 people in New Zealand active on Facebook. The second most popular age group was 13-24 years olds with 620,000. Facebook had the fewest users in the over 65 years age group with 290,000, however, this is still a relatively large number.
Overall, Facebook is one of the safest bets to reach a wide variety of age groups. Gender does not matter with Facebook as both are similar.
If you’re keen to get started with Facebook marketing, check out our blog 10 Ways to Increase Your Facebook Engagement.
Is used to share news, entertainment, sports information, politics and so much more, with a strong emphasis on real-time information. Twitter is different to other platforms as it only allows 280 characters, meaning tweets are often short and to the point.
Twitter is currently regaining popularity however it is not as popular in New Zealand as it is in the US. The most popular age is 35-44 year olds with 141,000 users in New Zealand.
Although Twitter may not have as many users as the likes of Facebook, it has the most active users, increasing the likelihood of engagement. If your target market is over 35 years, Twitter may be an ideal platform to interact with them.
Is a visual platform where you can share a wide range of content including photos, videos, stories and even live videos. Instagram typically performs well with younger audiences with 600,000 users in New Zealand ages 25-34 years old. 18-24 year olds weren’t far behind with 520,000 users in New Zealand.
If your target market is under 35, actively marketing on Instagram could greatly benefit your business. Still not convinced? Check out this article, 5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs to be on Instagram.
Youtube
Youtube is another visually driven platform as only videos can be shared. Videos have no restriction on how long they can be compared to other platforms so can be beneficial if you have a longer video to share. Once shared, subscribers can view, like, comment and share your videos. Youtube is largely used for entertainment purposes so can be beneficial if your business is trying to share engaging video content.
Additionally, Youtube is the most dominated social media platform in New Zealand with 87% of the population claiming to use it. Youtube is popular throughout all age groups in New Zealand with under 25 year olds being the most common users closely followed by 25-34 year olds.
Youtube’s popularity suggests that if you have the right engaging content, Youtube can be a huge asset to your business’s marketing.
TikTok
TikTok is a rising social network where users post videos of up to 60 seconds. Like Instagram and Youtube, TikTok is an easy way for small businesses to create brand awareness. It is important to remember when using TikTok that excessively self-promoting won’t help to build a loyal following so it’s important you’re prepared to start with some entertaining videos before you post some self-promotion.
It is hugely popular with the younger generations, with Gen-Z making up 60% of the users. However, popularity is increasing with older users so it may be a platform to keep an eye on in the future.
If you are wanting to reach a young audience, I highly suggest joining TikTok and posting your entertaining and interesting snippets!
This has become a popular platform within businesses. Businesses are utilising LinkedIn to establish their leadership within their industry and help attract talent to their organisation.
LinkedIn is popular with 35-44 year olds (138,000 users) and 45-54 year olds (117,000 users). Popularity within the under 35 age group is increasing as the benefits of LinkedIn become more known. LinkedIn is beneficial for your business to connect with other businesses, creating networks.
From vacation ideas, home DIY to business ideas and everything in between, Pinterest provides creative inspiration to users. Users can save pictures on Pinterest. They can come back to and view at a later date. Meaning your content keeps rewarding you with website visitors long after it is posted.
Pinterest is typically most popular with female audiences, saving ideas to use later on. The most popular age group using Pinterest are 45-54 year olds with 180,000 users in New Zealand. Pinterest is generally popular with all over the age of 35 years.
If you have any questions about which platform is right for your New Zealand business. Pop your comments below and we’ll be sure to bounce back with some recommendations.