We write about it all the time in these posts. As authors, we must diversify our marketing. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the copious amounts of other options all play a role in connecting with our audience. Sometimes, we focus on one platform or another and spend most of our time there. That’s not a bad idea, unless that becomes your only platform.
A recent study by Piper Jaffray reported that teens now consider Twitter as the most important social site, replacing Facebook as the King of Social. In fact, in just one year, Facebook has plummeted from 42% a year ago to just 23% today.
If you are like me and write for the teen market, then these numbers are important. How many of us have an active Twitter program for reaching out to new readers?
Teens are also shopping online more often. Approximately 78% of females and 82% of males do their shopping online. While teens might declare that Twitter is more important, the stats still show that Facebook has a bigger foothold. According to a Pew report, the average teen has 300 friends on Facebook but only 79 followers on Twitter.
What does this mean for us in the end?
We need to keep diversifying. Back in January, I posted on how to schedule a social media marketing plan, focusing on certain plans each week. Scheduling social media platforms and how much time you allot for each will keep you from losing critical markets and readers.
Great information, Jim. But, I believe the latest craze in social media is SnapChat, which a lot of college kids and high school teens currently use. Good article about SnapChat’s increased usage by YA demographics can be seen here: http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/28/why-ephemeral-tech-is-here-to-stay/ and also here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jjcolao/2013/10/28/pew-study-suggests-snapchat-has-26-million-u-s-users/
I agree with you about SnapChat, no doubt that’s the fastest growing right now, but the research in this report came out with Twitter as the “most Important”. If you noticed the “other” category at 17% right behind the leaders … it was primarily made up of SnapChat, I imagine by 2014 it will have the top spot.
Thanks for sharing the links!
Glad to be of service, Jim. 🙂
Yes, I think SnapChat will be near the top in 2014, almost certainly.
Interesting. Thanks Jim.
🙂 Thanks!
Not surprised. One of my kids (who’s in her mid-20s) spends way more time on Twitter and Tumblr than Facebook. And I’ve heard younger teens think Facebook is for old people. 😀 Thanks, Jim!
You know how it is … if your parents are doing it … it isn’t cool anymore.
My daughter is 26 and seems to spend all her spare time either on Skype or some instant messaging application, neither of which are ‘social’. Many of my friends, however, can’t seem to get enough of Facebook. -shrug- Perhaps it is a generational thing.
I think you are right. It’s weird to hear us talk about Facebook as a generational thing.
Good info, Jim! Thanks 🙂
Thanks!
Well, good! Send those li’l bastiches back to their MySpace with their jodhpurs and horseless carriages! Razzin’ frazzin’ youngsters! worried about their bling and their puttees and their hula hoops! Serves ’em, right, I say! Gives me and you and all use normal folk more room to plant our crops on Farmville! Elbow room! That’s what it is – elbow room!
🙂
Is it a bird?… Is it a plane?… No it’s Social Media! I sometimes feel like an old fuddy duddy. Thanks for the info, Jim.
That’s the amazing part, FB and old fuddy duddy doesn’t seem right. Once it went public, it became a thing of “The Man”
Great post, Jim. Thank you for this!
So my irrational hatred of Facebook is justified. Good. Tumblr is still my first choice.