| This article is going to answer the question: how to use | | | | and special product offers that moms were interested |
| social media if your main campaign goal is to target a | | | | in, driving their fan base up and increasing their ability to |
| new market segment. This article will address the user | | | | communicate with the demographic they desired to |
| demographics of various social networking websites, | | | | meet. |
| how to use content to grab the attention of different | | | | How to Use Content to Attract Certain Demographics |
| segments, and last, it will discuss how you track the | | | | In the example above, the content provided on the |
| success of a social media campaign with this goal. | | | | Facebook page was crucial to attracting the |
| Demographics on the Big 3 Social Networking | | | | company's desired demographic. Even though the |
| Websites | | | | company's products and services were not exclusively |
| While tremendous growth in the number of users over | | | | used by moms, the goal of their social media |
| the age of 50 on Facebook continues, the fact still | | | | marketing was specifically to attract moms through |
| remains that Facebook's primary demographic is | | | | their Facebook presence so they kept our content |
| younger users. In fact, if you explore for Facebook's | | | | focused and specific. They presented studies and |
| estimated demographics you'll find that there are really | | | | surveys related to the products they were trying to |
| no surprises. Although Facebook skews older than | | | | "sell" which discussed the impact they could have on |
| MySpace, the primary user group is 18 to 34 year olds | | | | children and their ability to learn, be safe and grow. |
| with children. | | | | The company also utilized excerpts from blog posts |
| Twitter, the newest addition to 'the big three' social | | | | that specifically discussed issues that moms deal with |
| networking websites runs very similar to Facebook. It | | | | every day. And most importantly, the face of the |
| makes sense that adopters of Facebook would be | | | | brand, who in this case was the CEO herself, was a |
| the same group who would also adopt Twitter as a | | | | mom of grade school children, just like the |
| method of social networking. Also, when you look at | | | | demographic they were trying to target and she |
| the overwhelming celebrity presence on Twitter, a | | | | personally answered questions and involved herself in |
| presence that catapulted Twitter into the elite group of | | | | conversations with other moms. |
| most visited websites during 2009, its no surprise that | | | | The company also used specific content during their |
| again, we see the demographic skewing young-ish. | | | | article marketing campaign. They could have written |
| While LinkedIn, being a professional social networking | | | | articles about any number of things that could have |
| site naturally attracts older users - 79% of LinkedIn | | | | been tied into the company's products but instead they |
| users are 35 or older. The other insights Quantcast | | | | wrote articles about subjects that appeal to moms - |
| lends about LinkedIn aren't surprising either. It's | | | | and subjects that were most likely to be republished |
| overwhelmingly Caucasian, and mostly college | | | | on other websites whose primary demographics were |
| educated professionals making more than $60,000 a | | | | moms. |
| year. One demographic that may surprise you is the | | | | Tracking Social Media Success if Your Main Goal is to |
| small percentage of users who have kids - only 21%! | | | | Target a New Market Segment |
| Perhaps if you have children you don't have time to | | | | Knowing who your customer is, is key to beginning a |
| build your professional network. Another thing that | | | | fruitful social media campaign. The days of |
| Quantcast reveals about LinkedIn which is likely to be | | | | self-centered marketing are over, replaced by |
| highly accurate, is the fact that 2/3rds of users are not | | | | marketing which is focused on your customer. With |
| from within the U.S. | | | | that said, if your campaign is successful in appealing to |
| If your considering including within your social media | | | | a new market, you can easily find out. Here are some |
| marketing plan a social networking presence on one of | | | | ideas: |
| the big 3 websites, you need to understand a few | | | | 1. Ask them. Surveys, polls and brief questionnaires are |
| things: 1) is your demographic present on that site, and | | | | still a great way to ask your customers about |
| if so, is your demographic utilizing the social networking | | | | themselves. After all, web 2.0 hasn't changed this |
| site in a way that you can tap in to in order to | | | | simple fact: people love talking about themselves. |
| communicate with them? Or 2) is the demographic | | | | 2. Use your analytics software to help you determine if |
| you would like to target present on that site, and if so, | | | | your demographics are shifting. Google Analytics, for |
| are they using the social networking site in a way that | | | | example, can tell your customer's geographic location. |
| you can tap in to in order to communicate with them? | | | | Other analytics programs can tell you much more |
| For example, one marketer whose main target was | | | | about your customers such as age and income |
| moms of grade school children, included Facebook in | | | | (sometimes based on census information). |
| their social media marketing plan. She first created a | | | | 3. Use websites like to help you see if your own |
| profile for her CEO, who wanted to step out as the | | | | customer demographics are shifting. You can also |
| face of the company, and she also became the | | | | observe, "websites also visited" by your customers |
| administrator for the brand's Facebook Fan Page, | | | | which can help you see if the sites you're marketing in |
| which was set up next. But she knew that the old | | | | start showing up on those lists. |
| adage "if you build it they will come" would not hold | | | | 4. If the above three ideas don't give you enough |
| water on the web, so she didn't stop there. | | | | information to truly measure the success of your |
| So she helped the CEO create a personal presence | | | | campaign, consider purchasing software to help you |
| within Facebook sub communities that were | | | | understand your different market segments. There are |
| mom-oriented (such as Circle of Moms which is an | | | | various tools like this out there such as Although this |
| app that currently boasts over two million users) and | | | | represents an additional investment, if you're already |
| the CEO joined mom groups and became fans of | | | | investing in the marketing campaign (which means time |
| other "moms on Facebook" pages. From there, she | | | | and money) then you should believe it is worth it to |
| was able to conversationally drive traffic back to their | | | | invest a little more in a way to track its success. |
| corporate fan page, by pointing out informational posts | | | | |