The latest data to inform your digital strategy
HELLO THERE.
Hootsuite recently came out with a massive list of social and digital media stats for 2021. If you’re ever looking for information to prove to your bosses, your friends, or your skeptical parents that digital strategy is important, this will help. We will use a TON from this report in the coming months, but for right now, here are the best takeaways:
Smart brands listen, then speak. Many brands miss the mark by jumping into conversation too soon. The smart ones will be those who sit back, listen, and then find creative ways of fitting into the social conversation instead of trying to lead it
Your parents (and grandparents?!) are getting social. 2020 was a tipping point for baby boomers. Marketers that diversify how they reach this increasingly digitally savvy and lucrative demo can leapfrog others that are still blinded by ageism and stereotypes
Facebook is the world’s most-used social media platform [followed by YouTube and WhatsApp]
25-34 year old males are the top users of social media, by far [18.8%]
Staying up to date with news and current events is the top reason for using social media
You don’t have to be everywhere. More than 98% of the users on any given social media platform also use at least one other social platform. For brands, this means that a multichannel strategy DOES NOT need to include every single platform. In fact, having a presence on 1-2 of the larger platforms offers the most potential for reach
Not to mention the casual 4.2 billion active social media users worldwide. The landscape is still very much the wild west in terms of understanding legacy platforms and jumping on new ones. We recommend building a content strategy that allows for flexibility on both.
The fact of the matter is that if you’re smart, you can leverage these platforms to your benefit in a multitude of ways - no matter if you are an individual, a business owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, a digital executive, or [fill in the blank].
Building an audience that is invested in YOU and cares about the things YOU care about has tremendous value. If you (or your boss, parents, etc.) need more convincing, here are 5 more reasons you need a digital strategy.
Do any of these stats surprise you? For me I love the insights that brands don’t have to tackle every platform to be successful. I tell my clients investing in two standout platforms usually feels right, and it’s nice to have the data to back that up.