Is Facebook Best?
We hear it all the time… “I hear Instagram/SnapChat/YouTube is the new thing! I need to be on that!”…but don’t be swayed by the hype! Here’s why Facebook is still reigning supreme in the Sarasota, Florida market.
Facebook is still dominant worldwide.
We aren’t like the rest of the U.S.
Sarasota is not a typical U.S. city. Articles and studies that are pushing newer social media are targeting markets in the United States that have far more “normal” demographics, but in our leaning-towards-luxury, seasonal & retirement community, we are anything but normal.
Median age is 46.5 (U.S. average is 38)
Nearly half of Sarasota’s population is over 50 years old (U.S. average is about 30% over 50)
85%+ of residents have high school diploma or higher (on par with U.S. average)
Average household income of more than $70,000 (U.S. average is $59,000)
Facebook is where the people who have expendable income are spending their time.
62% of online Seniors aged 65+ are on Facebook and 72% are between age 50-64.
82% of college graduates are on Facebook.
72% of online users of income more than $75K are on Facebook.
Facebook accounts for over 42 percent of monthly social media visits.
Facebook’s algorithm makes the user experience better by targeted ads.
The world is run by advertisers. Facebook makes its money by advertising, as the entire social media platform is free for users. When you’re in the movie theater or watching commercials between segments of your favorite TV shows, you see ads for who they think are watching. (This is, consequently, when I always am forced to self-reflect: “Why am I watching a show that men who need Rogaine are watching?”)
Facebook curates their advertising directly to you. And if you’re going to be advertised to, let’s at least see some things we would like to actually buy perhaps. (But, heaven forbid you search for a new toilet seat online one day, Facebook will thus decide you are a toilet seat collector and show you toilet seats of ALL kinds! For days! Lucky you!)
SnapChat is fun, but will it sell your business? MAD Molly says NO! (But boy, do I love that B&W filter…)
Who cares where the kids are?
When you are interested in marketing to Sarasotans, remember that you are not talking to the kids. So what if SnapChat is trendy? Is it going to help you sell a home to send your friends a photo of you with a clown filter on? My guess is no.
Instagram is hailed left and right as “the next big thing,” and it certainly has its uses. For visibility: you can increase your profile by being active on Instagram and using appropriate hash-tagging. But Instagram is best used in the moment to capture interesting aspects of your daily work or home life. If you want to show off your new shoes, propped up on a lawn chair on the beach, Instagram is your place. If you want to show you are out and about in Sarasota, it’s also a good option. However, if you want to drive traffic and disseminate information, Facebook is still the best vehicle.
Plus, kids do a lot of stupid things. We, perhaps, shouldn’t follow them off the social media cliff now should we? ;)
We can help you on any social media platform.
Every social media platform has its advantages, and there are plenty of reasons to integrate many of them when it comes to building your brand. We specialize in Facebook and its affiliated network advertising (which includes Instagram), Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and offer social media management services to businesses of all kinds.
We also teach you how to manage your own social media if you are a more do-it-yourselfer type. If you do want to be where the cool kids are, we can teach you how to maximize new tools like Instagram, including how & when to post and easy tricks for gaining visibility!
Let us know what you need, and we will find you a Mad Solution.
