With numerous studies concerning social media and digital marketing in general, being published every day, it can be hard for businesses to keep up on the latest changes and trends. To help keep business owners up to date, the South Florida digital marketing experts at our full-service advertising agency have detailed three of the most important recent findings below, including how you can apply them to your brand’s social media strategy.

1. 79% OF U.S. ADULTS ARE ON FACEBOOK

According to a report by the Pew Research Center, Facebook continues to be the most popular social media network, and it’s over two times more popular than the network ranked second, Instagram. Only 32 percent of U.S. adults use Instagram, followed closely by Pinterest with 31 percent, then LinkedIn (29 percent), and Twitter (24 percent). Despite the substantial growth experienced by Instagram and Pinterest over recent years, Facebook remains dominant. Facebook users are also more engaged than users of other platforms, with 76 percent of them using it daily and 55 percent visiting several times a day. In comparison, only 51 percent of Instagram users use it daily.

Apply It: Despite recent claims of Facebook’s dying relevance voiced by the younger generations, the numbers fail to support this. Statistics show that Facebook remains one of the best social media platforms for digital marketers and brands to reach and engage with their customers. In addition to the basics of posting regularly and responding to followers, we suggest buying Facebook ads and posting traditional and Facebook Live videos, both of which are currently favored by the site’s newsfeed algorithm.

2. 36% USE INSTAGRAM FOR SURVEILLANCE

Researchers at the University of Alabama found that over one-third of Instagram users use the platform for knowledge-gathering purposes. These purposes, placed under the umbrella term “surveillance,” include following and gaining knowledge about friends, family, strangers, and brands, as well as keeping track of what they are doing. The motivation for surveillance ranked first, followed by the desire to document moments in their lives, appear cool and gain popularity, and display their creative skills.

Apply It: By understanding the motivators that drive your followers and your audience to use Instagram and other social media platforms, you can better design your social media strategy to keep them engaged. Since most Instagram users are motivated by the desire to know more about others (including brands), posting pictures and stories and even recording live video to reveal the inner workings of a brand is the way to go.

3. 62% OF U.S. ADULTS GET NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

News gathered on social media has become a much-discussed trend, so it comes as no surprise that a Pew Research Center found a major increase in the percentage of Americans who read their news on social media sites; the number jumped from 49 percent in 2012 to 62 percent in 2016. Americans are relying less on television, radio, and newspapers for news. Instead, 44 percent prefer to get news from Facebook, followed by YouTube (10 percent), then Twitter (9 percent).

Apply It: Take advantage of this growing trend by not only creating news-like social media content such as real estate market reports for real estate agencies, but also by sharing news that is relevant to your brand and your customers. This will increase engagement and strengthen your brand’s authority in its field of expertise.

Digital marketing is always evolving, and your brand’s social media strategy has to keep up with the constant flow of change and new information. At Keenability, our team of skillful South Florida digital marketing experts can help you do just that while addressing any other of your brand’s social media and digital marketing needs.

Call our full-service advertising agency to get started today!

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