Social media usage is on the rise. It is expected that social media users worldwide will cross 4.41 billion by 2025. Today, 3.78 billion people are using social media worldwide including teens. This means if you are marketing a product or service to teens, using the right social media channel is essential. You must know what social media do teens use to reach them.
Social media marketing requires you to understand your target audience and identify the social media platforms that it uses. You can then connect with your ideal customers specifically on those platforms. If teens are your target audience and you want to reach them via social media, you need to be on the right channel.
What Social Media Do Teens Use?
Teens are different. They have different preferences when it comes to social media networks. Facebook is the most used social media platform with more than 2.7 billion active monthly users worldwide but it isn’t used by teens:
Only 2% of US teens were using Facebook in 2020 and this percentage has been declining consistently since 2012. Back in 2012, 42% of US teens were using Facebook.
This shows why teens have different preferences than the rest of the age groups. Here is a list of the social media platforms used by teens:
1. YouTube
YouTube is the most used social networking platform or video streaming website used by teens. According to Pew, 85% of US teens aging 13 to 17 use YouTube and it is their favorite social media platform:
They don’t just use YouTube for streaming but teens use it to follow influencers. It is the most favorite website of Gen Z in the US to follow influencers. As much as 53% of Gen Z men and 42% of Gen Z women in the US use YouTube to follow influencers:
If you want to target teens, YouTube is the social networking platform you use. The marketing technique you need to use is influencer marketing to connect with teens.
Why do teens love YouTube?
Because it is a video streaming website and this is what they consider the best content type. Videos are interactive, easy to digest, and entertaining as compared to text and/or other content types. Over 80% of US parents say that their children (11 and under) watch YouTube:
They do it on a daily basis. This develops a habit and when they grow up (and are teens), they continue watching YouTube. This is a reason 94.5% of over-the-top watchers in the US watch YouTube.
2. Snapchat
Snapchat is the second most used social media platform by teens. It was used by 34% of US teens in 2020. Only 5% of Gen Z men and 3% of Gen Z women use Snapchat to follow influencers. It is a social media network for millennials and Gen Z. Around 59% of US users between 13 and 24 use Snapchat:
So, what makes Snapchat the most used social media platform among teens?
The unique characteristics of Snapchat make it a popular network:
- It has no likes or comments feature and this saves you from the race of getting more likes and comments. It is a social network in the true sense and not some fan/follower battlefield.
- Stories refresh every 24 hours making it an easy-to-use and manageable platform. You can check your feed quickly.
- It is private as nobody can see your friends and snaps aren’t saved on your phone.
These unique features appear appealing to teens and they love using it as their daily social media network.
3. TikTok
TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms among teens. With 0% of US teens using it in Spring 2019, some 29% of US teens were using TikTok in Fall 2020 making it the third most popular social media platform.
Pew research found that 48% of US adults between 18 and 29 years use TikTok:
It is clearly a social media platform for Gen Z. People above 30 are less likely to use TikTok so it is one of the best platforms to reach a wider audience.
The reason why teens love TikTok is that it is optimized for creating memes. And teens are obsessed with memes. It is a fun platform that is also video-based. Memes and videos together make it a special platform for teens.
4. Instagram
Instagram is another famous social media platform used by teens and Gen Z a lot. As much as 25% of US teens are using Instagram and it is the fourth most used social network among US teens. Globally, 3.7% of female and 3.6% of males between 13 and 17 use Instagram:
It is the second most used social networking platform for Gen Z to follow influencers. As much as 34% of Gen Z men and 43% of Gen Z women use it to follow influencers.
It is, therefore, ideal to reach teens via influencer marketing. It is the most popular social networking platform for influencers as 9 in 10 Instagram users follow a business account. If you want to target teens on Instagram, use influencer marketing as it works best.
What makes Instagram such a popular social media platform among teens is its ability to share photos. It is one of the only photo-sharing social platforms that has excelled in it. Besides, it also keeps on adding new features that keep its users hooked such as Stories and Reels.
Final Words
So, you know teens don’t use all the social networks, especially they aren’t a fan of Facebook (the leading social media network in the world). It is time to tweak your social media marketing strategy and add these social platforms if your teens are your primary audience.
You don’t just have to change social networks but you have to use an appropriate marketing strategy too. Teens love videos, memes, photos, and follow influencers religiously. Don’t forget to use these in your marketing strategy.
Featured Image: Pexels
