Social media is an invaluable tool when it comes to marketing your veterinary practice. It is not a set it and forget it kind of tool, however. Your social media strategy needs constant tweaking to ensure it is providing the most effective results for your practice. Collecting data on demographics can help you cater your strategy to what users want to see to get you the best results. 

Understanding the Demographics of Social Media

With so many different social media platforms attracting different kinds of users, it can be hard to narrow your focus and collect information that will be the most helpful. Be sure to periodically check in on resources that list out the most popular social media platforms for different goals. According to Sprout Social, there are about 5.17 billion social media users across the world. On average, however, each user will only use about 6-7 platforms. Figuring out which platforms your desired audience is using is the key to creating successful social media strategies. Here are some high-level social statistics to help you narrow down your efforts:

• Facebook remains the most popular platform, specifically for users between the ages of 40 and 59. 
• Instagram sees more users between the ages of 18 and 39.
• About 68% of millennials are active on social media.
• About 35% Gen Zers use social media for more than two hours every day.

Facebook in 2024

With over 3 billion active users every month who spend on average about 30 minutes a day on the platform, Facebook still reigns supreme in the world of social media marketing. If you are looking for a platform where you can market to potential pet owners, Facebook is still a good option for you.

Instagram in 2024

Although Instagram’s growth slowed a bit in recent years, it’s back on an upswing and bringing in 2 billion users a month. Another unique factor about Instagram’s demographic is that it consistently attracts both Millennials and Gen Z. Users are also spending more time per day on the platform than they were in 2023. This means that it is still a smart place to advertise to local pet owners. 

TikTok in 2024

Younger users are still the primary demographic of the popular video platform TikTok. In fact, of its 1.7 billion monthly users, about 36% are between 18 and 24. While it has not yet surpassed Facebook or Instagram, it is a worthy social media contender. In the near future, it could become the most popular platform. It’s a good idea to have a marketing strategy that includes TikTok so you can establish your brand. Whether you attract some new clients in a younger age range or have a strong presence when TikTok becomes more popular, this will be a win-win for your marketing efforts.

YouTube in 2024

Surprisingly, YouTube is the most popular platform for Gen Z users. On average, people are spending almost 50 minutes per day on the platform. The caveat with YouTube, however, is that most users are just looking for entertainment and not for new brands or products like they are on other platforms. With that being said, however, it is still a good idea to curate content for YouTube, and even to devote a little bit of your ad budget to campaigns on the platform. 

Staying up to date with the latest social media platforms feels like a full-time job, but with the help of the marketing experts at Beyond Indigo Pets, it doesn’t have to be. We stay current on the best ways to utilize digital marketing to meet your goals. To learn more, please call (877) 244-9322 or fill out this form.