We know how hard it is to run a great social strategy — it’s what the ultraviolet team does all day (and some nights). Creating social success isn’t as simple as posting a pretty photo with a fun hashtag and calling it a day. We work with both designers and brands (and often make those collaborations happen) to create shared social success stories. Just like you don’t need us to tell you design is a highly competitive field—you’re in it every day., we can help you understand the social space a bit better, because that’s where we are every day. Yes, we are very online.
Before our Director of Social Media Sarah Conley leads her “Working with Influencers for Long-Term Relationships” breakout session at the Design Influencers Conference, take a look at her breakdown of the major social platforms in a way that anyone can understand: stereotypical high school personalities. Influencers know better than anyone that finding the right fit for your personality is the key to success – we hope this gives you a little insight into where you may best fit
FACEBOOK: The Friend to All
If Facebook were a stereotypical high schooler, they would be the all-around friendly individual who knows someone from every clique and group and gets along with them all. From a marketing perspective, this means Facebook is popular across demographics, although it definitely skews older than other platforms out there.
Facebook is where people connect with family and friends — but also brands, groups, and communities. It is as much of a social networking platform as it is a sales site. While people may argue that Facebook ads are becoming less effective than they were in the past, the platform is one of the best channels for reaching your target audience. After all, it’s still the social media network with the most active users— nearly 3 billion people monthly — so just about everyone has some sort of presence there. With ad campaigns, events, and groups all available through the platform, Facebook is a smart addition to every campaign.
INSTAGRAM: The Cool Kid
If Instagram were a stereotypical high schooler, they would be the polished popular kid. They’re effortlessly cool, in-the-know, and always look flawless. From a marketing perspective, this means Instagram allows brands to showcase new and existing products, inspire (and grow) their audience, and humanize themselves. But don’t get it twisted, it’s not just for perfectly posed, heavily filtered selfies. #blessed
Instagram has more than 1.2 billion users — and the majority (around 70%) of them are under the age of 35. We love the power of the platform for business brand-building. Show off your logos, products and lines, employees and event snapshots, storefront locations, anything that aligns with your brand’s visual language. The visual nature of the platform is its — and your — biggest advantage. If design or aesthetic is important to your brand, or you provide a service with dramatic before and after reveals, Instagram is the right platform for you.
PINTEREST: The Art Student
If Pinterest were a high schooler, they would be the one always in the art studio. From a marketing perspective, this means Instagram is where you go to find people who are looking for inspiration – and get your brand in front of them before anyone else does.
According to Pinterest, 433 million people use the platform every month — and 45% of people in the US with a household income over $100K are on Pinterest. People come to Pinterest to find new inspiration and ideas, which means content from brands doesn’t interrupt on Pinterest—it’s a welcome addition to their search. And since 85% of pinners say the site is where they go to start a new project, that means you can get your brand in front of them at that moment of inspiration — and you’ll reach them before your competition does.
TWITTER: The Gossip Queen
If Twitter were a stereotypical high schooler, they would be the one who has the good gossip – and the one who delivers the best clapbacks. Witty, up-to-date, and plugged in, Twitter knows everything before everyone else. From a marketing perspective, that means yes, Twitter is the place to go for brands to quickly share info and have some clever fun, but more importantly it’s basically a worldwide focus group.
Twitter has 229 million active users around the world – so it’s a smaller audience than you’d find at either of the Meta companies above, but it also has the lowest ad cost of all the major social platforms. Twitter can help you research topics and trends that your audience cares about so you can reach them better and faster. The big thing with Twitter is to make sure your tone aligns with your brand personality. By engaging in conversation around the topics and trends you’ve researched, you’ll attract a brand-right audience.
TIKTOK: The Dual Personality- Party Animal & Scholar
If TikTok were a stereotypical high schooler, they would be the fun, beloved, ready-for-anything merrymaker. From a marketing perspective, this means TikTok allows brands to authentically connect with people in a highly creative and playful way.
TikTok has 1 billion monthly users worldwide – and 90% of users are on the app every day. TikTok is largely geared toward younger audiences looking for entertaining content. But it’s not all just fun and games – TikTok is the platform for learning and information sharing, too. We love TikTok and think it’s the future — and we aren’t alone: Meta companies are trying to harness that video-based success with Instagram reels and Facebook feed changes designed to encourage engaging with video content.
Compared to the other platforms TikTok levels the playing field in a lot of ways: accounts with few followers can get millions of views. The viral basis of the TikTok algorithm means as long as the content is good, engagement will follow. And you don’t need a massive budget either: many of the most successful TikToks were made by ordinary people in ordinary situations.
Interested in an audit and analysis of your brand’s presence on social media, let’s connect.
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