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According to Wikipedia, there are over 200 major, active social media networks. So, what ones should you be on? How many should you be on? What the heck is Snapchat?!?

You know there are a lot of people on Facebook. LinkedIn is where the professional people hang out, right? Instagram is kinda fun and the pictures are cool. Seriously though, what the heck is Snapchat?!?

Ultimately, you need to decide where you or your team should invest your time and money on social media, but below are some things to consider when making that decision.

Social Network Monthly Active Users

When determining how “big” a network is it’s important to look at Monthly Active Users, or MAUs, and not just total Registered Users. The size of a network isn’t the only thing to consider when choosing a social network, however. Smaller, niche networks can be really powerful. But, if you are struggling to choose one over another, a lot of times it makes sense to go with the larger, more active network.

Here is a list of the largest social media networks in terms of Monthly Active Users. Note: There are other very large networks that are not included in the list below because they are most popular outside of the United States.

Now, I bet you have a couple more questions: Is Facebook Messenger a social network? What is the world is WhatsApp? There are a BILLION active users on YouTube?! I still have no idea what Snapchat is….

Well, I won’t go into the specifics of each network. Feel free to click the links in the table above to learn about the network, or drop me an email.

Where Your Patients & Customers Hang Out

When selecting a social media network, it is very important to take a look at the network’s demographics to determine if your target patients or customers are even on there. Below are some general demographics of the most popular social networks in the US.

• Facebook
  • 83% of online women
  • 75% of online men
  • Best place to reach Millennials and Generation X
• YouTube
  • 55% male
  • 45% female
  • Reaches more 18 – 34 & 35 – 49-year-olds than any cable network
• Twitter
  • 22% of online men
  • 15% of online women
  • Mostly 18-29-year-olds
• Instagram
  • 38% of online women
  • 26% of online men
  • 90% are under 35
• Pinterest
  • 45% of online women
  • 17% of online men
  • Even distribution between 18 – 64-year-olds
• LinkedIn
  • 31% of online men
  • 27% of online women
• Snapchat
  • Reaches 41% of 18 – 34-year-olds daily
  • 71% under 35 years old

There is a lot more detailed demographic info out there, but this is a start. To use this information, first, you need to create patient or customer Personas. A Persona is a fictional character created to represent a user that might use your site, brand, service, or product in a similar way.

Take a look at Dylan

• 27 years old
• Married
• Father of 2
• Owns his home
• College graduate
• Household income of $120,000
• Very concerned about his kids’ health
• Suffers from chronic shoulder pain due to his work as an artisanal woodworker

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Let’s also take a look at Julie

• 40 years old
• Married
• Surgery center administrator
• Curious if there is a better alternative for customer billing

Personas can be as detailed or as general as you’d like. Remember, however, the more detailed your Personas are the easier it will make your decision when choosing a social network, among other things.

Also, don’t be afraid to create multiple Personas. Odds are you want men and women as patients or customers, right? If you are a hospital or surgery center, you most likely have services that generally skew older and younger.

If you need help putting together Personas for your facility or business, Let’s Talk!

Your Team’s Capacity

Your team may consist of you where your responsibilities include many other tasks one of which is marketing. Or, your team may consist of 5 to 10 members. Either way, it’s important to assess your team’s responsibilities and capacities.

If your capacity is limited, it may make sense to only utilize one or maybe no social networks. If your team has more time available, you may be able to use 4 or 5 networks.

Some Things to Consider

When determining how many networks to be on, remember it’s better to devote all your time to one network and utilize it the absolute best you can there rather than splitting time across multiple networks and not having enough time to devote to each.

If you can’t decide on one network, choose Facebook. Everyone is on Facebook, Facebook’s advertising options are second to none, and right now their ads are under-valued meaning they are cheap.

Still have questions or need help with choosing a network? We would love to help!