16 Aug Study on How Saskatchewan Teens, Millennials, Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers use Social Media – and What They Expect from Brands
Digital marketing through social media is quickly changing the landscape of advertising in Saskatchewan. It is especially changing how marketers handle their overall marketing mix in influencing consumers to engage with their brand online. We marketers can no longer expect a marketing campaign to succeed without understanding our target audience, their demographics and their buyer journey.
In order to figure out our audience segments, we have to cognize their motives – an apt way to do so is by employing basic market research behind your strategies.
Insightrix Research is dedicated to equipping professionals with real insights from their customers in order to strengthen their brand.
To help with this, take a look at some insights from a recent study revealing how generations in Saskatchewan – from teens to seniors – use social media and what they expect from the brands they follow.
Nearly everyone in Saskatchewan is on Facebook
In Saskatchewan, across all generations, Facebook dominates the media landscape by far, with 9 out of 10 using it daily ????????
But does that really come as a surprise to you?
While it is probably safe to determine social media is here to stay, interestingly enough, nearly half of Saskatchewan residents (48%) believe they spend too much time on social media – yet more and more people are frequently accessing it!
Regardless, since 2015, social media has seen a slight lift (4%) in users across all platforms ????
Though Facebook dominates the social media landscape in our province, it is not a favourite among teens.
For example…
Of the teens on social media, only 63% claim to use Facebook as often as other favourite social platforms, while 1 in 4 (73%) endorse Snapchat as their No. 1 platform, followed by YouTube (64%) and then Instagram (57%).
Of gen-Xers (32 to 48) on social, 92% indicated that Facebook is their go-to platform, yet few gen-Xers (17%) admit they use Snapchat.
Interestingly enough, we also discovered that a number of gen-Xers (11%) claimed to have stopped using Snapchat in the past year.
What encourages Saskatchewan residents to use social media?
Understanding a particular generation on social is a must for today’s businesses, as more and more corporations recognize the value of these digital tools.
Because social media is no longer utilized for the sole purpose of marketing or making friends – it has evolved to help educate and actively encourage consumers to engage with businesses or brands online.
So, by determining a generation’s motives for using social media, you can begin to assess what causes social media users to engage with your content.
For example…
While 80% of the SK population on social platforms claim to use these platforms to keep in touch with friends and family, it’s interesting to note that millennials (aged 18 to 25) flock to social media to find information (43%) regarding entertainment or events online.
And…
Gen-Xers (47%) use Facebook groups try to get rid of unwanted household items.
Those baby boomers are somewhere in between, looking for a healthy mix of shared family photos (53%) or to get information on current events (50%).
And matures 68+ (47%) are always on the lookout for those new recipes…
What do followers want from brands?
We discovered that about one third (35%) of social media users in Saskatchewan follow particular businesses or brands ????????
And, while there are many reasons cited in the research as to why residents follow brands on social media, 1-in-5 millennials admit they follow a particular brand or business for the simple fact that they “like” it!
Because we know almost 8-in-10 residents who follow brands do-so on Facebook, the real question is… what do consumers want from the businesses or brands they follow?
The answer is in the discount!
Nearly 1-in-4 Saskatchewan residents claim discounts would likely get them to follow a business on social media ????‼
While 83% of millennials who follow brands on social media (aged 26 to 31) admit discounts encourage them to follow particular brands, only 42% of matures (68+) say it would likely make them hit the “like page” button.
Interestingly enough, half of all residents who follow brands on social media (50%) flock to brand-specific channels for product/brand information and tips and advice.
The influencers in Saskatchewan consumer buyer decisions are…?
We discovered personal recommendations – including those within one’s social circles – play a major role in influencing buyer decisions of social media users in Saskatchewan.
78% of residents on social media claim recommendations from a friend, a family member or a known acquaintance have influence on their buying decisions ???? ????
Further, 1-in-3 social media users in Saskatchewan claim family and friend recommendations have a “high influence” on their purchasing decisions. Younger generations are twice as likely as older generations to be influenced by someone within their social circle during their buyer journey.
It is also worth noting that 60% of millennials (aged 26 to 31) claim an online review or a recommendation from someone within their social media circle as influential, while only 38% of baby boomers use social media recommendations to influence purchasing decisions.
All generations may be represented on social and some are probably following your brand, but your segments will have different expectations from you.
As we have come to see it – teens in Saskatchewan use social for, well, social reasons; millennials use social to do their research and ask questions; Gen Xers use it to coordinate life events and make their day a little easier overall; baby boomers are observers and tend to use social as generalists and matures… matures love recipes.
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