February 4, 2015
Research: Instagram Preferred Social Media Platform Among African Americans
Viral videos, scandalous selfies, celebrity beefs and hilarious memes have all flourished since the advent of Instagram, becoming a common part of pop culture, news—Â even legal matters—and recent recent findings indicate it’s the preferred platform for African Americans.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, Facebook still reigns as the most widely used– regardless of race or ethnicity—with 71% indicating they use the site, however 38% of African Americans prefer Instagram, compared with 34% Hispanics and 21% white people.
Pinterest is more popular among white Web users than among other groups, with 32% using the site, compared with 21% of Hispanics and 12% of black people.
[Related: 12 Instagram Tips for Your Business]
These numbers reflect, at least in part, why many marketers are turning to Instagram and Pinterest to reach consumers. According research by Social Media Examiner, an online social media publication, 92% of marketers say social media is important for their business, up from 86% in 2013. And though sites including Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube were among the top platforms used by marketers—with Facebook still leading the pack—Instagram marketing efforts rose to 28% from 18% in 2013. Also, 42% of marketers plan to increase their use Instagram (compared with 38% in 2013,) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers are 49% more likely to increase activities than business-to-business (B2B) marketers (32%).
Successful companies are using Instagram video as well as niche campaigns with branded hashtags and engaging visuals to reach consumers on the platform, and with the latest research, companies will have to become more and more savvy in reaching consumers of color. On the other side of the coin, several popular social sites already charge fees for expanded marketing and visibility of content, with some, such as Facebook, having found ways to force marketers hands in shifting strategy they use to optimize campaigns.
What’s your preferred social media site? Let us know in the comments below or follow @BlackEnterprise and #SoundOff on Twitter.
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