Sep 3, 2021
The Social Media Outback — What The Aussie Landscape Looks Like
Keeping up to speed with the constantly changing social media landscape is more difficult than keeping up with the Kardashians.
New channels get added to the mix on a regular basis, sparking the question as to whether that channel is right for your brand.
Orchard’s Digital Strategist, Jack Winter, takes us through the social media landscape in Australia, as well as four key channels when it comes to social media strategy.
What The Landscape Means For Brands
Without Social You Miss 80% Of Aussies
The use of social platforms has been increasing steadily in the last 6 years. Way back in 2015, we were sitting at 58% of the population using some form of social media.
Now we’re at a whopping 80% — that means if your brand doesn’t have a social presence, you’re missing 8 in 10 Aussies.
Mobile-First Design Is Imperative To Success
Social media has equally become more entrenched in mobile, with less than 3% of all social media use happening on desktop. That means designing for mobile is imperative in order to see the best results (Digital 2021, Hootsuite).
The Channels To Consider In Your Strategy
While there is a significant amount of attention surrounding TikTok, it is yet to reach dominant levels in the Australian market. TikTok is lagging as our tenth most popular platform in 2021, with less than 24% of all Aussies using the platform.
Our social media use is still intrenched in the ‘big four’ — with high penetration from the likes of Facebook, YouTube, Messenger and Instagram. However, TikTok’s growth does signal it will be a channel to monitor in the future.
Facebook Demographics: Still Our Largest Platform For Targeting
Did you know that over 75% of the population is targetable on Facebook? Compared to other channels, this represents the highest proportion of the population that can be reached on social.
It equally means brands that are ignoring Facebook and choosing more niche platforms are potentially missing out on larger reach and stronger results.
Facebook has the broadest age ranges in comparison to other platforms, with other platforms seeing either larger drop offs in the over 40’s or a consolidation in Australia’s youth.
Facebook also has the strongest performing ad placement globally, with Facebook in-feed ads accounting for the strongest click-through rate at 1.11% (Genroe, 2020).
Instagram Demographics: Consolidated In The Under 40’s
With 11 million Aussies using Instagram, and over 56% of those women, this is another key channel for brands who want to reach a high proportion of the population.
However Instagram has a strong consolidation among the under 40’s, with significant drop offs from 35+.
LinkedIn Demographics: The Go-To Platform For B2B Campaigns
When you are thinking about any business-to-business campaigns, or establishing your brand as thought-leaders in your category, LinkedIn is the ideal platform to achieve your objectives.
As the platform is exclusively used by professionals above 18+, this means that the targetable percentage of the population is similar to Facebook, at 75%.
TikTok Demographics: The Key To Targeting Young Australians
Whilst TikTok may have received plenty of attention for its rapid growth, this platform in our point of view is one to look to in the future.
With its current audience predominantly under 25, this means that the platform is currently reaching Aussies without significant buying power - yet.
Of the 1.1 million Aussies using the platform, 93% are under 34 whilst two thirds are under 24.
The platform may be growing, but is not at a dominant level yet to warrant heightened investment. This will be a platform to monitor growth of in the next few years, as young Australians buying power increases.
How To Use Channel Demographics To Inform Strategy
Understanding who is using what channels is key to guiding your social strategy, as this informs where you need to be to connect with the right audience.
Whilst TikTok may be gathering significant attention, this doesn’t necessarily mean this channel is right for your brand. Having greater transparency as to platform demographics helps make you more informed decisions, ultimately improving your social strategy to be best-in-class — rather than simply being on a platform because its new.
Still uncertain what channels might suit your brand? Reach out to the Strategy team at Orchard to see what channel strategy best suits your objectives.
