When the waitress said fresh, deep fried sea bass was the special of the day, my daughter and I looked at each other and nodded. That sounded like a good way to taste another of the island’s signature dishes while still being (somewhat) healthy.
But when the dish arrived, the bass had been gutted and its carcass deep fried, then arranged as the focal point of the plate. Its crispy remains were surrounded by fried nuggets. The gasp from both of us was audible.
“What?” The waitress exclaimed incredulously when she saw our surprised expressions. “Didn’t you notice when the table next to you ordered it?”
Obviously, we should’ve asked more questions.
Here’s my question to you…
Can the same be said for your social media game? Are you ordering the soup d’jour without asking questions — such as: is this what my customers are consuming?
In other words, are you putting your time and money into the right social media platform — as in, the one where your target market hangs out?
If you haven’t already, sketch out a customer avatar or two, then use this basic guide to determine if you’re in the right place:
Facebook | 2.93 billion users: The largest demographic of users (23.5%) is 15-34 years of age, followed by 18-24 (18.5%), 35-44 (18%), and 45-54 (13.7%).
Instagram | 1.44 billion users: The largest demographic of users (31.7%) is 25-34 years of age, followed by 18-24 (30.2%), 35-44 (15.8%), and 45-54 (7.8%).
YouTube | 2.6 billion users: 518.5 million users on this platform are 25-34 years of age, followed by 35-44 (422.2 million), 18-24 (372.1 million), and 45-54 (304.7 milion).
TikTok | 750 million users: Users 10-19 years of age comprise this platform's largest demographic (25%), followed by 20-29 (22.4%), 30-39 (21.7%), 40-49 (20.3%), and 50+ (11.%).
Twitter | 400 million users: This platform’s largest demographic are those 25-34 years of age, followed by 35-49 (20.7%), 18-24 and 50+ (17.1%), and 13-17 (6.6%).
LinkedIn | 810 million users: 480 million users on this platform are 25-34 years of age, followed by 18-24 (160 million), 35-54 (130 million), and 55+ (20 million).
Remember, this is a (very fluid) guide. Do some research before you decide to go all in on one platform. Send a quick survey to 10-15 of your best customers. Take a few customers out to lunch for a discovery session. Send an email. Place a survey at the cash register or include it in your POS checkout software.
Do what it takes to find out what type of social media your current customers use (if any), then make the commitment to show up frequently and consistently in that space.
By the way, neither Kristen nor I finished our sea bass that night. And, even though I was not convinced that it would taste good the second time around, we took the leftovers back to our hotel room. Surprisingly, after an exhausting day of shell hunting and taste testing at the local rum distillery, it was a welcome treat.
Bon appétit!