With the prevalence of technology, people across the world are spending an increasing amount of time online. Be it through computers, tablets, smartphones, or other devices, to be alive in 2016 means to be familiar with the internet.
Marketing has transformed to satisfy this changing technological culture. This hasn’t meant simply taking advertisements previously seen on television, billboards and in newspapers from these mediums to the Internet; it has forced companies to change the way they think about advertising.
You have to market precisely, to the right people, in the right way, at the right time.
An engaging website and social media profile are invaluable to your company’s business. Consumers want to know what you’re doing; they feel more comfortable purchasing from a business with which they feel familiar.
Above all, it’s important to know your audience. Social media usage differs according to gender, and depending on your target audience, there may be a specific site that’s right for your business.
According to 2015 Pew Research Center data:
• 77 percent of women use Facebook vs. 66 percent of men
• 44 percent of women use Pinterest vs. 16 percent of men
• 31 percent of women use Instagram vs. 24 percent of men
• LinkedIn usage is equal between men and women (26 percent vs. 25 percent)
• 25 percent of men use Twitter vs. 21 percent of women
Pew also reveals that 20 percent of male internet users utilize online forum sites such as Reddit, Digg or Slashdot, compared to roughly 11 percent of women.
In addition to knowing on which social media sites to advertise according to your target market, it’s necessary to determine the right time of day. HubSpot reveals there’s a peak exposure time for posting on the following platforms:
Facebook
• 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. on weekends
• 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Wednesdays
• 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays
Twitter
• 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Friday
• 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Wednesdays
LinkedIn
• 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m., 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
• 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. on Tuesday
Pinterest
• 2 a.m. – 4 a.m. and evening hours daily
• 5 p.m. on Friday
• 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. on Saturday
Instagram
• Any time day and night Monday through Thursday, with the exception of 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Online, you have to market quickly and effectively; people are often trying to get to the content they really want to see, and your ad is standing in the way. Say what you do, what you offer, and why you’re the best in a clear, succinct manner.
Desirée Patno is founder and CEO of the National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB).
For more information, visit www.nawrb.com.
