Today technology represents communication. Simply put, social media platforms come down to style and preference. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but to quote George Clooney in the movie Up In The Air, for brevity purposes we’ll stereotype here, it’s faster.

Facebook: All (news source), Baby Boomers are fastest growing population

Pinterest: Moms (who are into fashion/crafts)

LinkedIn/Twitter/YouTube/Yelp: Millennials/Gen X

Instagram/Snapchat/Periscope/Vine: Millennials/Gen Z (all about selfies)

Google+/Tumblr: N/A

For marketing purposes, it doesn’t matter which platform you like best, it’s choosing the one(s) your customers use most frequently.

For example, I use Twitter the most because it’s “real time” breaking news. As a die-hard Lakers fan, I communicate with my peers daily on rumors, discussions and recent stories. I use it as a conversational piece and it’s done well to spread my sports blog posts to a larger audience of people I would have never of met otherwise. On the other hand, I enjoy looking at Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope because they are visual and engaging. I don’t post as much as the people I follow, but it keeps me up to date on what’s current. Professionally LinkedIn is my favorite. It’s one of the most focused social networks where there’s a reason to connect with people while acting as a “live resume” especially to recruiters.

What’s cool and popular isn’t as important as which one(s) you need to spend time on. I’ve cut down my Facebook visits because I found myself wasting a lot of time on there looking at useless updates. So even though Facebook continues to dominate the social media space, I’ve decreased my participation based on needs. Most of my customers find me on LinkedIn and Yelp, so I make sure to stay active on those. And since I engage with Millennials more than any other generation Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope reveal what’s trendy.

The best advice I’ve heard is stop trying to be active on all platforms. There’s no crime having an account on each stage, but focus on one at a time and learn how to master it. Social media is about communicating. The question is: who are you talking to and why?  

Scott Asai is a speaker/coach that has been developing leaders for 20+ years – athletes, companies and individuals. His focus is helping people develop leadership skills to advance in their careers. Scott tends to attract a large audience of Millennials and Introverts to his programs/events. His professional background consists of: B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Organizational Leadership, Certified Professional Coach and Certified Strengths Coach.