New research from Forbes Advisor has highlighted the need for businesses to integrate social media into their digital strategies.
It’s no secret that the importance of social media for brands has been rising over the past few years, but the way consumers use social media platforms has now shifted, taking the role of a traditional search engine.
There will be mentions of different generations throughout this blog post. Since the cut-off points for each often vary depending on the source, these are the time frames specified for this particular piece of research:
- Boomers: 1946 – 1964
- Gen X: 1965 – 1964
- Millennials: 1981 – 1996
- Gen Z: 1997 – 2006
It’s also important to note that this research was conducted across 2,000 general population Americans, but it still provides some interesting trends that businesses in the UK should take note of.
Social media becomes a primary search tool
The research found that a quarter of people now use social media as a primary search tool, reflecting a broader trend where traditional search engines are supplemented, or even replaced, by social network searches.
- 18% of people use both social media and traditional search engines, choosing between the two based on the needs of their search
- 24% primarily rely on search engines but occasionally turn to social media
- 34% only use traditional search engines for this purpose
Younger generations are pivoting their search habits to alternatives that better suit their informational needs or lifestyles. Gen Z showed a marked decrease of 25% in Google usage compared to Gen X.
Discovering brands on social media
A big portion of many brands’ social media strategy is focused on brand awareness. Social media has always been a place for discovery, but traditionally this discovery was through a mix of organic and paid impressions. With the use of social media platforms evolving towards that of a search engine, it’s becoming easier and easier for users to discover new brands and products.
- 24% of social media users discover new brands daily through social media platforms
- 25% discover new brands weekly
- 16% discover new brands monthly
- This means that 65% of all social media users discover a new business or product on social media at least once a month
Out of these users, Gen Z is the most engaged across social media platforms, with 44% discovering new brands daily and 33% weekly. Millennials follow closely, with 35% discovering new brands daily and 29% weekly.
One in ten people begin their brand searches on social media, later refining their searches for traditional search engines.
- 21% of Gen Z
- 14% of Millennials
- 11% of Gen Z exclusively use social media to discover and interact with brands
Searching for brand names through search engines still holds the majority, with 84% of people preferring this traditional route. There is a clear preference for this by the older generations: 94% of Boomers compared to 64% of Gen Z.
What social media platforms are users searching on?
The below graphic shows the most used apps on mobile devices by generation. Google only reaches the top spot for Boomers, sitting in 3rd place for Gen X and Millennials, and 4th for Gen Z, with social media platforms above.
Looking at data for the general population, YouTube is the most popular social media platform for search queries, with 57% of people using YouTube to search for a variety of topics. This is followed by Facebook (56%), TikTok (38%) and Instagram (36%).
What are users searching for?
Other than specific brand names, users are moving towards social media for more generalised searches too, depending on the platform. For certain types of searches, social media sites are becoming more popular than Google.
- YouTube seems to attract the widest variety of searches, ranging from restaurants to football updates
- The most searched area on Facebook is ‘News and Current Affairs’, followed by ‘Recipe and Meal Ideas’
- TikTok users most search for ‘Hair and Makeup’, followed by ‘Recipe and Meal Ideas’ and ‘Gift Ideas’
- ‘Fashion Brands’ is the most searched for topic on Instagram, followed by ‘Hair and Makeup’ and ‘Interior Design’
The most common types of queries that users revert to traditional Google searches for are ‘Restaurants and Bars’, ‘Local Services’, including car repairs and cleaners, and ‘Electronics’, encompassing all sorts of technology and devices, from phones and laptops to fridges and washing machines. With precise location tools, Google often pulls the most relevant results for users searching for local amenities and services, making it a quicker and more valuable tool than social media. Topics where trust in the provided information is paramount, like ‘Financial Services’, are also preferred through Google over social media platforms.
Why are users shifting to social media for search?
All respondents who stated they use social media for search purposes were asked why they do so:
- 29% said that social media is more convenient - since they’re already active on these platforms, search seamlessly integrates into their current routines
- 22% favour social media’s quick results and engaging content, with many preferring search results in video form, rather than traditional text-based articles
- 19% said that the personalised results from social media are more valuable than traditional search results
What does this mean for brands?
Social media is continuing to grow as a key target area for many brands. This doesn’t mean you should drop everything and funnel all of your resources into social media alone, but your current strategies may need adjusting.
It comes down to an important question that businesses should ask before making a marketing strategy: where is your target audience? This may mean that your social media strategy on certain platforms is geared towards the younger generations who are most active there, and then your SEO strategy is focused more on the older generations who remain most present on traditional search engines.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but every business needs to regularly assess and align its marketing strategy with evolving consumer behaviours.
View the full research from Forbes Advisor here.
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