Which social media channels should I use?

Social media has become an integral part of the media landscape. The Nationale Social Media Onderzoek 2022 by Newcom shows that we are using more platforms and spending more time online than in previous years. This makes it important to keep using online media to reach your ideal target audience.

In this blog, we therefore break down social media use by age category, based on the latest results of the Nationale Social Media Onderzoek 2022. The respondents in this study are 15 years or older.

Growth in social media use

In total, around 13.7 million Dutch users (aged 15 and older) can be found on social media. The research shows that the number of daily active minutes on social media has increased in almost all age categories compared to 2021. Only the 15 to 19 year olds show a decrease, with 156 minutes representing a drop of 4 minutes per day.

Figure 1: Own estimate of social media users, source: Nationale Social Media Onderzoek 2022, Newcom.  

Most used social platforms per age category

• TikTok
  TikTok is mainly home to the younger generation. Research shows that 42% of 15 to 19 year olds use TikTok daily. But around 30% of 20 to 29 year olds also use TikTok daily. TikTok is the platform for entertainment in the form of short videos. As a result, the tone is often playful and humorous.

• Instagram
  Instagram attracts many different ages, and the platform is particularly popular among 15 to 44 year olds. In total, there are around 6.6 million Dutch Instagram users. Instagram was originally founded for sharing striking visual content.

• Snapchat
  Snapchat has seen strong growth of 23% and now has 3.2 million users. The platform is used mainly by 15 to 24 year olds. Here you can use short videos to give your followers a behind the scenes look.

• Twitter
  Like Snapchat, Twitter is also growing steadily, up 22% compared to 2021. In total, there are around 3.2 million Dutch users, mainly 25 to 39 year olds. Twitter is perfect for sharing short updates and news, mainly in the form of text messages.

• LinkedIn
  LinkedIn has grown by only 1% in number of users compared to 2021. However, the platform is used by almost all age categories, from 20 year olds to those over 50. LinkedIn also focuses on the business audience. Sharing important updates is ideal content for LinkedIn. Vacancies and knowledge can also be shared here.

• YouTube
  YouTube is used by 15 to 19 year olds through to those over 50. A suitable platform for reaching (almost) all ages. YouTube is an interesting platform for posting videos on topics that lend themselves to a lot of video content.

• Pinterest
  Pinterest is also used by many age categories. 20 to 49 year olds are the most interested in the platform. The platform is ideal for finding inspiration and is therefore used by many companies to inspire potential customers, for example through photos or moodboards.

• Facebook
  Facebook is used most by older generations, such as retirees. Younger users can also be found, mainly those aged 25 through to over 50. Facebook is a useful platform for building a community and offers a wide variety of content types.
  
  
  

Good to know...

Now that you know more about the social media channels where your target audience can be found, you can compare which channel best matches the interests and needs of your target audience. This could be a single social media channel or perhaps a mix of three channels. Of course, it is important to make sure your content matches the audience you want to reach. Your target audience may prefer a particular social media channel that is used less, on average, by other people their age. Always keep this in mind and find out what works best by comparing different social platforms with each other.

We are happy to help

A social media strategy is extremely important for developing good content, as is analysing statistics. Need help? Check out this page and/or schedule a no obligation meeting for tailored advice.