A Millennial’s Review of 5 Popular Social Media Platforms

By Krista Williams

Millennials are described as individuals born in 1980 through 1995. Millennials have lived through a time when computers weren’t a part of daily life; we grew up during a time when the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon on our one or maybe two televisions in our house. Then millennials remember the time when everything changed and the internet completely innovated the way everyone lived; people were able to connect to others around the world and the amount of information consumed was endless. This millennial remembers when texting was expensive AIM and MySpace dominated our screen time; and it was so exciting to be able to connect with friends in an instant. Facebook took over the social media market and millennials flooded the network since it was now “cooler” to be on Facebook; then Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube emerged. Social media platforms created opportunities for businesses to create more reach and gain impressions, which can lead to conversions. The following list gives this millennials opinion on five popular social media and give insights on how a company may reach these millennials for advertising purposes since our buying power is huge! 

Check out this link for an infographic on the importance of using social media as a tool to reach Millennials: infographic-the social habits of millennials

YouTube: 

I love to use YouTube for a number of things, how to cook certain dishes, music videos, footage of abandoned amusement parks. If one has driven to Las Vegas from Southern California using Interstate 15 then you have passed the abandoned waterpark “Rock-A-Hoola” (Watch this quick fun less than 3 minute about it on YouTube! Abandoned Rock-A-Hoola) A user is exposed to advertisements and it works, for example it  may have had an influence on what I bought for dinner several nights. Advertising on this Social media platform can be effective if you are the right industry for audiences using YouTube. 

Twitter: 

This millennial doesn’t care too much for Twitter, mostly because it can require a lot of attention. Although I will visit to view a celebrity Twitter feud occasionally if I saw a story about it on ESPN or Los Angeles news station. Twitter may still be attractive to reach a niche audience.

Snapchat:

Snapchat is enjoyable because it offers privacy of what content is shared and other short videos that offer millennials instant gratification. I like to watch Snapchat videos nails, make-up and sometimes behind-the-scenes footage of the Super Bowl or World Series. Some videos require users to watch an advertisement for around seven seconds which may frustrate or spark interests depending on whether it matches the millennial user’s preferences. Snapchat is not an attractive way to market unless an organization knows how to connect with Snapchat users and push their account on other social media platforms; good visually appealing content is required regularly.

Instagram:

Instagram is this author’s favorite social media platform and many of my millennial friends would agree. This platform offers instant gratification of viewing many photos and short videos; this is attractive to many Millennials. Users are able to follow their favorite celebrities, friends, sports teams, brands, hobbies, and other interests. It can offer a lot of impressions and engagements so using Instagram is a good option for new and established organizations.

Facebook:

Millennials may perceive Facebook as taken over by Baby Boomers, and this author agrees. Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are all on Facebook so they are able to see one’s activity or business. They also can offer some unwanted comments or opinions so I am able to not use Facebook for a week with ease and I don’t post on a regular basis. I use Facebook for news and staying in contact with cousins. This platform may be effective, since it has the most users of all the social media platforms on this list.

Conclusion:

All social media platforms offer companies and organizations to get more impressions and strengthen brand recognition if they have a good content strategy. If a company’s target market is millennials and they have a small budget for social media then they should definitely use Instagram and Facebook comes in at a close second. Other platforms can be useful too if a company can position their brand in the correct manner.