Social media is a familiar part of almost every consumer’s daily life. They use it to connect, discover new products, find solutions and get news. As a result of the time people spend on these sites, they are an ideal way for advertisers to reach audiences. Local businesses can realize strong ROI when investing in these ad channels. Expanding spending will depend upon how they diversify into niche social media advertising.
Where you direct them will depend on their audience demographics and goals. Let’s look at the latest numbers regarding money and time spent. Then, you’ll receive tips on how to pitch niche social media advertising successfully.
Social Media Gets Lots of Attention
The average time a U.S. adult spends on social media continues to increase incrementally. The forecast for 2024 is 108.1 minutes per day! So, where are they scrolling? According to data from 2023, these were the social sites that received the most attention per day:
- TikTok: 53.8 minutes
- YouTube: 48.7 minutes
- Twitter: 34.1 minutes
- Instagram: 33.1 minutes
- Facebook: 30.9 minutes
- Snapchat: 30 minutes
As you can see, Facebook is further down the list. It remains the social media platform with the most global users, but they’ve seen attention decrease because of new niche sites. Facebook will always be a good bet for advertising, especially for those over 50. However, this data proves it’s time to expand beyond it.
Social Media Ad Spending Trends
Across all sites, the projected spend for social media advertising in the U.S. is $76.4 billion. This is an increase of around $4 billion from 2023. Much of this growth will likely be tied to political ad spending for the 2024 election, which will happen mainly at the local level.
According to data from Business of Apps, the sites with the greatest ad revenue through mid-2023 were:
- YouTube
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- Twitter/X
Comparing this data set with time spent shows that spending doesn’t always correlate to attention. There are also many other nuances to this, including the cost to advertise and the “value” of attention. The “value” depends on:
- How people use the social media site: For example, YouTube is the second-largest search engine after Google. This indicates that people use it for solutions or product discovery.
- Conversions from ads: Having many daily users is great, but if there are no clicks from them, it’s irrelevant.
- The makeup of the audience: Gen Z and baby boomers use and relate to social media differently.
The sites you recommend to advertisers depend on whom they want to reach and how they want to engage those people, from acquiring an immediate sale to simply getting an email opt-in.
So, when does niche social media advertising fit these criteria?
Niche Social Media Advertising: When to Recommend These Platforms
In defining “niche,” it can mean a few different things. It doesn’t necessarily mean these sites are smaller, newer or highly targeted. Your interpretation of this to your advertisers would be more about the unique opportunity of each site. Here are some examples:
- Pinterest: The social media profile for creating boards covers everything from recipes to DIY to style. Its users have a broad demographic, inclusive of all genders and ages. It would be a good option for local businesses that want to appeal to “doers” and “planners.” Examples include local hardware shops, boutiques, wedding planners, cooking classes and fitness.
- Snapchat: Snapchat leans young on demographics, and its ads are effective, with 34% of people being more likely to purchase a product after watching a snap. Snapchat is video-focused, so it works well for physical products, from food to fashion. A local restaurant could see a good boost with a campaign highlighting their specialty entrées and cocktails.
- LinkedIn: Advertisers in the B2B realm are the best audience for this niche social media site. It’s the place to target based on job titles and industries. Don’t overlook B2B as a great local advertising Businesses can use LinkedIn ads for recruitment, lead generation and brand awareness.
- YouTube: Although YouTube is a giant, it’s still considered somewhat niche for local advertising. Advertisers can engage effectively on the site with its many targeting options. Read our post on YouTube video advertising for more tips.
- TikTok: Lastly, the newest social media site, which is growing steadily, is another option. Most devoted TikTok users are under 30, and many use it to discover new things, learn and find inspiration. These video ads can attract clicks by being short, clever and relevant. They can be a good fit for restaurants, retail, spa services, fitness and more.
Capture More Digital Ad Spend by Introducing Niche Social Media Advertising
Social media advertising is a tactic that enables experimentation at a reasonable spend. As a result, it’s a good idea to include this in proposals to see if it can be effective. What you learn from these mini campaigns can help your advertisers get more leads and conversions.
Get more inspiring ideas by exploring the latest social media trends for local advertising.
