What social platforms are BIPOC young consumers using? YPulse’s social media monitor survey shows exactly which they’re on most…
YPulse’s recent social media behavior survey and social media monitor survey looked at the social media habits of all young consumers. But each of our surveys also examines difference between young audiences, from Gen Z and Millennials to Millennial parents and non-parents—and our data shows some clear differences in the ways that BIPOC young consumers and White/Non-Hispanic young consumers are using social media.
Young BIPOC consumers report that they’re using social media platforms an average of 4.24 hours a day, compared to the 3.81 hours reported by young White/Non-Hispanic consumers. Now, this is a massive amount of social media use either way, but it’s clear that BIPOC young consumers are spending more time on social platforms. And while many of BIPOC and White/Non-Hispanic young consumers’ opinions and views on social media align, we also found that BIPOC young consumers are more likely to say they hear news on social media first, and slightly more likely to agree “I’m addicted to social media”—meanwhile our ad/marketing survey shows that they’re more likely to say they actually like ads in their social media feeds. You can see where we’re going here: if you’re a brand trying to reach BIPOC young consumers, you need to know what social platforms they’re using.
So today we’re spotlighting the social media platforms they’re using most—and which they’re more likely to be using than White/Non-Hispanic consumers:
While there is overlap on the top platforms that young BIPOC consumers’ and White/Non-Hispanic consumers are using, there are important distinctions as well. BIPOC 13-39-year-olds are not as likely to be using some current top platforms, most notably Facebook, with only 58% of BIPOC young consumers reporting they use Facebook compared to 70% of White/Non-Hispanic young consumers. But they are actually more likely to be using Instagram, which is nearly tied with YouTube as the most popular social media platform among BIPOC young people. This group is also far more likely to use Instagram than they are to be on Snapchat, TikTok, or Twitter. BIPOC young people also more likely than their White/Non-Hispanic peers to be using Instagram’s features, including Stories, Instagram Live, Polls, and Face Filters.
The increased focus on Instagram among BIPOC young consumers is also clear when we asked young people, “Which social media platform could you not live without?” as an open response question:
Young BIPOC consumers are far, far more likely to say they can’t live without Instagram than White/Non-Hispanic young consumers (who are far more likely to name Facebook as the platform they can’t live without. YPulse’s social media behavior survey also found that BIPOC young consumers are more likely than White/Non-Hispanic young consumers to say Instagram is the platform that’s most fun, entertaining, creative, and popular. It’s no wonder they’re more likely to be spending time on the app—and brands that want to reach them should be as well.
YPulse Business users can access the full Social Media Monitor report and data here.
Don’t have a YPulse Business account? Find out more here.
