Nowadays it does not come as a suprise to anyone anymore when a PR consultant refers to social media as a given variable within the media mix. In this sense, consumers speak about companies and brands throughout all social media – regardless of whether the companies themselves approve of this or not. Hence the question arises as to how to act towards consumers in social media, what is the target group? What is the best strategy for me and my brand? However, this is a question to which there exists no definit answer.

Prat PR has in cooperation with our international network Porter Novelli identified four consumer categories:

Cheerleaders

Cheerleaders are super users. They are between 20 and 40 years old and are the most likely to follow brands throughout al social media. They rely heavily on information provided by various corporate digital channels. They are aslo likely to recommend products to their friends.

Loyalists

Loyalists, just as the cheerleaders, participate very actively in social media. They visit social
networks at least once a day and 95 percent of them tend to recommend products to
their friends. Loyalists are commonly between the ages of 20 and 40.

Opportunists

Opportunists are slightly less active throughout the social media cirquit. They follow different brands and products, yet rather do so in order to coolect coupons and discounts or to participate in
competitions. Opportunists are very price concious and usually between 45 and 60 years old.

Outsiders

Outsiders use social media for only personal reasons. They rely primarily on
product sites and search engines to attain information and are generally barely committed to
social media. They are more than 60 years old.

Understanding your target group on social media

As a PR consultant, I recommend to continuously be aware of your surroundings and always strategically research your target audience. Thorough research will provide you with the information necessary to adjust your initial idea to make effective use of social media communication. If a Facebook fanpage might not be the right match for your business, maybe a contest on Instagram might be?

In order to communicate successfully in social media, you also need to understand your target audience. What is it that drives them? It is the combination of social media and wise consumer insights which is the key to success.

If you have questions, comments or just want to discuss social media in further detail, please feel free to contact me!