If you’re a young band that doesn’t have a Facebook page (or have one but rarely use it), that’s understandable. Given the user demographics, Facebook is where older people hang out, and people generally prefer hanging out with their peers. That means, if you’re a young band, you probably favor social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, which are predominantly used by people age 18-34 and 18-29, respectively.
Trouble is, Facebook has more users in Canada than Instagram, and while Facebook’s users may generally be older than Instagram users, research shows why you should not neglect a Facebook page.
Facebook Wins by Users, Content Sharing and Frequency of Use
According to Facebook, Statista, Forrester Data Digest and Techvibes:
- There are more than 19-million Facebook users in Canada.
- More than 14-million Canadians check their Facebook news feeds every day.
- Ontario has the most active Facebook users in the country with 4-million active users.
- Canadians share a total of nearly 5-billion pieces of content monthly.
- In a given month, 63% of Facebook users will access the Facebook app. They go into the app (on average) 15 times per month, and they will access it on average 5 times per day.
According to Statista, Canadian’s Internet Business and Ryerson University:
- There are roughly 12-million Instagram users in Canada.
- Canadian Instagram users checked their feeds at least once per month.
- In Ontario, 81% of people use Facebook versus 43% for Instagram.
- Only 24% of Canadian Instagram users shared content by other people.
- In a given month, 27% of Instagram users will access the Instagram app. They go into the app (on average) 11 times per month, and they will access it on average 6 times per day.
So, Facebook has more users in Canada, who check their feeds more often and share content with friends and family by the truckload.
And here’s the part that may surprise you.
The “Facebook is for older people” thing isn’t entirely true. Facebook includes many users who fit within the main Instagram demographic, and who use Facebook more often than their Instagram counterparts:
- Facebook users between the ages of 18 and 34 individually spend about 1,000 minutes (16.6 hours) a month on the site.
- Instagram users between the ages of 18 and 34 individually spend about 350 minutes (5.8 hours) a month on the site.
At this point, you may be thinking, “Okay. Facebook reaches more people, who are more active and share more content than people on Instagram, but they’re still predominantly older people. Don’t younger people buy more music?
The answer is, no.
Older Music Fans Buy More Music
While people age 18-34 may be the predominant users of Spotify and other music streaming services, music streaming puts near-zero money into the pockets of most artists. Bands and artists of all genres generally make more money from selling album or track downloads from sites like Bandcamp or physical media (vinyl, CDs, etc.) than relying on income from streaming (which many artists simply view as an unpaid but necessary promotional channel). And older music fans are predominantly there to happily open their wallets.
- In 2014, 35% of CD buyers were age 50 or older—a shift from 2004, when 25% of all CD buyers were age 36-50. This means CD buyers have held onto their love of the medium and are buying more as the largest demographic of CD buyers.
- In 2014, 26% of digital download buyers were age 36-50—a shift from 2004, when the largest group of digital download buyers were age 13-17. This means that older music fans are now the largest demographic of digital downloads buyers. (Music fans age 18-25 clock in at second place with 23%.)
- Today, young adults account for only 12% of downloads and just 7% of CD sales.
A recent article published in Spinditty summarized the situation nicely. While many people may assume that teens are buying the most music, the 45+ age group is the largest music-buying demographic according to a Consumer Trends survey by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Sure, some of the music they’re buying is catalog music by classic bands. Yet they’re also buying music from newer bands. And when one of those bands posts something to Facebook, there are more of them there than on Instagram to share posts with others.
So, consider launching a Facebook page for your band if you haven’t done so, or reinvigorate an existing Facebook page you may have abandoned. Social-media promotion for concerts, music sales and more involves a blend of social channels to maximize your reach, and Facebook remains a key element in the mix.
Was this article helpful? If so, you may enjoy a few of our other blogs:
>> 7 Things You Should Give Up to Be Successful in Music
Leave a Reply