Social media is a core part of almost any public relations campaign today. The new media networks allow companies and organizations to share content, develop an active fan base and build out their online presence.

But with so many social media networks available, knowing where to focus your efforts is key to reaching the most important audiences and getting the highest return on investment.

The Pew Research Center recently conducted a study, which revealed some telling trends about who is using what social media and where. Below are some of the report’s findings:

  • More females than males are on social media
  • The most common age of social media users is 28-29, but the demographic’s overall usage dropped to its lowest recorded usage in more than two years
  • Facebook is the most used social network by adults, followed by LinkedIn
  • Twitter is most used by 18-29 year olds, African-Americans and urban residents
  • Women and 18-29 year olds are the most active on Facebook
  • Instagram is most appealing to 18-29 year olds, urban residents, African-Americans and Hispanics
  • Pinterest is of the greatest interest to rural residents, women, Caucasians, those with middle to higher incomes, and those with some level of college education or higher

While some of the study’s findings are what could be expected, others are surprising and very revealing. These shifting trends should be acknowledged by marketers and communicators to most successfully reach their target audiences online.

To view further finding from the study, check out this helpful infographic at DocStoc.