Since Facebook has been deemed “not cool” by teens anymore, what social networking destinations should brands be investing in if they want to reach the teen demographic?
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
1. Pinterest
No destination is immune from eventual “not-cool” status, but Pinterest has enough life left to warrant pursuing and has a lot to offer teens by being inherently visual and optimized for impulse.
– Sam Saxton, Salter Spiral Stair and Mylen Stairs
2. We Heart It
We Heart It is an upcoming platform for teens. Recently, the company announced integration partnerships with a variety of publishers that focus on teens, and it seems to have great traction with this age demographic. The platform is reminiscent of Pinterest, though it was created before Pinterest launched, and has more than 20 million users who use the site for social scrapbooking.
– Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.
3. Snapchat
Teens love them some Snapchat. That’s why brands ranging from Taco Bell to the New Orleans Saints have set up accounts on the platform. With the release of Snapchat Stories this past October, you’ll see more brands investing and experimenting to see if they can master snaps.
– Brett Farmiloe, Internet Marketing Company
4. Facebook
The idea that Facebook is uncool with teens is not entirely accurate. There are still a huge number of teens spending significant time on Facebook. Writing it off is foolish.
– Brennan White, Watchtower
5. Tight-Knit Apps
Teens are going to use online or social media games, smaller, more tight-knit mobile apps and messaging apps. A company wanting to reach this demographic should advertise in these areas. Snapchat hasn’t released a one-to-many messaging service, but companies should track this.
– Gideon Kimbrell, InList Inc
6. Vine
Whether photo or video, sharing visual assets quickly is the way to capture the younger generation’s attention. Vine is the perfect tool for shooting and sharing short video clips that can really make a statement for any type of brand.
– Logan Lenz, Endagon
7. Instagram
Instagram is an ideal platform for businesses to reach teens because of its visual content. Teens want to be able to scroll through and see what their friends are doing, what their favorite celebrities are wearing and what their top brands are selling. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to run promo contests, advertise sales and show a look behind the scenes of your company.
– Emily Doubilet, Susty Party