Social media plays an increasingly influential role in the ever-evolving multifamily world, and the modern world in general. Many apartment management companies recognize the latter, but have yet to fully unlock social media’s potential for the former. 

When executed thoughtfully and strategically, a strong social media presence brings positive value for both prospective and existing residents alike. 

J Turner Research recently conducted a survey to garner specific insights into social media and its influence on the multifamily industry. We posed questions such as if and why people used social media to decide on a place to live and what types of content they found most helpful. This month’s Brewing Data blog teases just a small few of our findings in the upcoming Social Media Report. 

Before anything else, let’s gain an appreciation for the extent of social media’s influence:

60% of all survey respondents indicated that they use social media multiple times a day. A whopping 84% percent of all respondents use social media at least once a day. The pervasiveness of social media is even greater amongst younger generations. 

Let’s now take a wide peek into the popularity of different social media platforms.

Across all generations, YouTube and Facebook lead the way, with just under a quarter of respondents indicating that they use either platform. Instagram and TikTok follow with 15% and 11% of respondents, respectively. Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Reddit all showed a single digit percentage of respondents being users.

The popularity of platforms across Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z:

Boomers heavily favor Facebook and YouTube. The amount of respondents that use either exceeds the usage of all other platforms combined.

Generation X is the demographic most aligned with the general populous. They again favor Facebook and YouTube, but not as excessively. 

Polling Millennials is when we observe YouTube overtaking Facebook in popularity. Twitter, Snapchat, and Reddit also see spikes in usage.

Generation Z displays the widest, most balanced usage across various platforms. Facebook becomes the fourth most popular platform of choice, surpassed by YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Be sure to read the upcoming Social Media Report for a deep dive into our learnings. We’ll demystify the current influence of social media and how to leverage it effectively in the multifamily world of today.