Social Media Statistics and Insights Across Platforms

5.07 billion people use social media worldwide, meaning over half of the global population uses social media.

If you’re an internet user, it’s almost impossible to browse the web without encountering popular social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, or TikTok.

This widespread social media usage means that businesses and marketers worldwide have taken this opportunity to expand their businesses and marketing strategies on social platforms.

Social media platforms rank among the most influential online platforms that can have a significant impact on everyday life. This ranges from social to financial to psychological.

The Social Media Landscape

The term “social media” refers to different platforms that can be used to connect people. This can include sharing media and content like text, photos, or videos.

Internet users and marketers worldwide depend on social media platforms, which has caused changes in terms of how they are used, who uses them, and the number of people accessing them.

Evolution Of Social Media Platforms

Technology adoption has led to the number of people using these platforms to skyrocket. As a result, the platforms have also evolved and adapted over the last decade.

Brief History Of Social Networks

Six Degrees and Friendster were considered to be the first social platforms online because they allowed the average internet user to sign up online and share messages, photos, and videos with each other.

In 2004, Facebook was founded. Despite being initially limited to college students, it quickly rose in popularity in 2006 when it expanded to everyone above 13 years old.

YouTube was founded in 2005, with its main feature being user-uploaded video content. Google eventually bought YouTube, which now sits at 2.7 billion monthly active users.

Twitter started in 2006, with its unique feature being that users could only post up to 140 characters per tweet. It took off, with more than 335 million monthly active users worldwide today.

Emergence Of New Platforms And Features

Facebook and the other Meta platforms are some of the biggest social networking sites today, but other newer platforms have come out with more specialized features.

For example, Snapchat came out in 2011 with photos or videos called “snaps” and text “chats” that could be sent between users, but would disappear within 24 hours.

Instagram and Facebook eventually adopted this feature to rival Snapchat, with their “Stories” feature being integrated into their mobile apps.

Another popular social media site, Tiktok, came out in 2016 under the name Douyin. This platform allowed social media users worldwide to share photos and short-form videos.

Tiktok’s subsequent updates allowed users to include sounds in their videos which could be reused. “Stitching” or “duet-ing” videos is another feature which allows users to respond to videos with their own.

Global Social Media User Statistics

Social media penetration in the world’s population is currently very high, and is only expected to grow among global users due to the increasing accessibility of mobile devices.

Number Of Active Users Worldwide

According to the latest statistics, social media platforms have a combined 5.07 billion active users, representing more than half of the global population.

Looking at it from the perspective of active internet users , this comprises a vast majority of the 5.44 billion internet users worldwide.

This means that the social media penetration in terms of active internet users worldwide is upwards of 93%.

Projected Growth In The Coming Years

Looking past 2024, the projected growth in social media usage statistics is expected to increase from over 5 billion in 2024 to over 8 billion users in 2028.

That is over a 63% increase in social media users worldwide.

With the global social media users projected to increase, businesses will also need to continue focusing on social media marketing strategies.

Demographic Breakdown Of Social Media Users

While the raw numbers that social media statistics show are impressive, looking into who uses each social media site and the differences between them are also important to look at.

The most important demographics to look at include age group, gender, and geographic location. This is for reasons not limited to changes in marketing strategies, type of content, and consumer behavior.

Age Distribution Across Platforms

Let’s start with one of the largest social media platforms like Facebook. On this widely-popular social media platform, the average user is in the 25 to 34 age group.

Conversely, users over 65 make up the smallest portion of the userbase as of April 2024.

YouTube’s social media statistics show that their average user is in the same age group as Facebook, between 25 and 34 years old.

In contrast to this, most Tiktok users worldwide are between the ages of 10 and 19.

In between Facebook, YouTube, and Tiktok, Instagram’s average user is between the ages of 18 to 24. Snapchat also has the same age for its average users.

Gender Differences In Platform Preferences

• When it comes to the trends of different genders accessing Facebook, male users are more common, taking up 56.8% of the total population of users, while female users take up 43.2%.
• Tiktok users are also more likely to be male users than female users but with a smaller difference. 54.3% are male users, while 45.7% are female users.
• Interestingly, YouTube statistics show that the difference between male and female users is exactly the same in 2024 as Tiktok’s. 54.3% for males and 45.7% for females.
• Instagram continues the trend of having more male than female users. 50.6% of Instagram users are male, while 49.4% are female.

Geographic Variations In Social Media Adoption

When it comes to which regions have the highest social media adoption, Northern and Western Europe have the highest social networking statistics at 80.2 and 78.2 percent, respectively.

The lowest social media usage statistics come from Eastern and Middle Africa, with social media users only at 10.5 and 9.9 percent of their populations, respectively.

The global average for social media statistics in terms of adoption is 62.2 percent, which means over half of the world’s total population are active users of social media and are also internet users.

Platform Popularity And Usage Patterns

Usage patterns are another important facet of the social media landscape, including variations in average time spent and user engagement.

Understanding these differences can help marketers create a more focused, targeted, and efficient social media marketing strategy.

Most Popular Social Media Platforms Worldwide

The most popular social media platforms worldwide include:

• Facebook
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Tiktok

Besides the above platforms’ statistics, Pinterest stats and the latest LinkedIn stats may be of interest to marketers due to their appeal to specific audiences.

Facebook’s Dominance And User Base

Facebook is under the Meta group, which is the biggest group of social media platforms in terms of user base. This has cemented them as the leader and one of the most influential platforms.

Facebook statistics show that it has at least 2.9 billion monthly active users worldwide, making it the most used social media site.

YouTube’s Reach And Engagement Levels

YouTube’s main strength is its user-generated content, which is backed up by current YouTube statistics and trends.

This shows in the increasing average watch time spent per user over the last 5 years.

In 2019, the average watch time for YouTube social users was 39.7 minutes, which increased to 48.7 minutes in 2024. Year-over-year, watch times have increased both continuously and consistently.

Other statistics like user growth rate are also impressive, with YouTube projected to add 232.5 million new users between 2024 and 2029.

Instagram’s Visual Appeal And Influencer Culture

 

If YouTube’s strength is in user generated content through long-form videos, Instagram’s strength comes in photos and short form videos.

Influencer culture was born on Instagram, and it shows. In 2021, Instagram was the top most-used social media platform for influencer marketing, with nearly 68% of it being done on the platform.

Couple this with the fact that Instagram statistics show it has around 2 billion monthly active users worldwide, and it isn’t hard to see why this platform is the go-to for influencers.

Twitter’s Real-Time News And Conversation Hub

Twitter is known for having quick, snappy, and continuous conversations through its tweets and replies. While it is now called X, it retains the strengths it had from its former ownership.

It’s a platform where real-time updates and news are easy to read because of the character limit and large user base. X Twitter statistics show it currently has around 368 million monthly social media users worldwide.

TikTok’s Rapid Growth And Youth Appeal

This platform is generally known to be the younger generation’s go-to compared to other platforms. Most TikTok users are on the younger end, with the majority being teenagers to young adults.

TikTok statistics show that it has been growing rapidly over the past few years. In terms of social media users, it has grown from 465.7 million in 2020 to 900.8 million in 2024.

Time Spent On Social Media Platforms

Today’s teens and older adults spend time on social media in different ways and in varying amounts. Here are the important statistics on how people spend time on social media.

Average Daily Time Spent By Users

Between 2012 and 2024, social media use increased from 90 minutes to 143 minutes.

This represents a nearly 60% increase in average daily time spent on social media use.

Differences In Usage Patterns Across Platforms

The combined average time spent on social media gets more interesting depending on the social media platform in question.

For example, the average use time on Facebook per day was 33 minutes in 2022. Next up was TikTok and Twitter with 31 minutes of use time each, and then Instagram and Snapchat at 29 and 28 minutes, respectively.

Impact Of Mobile Devices On Social Media Consumption

Another crucial factor that determines social media use is a user’s device. Some platforms started on desktop, while others are primarily accessed through a mobile device.

Currently, the latest social media statistics show that desktop and mobile device use is balanced. 49.78% of social media access is from mobile devices, while 50.22% comes from desktop users.

User Engagement And Interaction Trends

Another pair of important social media statistics are user engagement and the number of interactions.

Engagement and interaction refers to the likes, comments, views, and/or shares on content. Increased engagement and interaction can snowball and help your brand be seen by a wider audience.

Types Of Content Driving High Engagement Rates

High engagement rates can only be achieved with content that’s interesting to the target market. One of the main markers for this is having visuals like a photo or video and not text-only content.

Visual content gets viewed 94% more than text-only content, while total engagement can go up as much as 150%.

Short-form videos have also skyrocketed in popularity recently, with platforms and features like Tiktok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts getting 2.5 times more engagement than long-form videos.

Best Times To Post For Maximum Reach

The best time to post on weekdays is 7 to 8 AM, as this is when most users wake up and start checking social media apps. Weekend posts are best either in the late afternoons or evenings.

Being the first content users see when they open social media apps or websites is crucial to driving engagement and reach.

Role Of Hashtags And Tagging In Discoverability

 

Marketers worldwide will know that using hashtags as a tool to increase discoverability is crucial in getting new users. This is because posts with hashtags related to what users normally view can end up in their feeds.

Tagging is especially helpful if the account you’re tagging has more followers. Doing this correctly will help push your posts to the followers of the tagged account.

Social Media Advertising Landscape

A major part of social media’s use in the modern world is its use in social media marketing and advertising.

It’s a perfect way to serve personalized ads and content to people in a cost-effective way.

Advertising Spend And Revenue Statistics

The social media advertising industry is massive and is continuously growing. To get a better idea of how much the social media marketing sector is worth, here are a few statistics to put it into context.

Global Social Media Advertising Market Size

The global social media marketing and advertising spending market is projected to reach $219.8 billion by the end of 2024, and is expected to grow by 3.86% per year until 2028.

Breakdown Of Ad Spend By Platform

The most popular social media websites and platforms earn plenty of revenue, thanks to the advertising spending of companies that want to market their products or services.

Here’s a breakdown:

• Facebook: $121.8 billion
• Instagram: $70.9 billion
• Youtube: $8.1 billion
• Twitter: $4.79 billion
• TikTok: $17.2 billion

Facebook and Instagram are part of Meta, which is still far in the lead when it comes to advertising revenue. However, newcomers like TikTok are catching up with their rapid growth.

Projected Growth In Social Media Ad Spend

At the end of 2024, the social media advertising statistics projections show that the market will be worth $219.8 billion.

It’s projected to reach $255.8 billion by 2028.

Effectiveness Of Social Media Advertising

While the advertising revenue is impressive, it’s necessary to contextualize it with a look at how efficient and effective marketing is through social media.

Marketers who wish to leverage social media platforms can hire a social media agency for a competitive edge.

Click-Through Rates And Conversion Metrics

Click-Through Rates (CTR) refer to how many people click on an ad compared to how many people see it. In the last quarter of 2023, this rate was 0.98%, compared to 0.92% from the previous quarter.

Conversion Rate is the number of people that have completed a certain conversion action compared to total audience. It’s similar to CTR but allows for more flexibility for things like signing up for a webinar.

It differs for each social media platform, but a good benchmark for Conversion Rate is between 2-5%.

Impact Of Targeted Advertising On ROI

In general, targeted ads usually produce a better ROI for marketers worldwide because of their higher effectivity.

Social media statistics show that targeted ads are twice as effective as non-targeted ads. This includes CTR rates, Conversion Metrics, and the actual purchase of the item or service.

Success Stories Of Brands Leveraging Social Ads

One interesting success story of leveraging social media and ads comes from Starbucks.

Starbucks engaged with their audience by encouraging them to use hashtags when posting their favorite drinks, offering products to keep up with trends, and responding quickly to customer concerns.

The Seattle-based coffee company also has social responsibility initiatives and seasonal campaigns to appeal to a wider audience and further increase its reach.

Influencer Marketing Trends And Insights

The aid of influencers can help a brand’s success in the social media space.

Rise Of Micro And Nano Influencers

Micro and Nano influencers have a much smaller audience than typical celebrity endorsers. However, while they have fewer followers, they have a couple of other strengths.

Many micro and nano influencers have more niche and loyal followings. They also appear more genuine and organic, which can result in higher CTR and Conversion Rates.

Micro and nano influencers are also a lot cheaper to hire than celebrity endorsers. This drives down the marketing cost and is helpful for smaller businesses with a limited marketing budget.

Sponsored Content And Disclosure Requirements

One requirement that both the United States FTC and the European Union have for sponsored content is to disclose it, whether verbally or through text in video, photo, or through captions.

This is to prevent any false advertising and protect consumer rights. Any influencers and marketers should be aware of this requirement and make sure they comply with it.

Influencer Engagement Rates And Costs

Depending on the platform, their follower count, and through negotiation, influencers will have different rates. Here are the market value rates per social media platform.

• Facebook: $500 (Nano) to $40,000+ (Celebrity)
• Instagram: $500 (Nano) to $45,000+ (Celebrity)
• TikTok: $500 (Nano) to $45,000+ (Celebrity)
• YouTube: $1,000 (Nano) to $49,000+ (Celebrity)
• Snapchat: $200 (Nano) to $35,000+ (Celebrity)
• X (Twitter): $500 (Nano) to $30,000+ (Celebrity)

Social Media’s Impact On Society And Well-Being

Social media sites like Facebook have long been touted as a way to connect people and improve relationships, but there have also been an equal amount of criticisms against social media.

Positive Effects Of Social Media Usage

The positive side of social media includes benefits like:

• Improving connectivity
• Making learning easier
• Giving a voice to communities and individuals who otherwise would not be heard

Enhancing Connectivity And Communication

Social media was first created to serve as a communication tool. Fast forward to today and many social media platforms have replaced the traditional telephone and other old communication methods.

The best part of social media as a communication tool is that it is very feature-rich, with many of these tools coming cheap or free.

Helping people connect to each other more easily is a good thing.

Facilitating Information Sharing And Learning

Social media websites and platforms have long been used to share important information and teach other users about a wide variety of topics. In addition, this is mostly through user generated content, which is free.

A great example of this is the library of many self-help and tutorial videos on YouTube for different things, from tying a tie to building your own front porch.

Empowering Marginalized Voices And Communities

One of the inherent benefits of social media being user-focused is that minorities and previously underrepresented communities now have a platform to speak up and be heard.

The average person can post any type of content that can be viewed by everyone. Important news can be distributed from areas and communities that legacy media may not have previously covered.

Negative Consequences Of Social Media Overuse

While social networking has many benefits, overuse and abuse from outside sources give it downsides. Mental health, cyberbullying, and fake news are among some of the most glaring issues.

Mental Health Concerns And Addiction

41% of Generation X US adults (born between 1965 and 1981) say that social media has had a very or somewhat negative impact on their mental health.

Even 23 to 36% of other age group categories have reported a negative impact on their mental health from social media.

Cyberbullying And Online Harassment

Cyberbullying is another clear and present issue that affects the mental health of users worldwide.

It’s a result of malicious users taking advantage of the freedom of communication that social media offers.

The same issues that plague real-world interactions can also occur on social media.

Toxicity, bullying, and harassment are not uncommon, although steps are being taken by each platform to lessen or prevent incidents from happening.

Misinformation And Fake News Propagation

Another disadvantage that user-created content brings is fake news, misinformation, and misleading propaganda. Not all social media users have good intentions when they decide to post.

Fake news stories spread up to 10 times faster than real news simply because they resonate more and produce either more outrage or intrigue than the real thing.

Strategies For Healthy Social Media Engagement

Marketers and general consumers can use the following methods to ensure they maximize the positive aspects of social media while avoiding the negatives.

Setting Boundaries And Managing Screen Time

Limiting your daily social media usage can go a long way toward protecting your mental health.

Setting screen time notifications on your phone is one way to manage this.

More specifically, you can not bring your primary social media device to bed. It can improve sleep quality, sleep quantity, and prevent overuse of social media.

Cultivating Positive Online Interactions

The best and most simple way you can improve your interactions online is by being an active poster and user. People who only passively use social media generally feel worse than active users.

Fact-Checking And Critical Thinking Skills

Before immediately reacting to or sharing a viral post, check to see if it’s based on or comes from a reliable or credible source.

Do your own research and see if what you’re reading is true before believing it.

Emerging Trends And Future Predictions

Trends and fads on social media compared to other media come and go a lot faster.

The following sections discuss a few consistent industry trends to look out for.

Rise Of Niche And Community-Focused Platforms

Many social media users have begun to prefer niche and community-focused platforms, mainly due to a desire for more authentic-feeling platforms.

Platforms Catering To Specific Interests And Demographics

 

Niche platforms and communities are rising in popularity because it cuts through the chaos of an endless news feed and gives the user curated content of things only they want to see.

This can also be a good starting point for a marketing plan with a smaller budget, since smaller content creators and communities may charge lower fees for advertising.

Importance Of Authentic And Meaningful Connections

Smaller and tighter-knit communities also have a better sense of closeness and authenticity. This makes its users want to interact more with that specific group rather than users in different comment sections which may not share their views.

Increased Focus On User Privacy And Data Security

Social media platforms are putting more efforts into improving their user privacy and data security. This is due to a combination of pressure from government regulations and from their own users.

Stricter Regulations And Compliance Requirements

There are federal and state laws that are focused on protecting social media users’ data and privacy. This includes the Communications Decency Act and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

In addition to online specific laws, there are other laws that cover all types of data privacy that social media also falls under.

User Demand For Transparency And Control Over Data

91 of social media users in the US agree that they have “lost control” of how their personal information is collected and stored. In contrast, only 9% were satisfied with how their data was stored.

75% of Americans believe that current laws are not enough to protect their data. Therefore, it is not surprising that 61% of Americans would like more to be done to protect their data and privacy.

Integration Of AI And AR/VR Technologies

Artificial Intelligence and Augmented/Virtual Reality continue to be integrated on different social media platforms.

Personalized Content Curation And Recommendations

In 2024, there are multiple AI models that are being tested and implemented by social media platforms to deliver more personalized content and recommendations to users.

Over time, these models will only get better at offering users a better experience tailored to their needs, wants, and interests.

Immersive Social Experiences And Virtual Events

AR/VR headsets were initially created for training purposes and were eventually refined for entertainment.

Following this evolution, Facebook and Apple have fine-tuned headsets with a focus on social media and productivity.

These headsets allow people to connect and interact in new and exciting ways compared to smartphones and computers. For example, headsets can be used for FaceTime group calls using the Apple Vision Pro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Social media is a complex and widespread industry. Discover more about it with these questions.

What Is The Most Widely Used Social Media Platform Globally?

Facebook is the most widely used platform, with over 3 billion monthly active users worldwide, followed by YouTube with 2.5 billion and Instagram with 2 billion.

How Much Time Does The Average Person Spend On Social Media Daily?

The average daily time spent on social media in 2024 is 143 minutes, or 2 hours and 23 minutes. This is a slight decrease from 2023, which was 151 minutes or 2 hours and 31 minutes.

Which Social Media Platform Has The Highest Engagement Rates?

TikTok has the highest engagement rate, with a 4.25% engagement rate. This is much higher than the second largest search engine in this category, Instagram, which only has a 0.6% engagement rate.

What Percentage Of Businesses Use Social Media For Marketing?

76% of businesses say they use social media to connect with and market to customers. 41% of small businesses also rely on social media platforms to drive revenue.

How Has Social Media Impacted Mental Health And Well-Being?

While overuse of social media can cause body image dissatisfaction, depression, and low self-esteem, proper use can also have benefits like connecting with people and creating rewarding, healthy relationships.

Conclusion

Social media is a powerful tool and platform that connects people and helps small businesses earn a living. On the other hand, it can be bad for your mental health if misused.

For consumers and users, social media can help you connect with your friends and make new ones. It can also help you learn new things and share your own creative side with others.

Marketers worldwide should keep up to date with all the latest trends to fully maximize their marketing plan and grow their business.

Finally, remember that social media is always evolving. Keeping up to date and adapting to the latest social media trends is crucial to having a great experience and successful marketing campaigns.