If one of your 2022 goals is to improve your social media marketing campaigns, looking at social media statistics is a good place to start. Stats can provide a foundation for your marketing strategy, help you see where your performance lies within your field, and even uncover some new opportunities. So let’s get started by looking at some statistics.
Social Media Usage
The first social media platform was born in 1997. Today, with over half the global population having at least one social media account, social media is a big deal for marketers.
It’s no secret that most of us spend a large proportion of our lives on social media. The following statistics show just how hooked consumers are, how use is changing, and which platforms are the most popular.
- In 2020, more than 4.62 billion people around the globe were using social media.
- The average amount of daily time adults spend on social media is higher than ever – 2 hour and 27 minutes per day.
- TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform in the US on 2020 and 2021.
- The typical social media user is engaged with an average of 6 different social media platforms.
Facebook Statistics
Facebook usage is declining. As of January 2021, the average daily time spent by American users was 33 minutes. (versus 39 minutes in 2017). However, the platform has a massive user base and remains an advertising powerhouse. Here are some important Facebook statistics to take note of:
- Despite much recent negativity, Facebook is still the most-used social media network for marketers globally (93%), followed by Instagram (78%).
- In 2020, Facebook accounted for 25.2% of all digital ad spending compared to Google (28.9%), Amazon (10.3%), and various others (35.6%).
- Approximately 10 million active advertisers use Facebook.
- Almost 1 in 3 people consume news from Facebook on a regular basis.
Instagram Statistics
The scrutiny focused on Facebook in recent years has benefited Instagram, which reached 2 billion users per month at the end of 2021. Despite challenges from TikTok siphoning off some of its younger base, the future looks bright for Instagram.
- Simply by just being on the platform, a brand can make a positive impression on consumers. In fact, a survey found that 78% of people perceive that brands on Instagram must be popular because they’re on Instagram!
- Instagram engagement rates are more than six times greater than those on Facebook (0.83% to 0.13%). However, compare this figure to Tiktok’s 5.96% engagement rate!
- Instagram Stories (83%) and grid posts (93%) remain the most popular types of content among influencers.
- Among influencers, usage of the #ad tag on the Instagram network decreased by 17% during 2020, indicating a shift in platforms and tactics in the influencer space.
- 44% of users shop for products on Instagram weekly (and 28% of those activities are planned in advance).
LinkedIn Statistics
This platform has successfully carved out a niche for itself as the essential professional network and is a potential motherlode of profit for B2B brands.
- In 2021, Linkedin ad revenue exceeded $3 billion.
- Also in 2021, over 50% of marketers were on board with LinkedIn.
- 16.2% of users log in daily (compared to 48.5% monthly).
- LinkedIn’s base is one of the most affluent and highly educated on social media, with half of users bringing home over $75,000 annually.
Twitter Statistics
Twitter has positioned itself as the hub for political discussions and memes, and a prime place to go back and forth with brands. In short, a mixed bag.
- In the 4th quarter of 2021, Twitter’s total revenue amounted to more than $1,567 million.
- In Q3 2021, Twitter’s US ad revenue reached $647 million, up 51% YoY (an increase of 98% from the previous quarter).
- Worldwide, Twitter has a total of approximately 436 million monthly active users.
- 52% of US Twitter users use the platform every day, and 84% use it weekly.
- Among #ContentMarketing Tweets, #DigitalMarketing (47%) is the most popular marketing hashtag, followed by #SEO (40%), and #marketing (37%).
YouTube Statistics
YouTube is the most popular sharing platform especially for long form video. It has more than 51 million channels, which is 36% channel growth compared to last year.
- YouTube is the 2nd most visited website, 14.3 billion visits per month.
- As of January 2022, India has the largest YouTube audience, approximately 467 million users and followed by the United States (240 million) and Indonesia (127 million).
- In 2021, the global ad revenues were around $28 billion USD.
- There are more than 2.6 billion monthly active users on YouTube.
- People spent around 23.7 hours each month on YouTube mobile app
- T-Series is the most popular YouTube channel, it has 214 millions subscribers. (updated on April 2022)
TikTok Statistics
The Chinese platform has transformed itself from an unknown. What on earth is this? into a can’t-do-without social media platform for brand marketing. In fact, TikTok boasts the biggest increase in planned new platform investment for brands in 2022 (84%), compared to YouTube (66%) and Instagram (64%).
- 62% of TikTok marketers believe that platform-specific branded content is the best way to connect to customers. This means unique posts on TikTok win over repurposed content.
- 39% of Gen Z consumers say that their purchasing decisions are directly influenced by what they see on TikTok videos. This means that TikTok has overtaken Instagram in the popularity stakes among Gen Z consumers.
- United States TikTok users spent more than 858 minutes per month on the app in 2020.
- TikTok has more than 1 billion monthly active users.
- Adult has mix opinions towards TikTok, more than 29% of US adults has no idea about TikTok , some consider it is somewhat favourable (21%) , very unfavorable (21%), very favorable (16%) and somewhat unfavorable (13%).
Pinterest Statistics
The platform’s big-spending audience is diverse and among the most dedicated and engaged of any network. Likewise, the power of Pinterest advertising means the platform is the perfect place for consumers to discover new products.
- Pinterest boasts more than 400 million monthly active users (and over 240 billion pins saved).
- Shoppers on Pinterest have 85% larger shopping carts than buyers on other platforms (and spend twice as much monthly).
- Users are 40% more likely to say they love shopping on Pinterest (compared to those who don’t use the platform).
- Users are seven times more likely to claim that the Pinterest platform is the most influential in their purchasing journeys.
Social Media Advertising Statistics
Sure, the average consumer might dislike social ads, but they’re still incredibly effective when done right.
- In Q1 2021, marketers spent 60% more on Facebook and Instagram ads than in the same quarter in 2020.
- Social media has overtaken paid search as an advertising channel, growing 25% YoY.
- 77% of marketers use retargeting as part of their Facebook and Instagram advertising planning.
Social Media Consumer Behavior Statistics
From first impressions from brands to product recommendations, the impact of social media on consumers is well-documented. However, what’s notable is the recent growth of direct social sales. Consumers crave authenticity and ads that don’t feel like ads.
- Data protection and privacy are extremely important to 52% of social media users.
- Shoppable user-generated content (UGC) is the best way to gain consumer trust.
- Social media users overwhelmingly favor other users as influencers (37%) versus celebrities (7%).
Paying Attention to Social Media Statistics
Understanding the most current social media statistics is crucial to fine-tuning your marketing strategy. Here are a few questions to ask:
- Should you double down on what you’re already doing?
- Is it time for a complete reworking?
- Do you need to move from ads to organic content (or vice-versa)?
- Are there opportunities on platforms you have not been using?
We hope these social media statistics help you find the right answers!