Improving your social media marketing strategy can begin with a look at the numbers.
Since serious studies should underpin your campaigns, right? In addition to revealing new opportunities, statistics can be used to evaluate performance against industry norms.
Social media continues to play an important role in our daily lives and for many brands, even as the ongoing pandemic drives more people online. As new tools and networks emerge, users’ interactions with social media sites change in fundamental ways.
The following social media statistics can be used by marketers in conjunction with our most recent demographic data to help shape their presence on these platforms in 2023 and beyond.
- The Real Story Behind the Numbers of Social Media Users
- Data from Facebook
- Insights from Instagram’s Numbers
- Data from TikTok
The Real Story Behind the Numbers of Social Media Users
We’re all addicted to social media, that much is obvious (guilty as charged). Take a look at the data below to get an idea of how social media use is evolving, which platforms are prevailing, and how dependent modern consumers are on these platforms.
- A total of 3.96 billion people as of January 202
- 2 use some form of social media.
- Most people join and leave seven different social networks each month.
- Adults are spending a record 95 minutes daily on social media, across all platforms.
- The user base of TikTok has increased by a whopping 105% in the United States over the past two years, making it the fastest-growing social network.
- Average daily Facebook use and engagement has dropped to 33 minutes by 2022. (versus 39 minutes daily in 2017).
The Facebook Numbers
Facebook has probably seen better days, what with ongoing privacy concerns and scrutiny over the “Meta” rebrand.
However, despite this, the platform continues to have a massive user base and strong advertising capabilities. The question of whether or not brands should prioritise Facebook depends heavily on each individual’s Facebook metrics. The following data about social media platforms should shed some light.
- Despite all the doom and gloom, 93% of marketers around the world still use Facebook as their primary platform. A close second is Instagram, with 78% of the vote.
- In 2020, Facebook will be solely responsible for 25% of all digital ad spending, compared to Google (29%), Amazon (10%), and others (35.6%).
- During the course of 2023, the number of people using Facebook’s Messenger app is expected to grow to an impressive 3 billion.
- Roughly 10 million people are currently using Facebook to advertise their products and services.
- One-third of all adults read Facebook news stories, proving the platform’s relevance and the interest in its timely (and often controversial) stories.
Insights from Instagram’s Numbers
Instagram has benefited from the scrutiny Facebook has received in recent years. As of 2023, Instagram had more than 2 billion users, but brands were still desperately trying to increase their exposure by gaining new followers.
Unfortunately, there are some problems with the network. The once dominant social media platform for influencers, Instagram, is now seeing competition from apps like TikTok, and its younger user base appears to be dwindling.
But the future looks bright for Instagram thanks to its relatively high engagement rates, new ecommerce features, and massive ad spending.
- Instagram has far more engaged users than any other social streaming service (hint: 81% vs. Facebook’s 8%).
- Facebook’s engagement rate is 0.13%, while Instagram’s is 0.83%, a difference of more than six times.
- Even among influential Instagram users, Instagram Stories (83%) and grid posts (93%) continue to dominate.
- Influencers’ use of the “#ad” tag on Instagram has dropped by 17 percent over the past year, which may indicate a change in both platforms and strategies within the influencer marketing industry.
- A whopping 44% of Instagrammers use the platform at least once every week to make a purchase (with 28% of those purchases being pre-planned).
Data from TikTok
TikTok went from “What the heck is this?” to “Every brand must have this” in a matter of months. The platform’s fervent devotees, explosive expansion, and skyrocketing usage are excellent signs for its early adopters.
However, this may soon change as the platform grows in popularity beyond its current demographic of young users and micro-influencers. Those already using TikTok should pay close attention to their analytics and learn as quickly as possible how to expand their fan base.
- TikTok-exclusive branded content is the most effective way to reach customers, according to 62% of users. This highlights the importance of making original content for TikTok rather than simply recycling old videos.
- Preferences for TikTok content are depicted graphically.
- Thirty-nine percent of Gen Z buyers say that content they see on TikTok has a direct impact on their purchasing decisions.
- New platform investment by brands is expected to rise across the board in 2023, with TikTok leading the pack at 84%, ahead of both YouTube (66%) and Instagram (64%).
- To build on what was just said, TikTok has surpassed Instagram in popularity among the Generation Z demographic.
- The engagement rate on TikTok is 13.48% for influencers with up to 1 million followers, while it is 17.9 % for those with 5,000 or fewer.