Are you curious about which social media platform has the most users? The world of social media moves fast, with new platforms constantly popping up. It can be hard to keep track of the ever-shifting landscape and know which platform is king when it comes to user engagement.
If you’re interested in finding out where your target audience hangs out online, this post will help you discover how many people use each major platform and why that number may be important for your brand. Let’s dive in!
Reasons for Social Media Use
When creating an effective marketing plan, reach is an important consideration, but it is by no means the only one. To gain the most from a social media platform mix, we must take into account the needs of different groups of people and how they use social media.
Recent research highlights various motivations for using social media platforms, which can vary greatly depending on demographics such as age, location, and even platform type. Therefore, to ensure maximum success with a given campaign or activity, marketers should familiarize themselves with the specific needs and behaviors of their target audience in order to choose the best platform mix possible.
Doing so will help maximize reach while also tailoring messages to potential customers more precisely.
Favorite Social Media Platforms
The preferences of social media platforms differ depending on the country, gender of users, and the task that needs to be performed. For example, in India, Facebook is the most popular social media platform, followed by WhatsApp and YouTube. In China, WeChat dominates the market with 81% of total users, and QQ comes in second place with 12%.
Whereas in the United States, Facebook is still the most widely used network, many people are starting to migrate to other services such as Instagram and Snapchat, which are particularly popular among millennials and Gen Z.
There is significant gender disparity when it comes to social media usage. Women generally use social networks more than men, especially for connecting with friends and family. Men on the other hand, are more likely to rely on these platforms for news updates or professional purposes like networking or job hunting.
Research indicates that social media users have different reasons for visiting various platforms, which can say popularity. For instance, Facebook is primarily used to message friends and family, while TikTok users are likely to look for funny and entertaining videos. Instagram and Snapchat also provide the opportunity for users to post their own content; however, this activity is much less popular on TikTok, Reddit, and LinkedIn.
Meanwhile, Pinterest remains the go-to site for those hoping to follow or research brand-related content online. Other surveys further reveal that these preferences among different social media platforms vary significantly in terms of the type of usage they attract from their respective user base.
The World’s Biggest Social Media Platforms
In the world today, social media has become increasingly popular. Among the many websites and platforms available, a few stand out as the most popular. Below, we will go over the best user-determined social media platforms.
For Everything – Facebook
Facebook is an amazing platform for connecting with people, businesses, and just about anything else you can think of. With over 2.9 billion monthly active users, it is the world’s largest social media site.
Facebook also provides a powerful search engine to find groups and pages dedicated to specific topics that may be of interest. Additionally, it enables businesses to reach customers through their own business pages, allowing companies to build relationships with their target audience while marketing their services or products. Facebook also offers various tools such as Ads Manager and Marketplace, to optimize online visibility and reach out to consumers.
With its versatility and engaging features, it’s no wonder why Facebook has become the go-to place for the following:
- Local marketing: As one of the top local business directories, a well-executed Facebook business page contains essential information such as a description of your offerings, pricing range, contact info, hours of operation, photos representing what you do and who you are as a business, and call to action buttons for visitors to take advantage of special offers or book appointments. This comprehensive set of features enables businesses to create meaningful connections with their target audience regardless of location.
- Advertising: Facebook is an incredibly powerful tool for businesses, but there are more efficient options when it comes to organic reach. When it comes to digital advertising, Facebook remains king with an impressive 36.7% of the adult population being exposed to ads on the platform through its advanced targeting capabilities. Despite its low organic reach compared to other social media platforms, Facebook’s sheer size and capabilities make it a top choice for businesses looking to advertise digitally.
- Community building: Posting timely and relevant information on your Facebook page is a great way to keep customers informed about upcoming sales, changes in store hours, or new products. Additionally, suppose you make sure to make use of multimedia when posting, such as videos, images, or polls. In that case, you can draw more attention from users and can help generate more engagement from your target audience.
Visual Marketing – Instagram
Instagram is quickly becoming one of the most powerful tools for marketers. With its visually appealing platform and impressive reach, Instagram has become a must-have in any marketer’s toolbox.
Visual content on Instagram stands out from all other platforms because it supports higher quality, more engaging visuals. It also allows users to create better stories and capture attention with creative images. Images can be used to both attract new customers and deepen relationships with existing ones.
Brands can use Instagram for the following:
- E-commerce Instagram is an ideal platform for businesses looking to grow their brand and reach potential customers. While its advertising costs may be higher than other channels like Facebook, it gives brands an opportunity to capitalize on high purchase intent compared to other platforms. More visually oriented products tend to do well on Instagram, given its focus on imagery and videos; in fact, over 60% of people say they discover new products on the platform with 80% of them reporting they act on what they see.
- Organic engagement: With an organic reach of 9.4%, Instagram easily surpasses that of other social media platforms like Facebook (3.7%) and Twitter (1.6%). This high organic reach makes it easier for businesses and individuals to get their message out to the public without paying for costly advertising campaigns. This means that content posted on Instagram is more likely to be seen and interacted with by a larger audience than on other platforms, making it an ideal choice for businesses that want to maximize their online visibility.
Customer Service- Twitter
Creating an effective Twitter presence is much more than just limited to expressing your brand in 360 characters or less. It goes beyond the basic requirement and involves utilizing strategies to engage with your audience, build relationships, and drive measurable results. It also requires being creative with different types of content such as videos, pictures, memes, live streaming, polls, etc.
Twitter’s uniqueness lies in its ability to provide users with instant access to real-time updates on what’s happening around the world. This instantaneous connection can be leveraged by businesses to deliver timely news flashes and participate in conversations that are relevant to their industry.
Moreover, it is a great platform for the following:
- All things customer service: Twitter has become a go-to for consumers looking for assistance from brands. According to a recent survey, 66% of respondents chose Twitter as their preferred channel for customer service. This is mainly due to the fact that it is a fast and direct form of communication – customers can interact with companies quickly and easily. Ultimately, by having an active presence on Twitter and providing helpful customer service, companies can enhance their reputation while helping customers at the same time.
- Advertising to males: When it comes to the gender demographic of Twitter users, there is a notable difference between the global user base and those in the United States. Globally, Twitter has 70% male users and 30% female users. Despite having a smaller reach for advertisers than its competitors, Twitter is still an important platform for marketing due to its wide user base across genders and countries.
- News: Twitter has become an important source of news and information for many people around the world. A significant portion of verified accounts on Twitter belong to journalists – more than 25%, in fact. This demonstrates the platform’s importance as a medium for disseminating news and information.
B2B Marketing and the Job Search- LinkedIn
LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for B2B marketing, with over half of all social media traffic to b2b websites and blogs coming from the platform. With 61 million senior-level influencers and 65 million decision-makers on LinkedIn, businesses find reaching their target audiences easier.
Additionally, LinkedIn is a great option for international B2B businesses as 80% of leads come from outside the US. The potential reach of LinkedIn is vast given its 570 million global users and millions of companies leveraging the platform for branding, recruiting, connecting with industry professionals, product/service promotion, and more. Businesses can use detailed targeting options to ensure they’re reaching the right people in their target market.
Companies also use LinkedIn for the following reasons:
- Long-form content: Long-form content, such as articles with between 1,900-2,000 words, is the most successful type of post in terms of views, likes, comments, and shares on LinkedIn. This type of content allows writers to include a more comprehensive overview of their topic or idea while developing more complex arguments.
- Inspirational content: LinkedIn is a great platform for connecting with like-minded individuals and building essential relationships. It’s also a tool for discovering engaging content related to self-improvement, leadership, and overall well-being. From networking events to conversations in industry groups, LinkedIn offers users a unique opportunity to connect with each other in meaningful ways and learn from one another’s experiences.
Entertainment – TikTok
We all know that with TikTok comes dancing teens and trending topics. Dancing is becoming increasingly popular among teenagers, especially in the age of TikTok. This new form of social media has made it easier for young people to discover different types of dance styles and teach themselves how to do them.
As teens learn from each other, they also share their own unique skills, creating a virtual community built on collaboration and creativity. This community provides an outlet for teens to express themselves in a safe space as well as gain confidence in their abilities.
Some businesses benefit from Tiktok for the following reasons:
- Entertainment: A recent Global Web Index study revealed that people mainly use TikTok to find funny and entertaining videos. Approximately 60% of users cited this as their primary purpose for using the platform, while 25% each used it for inspiration, self-expression, staying on top of trends, or socializing purposes.
- Influencer marketing: In 2021, popular influencer marketing platforms shifted. Instagram still takes the lead in terms of popularity, TikTok is quickly catching up as the second most popular platform with 45%. With its growth rate, TikTok could soon overtake Instagram as the top influencer platform of choice.
Young Users – Snapchat
Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media platforms among the younger generations, with a whopping 78% of Snapchat users falling between 15-35 years old.
Many brands are turning to Snapchat as their go-to platform for connecting with their consumers due to the following reasons:
- Video advertising: Snapchat provides an excellent chance to use music or other audio elements in order to make ads even more immersive so that viewers are drawn into the experience and more likely to take action.
- Location-based marketing: Snapchat is an ideal tool for location-based marketers, thanks to its wealth of features such as geofilters and Snap Map. The location-sharing service allows users to detect nearby friends and businesses—in fact, it has attracted over 30 million businesses to the platform. For those looking to tap into the power of location-based marketing, Snapchat is an invaluable resource.
