Social media is integral to our every day lives.
With 4.8 billion social media customers worldwide – accounting for 59.9% of the worldwide inhabitants – social platforms have develop into mandatory hubs for gathering data, connecting with our associates and family members, and rising our companies.
And social media customers have grown to belief and depend on their most popular social networks for the whole lot from real-time information and updates to life-style hacks, product analysis, and extra.
For entrepreneurs, the world of social media represents an expansive space of alternative – and each person is a possible buyer.
With the best instruments, assets, and a powerful social media technique, entrepreneurs can leverage social media platforms to spice up consciousness for his or her enterprise, interact their audience, and even nurture a loyal neighborhood.
However with so many various social media platforms present at present, it’s almost not possible to be current on each single one – not to mention excel in each house.
Success in social media advertising and marketing begins with selecting the best platforms in your model. You must determine the place your audience is spending essentially the most time and the place it is smart in your manufacturers to work together with them.
On this article, we’ll have a look at the main social media platforms, giving a fast overview of what they’re earlier than exploring what kinds of companies may discover them most helpful.
High 11 Social Media Platforms In contrast
| MAU* | Income | Launched | Headquarters | ||
| 1 | Fb | 3 billion | $116 billion | 2004 | Menlo Park, CA |
| 2 | YouTube | 2.5 billion | $29.24 billion | 2005 | San Bruno, California |
| 3 | 2 billion | $906 million | 2009 | Menlo Park, California | |
| 4 | 2 billion | $51.4 billion | 2010 | Menlo Park, CA | |
| 5 | TikTok | 1.2 billion | $9.5 billion | 2016 | Culver Metropolis, CA |
| 6 | Snapchat | 750 million | $4.6 billion | 2011 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 7 | 465 million | $2.8 billion | 2005 | San Francisco, CA | |
| 8 | 430 million | $670 million | 2010 | San Francisco, CA | |
| 9 | 310 million | $12. 4 billion | 2006 | San Francisco, CA | |
| 10 | Threads | 120 million | Unknown | 2023 | Menlo Park, CA |
| 11 | X (previously Twitter) | 56.1 million | $4.4 billion | 2003 | Mountain View, CA |
*Variety of month-to-month energetic customers worldwide
The High 11 Social Media Apps By Month-to-month Lively Customers
| MAU* | ||
| 1 | Fb | 3 billion |
| 2 | YouTube | 2.5 billion |
| 3 | 2 billion | |
| 4 | 2 billion | |
| 5 | TikTok | 1.2 billion |
| 6 | Snapchat | 750 million |
| 7 | 465 million | |
| 8 | 430 million | |
| 9 | 310 million | |
| 10 | Threads | 120 million |
| 11 | X (Twitter) | 56.1 million |
*Variety of month-to-month energetic customers worldwide
The High 11 Social Media Websites And Platforms
1. Fb
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA
Launched: 2004
Month-to-month Lively Customers: 3 billion
Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes
Income: $88-91 billion (2023) estimated
Whereas Fb won’t be the thrilling new platform it as soon as was – and might need fallen out of favor with youthful customers – make no mistake: it’s nonetheless round, and extra widespread than ever.
Right this moment, Fb operates below the umbrella of Meta, Inc., which additionally owns platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
Lately, Fb has undergone a demographic shift – but its affect within the social media sphere stays unparalleled.
Industries comparable to financial providers, ecommerce, retail, media, telecom, expertise, and consumer items proceed to harness Fb’s expansive attain to attach with shoppers and develop their model consciousness – with newer sectors like gaming, leisure, and automotive companies additionally discovering their footing on the platform.
Should you’re trying to drive conversions, your greatest guess is to spend money on Fb advertisements – particularly given the Information Feed is more and more suppressing enterprise posts.
That mentioned, there are nonetheless loads of methods to generate natural engagement with out investing in advertisements.
Think about becoming a member of (or constructing) area of interest communities with Fb Teams, leveraging Messenger chatbots for customized communication, or utilizing stay video to encourage real-time viewers interplay.
2. YouTube
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Launched: 2005.
- Headquarters: San Bruno, California.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 2.5 billion.
- Income: $30.4 billion (2023) estimated
- Founders: Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley.
YouTube continues to carry the crown because the dominant unique video social media platform. It’s at present the second most used platform, with 2.5 billion month-to-month energetic customers.
The potential for attain on YouTube is unmatched, with 89% of U.S. adults utilizing the platform. Such engagement metrics are onerous for entrepreneurs and types to disregard.
From longform video storytelling to the current introduction of YouTube Shorts, the platform’s TikTok rival, YouTube offers loads of alternatives for manufacturers to have interaction in visible storytelling and attain new audiences.
And in response to the corporate, it’s a really highly effective advertising and marketing software. YouTube viewers say they’re 2X extra probably to purchase one thing they noticed on YouTube, and 4X extra probably to make use of the platform to seek out details about a model, product, or service versus different social networks.
Whether or not you’re into magnificence tutorials, gaming streams, training content material, or DIY hacks, YouTube has all of it. And for manufacturers aiming to pivot into video-centric content material advertising and marketing, YouTube is the platform to prioritize.
3. WhatsApp
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Launched: 2009.
- Headquarters: Menlo Park, California.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 2 billion.
- Income: $500 million – $1 billion (2023) estimated
- Founders: Brian Acton, Jan Koum.
WhatsApp stays the preferred social messaging app, manner out in entrance of Fb Messenger.
At first look, manufacturers may overlook WhatsApp’s potential, given its closed messaging nature. However think about that SMS has a median of 98% open price in comparison with 20% for e mail.
It’s a captive viewers. And, in contrast to SMS, WhatsApp messages are free to ship.
For manufacturers that wish to enhance their customer support efforts or join immediately with prospects to reply their questions, WhatsApp has a ton of potential. It gives a uniquely direct and efficient channel for interacting together with your viewers.
Should you can crack WhatsApp, you’ll have a direct advertising and marketing channel to your viewers.
4. Instagram
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA.
- Launched: 2010.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 2 billion.
- Founders: Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger.
- Income: $50.6 billion (2023) estimated
Instagram is a social community the place product-based companies, influencers, and coaches can thrive.
Launched in 2010, Instagram shortly grew to become the main image-based, visually-rich social platform. Since then, it has solely grown in reputation and attain, changing into a spot for customers to conduct and analysis each side of their lives.
The platform has additionally launched new options that entrepreneurs can leverage to develop consciousness, together with ephemeral Tales, vertical-video Reels, and extra.
Since introducing shoppable posts in 2018, the potential ROI for product-based companies has been higher than ever.
Not solely can B2B companies join with an enormous viewers, they will seamlessly transition followers from product analysis to buy by linking product data and making gross sales – all throughout the Instagram interface.
And in case your goal demographic is below 35, Instagram is a gold mine: over 68% of Instagram customers are below 35.
5. TikTok
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Launched: 2016.
- Headquarters: Culver Metropolis, California.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 1.2 billion.
- Founders: ByteDance Ltd, Zhang Yiming, Toutiao.
- Income: $6.19 billion (2023) estimated
TikTok payments itself as “the main vacation spot for short-form cellular video” with an organization mission to encourage creativity and convey pleasure. And evidently, it’s succeeding.
TikTok’s meteoric rise over the previous few years has been unprecedented. In 2017, after just one yr, the app grew to become the fastest-growing app worldwide.
Its deal with short-form movies pushed by audio and visible developments has taken the world by storm, with different platforms dashing to emulate it.
Regardless of makes an attempt to ban TikTok within the U.S. and being banned in India, as of 2021, the app had been downloaded greater than 3.5 billion occasions globally.
And whereas TikTok reaches customers of all demographics, in case your model desires to attach with Era Z, it ought to be your first precedence.
Within the U.S., it’s significantly widespread among the many 12 to 17 age bracket, who represent about 17.7% of the person base.
These customers are extremely engaged, too, with the common person spending almost 54 minutes on the app each day – the longest quantity of time of any app, forward of YouTube at 48.7 minutes.
6. Snapchat
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA.
- Launched: 2011.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 750 million.
- Founders: Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, Daniel Smith, David Kravitz, Leo Noah Katz.
- Income: $4.6 billion (2022).
If a youthful viewers is your goal, Snapchat could be a platform value contemplating. This social platform is a good place for connecting with millennials and Gen Z customers.
Virtually half of all customers on Snapchat are 18 to 24-year-olds, showcasing its immense enchantment to the youthful era.
The common Snapchat person spends 19 minutes per day on the app – not sufficient time to rival that of TikTok and YouTube, however nonetheless a possibility window for manufacturers to succeed in and join with them.
Snapchat has a uniquely natural really feel, with content material that provides an unfiltered glimpse into on a regular basis moments – so the platform is a haven for user-generated content material, behind-the-scenes movies, unique gives, and influencer takeovers.
The platform has all the time maintained its dedication to real-time, ephemeral content material, and it gives a way of privateness to customers that many different social platforms don’t. Because of this, it’s a worthwhile software for manufacturers that wish to authentically communicate to a youthful demographic who could be much less within the broader approaches of different social networks.
And whereas it might not get as a lot consideration because the likes of Instagram and TikTok, Snapchat is quietly buzzing alongside. Since launching its premium subscription service Snapchat+, the model introduced it has generated 5 million paying subscribers who’re keen to dish out cash for entry to unique options.
7. Pinterest
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Launched: 2010.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, CA.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 465 million.
- Founders: Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp.
- Income: $2.8 billion (2022).
Like Instagram, Pinterest is a social media platform that’s centered on wealthy visuals. From scrumptious recipes to dwelling decor inspiration, wedding ceremony concepts, exercise strikes, and DIY-related content material, Pinterest is the place visible desires come to life.
In case your model has an curiosity in visible storytelling, Pinterest is the platform for you.
Notably, 60% of Pinterest customers are girls. In case your viewers is predominantly girls, that’s a compelling purpose to speculate time in social media advertising and marketing on Pinterest.
That’s to not say that males aren’t on Pinterest – male Pinners are up 40% year-over-year (as are Gen Z Pinners!).
What’s extra, Pinterest has confirmed itself to be a robust advertising and marketing software. 85% of weekly Pinners have made a purchase order from a Pin, whereas 80% have found a brand new model or product on Pinterest.
8. Reddit
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Launched: 2005.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, CA.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 430 million.
- Founders: Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, Aaron Swartz.
- Income: $670 million (2022).
Reddit heralds itself as “the entrance web page of the web,” and in response to Alexa rankings, Reddit is likely one of the high 20 most-visited websites.
It has develop into often known as the dominant digital watercooler, and changed boards and chatrooms of yore to be the go-to place for connecting with likeminded communities and getting your questions answered.
Reddit has a novel mix of content material and neighborhood, with greater than 2.8 million communities, or subreddits, devoted to each subject possible. Whether or not you’re in tech, trend, gaming, or well being, there’s at the least one subreddit actively discussing your business.
With so many niches, there’s a spot for each model and enterprise to have interaction their viewers – it’s a matter of discovering the niches the place your potential prospects are energetic and diving in.
Nevertheless, be warned: Reddit thrives on authenticity and real interplay. Customers don’t sometimes reply properly to blatant self-promotion, and advertising and marketing gimmicks will likely be met with sharp skepticism.
Manufacturers ought to beware earlier than wandering into any subreddit and attempting to tout their merchandise to neighborhood members.
It’s essential to get the tone proper from the start, as commentators received’t hesitate to name out and critique what they understand as inauthentic.
Interact thoughtfully, contribute genuinely, and Reddit may very well be an unimaginable advertising and marketing software in your model.
9. LinkedIn
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Headquarters: Sunnyvale, CA.
- Launched: 2003.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 310 million.
- Founders: Reid Hoffman, Konstantin Guericke, Allen Blue, Jean-Luc Vaillant, Eric Ly.
- Income: $15 billion+ (2023).
LinkedIn has been considerably of a darkish horse amongst social media platforms. Whereas many might not initially have anticipated a career-focused social platform to take off, it has develop into one of many extra widespread and fascinating platforms, with an unlimited and influential neighborhood of pros.
The platform boasts over 180 million customers holding senior roles, 63 million decision-makers, and 10 million C-level executives – making it a hotspot for these aiming to attach with of us who’ve the facility to rent your organization, inventory your product, or accomplice together with your model.
And the platform isn’t only for networking – it’s an aspirational hub. Each week, 61 million individuals use LinkedIn to seek for job alternatives – so it’s a wise place to market your model.
LinkedIn is a really centered social media platform. Due to that, it has limitless potential for connecting with an elite group of pros who could make a distinction for what you are promoting.
10. Threads
- Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA.
- Launched: 2023.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 120 million (2023).
- Founders: Mark Zuckerberg.
- Income: Unknown.
The newcomer to the block, Threads was created by the workforce behind Instagram and launched in July 2023. The text-based app was designed as a competitor to X (previously Twitter).
It seems to be and capabilities fairly equally to X (previously Twitter), although Threads requires you to have an Instagram account in an effort to enroll.
Threads initially made a splash within the social media house by shortly surpassing 150 million downloads and changing into essentially the most profitable social media platform launch in historical past.
Since then, it has struggled to retain customers – however there’s nonetheless loads of promise for the way forward for the platform.
So, who ought to be promoting on Threads? It’s nonetheless early days, so the reply isn’t completely clear but.
The excellent news is that Threads seems to be participating customers by leaning into its technique to create a constructive neighborhood house, and veering away from the extremely politicized panorama that you just may discover on X.
In case your model is on the lookout for a substitute for X (previously Twitter) or is eager to strive your hand at a brand new platform, Threads is definitely value testing.
Its integration with Instagram means that you’ve got the potential to construct a following fairly quickly you probably have a powerful and engaged Instagram neighborhood.
11. X/Twitter
Screenshot by creator, Might 2022
- Headquarters: San Francisco, CA.
- Launched: 2006.
- Month-to-month Lively Customers: 56.1 million (2023).
- Founders: Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, Noah Glass.
- Income: $3 billion (2023) estimated
Since being bought by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in October 2022 for $44 billion, X (previously Twitter) has been dealing with some main adjustments and hurdles.
It has misplaced roughly 13% of its every day energetic customers – and the response to the platform’s rebrand from ‘Twitter’ to ‘X’ didn’t assist issues both.
With common customers and types each more and more turning away from the app, some are heralding its potential demise – whereas others say nothing a lot has modified.
Regardless of a transparent understanding of what the longer term holds for the platform, if what you are promoting is said to leisure, sports activities, politics, tech, or advertising and marketing, there are nonetheless alternatives to drive nice engagement on this app – if you will discover your viewers there.
On X, manufacturers have a possibility to craft and hone their voice. There’s room to be intelligent and personable whereas nonetheless being informative and useful.
Bounce into threads, present value, share your personal content material in addition to others, and be part of the dialog. Simply be sure you monitor the app and your viewers to ensure your funding is paying off.
Which Platform(s) Ought to You Use?
The ubiquity of social media is simple.
Out of your teenage neighbor who desires to go viral on TikTok to your 86-year-old grandmother who’s utilizing Fb to trace down long-lost associates, everyone has a use for social media.
But, in relation to enterprise, a one-size-fits-all strategy to social media received’t work.
So, for those who had been hoping you’d attain the top of this piece, and discover a easy, definitive reply on the right platform in your model, you’re out of luck.
Each social media combine will likely be distinctive.
Every platform gives distinct options and functionalities, some which align extra naturally with particular industries or advertising and marketing aims.
Whether or not you’re trying to increase buyer engagement, enhance attain, or create unforgettable model experiences, all of it begins with getting clear in your targets.
Begin by understanding your aims, determining the place your viewers is most energetic, after which tailoring your technique to resonate on these channels.
It’s all about making the best selections and discovering genuine alignment in an effort to make use of this highly effective advertising and marketing alternative.
Up to date with information from DataReportal’s Digital 2023 October World Statshot Report.
Extra assets:
Featured Picture: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal