Considering how technology has changed our world, these fascinating social media marketing statistics are worth discussing. As the vast majority of people log onto social media platforms daily, this type of marketing has improved the reputation of many brands and increased their sales. At the same time, they got the opportunity to get closer to their customers.
Keeping up with new trends and the competition might be challenging, but it’s worth the effort. The statistics and facts listed below will give you a better insight into this marketing strategy and its importance.
Top Social Media Marketing Facts: Editor’s Choice
- About 3.96 billion people worldwide are currently active on social media.
- US women account for 78% of the total social media users.
- Social advertising is the primary reason 27% of users discover new products.
- Small businesses that post on social platforms monthly account for 94%.
- Nearly 58% of advertisers need to show a positive ROI for future planning.
- Facebook Pages count over 90 million small businesses.
- On average, Facebook users have watched 12 ads in the last month.
- Around 90% of Instagram users follow more than one brand.
- Marketers spend $56.1 million on Twitter advertising.
- Gen Zers and millennials make up for 82% of the advertising audience.
General Social Media Statistics and Demographics
Social media has undoubtedly impacted our lives in many ways. For example, the rapid adoption of digital technology has changed how we access information, find partners or clients, make payments, and more.
Let’s see some of the most interesting statistics and trends below.
1. In 2021, 3.96 billion people worldwide use social media.
That said, the percentage of people who use social media accounts for 50.6% of the global population. Considering that the world counts 7.86 billion people in total, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that so many users are active on social media platforms.
2. In 2020, about 223 million Americans used social media platforms.
With this in mind, what percentage of Americans use social media? As of 2020, Statista reported that 80% of US adults were active on social media platforms. This year, the figure has slightly increased to about 82%.
3. 99% of users access social media via mobile phones.
This figure translates into 3.92 billion people actively using social media on mobile devices. Furthermore, social media usage statistics confirm that almost everyone favors having social media apps at hand instead of accessing them on a desktop or laptop.
4. In 2020, worldwide users spent about 2 hours and 24 minutes a day on social media.
The social media posting frequency keeps people attached to their phones. However, the average time spent on social media around the world has made researchers investigate whether social media addiction can have a negative impact on our mental well-being.
This shocking figure changes from country to country. The Philippines has the highest number of active users, with 3 hours and 53 minutes spent on social platforms daily. On the other hand, Japan contributes to a mere 45 minutes per day.
5. As of February 2019, US adults aged 18–29 are the most active on social networks.
Social media statistics demonstrate that as the age of users progresses, the usage of these platforms decreases.
In fact, Americans aged 30–49 account for 82% of social media platforms users. Conversely, people over 65 are the demographic with the least rate of users, constituting only 40% of the total.
6. As of February 2019, about 78% of American women use social media platforms.
The most recent social media usage demographics imply that women are generally more active on social media networks compared to men.
However, the difference between these two genders is not that significant. Men’s social media usage makes up a good 65% of the total number of users.
7. An astounding 97% of Gen Zers use social media for shopping.
Gen Z is considered the largest generation after millennials. When it comes to Generation Z on social media, statistics indicate that almost anyone uses social network sites as an inspiration for shopping. However, out of this figure, only 62% actively make online purchases instead of shopping in physical stores.
Especially during the pandemic, the number of Gen Zers favoring the online experience has steadily grown.
8. China registered over 1.279 billion social media network users in 2021.
When discussing social media usage statistics by country, it’s only normal that the two most populated countries globally, China and India, are the social media network usage leaders.
Statista’s report forecasts that China will surpass a billion users in 2025, while India will hit nearly 500 million in the same year.
Social Media Advertising Statistics
Although organic growth is something we all strive for, that’s not enough to promote a brand. That’s why paid advertising comes into play.
We have gathered some fascinating stats about advertising.
9. In the second quarter of 2020, the global ad CPM went down to $4.33.
Advertising allows social media marketers to reach thousands of users globally. As a result, social media ads statistics demonstrate that the cost-per-mille (CPM) has successfully dropped from the $7.06 registered in the last quarter of 2020—the highest figure experienced in the last three years.
10. The global social media ads CTR reached 1.3% in the second quarter of 2020.
Statista’s advertising on social media statistics shows that the global click-through rate (CTR) has gradually decreased from the previous year. In the last quarter of 2019, the ads CTR stood at 1.4%. Although the click-through rate didn’t experience considerable change, the figure will most likely decrease over the next few years.
11. 27% of users discover new products and brands through paid social media ads.
The benefits of social media advertising are simply endless. Among other things, paid social media can help with targeting audiences and driving sales. It’s clear that this type of ads are becoming necessary in marketing strategies across businesses.
Except for online, paid social ads can also reach the audience through TV and search engines. 31% of people aged 16–24 find new brands through these advertising channels.
12. 83% of marketers adopt paid advertising on social media in 2021.
According to social media advertising stats by the Content Marketing Institute, about 80% of these marketers promote the most on LinkedIn. Facebook and Twitter complete the top three with 67% and 27%, respectively. Instagram is right behind at 26%, which indicates a staggering increase compared to the 17% of paid promotions reported in 2020.
13. In 2020, social media advertising revenue hit $41.5 billion.
It’s not a secret that advertising brings astonishing results, and this figure just proves that. The staggering number registered in 2020 translates into nearly 30% of the total internet revenue.
Digital videos are the most preferred form of advertisement—they experienced a 20.6% year-over-year growth.
Social Media Marketing for Business Statistics
As mentioned earlier, almost everyone spends some time on social media, and marketers know this very well. That’s why they choose to invest more money in social media marketing than offline channels.
Let’s break down some of the most relevant social media marketing trends.
14. 94% of small businesses post on social media on a monthly basis.
While the staggering majority of small businesses are active at least once a month, 79% of them update their social media pages every week. Only 6% of brands on social media post less often than a month.
In conclusion, social media presence is of vital importance for businesses. Brands that post more frequently will have a much higher chance of profitability.
15. Social networking costs businesses only $75 per 2,000 users.
Nowadays, businesses prefer digital marketing to conventional channels—and for a good reason. Not only is it more convenient for brands, but also the average cost of social media marketing is much cheaper. In comparison, traditional direct mail is the most expensive form of marketing, with a shocking price of $900 to reach a 2,000 audience.
16. The social media lead conversion rate is 13% higher than the average one.
Social media generates more leads than conventional marketing strategies, such as trade shows, telemarketing, and direct mail. On the whole, these small businesses and social media statistics prove that online channels are crucial for marketers, B2B companies, and small business owners.
17. 13% of customers admit that the buy button would increase the chance of shopping on social media.
If you are currently not using the buy button for your shared products, you might want to consider it. Although it is not a long-standing problem solver, social media is proven to increase sales.
On the other hand, 23% of internet users believe that high engagement is only one reason customers buy from a certain brand.
18. In 2021, 91.9% of US marketers were expected to use social media for marketing.
As can be seen on Statista, social media marketing usage rates in the US have increased over the last decade.
Compared to the 91% registered in 2019, the number of businesses using social media marketing is expected to see a slight growth up to 92.1% in 2022.
19. Around 58% of marketers say they need a positive ROI for future budgeting approval.
Out of this figure, LinkedIn’s social media marketing ROI statistics prove that only 37% of marketers are very satisfied with ROI metrics.
Proving positive ROI allows businesses to gain recognition and future funding. However, most social media marketers feel pressured to the point they discuss budget allocation at least once a month.
Facebook Social Media Marketing Stats
When it comes to promoting business activities, Facebook is the first social media network marketers turn to—it facilitates communication with customers through daily posting content.
Facebook Marketing is a platform of paid advertisements with a highly targeted audience.
Let’s see what the numbers say.
20. As of Q1 2021, Facebook is the leader of social media with 2.85 billion users.
These captivating social media statistics worldwide show that Facebook and its products (WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger) are currently dominating the internet.
Although Facebook is losing its popularity among the youngest generations, its usage keeps increasing with time. Only in the last quarter of 2020, the social media platform registered over 2.7 billion users.
21. According to Hootsuite research, Facebook ads hit 1.95 billion in 2020.
Social media users statistics for 2020 demonstrated that 32% of the global population using Facebook is older than 13.
Although Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms, it is still the most prominent social platform for business advertising.
22. More than 90 million small businesses use Facebook Pages.
The number of social media users who interact with businesses is getting higher each time, and Facebook pages are one of the bridges that connect customers and brands. Facebook builds efficient tools for social media marketers to deliver the best performance.
23. The average Facebook user has watched 12 ads in the past 30 days.
These fascinating social media marketing statistics for 2020 by Hootsuite showed that this number varies depending on the country. For example, while the number of ads watched accounts for 18 per month in 2020, Canadian users click 15 ads monthly.
Instagram Social Media Business Stats
Nowadays, Instagram is the second most popular social media network behind Facebook. On this platform, social media marketers engage with customers and promote their products through sponsorship. This allows them to reach more customers in a friendly and authentic way without hard selling.
Find some more exciting facts below.
24. As of January 2020, Instagram ads can reach 928.5 million people.
When it comes to audience reach, Instagram is one of the best ways to achieve that. Considering that Instagram social media monthly active users account for over a billion, it’s not surprising that the ads can reach a massive audience. About 655.8 million of these users are 13–34 years old.
25. A staggering 90% of users follow at least one brand.
Instagram is one of the places where people engage with brands the most. According to social media user statistics, Instagram engagement is 58 times higher than on Facebook and 120 times higher than on Twitter.
Additionally, around 60% of Instagrammers learn about a service or a product on Instagram.
26. The highest ad penetration rates are in Iceland, Kazakhstan, and Brunei at 60%.
When it comes to advertising on social media, statistics reported that Turkey and Cyprus are next on the list with 57%, followed by Sweden with 56%. The US and Canada account for 43% and 40%, respectively.
27. Annual Instagram advertising revenue is projected to hit $18.16 billion in 2021.
In addition, the report from Statista illustrates that social media revenue for 2020 was estimated to reach $13.86. With this in mind, you can only conclude that Instagram revenue projections will continue to increase over the next few years.
Twitter Social Media Marketing Statistics
Like Facebook and Instagram, Twitter is among the most influential social media networks for businesses. Thanks to Twitter, brands can find many opportunities to engage with the customer base.
We have compiled a list of the most important stats and facts about Twitter.
28. As of 2020, Twitter counted an advertising audience of 353 million.
These statistics about social media marketing seem to register less audience than other popular social media platforms. However, Twitter has recently begun to measure its user base with different metrics—in monetizable daily active users (mDaus) instead of monthly active users.
29. In 2020, Twitter invested $56.1 million in advertising.
Twitter users are more receptive to new content (including messages from brands) than other social media platform users. Unlike other platforms, the audience on Twitter doesn’t share vacation photos or recipes, but they use it to find and retweet the latest news stories, sports events, products, etc.
That’s why the social media advertising spend on Twitter has decreased over the past decade. Yet, the lowest point was seen in 2014, with $46.6 spent on Twitter advertising.
30. Promoting video tweets can save more than 50% on cost-per-engagement.
Videos convey information quickly and in a more entertaining way. Tweets with video content have 10 times more engagement and are six times more likely to be retweeted than photos. This indicates the effectiveness of social media marketing and proves that videos can be a powerful way for brands to spread their message.
When posting a video tweet, it’s best to use hashtags—to grow your reach, trigger engagement, and easily be found on Twitter.
Additional Social Media Marketing Facts
The number of social media platforms is constantly growing, and so are the businesses that use them for marketing. Many of these businesses admit that Snapchat and Reddit are some of the most influential platforms for social media marketing.
See some statistics and demographics below.
31. 82% of the advertising audience on Snapchat is aged 34 or younger.
When questioning which social media is best for marketing, Snapchat is proven to be one of them—here’s why. As Gen Zers and millennials account for the highest number of Snapchat users, businesses can easily advertise and, therefore, reach their potential customers on the platform.
32. Reddit gets over 46.7 million searches every day.
When it comes to Reddit traffic, statistics prove that people leave 2.8 million comments and 58 million upvotes or downvotes. Due to the massive traffic and engagement, companies find it easy to target Reddit communities.
33. Snapchat ads are seven times more effective than TV ads at reaching Gen Z.
According to Nielsen’s report, about 72% of the social media daily active users are ad viewers. However, this demographic can’t be reached by advertising and commercials shown on TV—this channel is widely considered outdated by the vast majority of Gen Zers.
Social Media Marketing Statistics: The Takeaway
Social media is used for entertaining, socializing, and even news-consuming purposes. But, especially over the last two decades, it has become one of the primary channels used for marketing and advertising.
Social media marketing statistics indicate that more than half of the world’s population is on social media. Therefore, it’s very important for businesses to have an effective social media strategy in order to reach the targeted audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of people use social media?
Social media is an integral part of our lives, and there are various purposes for using it. Especially over the past decade, social media has taken a starring role on the internet. However, there is still room for growth in terms of effectiveness.
The world population is currently standing at approximately 7.8 billion, with 4.14 billion people being active on social media—this translates into 52% of the world population.
How does social media affect business?
The mass use of social media made companies adapt and implement their marketing strategies through these platforms. Using these networks has led many companies to be more transparent, communicative, credible, and profitable.
Almost all marketers—a whopping 90%—agreed that social media increased the exposure and reputation of their business. An additional 75% of them have seen considerable growth in traffic and engagement through this strategy.
How much time does an average person spend on social media?
As social media has become the main activity in the online world, the number of active users is gradually increasing every year.
Absorbing information and brand promotion are only some of the reasons that keep us glued to our phones. The average social media user spends about three hours daily scrolling through different apps and content throughout the day. However, this figure may vary from country to country. The Philippines is the leader, with a whopping 3 hours and 53 minutes spent on social media networks.
How much do companies spend on social media advertising?
Nowadays, businesses mostly rely on paid social media advertising and sponsorships as their primary marketing strategy. For example, marketers tend to invest in Instagram influencers the most.
In the third quarter of 2020, companies spent 25.6% more than the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Based on these findings, companies invest an average of $3,000 monthly in ads on social media. As a result, marketers gain remarkable income from this profitable strategy.
Is social media marketing effective?
Social media marketing is one of the most successful ways to achieve your business goals. It helps marketers raise brand awareness, drive website traffic and sales, generate engagement, and provide customer support.
Social media marketing effectively builds relationships with customers, wins their trust, and turns buyers into happy clients. It also serves news and information to potential buyers.
The effectiveness coming from this strategy has surprisingly a relatively low cost. Findings show that the CPM is $4.33 on social media marketing—a much cheaper option than traditional direct mail and TV advertising.
How much marketing is social media?
Unsurprisingly, social network platforms have changed the way of marketing over the years. Marketers started to invest more in social media marketing and advertising, achieving the most satisfying results at a much lower price than traditional channels.
According to social media marketing statistics by eMarketer, a staggering 87.1% of marketers use Facebook Ads to promote their brand and products. Instagram comes right after with 75.3%, and Youtube ranks third with 66.5%.
Sources
Backlinko, Business Instagram, CNBC, Content Marketing Institute, Digital Information World, Hootsuite, Hootsuite, Hootsuite, LinkedIn, Marketing Dive, Search Engine Journal, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Twitter, Walker Sands, We Are Social