Social media is a pillar of many individuals’s every day lives.
The Digital 2022 April Global Statshot Report discovered that there are 4.65 billion social media customers on the planet. That’s 58.7% of the worldwide inhabitants, a lot of whom are utilizing social media as a major supply of knowledge.
From information (and disinformation) to way of life ideas, decision-making to product analysis, social media customers can collect all the data they want, with out ever leaving their platform of selection.
And it’s not simply within the U.S. (although 84% of Americans use at the very least one social media community). China now has greater than 1 billion social media customers, regardless of nonetheless having roughly 415 million residents with out web entry.
For entrepreneurs, these are extra than simply eye-catching numbers – they’re potential clients. And when you have a correct social media technique, they will grow to be realized clients.
Unfortunately, it’s not simply as simple as hanging out your shingle on Facebook and ready for the enterprise to come back rolling in.
You need to have a technique to boost model consciousness, join with potential clients, and interact together with your viewers. And a key a part of that’s being in the precise place.
For instance, for those who’re promoting retirement properties, TikTok in all probability isn’t the place for you, as 47.4% of customers are beneath 30.
Similarly, if you wish to goal native Chinese audio system, Facebook in all probability isn’t the precise platform for you, because it solely has 3.3 million customers in China.
So, how do you select the place to spend your time (and potential advert spend)?
Unless your organization has deep pockets and doesn’t care about outcomes, a shotgun method, the place you attempt to goal everybody, all over the place, on the identical time isn’t efficient.
You want to contemplate which channels are proper to your viewers.
Before you go all-in on one social media web site, check a number of out. See for those who’re getting the outcomes you need, after which strategically select which of them you need to double down on.
In this piece, we’ll have a look at a number of the hottest social media platforms, offer you a fast overview of them, and make recommendations about what sort of enterprise they could work for.
Top 10 Social Media Platforms Compared
MAU
Revenue
Launched
Headquarters
1
Facebook
2.9 billion
$85.96 billion
2004
Menlo Park, CA
2
YouTube
2.2 billion
$28.8 billion
2005
San Bruno, California
3
WhatsApp
2 billion
$5.5 billion
2009
Menlo Park, California
4
Instagram
2 billion
$24 billion
2010
Menlo Park, CA
5
TikTok
1 billion
$11 billion
2016
Culver City, CA
6
Snapchat
538 million
$1.06 billion
2011
Los Angeles, CA
7
Pinterest
444 million
$575 million
2005
San Francisco, CA
8
Reddit
430 million
$289.9 million
2010
San Francisco, CA
9
LinkedIn
250 million
$12. 4 billion
2006
San Francisco, CA
10
Twitter
217 million
$5.42 billion
2003
Mountain View, CA
The Top 10 Social Media Apps By Monthly Active Users
MAU
1
Facebook
2.9 billion
2
YouTube
2.2 billion
3
WhatsApp
2 billion
4
Instagram
2 billion
5
TikTok
1 billion
6
Snapchat
538 million
7
Pinterest
444 million
8
Reddit
430 million
9
LinkedIn
250 million
10
Twitter
217 million
The Top 10 Social Media Sites And Platforms
1. Facebook
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA
Launched: 2004
Monthly Active Users: 2.9 billion
Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes
Revenue: $86 billion (2022)
Facebook isn’t primary anymore. Sure, the platform that you simply join together with your mother, third-grade trainer, and neighbor continues to be there, and nonetheless as widespread as ever (much more so, really).
But now it’s Meta. Or at the very least the corporate that owns it, Instagram, and WhatsApp at the moment are Meta, Inc.
The platform has seen a demographic shift, however it’s nonetheless the large canine on the social media block.
Some of the main industries on Facebook embrace monetary providers, ecommerce, retail, gaming, leisure, media, telecom, know-how, client items, and automotive companies.
The News Feed more and more suppresses enterprise posts, however there are nonetheless methods to bolster engagement with out investing in advertisements.
However, for those who actually need to drive motion out of your viewers, Facebook advertisements are an effective way to do it.
Consider becoming a member of (or creating) teams, utilizing a Facebook Messenger chatbot, or utilizing stay video to up your engagement.
2. YouTube
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Launched: 2005
Headquarters: San Bruno, California
Monthly Active Users: 2.2 billion
Revenue: $28.8 billion (2022)
Founders: Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley
The authentic video social media platform, YouTube maintains dominance in that market. It is at the moment the second most used platform with 2.2 billion month-to-month energetic customers.
The potential for attain on YouTube is unmatched, with 81% of U.S. adults utilizing the platform. The numbers can’t be ignored.
YouTube has a powerful consumer base throughout all age teams. This contains the difficult-to-reach 65+ demographic, 49% of whom use the platform, second solely to Facebook.
YouTube covers all genres from magnificence, gaming, and schooling to DIY residence enhancements. This is the platform for many manufacturers to put money into, with video being the rising medium for content material advertising.
3. WhatsApp
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Launched: 2009
Headquarters: Menlo Park, California
Monthly Active Users: 2 billion
Revenue: $5.5 billion (2022) estimated
Founders: Brian Acton, Jan Koum
WhatsApp stays the most well-liked social messaging app, manner out in entrance of Facebook Messenger.
The closed messaging app won’t appear the plain selection for manufacturers. But take into account that SMS has a 98% open charge in comparison with 20% for e mail. It’s a captive viewers. And, not like SMS, WhatsApp messages are free to ship.
If you employ WhatsApp for customer support and retention, you in all probability already understand its potential for manufacturers is large and distinctly under-leveraged.
If you possibly can crack WhatsApp, you’ll have a direct advertising channel to your viewers.
4. Instagram
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA
Launched: 2010
Monthly Active Users: 2 billion
Founders: Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger
Revenue: $24 billion (2022)
Instagram is a social community the place product-based companies, influencers, and coaches can thrive.
Since introducing shoppable posts in 2018, the potential ROI for product-based companies is larger than ever – not solely can B2B’s join with an enormous viewers, they will hyperlink the product info and gross sales straight from the Gram.
If your goal demographic is beneath 35, Instagram is a gold mine: 67% of 18-24-year-olds use Instagram, with 67% of (*10*) Z and 58% of Millennials utilizing the app every day.
Read extra Instagram Statistics and Facts for 2021.
5. TikTok
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Launched: 2016
Headquarters: Culver City, California
Monthly Active Users: 1 billion
Founders: ByteDance Ltd, Zhang Yiming, Toutiao
Revenue: $11 billion (2022)
TikTok payments itself as “the main vacation spot for short-form cellular video” with an organization mission to encourage creativity and produce pleasure.
TikTok has definitely struck a chord because it’s the youngest app to market however has already seen unbelievable progress.
In 2017, after just one 12 months, the app grew to become the quickest rising app worldwide.
Despite 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 billion instances globally.
If you need to join with (*10*) Z, TikTok is the platform to take a look at.
In the U.S., 25% of the viewers is a teen or youthful. Those customers are extremely engaged, too; with a median consumer session of practically 11 minutes, which is twice so long as Pinterest, the following closest app.
6. Snapchat
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA
Launched: 2011
Monthly Active Users: 538 million
Founders: Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, Daniel Smith, David Kravitz, Leo Noah Katz
Revenue: $1.06 billion (2022)
If your goal demographic is younger, you undoubtedly need to get in on Snapchat.
The most energetic customers on Snapchat are 13-year-olds, and so they’re spending upwards of half-hour a day on the app.
Snapchat is a haven for user-generated content material, behind-the-scenes movies, unique affords, and influencer takeovers.
7. Reddit
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Launched: 2005
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Monthly Active Users: 430 million
Founders: Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, Aaron Swartz
Revenue: $289.9 million (2022)
Reddit heralds itself as “the entrance web page of the web,” and in response to Alexa rankings, Reddit is among the high 20 most-visited websites.
Reddit has a novel mix of content material and group, with greater than 2.8 million communities or subreddits, devoted to each matter conceivable.
With so many niches, there’s a spot for each model and enterprise – it’s a matter of discovering the niches the place your potential clients are energetic and diving in.
However, be warned: Reddit is a fickle place and gained’t tolerate blatant self-promotion.
Tread evenly as you start to navigate as a result of for those who get the tone flawed, commentators are fast to leap in and may trash a model.
8. Pinterest
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Launched: 2010
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Monthly Active Users: 444 million
Founders: Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp
Revenue: $574 million (2022)
Some of the most well-liked content material on Pinterest contains vogue, meals, decor, wedding ceremony, exercise, and DIY-related pins.
In addition, something with wealthy visuals can thrive on Pinterest.
Notably, 60% of Pinterest customers are feminine. If you’ve got a predominantly feminine viewers, that’s a compelling cause to speculate time in social media advertising on Pinterest.
That’s to not say that males aren’t on Pinterest – it has a male viewers proportion of 40%.
9. Twitter
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Launched: 2006
Monthly Active Users: 217 million (2021)
Founders: Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, Noah Glass
Revenue: $1.2 billion (2022)
Unlike different social media platforms, Twitter noticed a lower within the variety of customers up to now 12 months. This could also be attributed to the banning of former president Donald Trump and fears of conservative censorship.
As of this writing, the positioning is within the means of finishing a $44 billion sale to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. This announcement led to giant fluctuations in follower numbers because the political make-up of the customers modified, a course of Twitter known as “natural” in nature.
In spite of a transparent understanding of what the longer term holds for the platform, if your enterprise is said to leisure, sports activities, politics, tech, or advertising, you stand to earn great engagement on this app.
On Twitter, manufacturers have a possibility to craft and hone their voice. There’s room to be intelligent and personable, whereas nonetheless being informative and useful.
Jump into threads, present worth, share your individual content material in addition to others, and be part of the continuous dialog.
10. LinkedIn
Screenshot by creator, May 2022
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, CA
Launched: 2003
Monthly Active Users: 830 million (2022)
Founders: Reid Hoffman, Konstantin Guericke, Allen Blue, Jean-Luc Vaillant, Eric Ly
Revenue: $8.05 billion (2020)
Within its huge community of pros, you’ll discover greater than 61 million customers in senior positions on LinkedIn.
If you’re on the lookout for decision-makers who’ve the facility to rent your organization, inventory your product, or associate with you, LinkedIn is the place to be.
Did you realize that the common LinkedIn consumer has an revenue greater than $2,000 above the nationwide median? Or that fifty million folks use it to seek for jobs each week?
LinkedIn is a really targeted social media platform, and due to that, it has limitless potential for connecting with an elite group of pros who could make a distinction for your enterprise.
Which Platform(s) Should You Use?
Social media is all over the place. And everyone seems to be utilizing it, out of your teenage neighbor who’s making an attempt to go viral on TikTok with the newest dance, to your 86-year-old grandmother who’s utilizing Facebook to trace down long-lost buddies.
But, not all platforms work for each enterprise. So, for those who have been hoping you’d attain the tip of this piece and there can be a straightforward reply as to which of them your organization ought to be on, effectively, you’re out of luck.
That’s to not say there isn’t a solution, it’s simply that each social media combine shall be distinctive.
Different platforms have totally different performance which frequently makes them extra appropriate for particular manufacturers and industries.
Are you seeking to enhance buyer engagement? Increase your attain? Create unforgettable model experiences?
You want to determine what you need to get out of your social media presence after which decide which technique will aid you obtain these objectives.
Be selective, discover the platform or platforms your viewers is utilizing, after which customise your marketing campaign to achieve them.
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-media/top-sites-platforms/
