Every digital marketer knows that social media is constantly evolving.
It seems as though every month, there are new tools, platforms, and features being developed — shifting the way we, as both consumers and businesses, engage with social media.
It can get overwhelming.
Yet, this is also what makes it such an exciting field to work in. As a social media agency, you’re constantly learning and challenged to innovate. You become adept at adapting quickly.
The question is: How can you work smarter to stay ahead of the curve?
You need to embrace common challenges so you know how to capitalize on them when they arise.
In order to do so, keep tabs on well-known and emerging social media facts. These will serve you well as you implement the right social media management tools and develop marketing strategies for your clients.
Before we dive into the social media facts and statistics, here’s an updated list of the most popular social media networking sites worldwide (as of July 2020):
- Facebook: 2.603 billion users
- YouTube: 2 billion users
- WhatsApp: 2 billion users
- Facebook Messenger: 1.3 billion users
- Instagram: 1 billion users
- TikTok: 800 million users
- Reddit: 430 million users
- Snapchat: 398 million users
- Twitter: 386 million users
- Pinterest: 367 million users
- LinkedIn: 62 million users
Source: Statista
Table of Contents
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1. Adults ranging from 18 to 34 years old are most likely to use social media when following brands that they support and love.
(Source: MarketingSherpa)
When creating social media campaigns, think about what will generate the most clicks and engagement from this demographic. And since older generations are less likely to use social media, you can think of ways how you can encourage them to follow you online.
2. 60% of consumers want easier access to online customer service support
(Source: Ambassador)
If your client has the budget, it’s worth suggesting they hire a team dedicated to social media community management and customer support. A majority of customers want access to brands through online channels — that includes social media.
Better yet, equip your company with the ability to provide community management services. Consider this demand for online customer service when you’re determining the type of social media marketing agency you want to create.
Keep in mind: How you react to customers on social media requires just as much strategy as distributing proactive messaging.
Make sure your clients are encouraging customers to leave reviews on Facebook, Google, Yelp, and other mediums. On top of this, you should actively monitor reviews, so you can reply to disgruntled users as soon as possible to make things right.
3. Consumers would rather or prefer to contact a company 33% through social media than by telephone.
(Source: Ambassador)
If you have the budget, it’s good to hire a dedicated team to manage your social media accounts and answer customer messages. However, if you don’t have the luxury to do so, it’s highly recommended to look for a social media management platform that can automate these tasks for you. This will also make your brand easily accessible by customers.
4. More than half of the world’s web traffic now comes from mobile phones and one in five of the world’s population shopped online in the past 30 days.
(Source: We Are Social)
Consumers expect a seamless experience when making transactions online via mobile hence it’s important to optimize your website for mobile users. You should also launch mobile-specific advertisements as it yields the highest click-through rates.
5. 80% of consumers are likely to purchase an item based on suggestions made by their friends and family.
Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool for influencing purchase decisions on social media. For clients willing to invest the time and money, consider developing an influencer advocacy program.
Seek out influencers who love to talk and are already fans of your client’s brand without an incentive. These should be individuals with a following that mirrors the types of audiences you’re seeking to connect with.
Since influencers are more likely to be seen as a source of reliable information, they can authentically drive the opinions and purchases of their followers.
6. YouTube has better reach than any other cable networks in the U.S. for audiences aged 18 to 34 years old.
Statistics show that YouTube reaches more people in the 18-34 age group than any other television network in the U.S. In the third quarter of 2019 alone, 81% of 15-25 year olds across the U.S. used YouTube.
YouTube’s wide user base means there is the potential to reach thousands or even millions of viewers with a video. As a social media marketer, it makes sense to optimize videos and work to increase watch time on your client’s channel as part of your efforts to increase your client’s reach through YouTube.
7. LinkedIn has a lower user activity rate than Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook despite the increase of users joining the social network.
(Source: Fast Company)
Although LinkedIn continues to grow every second, it would be wise to put your focus and invest your marketing efforts on platforms where your audience is most active and engaged. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should not have your own company page on LinkedIn. You still need to build your social media presence online. If your client’s users are on LinkedIn, there’s still value in delivering your LinkedIn marketing strategy.
8. Daily active Instagram Stories users clock in at 500 million.
If you’re not incorporating Instagram Stories into your social media strategy for clients, you’re missing out on a lot of potential eyeballs. Statistics show that Instagram Story users have been steadily on the rise, increasing from 150 million daily active users in 2017 to 500 million in 2019.
Balance feed posts with Stories while staying mindful of best practices for both. Social Media Today and Animoto put together a handy Instagram cheat sheet worth bookmarking. It details the nuances between posts on Instagram Stories vs. native posts on the Instagram feed.
9. Facebook’s highest traffic occurs during mid-week between 1 to 3 in the afternoon and a post will get more clicks on average when posted around 7 pm.
(Source: Zephoria)
Have a consistent posting schedule with the help of a social media scheduling tool. You can effortlessly plan, organize and manage your social content and campaigns the way you want as it gives you full control of the publishing interface. You can set your publication time across social media networks and never run out of things to say.
10. Tweets with 1-2 hashtags see, on average, around 21% more engagement.
Everyone has an opinion about how to best use hashtags across social media platforms.
Whether you believe hashtags are over- or underrated, remember that pushing quality content should remain your top priority for clients. Overall, it’s better to focus on the substance of what you create for an audience rather than spending hours searching for hashtags to boost visibility.
11. Pinterest users are predominantly female (71%) and 28% of all U.S. social media users are using Pinterest to market their brand or business.
(Source: Omnicore)
Pinterest has demonstrated the power of visual content when it comes to influencing people on their buying or purchasing decisions. According to Pinterest, 89% of users confirmed that Pinterest has helped them decide what to purchase.
While Facebook is still the leading social media network online, it’s good to know the numbers and statistics of other social media platforms and what they can do for your marketing campaigns. Take some time in examining these numbers to learn how you can harness the power of these social networks to its fullest potential.
12. On average, TikTok users spend 52 minutes per day on the app.
With an increasing presence worldwide, TikTok is becoming the go-to platform for clients eager to connect with younger generations through engaging video clips. Rightfully so, considering how ingrained the app has become in its user base’s daily mobile usage.
The more time users spend on the app, the more likely it is that your client’s brand will be seen.
However, despite TikTok’s growing popularity, it’s important to keep tabs on its recent ban in India, as well as privacy concerns that may impact its success long-term.
Final Thoughts: 12 Social Media Facts You Should Know in 2020
The social media facts and statistics outlined above are merely a snapshot of the current state of social media in 2020. When building out client proposals, use these evolving insights to help guide your strategy — highlighting the channels where you can make the most impact with the resources at your disposal.
Have any fun facts about social media of your own to share?
