What Marketers Need to Know about Social Media Users for 2021

The marketing industry has been anything but predictable this past year, which is saying something considering it is never very predictable to begin with. We've seen large fluctuations in social media presence from companies, organizations, and social media users alike. Plus, how social media is being used continues to change, even more so with the masses flocking to social media to fill the relationship void they've felt this year or to keep up with (or debate) news that the media is pumping out in ungodly amounts. Let's take a look at what that means for you as a marketer.

The Psychological Aspects of Social Media

The need for connection is stronger than ever amongst social media users, and how marketers take advantage of that in ethical (or nonethical) ways is going to make or break a lot of businesses in 2021. This need for connection has come with an ever-increasing need for honesty and authenticity, and if those two qualities aren't part of your culture or your marketing strategy then you've got a long, hard road ahead of you. If you get nothing else from this blog, let that sink in. 

Key Social Media Stats to Know as a Marketer Going into 2021

Outside of the psychological aspects of social media marketing, there are some key stats to take note of that can help give you additional insight and direction for your marketing strategy and efforts going into 2021.

General Social Media Statistics to Know

• More than half of all people globally (3.96 billion) use social media as of July 2020
• Social media users increased by more than 10% (376 million users) over the last year
• On average, social media users have 9 different social media accounts, and they spend an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes on social media every day.
• 99% of social media users access their social media accounts from a mobile device
• 43% of social media users are spending more time on social media
• 42% of social media users are spending more time on messenger apps
• Social media users primarily select brands for products and services based on recommendations from peers.
• 16-24-year-olds are the age group most likely to do brand research and make purchase decisions on or through social media apps
• 1 in 4 social media users are tracking their screen time and have it capped for certain apps
• Finding lighthearted, funny, and entertaining content is the fastest-growing reason people are using social media

Facebook and Facebook Messenger Statistics

• As of July 2020, Facebook had 2.603 billion active users
• As of July 2020, Facebook Messenger had 1.3 billion active users
• Facebook and Facebook Messenger are most popular with Millennials and Gen Z
• Facebook is #1 for the most used social media platform
• Facebook's largest demographic of users is white and black women ages 30-49 who have some college experience and live in urban and suburban areas
• Facebook posts typically have engagement rates of 0.2%
• 58% of Americans say they are more interested in a brand if they've seen it in Facebook Stories
• 64% of people have said they would rather use Facebook Messenger to contact a business than call or email
• The best time to post on Facebook to maximize engagement is usually Monday through Friday between 6am and 5pm, with the best times being Wednesday at 11am and 1-2pm and the worst day being Sunday

Instagram Statistics

• As of July 2020, Instagram had 1.08 billion active users
• Instagram is most popular with Millennials and Gen Z
• Instagram is #3 for the most used social media platform
• The demographic with the highest usage of Instagram is Hispanic women ages 18-29 who are college graduates and live in urban areas
• Instagram posts typically have engagement rates around 0.5-1.8%, with the exception of sports (~2.3%) and higher education (~3.5%)
• Instagram carousel posts tend to get more engagement than ones with one image or a video
• 92% of Instagram users followed a brand, went to their website, or made a purchase after seeing a service or product on Instagram
• The best time to post on Instagram to maximize engagement is usually Monday through Friday between 8am and 7pm, with the absolute best time being Wednesdays at 3pm and the worst day being Sunday
• The average follower growth rate for business accounts is 2.5% a month

LinkedIn Statistics

• As of October 2020, LinkedIn had over 706 million active users
• White and black men ages 30-49 who are college graduates and live in urban and suburban areas are the largest demographic represented on LinkedIn
• 70% of LinkedIn's users are outside the United States
• Over 30 million companies are on LinkedIn
• LinkedIn is primarily used by B2B marketers, with 97% using it for content marketing and 89% using it for lead generation
• Posts with images tend to result in 2x the engagement than those without, while video gets 5x more engagement and LIVE video gets 24x more engagement

YouTube Statistics

• As of July 2020, YouTube had over 2 billion active users
• YouTube is #2 for the most used social media platform
• Over 74% of 8-15-year-olds use YouTube
• 55% of YouTube users are men ages 18-34
• People watch over 1 billion hours of video on YouTube every day

TikTok Statistics

• As of July 2020, TikTok had 800 million active users
• The largest demographic on TikTok is 18-24-year-olds
• Most TikTok users look to engage with brands that are smart, reliable, innovative, and authentic

Snapchat Statistics

• As of July 2020, Snapchat had 397 million active users (compared to 218 million at the beginning of 2020)
• The largest demographics on Snapchat are women 18-20-years-old and women 25-34 years old
• 82% of Snapchat users are under the age of 34
• Snapchat users are known for making impulse purchases
• 38% of Snapchat users don't also have Instagram

Pinterest Statistics

• As of July 2020, Pinterest had 367 million active users
• Pinterest is #4 for most used social media platform in America
• Pinterest users have doubled in size in the last 4 years
• 29% of Pinterest users are women ages 25-34 (the largest demographic)
• 75% of Pinterest users are very interested in discovering new products (versus 55% of users on other platforms)
• Retail brands see a much higher ROI on Pinterest ad spend than on other platforms

Twitter Statistics

• As of July 2020, Twitter had 326 million active users
• 19% of Twitter users are 25-34 years old men (the largest demographic using Twitter)
• Twitter users are more likely to engage and purchase from brands that are culturally relevant, inclusive, and transparent

Staying Updated on all of the Changes in Social Media

A lot has been rapidly changing in the social media space in the past year. People across the world are increasingly online and that means that they are on social media more than ever before. Check out our blog post on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people use social media and how social media platforms are adapting with those changes and sign up for our Tuesday Tips to get continual updates!

Sources: Datareportal, Hootsuite, Smart Insights, YouTube, GlobalWebIndex