GENERAL SOCIAL MEDIA STATISTICS

1. The average amount of time spent on social media is 144 minutes per day. Social media has seen an uptick in users over the last couple of years.
2. Around 4.33 billion people have access to the internet, which is more than 50% of people on earth. Of the 4.33 billion people, 3.499 billion are active social media users. Advertising on social media is becoming more important with more people joining every day.
3. Active social media users have increased by 202 million between April 2018 and April 2019. These numbers are on pace to stand true for 2020 as well.
4. Email is getting more personalized for the consumers. Along with social media advertising, emails are becoming more personalized with information through social media.
5. Good content still matters. Good content will always reign supreme in digital marketing on any platform including social media. No matter where the content is placed, good content is essential for success.
6. Social Media Specifics
7. Social media contributes to 13% of global ad spend after television 29% and paid search 17% in 2019. The social media ad spend will increase over the next few years as social media platforms continue to grow especially platforms like Instagram.
8. Around 68% of U.S. adults get their news from social media. News continues to push towards a digital age with more clicks online, so more social media influence with advertising is needed to reach this audience.
9. Facebook emerges as the most popular channel for businesses to share video content at 81 percent. YouTube comes in at second with 62 percent. Instagram finished in third 57 percent with Instagram drawing one of the largest increases.
10. Facebook could be peaking in numbers. Around 41% of Facebook users are over 65 years old with many younger users opting to join other platforms instead, like TikTok which had tremendous growth last year within the younger demographic. 41% of TikTok users are aged between 16 and 24.
11. Mobile users contribute to a majority of social advertising revenue. In fact, 94% of the Facebook advertising revenue for quarter three of 2019 came from mobile. Most people use social media on mobile devices now more than ever.
12. Around 83% of surveyed consumers use Facebook in a SproutSocial blog.
13. Instagram now has over 1 billion monthly active users, a 42.86% increase from 2017 when it had 700 million. That’s a lot of growth in just two years’ time. Among these users, 90% follow a business on the platform, suggesting that Instagram users are keen on hearing from and about brands. This could be a big opportunity for advertisers trying to put information or products on Instagram.
14. Instagram is seeing an upward trend in ad revenue–jumping from $23.66 billion in 2018 to $28.52 billion in 2019. According to projections, Instagram will likely net $33.71 billion in ad revenue during 2020 making it one of the top social media platforms.
15. Around 200 million users visit at least one business profile per day on Instagram.
16. People are 26% more likely to view ads on Twitter than on any other leading platform. While Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are leading the way, Twitter is still a valued advertisement opportunity.

SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS

1. It was found that 71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the brand to others. This can prove to be vital to continue successful advertising in the future.
2. Advertising spend on social media overtook print media for the first time this year. According to Zenith’s Advertising Expenditure Forecast, spending on social media will jump 20% to $84 billion this year. While print is still important, online advertising with social media is expected to jump.
3. Around 54% of people use social media to research products. With increased searches for products on social media platforms, this advertising over social media is becoming more important in 2020 and beyond.
4. Around 33% of consumers would rather contact a brand/company via social media than by telephone. With more demand for social media engagement, companies should be able to engage with consumers to give information and self advertise their own products.
5. Social media helps expand transparency, which can prove to be rewarding for brands in spite of the challenges it brings. Around 53% of consumers say they’re more likely to purchase from companies that are transparent on social media. Around 86% of Americans say transparency on social media is more important, which means they’re willing to take their business to a competing business if they see a lack of transparency that is needed.

Many businesses are turning to social media as a resource for increasing customer engagement and for reaching a wider audience. Connecting with your audience helps to humanize your brand and helps build more authentic relationships. But one of the number one challenges brands face with using Social Media, is how to produce quality content consistently and frequently enough to attract and grow their audience. If you find yourself in that position, it may be time to consider your options. Starnes Digital offers managed social media and content marketing services to help fill this gap. We produce relevant, high-quality content weekly to keep your brand current and your audience engaged.