Because of the many stay at home orders that have been issued all over the world as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, there has been a large growth in the use of social media. Global usage now equates to more than 3.8 billion accounts across the twelve biggest social media platforms. That actually equates to slightly under half the entire population of the world. Below we have listed the top five social media platforms in the number of users.
- Facebook – 2.45 billion users
Founded in 2004 by the then-college student Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook is now the biggest social media platform in the world and is loved by both individuals and brands. It is a great tool for keeping in contact with friends and family, via the use of sharing all types of content, as well as for brands to connect with their customers with. The platform is ever-changing with a whole host of successful new features, such as Messenger and Marketplace, being introduced since its inception.
- Instagram – 1 billion users
A relative newcomer having been founded in 2010, Instagram acts as a smorgasbord of highly aesthetic images that inspire creativity. Its soaring popularity has seen an influx of brands joining the social media platform in order to build their own community there. To help with this there are companies like Social Meep who can build an audience in an organic way.
- Reddit – 430 million users
Based out of San Francisco, CA, Reddit considers itself to be “the front page of the Internet.” As a result, it regularly ranks within the top 20 most visited websites on the Internet. It attracts users with its specific blend of community and content, where every imaginable topic is covered in great detail.
- Snapchat – 360 million users
Aimed at a mainly younger demographic, Snapchat is the ideal social media platform to post content that gives a glimpse of behind the scenes action, takeovers by influencers, and exclusive offers.
- Twitter – 330 million users
Whilst loved by some businesses and users, the social media platform Twitter, which was founded in 2006, is the least popular on our list. It is the perfect tool for brands to really hone their voice and have some fun with the content that they post on there.
Other popular social media platforms include YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Flickr, Tumblr, WhatsApp, Mix, Tagged, Nextdoor, Quora, Meetup, plus many, many more. However, it is the ones mentioned above that are most dominant in terms of numbers of active followers. That is not to say that these smaller ones are no less fun to be on and no less beneficial for businesses and brands looking to connect with their customers. One thing is clear from these numbers is that social media is here to stay.
