How Many of Us Are Using Social Media?

How many people have social media? The number of social media users has skyrocketed over time. Social media refers to the websites and applications that users around the world use to create and share digital content as well as network with each other in the digital space. Most internet users are on social media. People of a wide range of ages, races, and locations use social media every day. It is how we can connect to people across the globe. Social networking is a major part of our day-to-day lives. But how many people are on social media? Hint: there are more than a billion social media users.

How Many Social Media Users Are There?

However, the use of social media is not limited to personal use. Businesses everywhere have seen the importance of marketing in the digital space and as a result, incorporate social media usage in their marketing plans. Considering how many people use social media, developing a strong digital presence can make all the difference in your success. One of the benefits is being able to tap into the worldwide audience that social media provides. The most popular platforms are free to use though if you decide to invest in your social media marketing efforts, you can experience exponential growth.

Checking message status

Social Media Management

Social media management refers to the process of analyzing your social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter and using the information to create a sound marketing campaign. By analyzing who is looking at your content and what type of content the interested parties like best, you can create content that is tailor-made to your audience.

Managing your social media is key to increasing your online presence. Being able to do this efficiently can take time at first, but it is worth learning or investing in. Even though there is an abundance of people who use social media, it can be challenging to reach enough of them. Looking at social media growth statistics, you have to consider that you are competing with thousands of other businesses and influencers for a user’s attention. With that in mind, utilizing social media to its fullest capacity can make a difference in your exposure.

Leveraging Social Media Statistics 2021

In the past, using word of mouth or print advertisements was the way to let people know about your product. Even with print, there is a limit to how many people you can reach. While it’s still fine to utilize those methods, shying away from the powerhouse of social media for marketing purposes only hurts your business.

How Many People in the World Use Social Media?

As of this year, social media statistics show that 3.96 billion people use social media worldwide.

How Many People Use Social Media in the U.S.? 

As of 2020, there were 240 million people using social media monthly in the U.S.

As such, there is a large audience with a variety of interests just waiting for your business to come along. Assuming you have a compelling product or service, consider researching what other businesses are doing in your industry. Specifically, pay attention to how they use social media in their marketing efforts. Do they appear on one platform more than the other? Look at how they are engaging with their social media users and how frequently they are posting.

How to Use Social Media In Your Marketing Campaign

Depending on your industry, some social media platforms may work better than others. Consider delving deeper into social media growth statistics. Understanding not only how many people use social media and but also which platforms they are choosing can help you decide.

Facebook and YouTube are the most popular platforms worldwide. Even if you choose to use other social media platforms, ensuring you are present on the most popular platforms can bring you closer to your consumers. One of the best things about social media is that most if not all platforms are free to use. It is an affordable way for start-ups or those with a tight budget to market themselves. You can also pay for targeted advertisements on most social media platforms which matches you with a wide variety of users most likely to be interested in your content.

Keeping this in mind, being on more than one platform can help you in the long run, but be wary of spreading yourself too thin. Keeping up with the flow of the public can be challenging, especially if you don’t have a dedicated team or hired help to assist your efforts. Let’s break down the various social media sites by the numbers, including their user base, popular age groups, and more.

social media growth statistics

Facebook

Regardless of how many people use social media, Facebook is the most popular social media platform. Facebook alone has 2.89 billion monthly active users. Facebook has had consistent growth year over year since its inception in 2004 and is the most influential social media platform. It is unique in that you can not only share pictures, videos, text, and links but they also offer groups and pages for connecting with other social media users. Facebook is a one-stop-shop for social media interaction.

From a business perspective, there are people of all ages who utilize Facebook and by tapping into that audience, you can cultivate genuine engagement with them. Outside of having a website, having a Facebook business page has become such a staple in a business’s online presence. If you are an individual providing services or products, joining interest groups can help spread the word.

You should be mindful of any rules for promoting services on Facebook and not over-promoting yourself so you don’t end up pushing potential customers away. If you’re a bigger business, you might find Facebook advertisements useful. With them, you can indicate your target audience by selecting the location, age, and interests. From there, Facebook will put your ad in the feed of those more likely to be interested. Facebook Ads are relatively inexpensive and as long as you are producing engaging content, they can help your page grow exponentially.

YouTube

YouTube is the second-largest social media platform. It deals solely with video-based content. This can be a viable option depending on the type of product or service you provide. If you have a service that has an educational element, for example, this may prove useful to you.

Let’s say you are a brokerage firm. You might produce videos breaking down complicated financial jargon for potential investors. If you sell custom-made T-shirts, you could make an ad promoting your products. You can then use YouTube ads to put your product in front of consumers. There are a variety of ways for your business to use YouTube.

Though there may be costs associated with video production and advertisement, YouTube is free for anyone to use. One of the ways to be successful on YouTube beyond creating interesting content is to understand the YouTube algorithm. Learning what types of videos work best, how video length affects your ranking, and how to utilize ads will separate you from your competition.

Another thing that is convenient about YouTube is its scheduling feature. Oftentimes, a content creator will spend a day or two creating and editing videos. Then they might spend time scheduling them to be posted at a later date. This saves the content creator time spent on posting and ensures a level of consistency for their viewers.

social media statistics

Instagram

When thinking about how many people are using social media, you might consider the apps with both social engagement and messaging features. Instagram falls a little behind some messaging-only apps. But in terms of a social media platform, it ranks third behind Facebook and YouTube. This social media platform works primarily with images and very short videos. Using Instagram is free for everyone, but if you plan on becoming an influencer or promoting a product/service, you’ll need to create a business account to have access to additional features.

With a business account, you’ll be able to see analytics about your posts and use the information to improve the quality of your content. Again, depending on the sort of service or product you offer, Instagram may be a better platform to use in your social media marketing campaign. One of the keys to success on Instagram is to create visually appealing content. Even if your business doesn’t offer physical products, that doesn’t mean that Instagram is not for you and you should get as creative as you can.

If you have little design experience, you can use websites such as Canva and Pixlr to create eye-catching content. If you’re more experienced, you may find Photoshop or InDesign more useful. Or, it might benefit you to hire a graphic designer to help you design images and videos that your potential consumers will like. There are a variety of freelance sites that you can peruse for a potential graphic designer. Or, submitting a post on your current social media platforms can help you quickly find someone.

Similar to Facebook, Instagram does include a social messaging feature. This can be useful for engaging with your audience, networking with other businesses, and responding to any inquiries. Most of us prefer to use our mobile devices for communicating with businesses these days.

Engaging With Your Audience on Social Media

During the course of the quarantine, businesses discovered the importance of having a presence in the digital space. Having strong engagement with social media users is imperative to your growth as a business. Learning more about social media statistics can also help your efforts. If you find yourself responsible for all of your marketing efforts, consider investing in social media management or project management software. It can help add automation to your social media management and allow you to set your focus elsewhere. You can find a dedicated manager who understands social media growth statistics through a variety of freelance or job sites.

The bigger your business gets, the harder it is to manage that portion of the marketing plan yourself. Perhaps you’re an established business and have not yet taken the leap into the digital world. Keep in mind how many people use social media on a daily basis. Consider that while you refrain from utilizing social media, your competitors are tapping into a ripe market of consumers. Contact SEO Design Chicago to learn how you can capitalize on the digital markets on social media today!

FAQs

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