Whether you're a seasoned social media marketer, a business owner aiming to do social media marketing, understanding the landscape of popular platforms is crucial. It's not just about the numbers, it's about finding the right platforms that match your brand and target audience. In 2023, about 4.9 billion people around the world were using social media. And by 2027, it's expected to go up to around 5.85 billion users.
In this blog, we explore the top social media apps and platforms, ranked by monthly active users. But remember, size isn't everything. It's about finding the platforms where your audience is most active to maximize your brand's reach and impact. It can be overwhelming to manage multiple platforms, so we have put together this list to help you decide where to focus your efforts.
Top 10 Social Media Platforms Compared
Here's a comparison of the top 10 social media platforms:
| Social Media Platforms | Monthly Active Users |
| 3 billion | |
| YouTube | 2.5 billion |
| 2 billion | |
| TikTok | 1.2 billion |
| Snapchat | 750 million |
| X (Twitter) | 541 million |
| 465 million | |
| 430 million | |
| <350 million | |
| Threads | 100 million |
Facebook remains a powerhouse despite shifts in user demographics, with 3 billion monthly active users. It's great for connecting with friends, sharing updates, and advertising your business. It is part of Meta's "Family of Apps", which includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and other apps that generated $114.45 billion revenue in 2022.
For brands, Facebook has the largest social media advertising market share at 16%. Investing in Facebook ads can help you drive conversions, especially since business posts are increasingly suppressed in the News Feed.
There are other ways to get people interested in your business without paying for ads. You can join or create niche communities with Facebook Groups. You can also use Messenger chatbots for personalized communication. Another idea is to do live videos where you can encourage real-time audience interaction.
Youtube
YouTube is currently the second most used platform, with 2.5 billion monthly active users and generated $29.24 billion in revenue in 2022.
In addition to advertising revenue, YouTube also generates subscription revenues from services like YouTube TV and YouTube Premium. A number of opportunities exist for brands to reach new audiences on YouTube. Brands can use the visual storytelling features of YouTube, such as longform videos or the YouTube Shorts, to reach out to a whole new audience.
Instagram is one of the most popular visual social networking platforms with 2 billion monthly active users.It is a haven for visually-driven brands, especially with features like Stories, vertical-video Reels and shoppable posts(purchase by linking product).
You can establish a business profile on Instagram, offering analytics and insights into your post's performance. Additional features of a business account comprise advertisements, Instagram shopping, a primary and secondary message inbox, as well as options for call-to-action and contact information on your profile.
Tik Tok
TikTok, known for short-form mobile video, has seen explosive growth with 1.2 billion monthly active users. It's particularly popular among Gen Z, offering immense potential for brand engagement. It is the fastest growing app worldwide, with over 3.5 billion downloads worldwide.
TikTok helps users to make and share videos ranging from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. To make videos more appealing, TikTok provides a variety of sound effects, music snippets, and filters to enhance them.
If your target audience is young, TikTok is the best social media platform for your business. TikTok's algorithm focuses on video engagement and ideo watch time, so it's crucial to grab viewers' attention right from the start of your video.
Snapchat
If you want to reach a young audience, Snapchat could be a good choice. It's a cool app where you can connect with millennials and Gen Z users. In fact, 70% of people aged 13 to 24 use Snapchat, showing how much young people like it.
Snapchat, with 750 million monthly active users, attracts a younger demographic with its ephemeral content and authentic engagement opportunities.
X (Twitter)
Twitter, now known as X, with 541 million monthly active users, has undergone changes under Elon Musk's leadership, offering unique engagement opportunities for brands.
Pinterest, with 465 million monthly active users, is ideal for visual storytelling and has a predominantly female user base.
Reddit, with 430 million monthly active users, is a hub for niche communities and authentic engagement.
LinkedIn, estimated to have less than 350 million monthly active users, is essential for professional networking and B2B marketing.
Threads
Threads, a newcomer with 100 million monthly active users, offers a text-based alternative to Twitter and is worth exploring for brands seeking new platforms.
Conclusion
Each platform offers distinct advantages for brands, from broad reach to niche engagement, catering to various demographics and marketing goals.