Social Media Marketing Statistics – 2024

Written by: Marko Dimitrievski

Updated: February, 17, 2024

Posted in:
Home Insights

Social media took the world by storm, not only impacting our everyday lives but also changing marketing as we know it. Fashion, fitness, health, and finance are just some of the industries directly influenced by social media. That is exactly why today we’ve prepared some essential social media marketing statistics that may come in handy for establishing or making the most out of your brand’s social media presence.

Social Media Marketing Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

  • 54% of internet users turn to social media to research products. (GlobalWebIndex)
  • 64% of users make a purchase after watching a video on social media. (Biteable)
  • Social media marketing revenue should reach $223.11 billion this year.  (Report Linker)
  • According to 62% of marketers, social listening is the best Social media marketing tactic. (HubSpot)
  • Social media advertising CTR increased by 0.1% year-over-year. (Statista)
  • 33% of internet users would rather contact a brand via social media than call them. (OptinMonster)

Social Media Usage Statistics

1. Around 57% of the population is active on social media.

According to DataReportal, there are about 4.48 billion social media users worldwide, and the numbers seem to be growing. At this point, 56.8% of the global population is active on social media networks. Another interesting fact is that 99% of social media users access their social media via smartphones.

(DataReportal)

2. The number of social media users increased by 890 million between 2019 and 2021.

Social media statistics worldwide show a steady growth when it comes to the number of social media users. The highest increase was recorded in 2020 between April and July when the social media user count grew from 3.8 billion to 3.96 billion.

(DataReportal)

Total Number of Social Media Users Worldwide Over a 2-Year Period

3. Facebook is the top dog with 2.9 billion monthly active users (MAUs).

Social media statistics show that only six social media platforms and apps worldwide have a user base exceeding 1 billion monthly users. Facebook takes the leading spot with more than 2.9 billion MAUs. YouTube has nearly 2.47 billion MAUs, and WhatsApp holds the third spot with 2 billion monthly active users. The fourth most popular social media platform is Instagram, boasting close to 1.44 billion active users every month. WeChat ranks fifth with 1.2 billion monthly users, while TikTok is in sixth place with 1.023 billion MAUs.

(DataReportal)

Social Media Platforms With the Highest Number of Monthly Active Users

4. 54% of internet users turn to social media to research products.

Social media marketing facts show that the importance of having a social media presence is now bigger than ever. More than half of online shoppers say they will look up brands and their products and services on social media channels rather than search engines. This means that your brand’s online presence is essentially something that can either make or break your business.

(GlobalWebIndex)

5. Over 999 million social media users are located in China.

Social media usage statistics by country show that China has the biggest number of social network users by far, with an impressive 999.95 million active users. In second place, we have India, which boasts a user base of nearly 640 million, followed by the US’s 295.48 million active social media users. Indonesia ranks fourth, with 193.43 million users. Finally, the fifth country on the list is Brazil, which has 159.01 million active social media users.

(Statista)

Countries With the Highest Number of Social Media Users

6. 90% of customers will look up online reviews before visiting a brand’s social media page.

Social media statistics show that the vast majority of internet shoppers will first search for other buyers’ reviews online. Then, if they find that the brand has positive reviews, they will visit the brand’s social media page and continue shopping. Be sure to post authentic user reviews, as 90% of shoppers can recognize fake online reviews.

(Bright Local)

7. 72% of US social media users have written a review for a business at some point.

In 2019, about 66% of social media shoppers stated that they wrote an online review at least once, while 2020 saw a big increase in online reviews, with 72% of US social media consumers reporting that they wrote online reviews for a local business.

(Bright Local)

Social Media Advertising Statistics

8. 57% of marketers find social media stories to be an effective means of advertisement.

According to social media marketing data, 57.6% of advertisers stated that social media stories were either “somewhat effective” or “very effective” for their businesses. 22.6% said that they thought stories were “very effective” in helping them promote their business, while 35% found them to be “somewhat effective.”

(Buffer)

The Effectiveness of Stories in Social Media Marketing

9. Social listening is the number one tactic for 62% of social media marketers.

Social media ads statistics show that 62% of marketers have recognized that social listening is an indispensable tool in attracting prospective customers and clients. The top three list further includes hashtags and live videos.

(HubSpot)

Top Social Media Marketing Tactics

10. 64% of users make a purchase after watching a video on social media.

Social media marketing statistics also show that 64% of shoppers ended up making a purchase after seeing brand video content on their social media platforms.

(Biteable)

11. Global social media ad spending should reach $223.11 billion this year.

Social media advertising is a lucrative market, with social media marketing growth statistics predicting that the numbers will keep growing. By the end of 2022, the global digital social media market is expected to reach $223.11 billion, growing at a CAGR of 39.7%.

(Report Linker)

12. TikTok and Reddit witnessed the fastest growth in 2021.

Social media advertising stats show that most social media users tend to spend more time on social media than usual on their favorite social media platforms. Still, some of them were much more popular than others. Sadly, Facebook and 

(Sprout Social)

13. For 89.3% of marketers, social media is an important part of their marketing strategy.

Social networks can be a powerful ally if you’re looking to raise brand exposure, with social media traffic stats pointing to this type of marketing as an effective way to drive traffic to business websites. 58.5% of marketers claim social media is very important for their overall marketing strategy, while for 30.5% of them, it is somewhat important. The share of marketers that don’t see the potential of social media, meanwhile, stands at 2.9%.

(Buffer)

The Importance of Social Media in Marketers' Overall Strategies

14. Instagram’s advertising reach decreased by -1.8% in the 3 months leading up to April 2022

Social media marketing data shows that Instagram’s ad reach decreased in the past quarter, which placed it 4th in DataReportal’s ranking of the most active social media platforms in the world. Pinterest, the 15th most relevant brand in the US, had 433 million active monthly users in April 2022.

(DataReportal)

15. 89% of B2B marketers turn to Facebook for advertising.

B2B social media statistics show that the vast majority of both B2B and B2C marketers choose Facebook as their primary means of advertisement, with 89% and 96% of them being active on the platform, respectively. The second most popular platform is LinkedIn, used by 81% of B2B marketers and 53% of B2C marketers. The third spot belongs to Instagram, where B2C advertisers take the lead, with 83% using the platform, as opposed to 72% of B2B marketers.

(Marketing Charts)

Preferred Social Media Channels Among B2B and B2C Marketers

16. Facebook is the second largest digital ad seller in the US

Social media marketing ROI statistics show that Facebook is the second most significant digital ad seller in the US, after Google. Also, its ad revenues will grow this year due to the rising ad prices, with Instagram steadily growing its share of those revenues.

(eMarketer)

17. In 2026, the average social media ad spend per internet user in the US willl  amount to $376.4.

According to advertising stats and facts, the average social media ad spending in the US has increased over the past few years and will keep increasing in the future. These social media for business statistics further show that, social media advertisers spend $262.5 per internet user on average in 2022.

(Statista)

Social Media Advertising Average Spending Per Internet User in the US from 2017 to 2026

18. The average social media CTRs went up by 0.1% YoY in Q4 2020, and kept stagranting again.

According to Statista, the social media advertising clickthrough rate (CTR) has slightly increased between 2019 and 2020. The clickthrough rate went from 1.2% in 2019 to 1.3% in 2020, resulting in an 8.3% increase.

(Statista)

19. The number of social media users will reach 5.85 billion by 2027.

One of the important stats on social media marketing is that the number of those who use social media will be increasing in the future. Although that’s not really surprising, Statista’s research points out that the number of social media users in 2027 will amount to shocking 5.85 billion.

(Statista)

Number of Social Media Users Globally From 2020 to 2027

20. 22% of all social media marketing activities are done by social media marketing companies.

Social media marketing companies perform several different services for businesses, such as social media advertising, management, SEO, etc., and it’s no surprise that around 22% of overall social media marketing activities are performed by professionals.

(K6 Agency)

Social Media Sales Statistics

21. 90% of top salespeople and 71% of sales professionals use social selling tools.

The vast majority of salespeople say that they already use social selling tools such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Hootsuite, Nimble, Buffer, etc. Then, 78% of millennials use social selling tools, with 63% saying social selling is crucial for their business.

(OptinMonster)

22. 90% of decision-makers say that they don’t respond to cold calls.

While cold calling was most marketers’ go-to in the past, it seems that most people don’t respond to it anymore. Social media marketing stats show that 90% of prospective buyers said that they never respond to such calls and would rather turn to social media or similar types of advertisement instead.

(SuperOffice)

23. 78% of social sellers outsell their competition who are not on social media.

Since social selling is the new black, it’s no wonder that business owners and salespeople who have a social media presence are outselling those who don’t. Social media marketing stats show that up to 78% of them make more sales than the competition.

(OptinMonster)

24. 31% of B2B professionals find social selling helpful in building a relationship with customers.

B2B marketing statistics show that almost a third of B2B professionals think that social selling allows them to build deeper and better relationships with their clients and customers. They also find social media helpful for referrals, as up to 84% of social media buyers will make a purchase after getting a warm referral, increasing the odds of a sale up to 4 times. Social media marketing facts further show that up to 70% of B2B companies find that those referrals close faster than other types of leads and convert better.

(SuperOffice)

25. Around 10% of social media sellers closed at least five deals because they were active on social media.

This just goes to show that merely being present on social media can do wonders for a business. Social media users have gotten used to having all the brand information at their fingertips, which is why social media statistics for business show that 10% of sellers managed to close five or more deals just by being active on social media.

(OptinMonster)

26. 33% of internet users would rather contact a brand via social media than call them.

Younger generations have gotten used to texting rather than calling, which directly transferred to their social media shopping behavior. This is exactly why a third of online shoppers said they prefer messaging a brand on social media to calling them.

(OptinMonster)

27. 70% of sales professionals use LinkedIn to track down leads and close sales.

Social media statistics for businesses show that the majority of salespeople turn to LinkedIn to find leads and close sales. In second place is, obviously, Facebook, with 64% of sales representatives. Twitter (43%), YouTube (41%), and Instagram (39%) are also commonly used among sales professionals.

(LinkedIn)

Top Lead Generation Networks Among Social Media Marketers

28. 98% of sales representatives reach their quotas through social media sales.

As we’ve learned so far, social media makes it easy to hunt down new leads and engage with prospective customers. That’s exactly why social media marketing statistics show that 98% of sales reps with over 5,000 LinkedIn connections said that reaching and exceeding their quotas was easy using the platform.

(Lauro Media)

29. 77% of B2B buyers do independent research before talking to salespeople.

The majority of B2B buyers say that they like to do some research on products or services on their own before actually contacting a sales representative. Additionally, social media marketing statistics show that an average buyer will also go through at least five pieces of content prior to talking to a sales representative.

(EveryoneSocial)

30. Just under 40% of businesses think of social selling as an efficient way of reducing contact research time.

39% of businesses with a social media presence believe that the primary purpose and benefit of social selling is to help them reduce contact research time.

(OptinMonster)

Social Media Marketing FAQ

What percentage of sales come from social media?

According to social media marketing stats, more than 50% of total revenue across 14 major industries is generated by social sales.

(LinkedIn Sales Blog)

What is the fastest-growing social media?

TikTok is not only the fastest growing social media in 2020 but the fastest growing platform of all time. The platform had 500 million users in 2019, but social media marketing growth statistics show that this has grown to around 850 million users in 2020.

(Oberlo)

How many marketers use social media?

As of 2021, it is estimated that at least 91.9% of US marketers use social media for business. Social media marketing stats predict that this number will keep growing in the next couple of years.

(Statista)

Which country uses social media the most?

The countries that are most active on social media are the United Arab Emirates at 99%,  South Korea at 89.3%, Taiwan at 88.1%, the Netherlands at 88%, and Malaysia at 86%.

(Statista

How much of marketing is social media?

According to statistics about social media marketing, the expected overall ad spending in 2021 stood at around $521.02 billion, with $81.23 billion forecast as social media marketing revenue for 2022.

(Statista)

How many businesses use social media?

About 96% of small and medium-sized businesses use social media of their choice. Additionally, 50 million small businesses use Facebook Pages.

(Blue Corona, Adweek)

Conclusion

We’ve gone through some of the most important social media marketing statistics, and it’s now safe to say that this relatively new means of advertising is the way to go. Whether you’re a regular online shopper or a business owner looking to start advertising your brand online, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of social media.

Sources: DataReportal, DataReportal, GlobalWebIndex, Statista, Bright Local, Buffer, HubSpot, Biteable, Report Linker, Sprout Social, DataReportal, Marketing Charts, eMarketer, Statista, Statista, Statista, K6 Agency, OptinMonster, SuperOffice, LinkedIn, Lauro Media, EveryoneSocial, LinkedIn Sales Blog, Oberlo, Statista, Statista, Statista, Blue Corona, Adweek