50+ of the most important social media marketing statistics for 2023

Social media usage statistics

It’s no secret that we’re all glued to social media (guilty as charged).

Below is a quick snapshot of how social media demographics and usage is changing, which networks are winning and just how hooked consumers are on social.

1. In 2023, there are estimated to be 4.89 billion total social media users worldwide.
2. The average person bounces between seven different social networks per month.
3. The amount of time internet users spend on social media is now higher than ever — 151 minutes per day.
4. TikTok is the fastest-growing platform with a staggering 100% user growth rate between 2020 and 2022.
5. The number of social media users worldwide grew by only 3% YoY from January 2022 to January 2023 (+137 million users.)

Despite slow growth, social media presents a huge opportunity for marketers and advertisers. However, with users spread across several platforms, it’s more important than ever for brands to take a multi-channel approach. Don't forget to leverage emerging platforms like TikTok to reach new audiences and stand out from the competition.

Social media advertising statistics

Sure, social ads might have a bad reputation among the average consumer.

But they’re still incredibly effective and you can’t escape them. Winning with social media advertising means that you can’t just “spray and pray” when it comes to your ads. Higher campaign price tags and consumers ignoring ads is obviously a problem for brands, but positive results keep rolling in.

6. It's now projected that $130.5 billion of total social media ad spending will be generated through mobile by 2027. 
7. Social media recently overtook paid search as an advertising channel, growing 25% YoY and exceeding $137 billion (just edging out search’s $135 billion).
8. Retargeting ads are the most-used among marketers, with 77% of B2B and B2C marketers alike saying they use retargeting as part of their Facebook and Instagram advertising strategies.
9. Total spend on social media advertising is projected to reach $268 billion in 2023.

Social media ad spend is growing at a steady rate. With more marketers investing in ads, brands should get ready to allocate bigger budgets to paid marketing strategies to compete.

Facebook statistics

Facebook remains an advertising powerhouse. Whether or not brands should focus on Facebook is a tough question that really depends on your individual Facebook metrics. The following Facebook statistics can clue you in further.

10. Facebook is the most-used platform by marketers worldwide (90%). Instagram sits in second place (79%).
11. As of Q4 2022, Facebook is the largest online social network in the world with roughly 2.96 billion monthly active users.
12. 70% of American adults use Facebook
13. An average American spends 33 minutes per day on Facebook.
14. 56.6% of Facebook users are male and 43.4% are female (based on available gender data.)
15. Almost a quarter of Facebook users in the US are between the ages 25-34.

Facebook remains a favorite among marketers. That’s not surprising, considering the massive reach offered by the platform. Plus, the increasing average age means more users are in high-level, decision-making positions in their careers.

Instagram statistics

Instagram quietly crossed 2 billion users in 2022 and brands are still scrambling to get more Instagram followers. Below are the top social media statistics for Instagram.

16. Instagram is the king of social selling. For consumers, it offers the best in-app shopping experience of any app. For marketers, it offers the highest ROI for selling products.

17. 61.2% of total Instagram users are between the ages 18-34.
18. Reels take up 30% of the time people spend on Instagram.
19. Instagram’s engagement rates are four times higher than Facebook (0.60% to 0.15%), but have been continuously decreasing.

20. In 2023, 29% of marketers plan to invest more on Instagram than any other platform.

Once the go-to social platform for influencers, Instagram is facing challenges from the likes of entertainment platform TikTok and its younger base appears to be dwindling.

Still, relatively high engagement rates, fresh ecommerce features and big ad spending signal that the future is still bright for Instagram.

LinkedIn statistics

LinkedIn has done a brilliant job of carving out its niche as the go-to professional network. The platform is a potential goldmine for B2B brands and the rapid growth of their ad platform speaks for itself. Here are some LinkedIn statistics you should know.

21. There are more than 900 million members across 200 countries on LinkedIn.
22. The United States has the highest user rate in the world on LinkedIn with an audience reach of over 199 million users.
23. There are over 63 million company profiles on LinkedIn.
24. 16.2% of LinkedIn users in the US use the platform daily (versus 48.5% that log in monthly).

Spurred by the widespread career changes over the past two years, the platform doesn’t look to slow down any time soon. Hint: now’s the time to level up your LinkedIn marketing if you’re in B2B.

Pinterest statistics

Pinterest often doesn’t get its due when it comes to social platforms. The platform’s diverse, big-spending audience is among the most dedicated and engaged of any network. Here are some top Pinterest statistics to look out for.

25. 450 million people use Pinterest every month.
26. 76.7% of Pinterest users are women, 15.3% are men and 8% are unspecified.
27. 45% of Pinterest users in the US have a household income over $100K, and 21% earn $30K or less.
28. Pinterest is the second-most visited website in the US.
29. Pinterest users spend twice as much monthly as people on other platforms.

The power of Pinterest advertising is well-documented and the platform is the perfect place to uncover new products. Also, marketers targeting a US audience would do well to include Pinterest in their marketing efforts.

TikTok statistics

TikTok has totally transformed itself to a must-have digital platform for brands. The platform’s rabid fanbase, rapid growth and sky-high usage spell great news for early adopters. Below are some interesting TikTok statistics to know about.

30. TikTok has over 1 billion active users worldwide.
31. TikTok is the most frequently used app worldwide, with users spending an average of 23.5 hours per month on the platform.
32. TikTok’s user base skews female, with 54.1% of users identifying as women (based on available gender data.)
33. 38.9% of TikTok users are 18-24 years old and account for the largest share of TikTok’s advertising audience.
34. 78.9% of TikTok users are looking for fun or entertaining content on the platform.

Younger consumers and smaller influencers dominate the platform right now, but that may change in the very near future. If you’re already on the platform, make sure to watch your TikTok analytics and how to reach your audience ASAP.

Twitter statistics

Twitter has cemented itself as the hub of political discussions, memes and a prime place to go back and forth with brands. Take a look at the Twitter statistics below to understand more about marketing on the platform.

35. Twitter boasts about 556 million monthly active users in total worldwide.
36. 53% of Twitter users use the platform to get the latest news.
37. More than half (63%) of Twitter users are men (based on available gender data.)
38. 71% of marketers plan to spend less time on Twitter in 2023.
39. US adults spend an average of 34.8 minutes daily on Twitter.

The rise of features like Twitter Spaces signals a window of opportunity for the platform to really earn its wings again.

Youtube statistics

To compete with emerging platforms like TikTok, the second-largest search engine in the world is making some big changes. Here are the top YouTube statistics to know about.

40. As of January 2023, YouTube has over 2.5 billion users worldwide. However, the platform’s active users have decreased by 48 million over the past year.
41. YouTube Shorts get 30 billion views daily from users around the globe.
42. 12% of YouTube users are males aged between 25-34, and 9% are females of the same age (based on available gender data.)
43. People spend an average of 19 minutes per day watching videos on YouTube.
44. Nearly 90% of all visits to YouTube come from a mobile device.

Despite a slight downward trend in growth this year, YouTube is still users’ go-to video-sharing platform. With more people accessing the app on mobile, though, marketers would benefit from posting more short-form, vertical content (i.e. Shorts) on the platform.

Social media video statistics

Video continues to be an all-time favorite content type. It’s versatile, engaging and offers excellent ROI to marketers worldwide. Let’s look at some recent social media video statistics.

45. 51% of people are more likely to share videos with friends and family over any other content type.

46. 87% of marketers say video marketing has helped them drive more sales.
47. Short-form video offers marketers the highest ROI of any social media marketing strategy.
48. US video advertising is expected to increase from $67.16 billion in 2022 to $78.45 in 2023.

Video is making its way into all types of marketing strategies in virtually every industry. However, it’s evolving in its shape and form. Brands can expect to see better results from short-form video content that’s primarily entertaining and/or funny.

Influencer marketing statistics

Working with influencers is one of the best inbound marketing strategies being used today. Here are some statistics about which influencer platforms marketers are leveraging, what they’re hoping to achieve and how they plan to execute influencer marketing in the future.

49. Instagram offers the highest ROI to influencer marketers, followed by YouTube and Facebook.
50. 56% of marketers use TikTok for influencer marketing, making it the most popular influencer marketing channel.
51. Generating more engagement, reaching new audiences and strengthening community are the top three marketing goals for working with creators.

52. 67% of marketers plan to spend more on influencer marketing campaigns in 2023.
53. 63% of marketers plan to use AI in launching their influencer campaigns. And 2 out of 3 of these brands will use AI for identifying influencers.

More marketers are realizing the potential of influencer marketing. If influencers are not already part of your marketing efforts, it’s time to switch your focus. The key is to pick the best platforms and influencers for your brand, both of which can be automated using the right tools.

Consumer behavior statistics

The concept of buying something you saw on social media is nothing new. From product recommendations to first impressions from brands, the impact of social media on consumers is well-documented.

54. More consumers report finding the perfect product by seeing a targeted ad (49%) over an organic post by a brand (40%).

55. The majority (71%) of livestream viewers have purchased something via social media.
56. Gen Z shoppers anticipate making more purchases on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, whereas Baby Boomers plan to shop more on Facebook.
57. 41% of Gen Z and Millennials make an impulse purchase online every 2-3 weeks. On the other hand, only 10% of Baby Boomers can say the same.

The recent growth of direct social sales is notable. Consumers likewise crave authenticity and ads that don’t feel like ads. But the key to selling on social is to know your customer, which platforms they prefer and how their unique buying behavior works.

Use social media statistics to guide your strategy

Learning the latest social media marketing statistics is key to fine-tuning your strategy and setting smarter goals.

Are there any opportunities on new networks? Do you need to shift from organic content to ads (or vice-versa)? Should you double down on what you’re doing now?

We hope our social media statistics help you find the answers. Combing through them is totally worth it — you should bookmark them if you haven’t already.

After reviewing these stats, make sure you check out our roundup of the top social media management tools to help you maintain a memorable and consistent social presence.