50 Social Media Statistics You Need to Know in 2021

According to a study from Datareportal, experts can estimate that roughly 4.20 billion people utilize some form of social media. That adds nearly 500 million new users in the past year.

Despite the prevailing negative attitudes toward social platforms, the power of their popularity is indisputable. Social media is continuing to change the way we deliver and consume content, learn about news, and purchase products or services.

With that in mind, is it possible to deliver a strong marketing strategy without establishing your brand on social media? The statistics are available, and marketing is simply mandatory if you want to compete and remain relevant throughout the rest of 2021 and beyond.

If you're still not convinced that you need to rethink your marketing strategy, take a look at these 50 social media statistics that you need to know as a marketer in 2021.

• General Social Media Statistics
• Facebook Statistics
• Instagram Statistics
• Twitter Statistics
• LinkedIn Statistics
• YouTube Statistics
• Pinterest Statistics

General Social Media Statistics

1. 4.20 Billion People Use Social Media - 53% of the World's Population

Regardless of how you view the value of social media, more than one in two people log in regularly. Individuals can access their profiles at home or on the go with mobile devices, making it easier than ever to stay connected.

In seconds, users can search for brands, research products or services, and make new purchases with just a few screen touches. Regardless of the platform, social media revolutionizes the way we interact with each other and with brands.

Does this mean that your brand should go all-in on posting and paid social ads? Maybe not, but it is essentially nonsensical to ignore the sheer size of the audience waiting to discover your brand. Even for general awareness, establishing your brand online can greatly impact your business's success.

2. The Average Daily Time Spent on Social Media is 2 Hours, 25 Minutes

The average amount of time spent on social varies by nation, with the Philippines leading the globe at 4 hours, 15 minutes, and the United States sitting at roughly 2 hours, 7 minutes.

For comparison, experts estimate that total daily internet usage by user ranges from 4 hours, 25 minutes on the low end, to nearly 11 hours total per day. This means that on average, roughly a third of the time spent on a device is spent on social media.

Sources: We Are Social, Hootsuite

3. 55.7% of that Time is Spent Using Mobile Devices

Mobile phones serve as the predominant way that all users visit the internet. Additional sources estimate that a staggering 91% of social media users are logging into their accounts with cellular phones.

For marketers, this means that the opportunity to reach your audience is now available nearly all hours of the day. Consider the ways that new users are discovering your brand and content, and be sure to optimize it for an enjoyable mobile experience.

The smoother you make the buyer's journey from discovery to purchase via their phone, the better your chances are for online success.

Sources: We Are Social, Hootsuite, Lyfe Marketing

4. The Number of Users by Social Media Platform

Thanks to an article from the Pew Research Center, we have a strong estimate of the number of social media users by platform.

YouTube leads the way by far with a whopping 81% of adults reporting to use the site regularly. Slightly further behind is Facebook with 69% of adults. The rest of the numbers are as follows (percentage of adults):

• Instagram – 40%
• Pinterest – 31%
• LinkedIn – 28%
• Snapchat – 25%
• Twitter – 23%
• WhatsApp – 23%
• TikTok – 21%
• Reddit – 18%
• Nextdoor – 13%

While YouTube easily dominates as the premier platform for video, Facebook has long been the market leader above everything else. With access to such a large and diverse userbase, marketers can curate content to target specific audiences.

Facebook makes this even easier with an easy-to-use advertising platform that tracks data from users who see and click on your ads. You can even utilize this data to create lookalike audiences to further target users that demonstrate an interest in your brand.

While the percentages decline significantly thereafter, those platforms still maintain loyal users. It's essential to learn more about who makes up those percentage of users so that you can curate a strategy that speaks to each platform's unique audiences.

Sources: Pew Research Center

5. 44.8% of People Use Social Media to Check Out Brands

The same digital report for 2021 featured above explains that a little less than one in two people will look for your brand on social media before they go anywhere else.

However, these statistics get more interesting when you view the breakdown by generation, with more than 50% of Gen Z users using social over search. Millennials aren't far behind at just under 50%.

That means if your brand isn't on social media, half of the people won't explore it any further. Competitor brands in your industry that are on social media will likely take their attention away, causing you to lose out on those potential leads forever.

While older generations still utilize the traditional search method, any marketer needs to understand their audience and the best ways to reach them. Remember - every corner of the internet is competing for a user's attention every second, so you're not doing yourself any favors by ignoring the top-performing platforms.

Sources: We Are Social, Hootsuite

6. Industry Experts Find Social Media to Be An Effective Marketing Tool

A Visual Objects report shows that 81% of small businesses plan to make a social media marketing investment in 2021. Social media use by businesses continues to grow as professionals are no longer able to ignore the value of what these platforms offer.

A slightly older study from Hootsuite shows that nearly all of them use social media to promote brand awareness among interviewed businesses. Additional reasons cited for utilizing social media as a marketing tool were managing reputation, engaging with the community, increasing sales, and learning more about their audience.

Social media allows you to skip the middleman and reach out directly to the individual. You can recalculate your marketing strategies based upon community feedback. Paid advertising campaigns will also automatically gather insights concerning engagement from those who may not comment, like, or share directly.

Sources: Visual Objects, Hootsuite

7. The Content That Performs Best Varies by Platform

Studies show that your business is better off taking a more targeted approach to reaching your audience depending on each platform.

For example, a survey of Paid Media specialists reports that video content can yield twice the amount of clicks as an image with text. Clients may report a 20-30% increase in conversions with better video content.

Instagram, on the other hand, is seeing a steady rise in Carousel engagement. Images still dominate as the primary type of user post at 67.82%, while only receiving a 1.74% engagement rate per post. Carousels are receiving 1.92% engagement and rising, while Instagram video receives just 1.45% engagement.

Finally, Twitter posts with images get 128% more retweets than videos. The tone of those posts generally differs due to the average age demographic that utilizes the platform.

This means that the job of a social media marketing specialist is to keep up-to-date with ever-changing trends. While dynamic content like video is almost always engaging, it may not always be worth the resources when you can get proven engagement with less. Getting better results for your business on social requires you to be an active participant in the community, not just selling to it.

Sources: Databox, Social Insider, QuickSprout

8. It's Time to Get Political

Your brand should stay on the sidelines when it comes to current social and political events, right?

Wrong.

Experts are finding that consumers expect brands to take a stand more than ever. 70% of online respondents felt it was important for brands to broadcast their values openly. This is largely due to the belief that a brand has greater influential power and reach to instigate meaningful change.

However, what are you to do when your stand represents the opposite of what some consumers believe? There is no concrete answer, but saying nothing and remaining on the sidelines may be as harmful as saying the wrong thing in some circumstances.

Nevertheless, consumers expect brands to speak out against issues, especially if they directly pertain to the business itself. Navigating these murky waters can be challenging, but it's important to be consistent in your values, to look out for your employees and consumers, and to promote sincere awareness and action on anything you believe is worth advocating.

Sources: SproutSocial

9. Social Media is a Cost-Effective Means of Customer Service

Responding to customer queries effectively is a problem every business needs to face. Using up employee time isn't effective, and hiring personnel just to fill up call centers isn't the most cost-effective solution in the long run.

Fortunately for business owners, studies show that quick customer service interactions cost nearly 1/6th of a call center interaction. The benefits don't end there. Responding to a query and solving the problem quickly greatly boosts positive brand impressions, and is far more likely to result in positive reviews, shares, and recommendations.

However, customer interactions on social media can be a double-edged sword. Failing to reply to customer concerns or leaving them with a bad experience can cause as many as 88% of consumers to avoid buying from your brand ever again.

Sources: SocialMediaToday

10. Great Customer Service Online Increases Sales and Engagement

The risks of social media are worthwhile, as a positive experience on social media makes users more than three times as likely to recommend your brand or share your content.

In percentages, 71% of consumers who feel good about the interaction will share, while only 19% who do not get an interaction will still share. Moreover still, those customers are likely to spend as much as 40% more as a result of this personal engagement.

A little goodwill and honest effort go a long way on social media. Remind your customers that there are regular people behind the brand, and make them feel good every once in a while!

11. Lack of Interest is the Number One Reason People Will Unfollow You

Most social media users will eventually unfollow a brand at some point. The question is, what are these brands doing wrong if anything, and what can you do to avoid the same mistakes?

The solution is as different as each user that initially follows, but the problem always comes down to a lack of interesting content. The key reason that anyone uses social media at all is to constantly be entertained, humored, or to get something personally beneficial out of the relationship.

Nearly 80% reported unfollowing because they were no longer interested, 67% said that the content was no longer relevant to the brand, while 41.5% said that the brand posts too often. Perhaps shockingly, reporting false information and poor quality products was the least of anyone's concern when it comes to following!

Sources: GoodFirms

12. Social Media is a Cost-Effective Way to Generate New Leads

The cost of social media advertising varies depending upon the platform as well as your goals. CPC, or cost-per-click, is generally the most cost-effective bidding option and can boost brand awareness and help gain valuable insights about your audience.

Take a look at the estimated CPC per platform to give you an idea:

• Facebook – $0.97 per click
• Instagram – $3.56 per click
• YouTube – $3.21 per click
• LinkedIn – $5.26 per click
• Twitter – $0.38 per click
• Pinterest – $1.50 per click

Facebook remains a dominant social marketing platform due to its enormous social reach, low advertising costs, and intuitive Business Manager. Due to shared ownership, you can seamlessly run your campaigns on Instagram as well with a few button clicks.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn still proves to be the best platform for B2B even if the CPC is a bit higher. All platforms give you the freedom to personalize your budget and monetize your campaign in a way that works best for your unique business goals.

Sources: WebFX

13. More Customers Are Beginning to Buy Through Social Media

eCommerce continues to explode in growth more than ever as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, are people entering their payment information directly on Facebook or Instagram?

A Hubspot survey seems to indicate that social media purchases are trending upward. More than 50% of the interviewed users reported purchasing on social, with 36% using Facebook shopping, 24.5% on Instagram, 13.5% on WhatsApp, 10.5% on Pinterest, and 9% making up the remaining social platforms.

While it's by no means a prevailing number, it's very possible that social shopping will increase as these platforms build awareness around their shopping capabilities and establish the trust necessary for users to enter their sensitive information.

In theory, adding products to social media directly can greatly simplify the buyer's journey and result in additional sales for you and your business.

Sources: HubSpot

Facebook Statistics

14. Millennials Make Up the Greatest Share of Facebook Users

Statista reports that 43.3% of users are millennials, falling in between the 25-44 years of age range. There is a noticeable user dropoff in either age direction, with young teenagers and the elderly community making up the smallest percentages.

With that said, Facebook is still the primary platform used by the 65 and older group, with YouTube following closely behind. Younger users are likely to choose other social media platforms as their app of choice.

Sources: Statista

15. The United States Makes Up Just 10% of Daily Active Users

It's worth noting that the United States and Canada only make up about 10% of daily active users, with the majority coming from Europe and other parts of the globe.

Similar studies from the same source indicate that 56% of users are male, while 44% are female. In regards to income rangers, Facebook features an even split. If we can trust recent trends, more older generation users will pick up Facebook, meaning users with more income to spend on your brand.

Sources: Hootsuite

16. Facebook's Advertising Revenue Grows 22% Year-over-Year

Facebook offers one of the most diverse userbases and the largest share of the global population using social media. Along with its incredibly easy-to-use marketing center and costs that beat out other platforms, it's easy to see why the lion's share of Facebook's income comes from advertising.

Thanks to the 2020-2021 pandemic, Facebook expects accelerated growth as more of the globe adapts to eCommerce as opposed to brick-and-mortar shopping.

This also speaks to just how effective Facebook advertising is proving for small businesses. If you weren't already convinced that you're late to the party, you should be now. Facebook estimates that three million businesses now use their platform for advertisement.

Sources: Facebook Investor Relations

17. Facebook Stories Get 500 Million Views Daily

Nearly all of us are visual consumers. It's effectively a given that images and video will substantially boost interest and engagement with any given post. However, the Facebook Stories feature may be a key tool you're not utilizing in your marketing efforts.

Facebook Stories automatically appear at the top of the screen, guaranteeing maximum visibility for your content.

This type of disposable video content began with Snapchat. Shortly after, Instagram and Facebook dove in to capitalize on their version. The key detail to note is that while not everyone uses Stories, those who do demonstrate higher engagement rates, especially among the younger generations.

Sources: Hootsuite

18. Local Business Searches Grew by 23% in 2020

This is another trend that Facebook expects to continue as a result of the pandemic. While many are learning how to take advantage of eCommerce shopping, many others are making active efforts to support their local communities.

Facebook's internal search engine makes it convenient and easy to discover local businesses by industry. Just like any directory listing, keeping your business profile up-to-date on Facebook can be an easy way to draw in new customers with very little maintenance on your end.

Customers can learn more about your business on Facebook through business pages and groups, which leads us to.

Sources: Facebook for Business

19. 1.8 Billion Users Are Active Participants in Facebook Groups

Anyone on Facebook including individual users and brands can create private or public groups on Facebook. This presents an easy way to curate content specifically for a group that chooses to opt-in. When users join your Facebook group or follow your business page, you can trust that those users are there to learn more about your content.

Instead of focusing exclusively on chasing new leads through paid ads, you can invite users to learn more about your business directly. Post regular updates, offer promotions to group members and watch your engagement steadily increase over time.

Image Source

20. 1.3 Billion Are Using Facebook Messenger

Facebook isn't just for posting but serves as a primary means of text communications for many users.

You can further enhance your customer service capabilities by downloading free add-ons that allow you to distribute auto-responses to customer queries. Users feel confident knowing their questions are in queue for reviewal and allows you to win social currency for your brand.

Sources: TechCrunch

Instagram Statistics

21. Instagram Boasts 500 Million Daily Users, 1 Billion Monthly

While Instagram doesn't exactly have the reach of Facebook or YouTube, its monthly active users make up an enormous share of the global population.

Perhaps the most important statistic for your small business is that Instagram's popularity peaks in the United States. Note that monthly active users refer to anyone who has an account and logs in at least once every 30 days.

If you recall the statistics at the top of this article, Instagram ranks 3rd overall in our list (5th total if you were to include Messenger as its own platform along with WhatsApp).

Sources: Backlinko

22. Similar to Facebook, Millennials Make Up the Bulk of Users

Nearly half of users are millennials, falling between the ages of 25 and 44. However, this is the first platform we are looking at up close that consists of a bigger Generation Z userbase at nearly 30%.

Instagram proves to not be a popular item among young teens, and also sees a sharp dropoff in users aged 35 and over. The statistics show that Instagram is a young person's platform with just 5.9% of users making up the 55 and older community.

Sources: Statista

23. Tuesday's Are Red-Hot for Brand Engagement

Though overall trends tend to peg millennials as weekend content consumers, lunchtime weekday engagement proves to be primetime. This is likely the result of the work-from-home increase in 2020 but shows no signs of changing any time soon.

While Wednesday appears to demonstrate the longest timeframe for activity, Tuesday yields denser activity on average. Perhaps surprisingly, brand engagement on weekends is significantly lower than any weekday.

It looks like everyone needs the occasional workday distraction. Armed with the right research, it's the best opportunity for your brand to strike.

Sources: SproutSocial

24. Instagram Users Are Most Likely to Follow Brands

Each platform has its unique audiences with unique goals. It turns out, one of Instagram's primary purposes is to connect with exciting brands.

This survey study at Audience Project shows that 36% of Instagram users are looking to follow brands that interest them. This survey assesses each platform's userbase by user intent on each platform. Twitter is nearly identical for brand following.

Other popular platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook see a noticeable dropoff in this trend, indicating that brand connection is less of a priority for those users. While a platform like Facebook may offer a larger overall audience, perhaps the engagement tendencies of Instagram users may be more appealing for your brand.

Sources: AudienceProject

25. 130 Million Click on a Shopping Post Monthly

Facebook & Instagram report directly that an estimated 130 million active Instagram users click on shopping posts every month. Those users enjoy using Instagram to learn more details about a product before making a purchasing decision.

As Hubspot reported earlier in this article, 24.5% of Instagram users regularly shop and buy products directly through the app. As we continue to trend toward more social shopping, it's worthwhile for all eCommerce brands to start integrating new products and promotions within the Instagram platform.

Sources: Facebook, Instagram

26. Instagram Confirms There Are 500 Million Daily Active Instagram Stories Users

The video story trend started by Snapchat continues to work well for Instagram users. Any social feature that works well for everyday users is a feature that your brand can’t afford to ignore.

Merkle reports that Instagram Stories accounts for one-third of total ad spend for Paid Ads managers and accounts for a not-so-small 36% of all impressions across BOTH Facebook and Instagram combined.

Moreover still, despite the engagement rates that Instagram Stories can provide, ad spend for your average campaign continues to lower on Instagram every year.

Sources: Merkle Inc.

27. 50% of Stories Viewers Will Buy the Product

Instagram once again boasts that 50% of surveyed Stories users went on to purchase the product or service they learned about on their app. It’s important to remember that traffic, reach, and impressions are great metrics, but ultimately do not amount to much if there’s no buyer intent.

To summarize, Stories users demonstrate high levels of engagement, are very likely to complete the entire story, and have a 50/50 chance of becoming a customer after gaining awareness of your brand. As a business owner, you have to like those odds.

Image Source

Twitter Statistics

28. Though Not as Popular, Twitter Features 353.1 Million Monthly Active Users

Though it’s not quite in the same league as the platforms above, Twitter still features 353.1 million monthly active users, with 192 million of those participating daily.

The United States Makes up the largest percentage of those users at 68.7% with Japan following not too far behind at 52%. There is a steep decline in users from the rest of the world with India being a distant third at 18.9%.

Sources: Backlinko

29. Generation Z and Late Millenials Love to Tweet

Another Statista study proclaims that generate2% of 18-29-year-olds enjoyed engaging on Twitter out of surveyed respondents. The userbase drops off heavily with 30-49-year-olds making up 27% and 25% being 50+.

This is a continuing upward trend, however, as there has been a noticeable increase since 2019. Recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the United States election drew additional attention to the platform. Global leaders utilize verified accounts to communicate directly to users online.

It’s also a platform that’s popular for spreading the news as the Tweet format forces these sources to truncate the most essential details into limited characters. This presents a great format for marketers to quickly grab attention and link out to articles, products, promotions, and much more.

Sources: Statista

30. Twitter Saw a Healthy Boom in Ad Engagement and Revenue Last Year

Twitter reports that the end-of-year 2020 saw ad engagement increase by 35% along with a subtle 3% decrease in cost-per-engagement. This is likely due to steady user growth along with continual eCommerce growth due to the pandemic.

In addition to this, Twitter announced in November several notable improvements to their ad platform to make building new creatives easier, while also improving algorithms and introducing the Learning Period. They also launched a new and improved Carousel ad format.

Sources: Twitter

31. 91% of Twitter Users Are Okay with Brands Getting Involved, with a Catch…

It turns out that Twitter users are very open-minded about brands joining the conversation, but only if their contribution is helpful and authentic.

While this is a general truth and a good rule for brands to follow on any platform, it might be especially true on Twitter as a result of its limited format. Humans are all about first impressions, and with just 280 characters to use, you need to make it count.

For example, simply jumping on a trending topic with a hashtag is likely to ring out as false. However, demonstrating meaningful efforts or donations toward a cause goes a long way toward creating a favorable reception.

Sources: Twitter

32. Well Over 500 Million Tweets Go Live Every Day

While that may seem like an overwhelming number, it’s important to understand how noisy that platform can get. That means that it’s important for your brand to curate a smart tweeting strategy that will allow your brand to take advantage of those 280 characters.

Another reason is to note that Twitter is one of the few platforms where posting more is better. The optimal tweeting amount per day is anywhere between 15-25 tweets. This is compared to just 1-2 posts per day on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

The shelf life of a tweet is drastically shorter than a post elsewhere, so be prepared to get involved if you want your brand to stand out on Twitter.

Sources: LiveInternetStats, Buffer

LinkedIn Statistics

33. LinkedIn is the Most Trusted Social Platform

According to a Business Insider Intelligence survey, LinkedIn ranks number one as the most trusted social platform for confidence and security.

The list contains nine different social platforms with the rest of the list as follows: Pinterest (2), Reddit (3), Instagram (4), Snapchat (5), TikTok (6), Twitter (7), YouTube (8), and Facebook in the last place.

Why does this matter? It means that users feel the most secure with entering personal information and engaging with content freely on LinkedIn. This is likely due to the highly professional nature of the platform and the focus on networking and employment.

34. It’s One of the Best Platforms for B2B Marketing

This should be of no surprise based on the nature of the platform. LinkedIn reports that there are over 57 million companies now actively using their service. It’s just as important for these businesses to connect with prospective business clients as well as scouting new talent.

It’s also the platform where you will find Fortune 500 company leaders and other like-minded professionals that can help you achieve your business and marketing goals.

LinkedIn is more about highlighting the leaders and decision-makers of a company than the company itself, allowing you to market directly to those who are interested in learning more about your products and services.

Sources: LinkedIn

35. The Average User is 36 – 55 Years of Age

This makes sense as the average LinkedIn member is typically a professional looking to network and further develop their career prospects.

This study of United States Users shows the breakdown of monthly users per age group:

• 15-25 – 16%
• 26-35 – 27%
• 36-45 – 34%
• 46-55 – 37%
• 56+ – 29%

Sources: Statista

36. The Average Conversion Rate on a LinkedIn Lead Gen Form is 13%

A study by WordStream indicates that your average lead-generation landing page converts only 2.35% of the time. However, the best-performing landing pages feature rates of 11.45% or even higher.

LinkedIn reports that its lead forms see a success rate of about 13% and generate about twice as many leads compared to every other social channel. This is likely due to the overwhelming B2B presence on the platform.

Like-minded professionals are interested in offers, products, or services that can benefit them or the business as opposed to grabbing the general cold customer through paid ads.

Sources: WordStream, LinkedIn

37. Taking Too Long to Reply to Those Leads Reduces Likelihood of Contact by 10x

Generating all of those leads won’t matter much if you don’t have a system in place to make contact with those individuals promptly. Studies indicate that waiting just five minutes reduces the likelihood of contact by as much as ten times.

While most companies will not be able to reliably deliver such an efficient response time, it’s essential to react quickly. This statistic can also help illustrate whether or not your sales team is receiving more leads than they are effectively able to deal with.

A large stream of leads may be an indicator that your marketing plan is working but ultimately results in a wasted budget if you don’t have the resources to capitalize. Determine an actionable goal for the number of new leads your business can handle and plan to make quick contact through multiple avenues including phone, email, and text messages.

Sources: HubSpot

38. LinkedIn Saw 60% More Content Creation in 2020

Marketers are successfully proving that LinkedIn can be about more than employment and networking. LinkedIn business reporting indicates that not only is that platform seeing more sales funnels, but the average CPC is dropping while the quality of leads and engagement improves.

However, compelling blog articles work great here, too. Consider that Bill Gates personally published some of the platform’s most compelling content that year. Professionals are hungry to learn from other professionals who have knowledge and insight to offer about important social matters and personal success.

Content creators can hugely benefit from reviewing content from some of the world’s most successful people while seeking to emulate it for your business. It ought to be every marketer’s mantra that content is king.

Sources: LinkedIn

39. The United States Features the Most LinkedIn Users

Individually, the United States as a country easily has the most active LinkedIn user accounts at around 178 million. The second closest country is India at roughly 76 million users.

Looking further down the list of most popular countries reveals that the rest of the world combined still makes up over 70% of all LinkedIn users, making it a viable tool for connecting and marketing around the globe. Tens of millions are using the platform throughout Asia, South America, and Europe.

It’s interesting to note that LinkedIn is one of the few international social platforms that is not currently banned in China.

YouTube Marketing Statistics

40. YouTube – The 2nd Most Popular Search Engine in the World

YouTube isn’t just a search engine, it’s one of the most powerful in the world only behind Google itself. While nothing may ever be able to outperform a platform that’s now become a verb, YouTube receives more volume than most other search engines combined.

In 2021, YouTube now represents so much more than funny, low-budget videos. It’s a neverending library of content relating to DIY, exercise, technology, music, video games, makeup, health & beauty, self-care, and business-related content. That list is far from exhaustive, and merely shows the potential the platform has to enhance your marketing strategies.

What makes this even more attractive is that since Google controls both platforms, YouTube video content often ranks well over videos hosted through other outlets. YouTube itself also now offers more than video, providing a direct social feed, direct messaging, and the ability to send notifications directly to your subscribers.

Sources: Forbes, YouTube

41. 1 in 3 Baby Boomers Actively Seek YouTube Content

While this generation generally makes up a fairly low percentage of many social platforms, YouTube has something for everyone.

Google estimates that as many as a third of baby boomers are taking advantage of YouTube to learn more about products or services before making a purchasing decision. It presents an extremely convenient way for people to learn and help themselves without needing to enlist others.

YouTube also provides the benefit of on-demand content that you can enjoy at an hour that’s more convenient for you. Long gone are the days of needing to catch people in front of the television with your advertisements.

Sources: Think with Google

42. 42% of Small Businesses Are on YouTube in 2021

A survey indicates that YouTube is now one of the most widely used social networks for advertising, only falling short of Facebook. This marks a rapid change in how and where businesses advertise. Shooting professional video used to be an intimidating venture, but new technology has made it easier than ever.

You can shoot short, quality clips with a modern-day smartphone and upload them to your channel within minutes. Businesses can tailor their channel according to their brand and easily share video content on other platforms. YouTube also makes it incredibly easy to embed video content on landing pages, websites, and more.

YouTube also offers some basic editing tools that can get you started. A quick Google search will also reveal several widely used editing software that can get you up and running.

One of the most important things for a business to do on social is to appear relatable and trustworthy. Personally made video content allows your audience to see the people behind the computer screen.

Sources: Statista

43. Creating Beginner Content May Significantly Boost Your Views

Google studies show that in March 2020, videos titled with the word “beginner” or some variation received 50% more views compared to the rest of the year.

The result of this specific statistic is once again a result of quarantine regulations during the pandemic. However, it does show that users on the platform are keen to look for tutorials and how-to content they can use from home.

Image Source

As an expert in your industry, you could create personalized, instructional content that your audience can directly benefit from. People remember when a trusted brand provides them free, valuable content, and will be more likely to subscribe and share your content with other potential buyers.

Sources: Think with Google

44. YouTube Can Be a Huge Boon for the Fitness Industry

If you’re a fitness expert or work in the industry, you know that getting people out of their comfort zone is one of the biggest hurdles in acquiring new customers. YouTube may offer a convenient, alternative solution.

Since March 2020, home workout videos increased in daily views by an incredible 515%. While this is once again an influence of COVID-19 restrictions, many users are looking for comfortable, private ways to lose those extra pounds from the comfort of home.

A quick search of the platform will reveal countless gyms and personal trainers creating effective workout videos designed to help users lose weight, gain muscle, and achieve other fitness goals.

Put out some great fitness content that can help your audience learn the basics and gain some confidence in their body. Once they’re a subscriber, you can continue nurturing those leads and convert them into paying customers.

Sources: YouTube Culture & Trends

45. Buyer Intent Beats Demographics, but Both Work Best Together

Google is helping out marketers by conducting their own studies to see how video advertisements perform depending on the targeting methods used.

Most marketers will utilize broad demographics, especially starting, to allow your campaign to learn. As they gather metrics, those experts will complete optimizations to get better results from the most active groups. This Google study shows at least with video content, buyer intent trumps demographic targeting.

Across all ads, there was 100% more purchase intent when targeting by intent alone. There is also a 167% increase in awareness and an incredible 267% increase in consideration. Ad recall also receives a boost of 32%.

The results were slightly higher when targeting both simultaneously. While you may not have the budget to do everything, the results show that intent should be the primary focus.

Sources: Think with Google

Pinterest Statistics

46. Pinterest Features a Potential Audience of Roughly 200.8 Million Users

While Pinterest ranks 14th on the popularity scale, it maintains a dedicated userbase that is continuing to grow in the past year.

A study previously used in this article from Hootsuite and We Are Social suggests that out of its total users, 200.8 million of them may be reached with advertisements.

The greatest number of these users are in North America, specifically the United States, with over 100 million active accounts along with over 10 million more from Canada.

The platform also has a strong footing across the United Kingdom and Europe with over 80 million more additional users. It does not have a strong basis in Asia, with no country cracking the top 20 countries by reach.

Sources: We Are Social, Hootsuite

47. Pinterest Reveals That 77% of the Ad Audience May Be Female

No other platforms in this article feature such a difference in users by gender. Pinterest reports that just 14.5% of their userbase that is part of the ad audience is male. However, this number may be changing as the number of male pinners grew throughout 2020.

Sources: We Are Social, Hootsuite, Pinterest

48. Millennial Women Make Up the Greatest Share of Users

The study shows that 30.4% of women ages 25 – 34 make up Pinterest’s advertising audience. That same age group features 6.2% men and another 4.2% unspecified.

The second closest age group is 35 – 44-year-old women making up 14.1%. However, it’s worth noting that Gen Z users saw the biggest growth growing 40% year over year according to Pinterest.

Sources: We Are Social, Hootsuite, Pinterest

49. Pinterest is a Video Platform, Featuring One Billion Views a Day

While most are aware of video prominent platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, Pinterest videos are blowing up.

The actual statistic shows just under one billion views a day. Pinterest is continuing to develop new ways for businesses and advertisers to better target their video advertising to users by demographic and interests.

This can prove effective on a platform that’s already known for promoting positivity, sparking creativity, and inspiring people to take up new projects and chase ideas. While you’re creating those tutorial videos on YouTube, it might be a good idea to cut some content specifically for your Pinterest audience.

Sources: Pinterest

50. Pinterest Shopping Visits Grew More than 50% in 2020

Finally, Pinterest reports that it saw a substantial increase in shopping activity throughout the platform. Additional studies indicate that as many as 85% of users are likely to buy something based on a pin.

That’s thanks to the fact that Pinterest’s platform can act as a built-in sales funnel for your various products when set up correctly. Users not only sell products but provide visual evidence of the value each can bring for their home or future projects. It’s a far more attractive proposition than simply browsing listings on Amazon.

Sources: Pinterest, HighSpot

There you have 50 valuable marketing statistics that can help your small business or marketing agency create an effective marketing plan for the months ahead. If there are any additional details you’d love to learn about these platforms (or to learn more about one that wasn’t discussed), please let us know and we’ll be sure to update you in future posts!