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

If you’re trying to improve your social media marketing strategy, statistics are the perfect starting point.

Social media statistics give you valuable insight into who your audience is, their interests and habits. This helps you tailor your marketing strategies to boost engagement and ROI.

Stats can also help you benchmark your own performance within your industry and even uncover new opportunities.

Use the social media statistics below to guide your presence in 2023 and beyond.

Table of contents:

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 social network 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. $130.5 billion of total social media ad spending will be generated through mobile by 2027. 

   It’s now projected thatof 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.

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

    .

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 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 58 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.

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 social network 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 social media 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.

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.