The Top 11 Social Media Sites & Platforms

Social media is integral to our every day lives.

With 4.8 billion social media customers worldwide – accounting for 59.9% of the worldwide inhabitants – social platforms have grow to be essential hubs for gathering info, connecting with our mates and family members, and rising our companies.

And social media customers have grown to belief and depend on their most popular social networks for every little thing from real-time information and updates to way of life hacks, product analysis, and extra.

For entrepreneurs, the world of social media represents an expansive space of alternative – and each person is a possible buyer.

With the appropriate instruments, assets, and a strong social media strategy, entrepreneurs can leverage social media platforms to spice up consciousness for his or her enterprise, interact their target market, and even nurture a loyal group.

However with so many various social media platforms present immediately, it’s practically not possible to be current on each single one – not to mention excel in each area.

Success in social media advertising begins with selecting the best platforms in your model. You have to establish the place your target market is spending probably the most time and the place it is sensible in your manufacturers to work together with them.

On this article, we’ll take a look at the main social media platforms, giving a fast overview of what they’re earlier than exploring what kinds of companies would possibly discover them most helpful.

Prime 11 Social Media Platforms In contrast

*Variety of month-to-month energetic customers worldwide, up to date October 2023.

The Prime 11 Social Media Apps By Month-to-month Lively Customers

*Variety of month-to-month energetic customers worldwide up to date October 2023.

The Prime 11 Social Media Websites And Platforms

1. Fb

Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA

Launched: 2004

Month-to-month Lively Customers: 3 billion

Founders: Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes

Income: $88-91 billion (2023) estimated

Whereas Facebook may not be the thrilling new platform it as soon as was – and might need fallen out of favor with youthful customers – make no mistake: it’s nonetheless round, and extra common than ever.

In the present day, Fb operates beneath the umbrella of Meta, Inc., which additionally owns platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

In recent times, Fb has undergone a demographic shift – but its affect within the social media sphere stays unparalleled.

Industries equivalent to monetary companies, ecommerce, retail, media, telecom, know-how, and client items proceed to harness Fb’s expansive attain to attach with customers and develop their model consciousness – with newer sectors like gaming, leisure, and automotive companies additionally discovering their footing on the platform.

In case you’re seeking to drive conversions, your finest wager is to put money into Facebook ads – particularly given the Information Feed is more and more suppressing enterprise posts.

That stated, there are nonetheless loads of methods to generate natural engagement with out investing in adverts.

Take into account becoming a member of (or constructing) area of interest communities with Fb Teams, leveraging Messenger chatbots for customized communication, or utilizing dwell video to encourage real-time viewers interplay.

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2. YouTube

• Launched: 2005.
• Headquarters: San Bruno, California.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 2.5 billion.
• Income: $30.4 billion (2023) estimated
• Founders: Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley.

YouTube continues to carry the crown because the dominant unique video social media platform. It’s at present the second most used platform, with 2.5 billion month-to-month energetic customers.

The potential for attain on YouTube is unmatched, with 89% of U.S. adults utilizing the platform. Such engagement metrics are onerous for entrepreneurs and types to disregard.

From longform video storytelling to the current introduction of YouTube Shorts, the platform’s TikTok rival, YouTube offers loads of alternatives for manufacturers to interact in visible storytelling and attain new audiences.

And in line with the corporate, it’s a really highly effective advertising device. YouTube viewers say they’re 2X extra probably to purchase one thing they noticed on YouTube, and 4X extra probably to make use of the platform to search out details about a model, product, or service versus different social networks.

Whether or not you’re into magnificence tutorials, gaming streams, schooling content material, or DIY hacks, YouTube has it all. And for manufacturers aiming to pivot into video-centric content material advertising, YouTube is the platform to prioritize.

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3. WhatsApp

• Launched: 2009.
• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 2 billion.
• Income: $500 million – $1 billion (2023) estimated
• Founders: Brian Acton, Jan Koum.

WhatsApp stays the preferred social messaging app, manner out in entrance of Fb Messenger.

At first look, manufacturers would possibly overlook WhatsApp’s potential, given its closed messaging nature. However contemplate that SMS has a mean of 98% open price in comparison with 20% for e mail.

It’s a captive viewers. And, in contrast to SMS, WhatsApp messages are free to ship.

For manufacturers that wish to enhance their customer support efforts or join immediately with clients to reply their questions, WhatsApp has a ton of potential. It provides a uniquely direct and efficient channel for interacting together with your viewers.

In case you can crack WhatsApp, you’ll have a direct advertising channel to your viewers.

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4. Instagram

• Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA.
• Launched: 2010.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 2 billion.
• Founders: Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger.
• Income: $50.6 billion (2023) estimated

Instagram is a social community the place product-based companies, influencers, and coaches can thrive.

Launched in 2010, Instagram rapidly turned the main image-based, visually-rich social platform. Since then, it has solely grown in reputation and attain, turning into a spot for customers to conduct and analysis each facet of their lives.

The platform has additionally launched new options that entrepreneurs can leverage to develop consciousness, together with ephemeral Tales, vertical-video Reels, and extra.

Since introducing shoppable posts in 2018, the potential ROI for product-based companies has been larger than ever.

Not solely can B2B companies join with a large viewers, they’ll seamlessly transition followers from product analysis to buy by linking product info and making gross sales – all inside the Instagram interface.

And in case your goal demographic is beneath 35, Instagram is a gold mine: over 68% of Instagram customers are beneath 35.

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5. TikTok

• Launched: 2016.
• Headquarters: Culver Metropolis, California.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 1.2 billion.
• Founders: ByteDance Ltd, Zhang Yiming, Toutiao.
• Income: $6.19 billion (2023) estimated

TikTok payments itself as “the main vacation spot for short-form cell video” with an organization mission to encourage creativity and convey pleasure. And evidently, it’s succeeding.

TikTok’s meteoric rise over the previous few years has been unprecedented. In 2017, after just one yr, the app turned the fastest-growing app worldwide.

Its deal with short-form movies pushed by audio and visible tendencies has taken the world by storm, with different platforms dashing to emulate it.

Regardless of makes an attempt to ban TikTok within the U.S. and being banned in India, as of 2021, the app had been downloaded greater than 3.5 billion occasions globally.

And whereas TikTok reaches customers of all demographics, in case your model desires to attach with Technology Z, it must be your first precedence.

Within the U.S., it’s notably common among the many 12 to 17 age bracket, who represent about 17.7% of the person base.

These customers are extremely engaged, too, with the typical person spending nearly 54 minutes on the app daily – the longest period of time of any app, forward of YouTube at 48.7 minutes.

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6. Snapchat

• Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA.
• Launched: 2011.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 750 million.
• Founders: Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, Daniel Smith, David Kravitz, Leo Noah Katz.
• Income: $4.6 billion (2022).

If a youthful viewers is your goal, Snapchat is perhaps a platform price contemplating. This social platform is a superb place for connecting with millennials and Gen Z users.

Almost half of all customers on Snapchat are 18 to 24-year-olds, showcasing its immense attraction to the youthful era.

The typical Snapchat person spends 19 minutes per day on the app – not sufficient time to rival that of TikTok and YouTube, however nonetheless a chance window for manufacturers to succeed in and join with them.

Snapchat has a uniquely natural really feel, with content material that gives an unfiltered glimpse into on a regular basis moments – so the platform is a haven for user-generated content material, behind-the-scenes movies, unique provides, and influencer takeovers.

The platform has all the time maintained its dedication to real-time, ephemeral content material, and it provides a way of privateness to customers that many different social platforms don’t. For that reason, it’s a worthwhile device for manufacturers that wish to authentically communicate to a youthful demographic who is perhaps much less within the broader approaches of different social networks.

And whereas it might not get as a lot consideration because the likes of Instagram and TikTok, Snapchat is quietly buzzing alongside. Since launching its premium subscription service Snapchat+, the model introduced it has generated 5 million paying subscribers who’re prepared to dish out cash for entry to unique options.

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7. Pinterest

• Launched: 2010.
• Headquarters: San Francisco, CA.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 465 million.
• Founders: Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp.
• Income: $2.8 billion (2022).

Like Instagram, Pinterest is a social media platform that’s centered on wealthy visuals. From scrumptious recipes to dwelling decor inspiration, marriage ceremony concepts, exercise strikes, and DIY-related content material, Pinterest is the place visible desires come to life.

In case your model has an curiosity in visible storytelling, Pinterest is the platform for you.

Notably, 60% of Pinterest customers are ladies. In case your viewers is predominantly ladies, that’s a compelling motive to speculate time in social media advertising on Pinterest.

That’s to not say that males aren’t on Pinterest – male Pinners are up 40% year-over-year (as are Gen Z Pinners!).

What’s extra, Pinterest has confirmed itself to be a robust advertising device. 85% of weekly Pinners have made a purchase order from a Pin, whereas 80% have found a brand new model or product on Pinterest.

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8. Reddit

• Launched: 2005.
• Headquarters: San Francisco, CA.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 430 million.
• Founders: Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, Aaron Swartz.
• Income: $670 million (2022).

Reddit heralds itself as “the entrance web page of the web,” and in line with Alexa rankings, Reddit is among the high 20 most-visited websites.

It has grow to be referred to as the dominant digital watercooler, and changed boards and chatrooms of yore to be the go-to place for connecting with likeminded communities and getting your questions answered.

Reddit has a novel mix of content material and group, with greater than 2.8 million communities, or subreddits, devoted to each subject conceivable. Whether or not you’re in tech, trend, gaming, or well being, there’s at the least one subreddit actively discussing your trade.

With so many niches, there’s a spot for each model and enterprise to interact their viewers – it’s a matter of discovering the niches the place your potential clients are energetic and diving in.

Nevertheless, be warned: Reddit thrives on authenticity and real interplay. Customers don’t sometimes reply properly to blatant self-promotion, and advertising gimmicks will probably be met with sharp skepticism.

Manufacturers ought to beware earlier than wandering into any subreddit and making an attempt to tout their merchandise to group members.

It’s essential to get the tone proper from the start, as commentators received’t hesitate to name out and critique what they understand as inauthentic.

Have interaction thoughtfully, contribute genuinely, and Reddit might be an unbelievable advertising device in your model.

 

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9. LinkedIn

• Headquarters: Sunnyvale, CA.
• Launched: 2003.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 310 million.
• Founders: Reid Hoffman, Konstantin Guericke, Allen Blue, Jean-Luc Vaillant, Eric Ly.
• Income: $15 billion+ (2023).

LinkedIn has been considerably of a darkish horse amongst social media platforms. Whereas many might not initially have anticipated a career-focused social platform to take off, it has grow to be one of many extra common and fascinating platforms, with an enormous and influential group of pros.

The platform boasts over 180 million customers holding senior roles, 63 million decision-makers, and 10 million C-level executives – making it a hotspot for these aiming to attach with people who’ve the facility to rent your organization, inventory your product, or associate together with your model.

And the platform isn’t only for networking – it’s an aspirational hub. Each week, 61 million individuals use LinkedIn to seek for job alternatives – so it’s a sensible place to market your model.

LinkedIn is a really centered social media platform. Due to that, it has limitless potential for connecting with an elite group of pros who could make a distinction for your enterprise.

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10. Threads

• Headquarters: Menlo Park, CA.
• Launched: 2023.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 120 million (2023).
• Founders: Mark Zuckerberg.
• Income: Unknown.

The newcomer to the block, Threads was created by the staff behind Instagram and launched in July 2023. The text-based app was designed as a competitor to X (previously Twitter).

It seems to be and capabilities fairly equally to X (previously Twitter), although Threads requires you to have an Instagram account in an effort to enroll.

Threads initially made a splash within the social media area by rapidly surpassing 150 million downloads and turning into probably the most profitable social media platform launch in historical past.

Since then, it has struggled to retain users – however there’s nonetheless loads of promise for the way forward for the platform.

So, who must be promoting on Threads? It’s nonetheless early days, so the reply isn’t completely clear but.

The excellent news is that Threads seems to be participating customers by leaning into its technique to create a positive community space, and veering away from the extremely politicized panorama that you just would possibly discover on X.

In case your model is searching for a substitute for X (previously Twitter) or is eager to strive your hand at a brand new platform, Threads is actually price testing.

Its integration with Instagram means that you’ve got the potential to construct a following fairly quickly you probably have a robust and engaged Instagram group.

 

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11. X/Twitter

• Headquarters: San Francisco, CA.
• Launched: 2006.
• Month-to-month Lively Customers: 56.1 million (2023).
• Founders: Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, Noah Glass.
• Income: $3 billion (2023) estimated

Since being bought by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in October 2022 for $44 billion, X (formerly Twitter) has been going through some main modifications and hurdles.

It has misplaced roughly 13% of its every day energetic customers – and the response to the platform’s rebrand from ‘Twitter’ to ‘X’ didn’t help things both.

With common customers and types each more and more turning away from the app, some are heralding its potential demise – whereas others say nothing a lot has modified.

Despite a transparent understanding of what the longer term holds for the platform, if your enterprise is said to leisure, sports activities, politics, tech, or advertising, there are nonetheless alternatives to drive nice engagement on this app – if you could find your viewers there.

On X, manufacturers have a chance to craft and hone their voice. There’s room to be intelligent and personable whereas nonetheless being informative and useful.

Bounce into threads, present worth, share your personal content material in addition to others, and be a part of the dialog. Simply make sure to monitor the app and your viewers to ensure your funding is paying off.

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Which Platform(s) Ought to You Use?

The ubiquity of social media is plain.

Out of your teenage neighbor who desires to go viral on TikTok to your 86-year-old grandmother who’s utilizing Fb to trace down long-lost mates, everyone has a use for social media.

But, in the case of enterprise, a one-size-fits-all strategy to social media received’t work.

So, when you had been hoping you’d attain the tip of this piece, and discover a easy, definitive reply on the right platform in your model, you’re out of luck.

Each social media combine will probably be distinctive.

Every platform provides distinct options and functionalities, some which align extra naturally with particular industries or advertising targets.

Whether or not you’re seeking to increase buyer engagement, enhance attain, or create unforgettable model experiences, all of it begins with getting clear in your objectives.

Begin by understanding your targets, determining the place your viewers is most energetic, after which tailoring your technique to resonate on these channels.

It’s all about making the appropriate selections and discovering genuine alignment in an effort to make use of this highly effective advertising alternative.

Up to date with knowledge from DataReportal’s Digital 2023 October Global Statshot Report.  

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Featured Picture: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal