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by James Everett Youngblood
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Wondering which social media sites your business, brand, or blog should be on in 2024? You’ve come to the right place.
Social media platforms are always jockeying for dominance, so it can be surprisingly difficult to find articles with the most up-to-date information on Google.
The good news is I’ve done the legwork for you.
As a writer and editor, I’ve used many of these platforms to promote my writing, find clients and connect with people in my industry.
Below, you’ll find the freshest data from sites like Statista to help you get the lowdown on the top social media sites around the world.
We’ll look at standout features for each social networking platform, go over who should (and should not) use them, and provide insights that’ll help you determine which ones are best for your business, brand, or blog.
Let’s dig in.
Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world.
But just because almost 90% of its daily active social media users live outside North America doesn’t mean this social platform isn’t popular in the U.S.
Seven in ten U.S. adults use Facebook, and more than half of Americans check multiple times daily, sharing posts composed of text, photos, videos, and GIFs that other Facebook users comment on, share, and react to.
Just about every audience is on Facebook, and it is the most popular social media network for seniors — a rapidly growing demographic on the site.
Although Facebook dominates social media usage, if you’re in an industry that elicits unhappy or angry feelings, then your message may not be well received on Facebook.
Facebook advertising’s massive reach and powerful social media marketing capabilities make it a no-brainer for most businesses (just make sure you set up a business page, if you haven’t already).
And if you’re a content creator (whether it’s a blog post, infographic, or an article for a client), Facebook is one of the best social media platforms to share content.
When it comes to social networking sites, YouTube dominates video content sharing.
This massive video-sharing platform lets users post, comment on, and upvote or downvote music videos, TV shows, vlogs, educational content, live streams, movie trailers, and more.
YouTube users can also subscribe to other users’ social media channels and add videos to playlists.
This popular social media platform functions as a massive search engine (2nd only to Google), making SEO an important consideration for content creators.
Tons of businesses have leveraged this top social media site to reach potential customers successfully. Here are 50 content ideas to get any business started.
An astounding 500+ hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. If you’re not committed to producing high-quality social media content, you won’t gain traction.
Chances are your audience is regularly tuning in to this massively popular social networking website to be entertained, educated, and informed. Will they find you there?
In a crowded messaging app market (QQ, Telegram, Snapchat, etc.) WhatsApp stands as the most popular, with more monthly active social media users than Facebook Messenger (both are owned by Facebook).
Users can send text and voice messages or make voice and video calls for free with this mobile social media app. However, unlike the app Viber, users cannot call non-app users’ numbers.
WhatsApp Business is a standalone app available on desktop, and many business owners use it as a handy customer service solution.
Businesses that want to offer quickly accessible customer service, including local businesses offering delivery.
If your customers aren’t likely to use the app, then it won’t work because both parties must have it to connect.
It’s easy to see why WhatsApp has become such a popular social networking app with small businesses. Check out this HubSpot article for WhatsApp marketing ideas.
Messenger, originally Facebook Chat, is a standalone messaging app and platform.
No Facebook account is necessary to use this social networking site to communicate via text messages, voice, or video chat.
More than an instant messaging app, users can also share photos, videos, stickers, and other file formats.
Messenger was recently redesigned to be lightweight and fast — deprioritizing a number of features, including chatbots that had become integral to many businesses’ customer communication strategy.
Businesses whose customers are already on Facebook (and probably on Messenger), that want to offer their customers an easy and convenient way to reach them.
Those not able or willing to respond to customer inquiries within Messenger’s allotted 24-hour window (prevents spamming), may want to consider another solution.
For a time, chatbots were a big social media strategy on Messenger. Those days are over, with a shift toward user satisfaction. Respect your customers’ inbox.
WeChat (Weixin) is one of the most popular social media sites to come out of China.
Owned by Tencent, the parent company of QQ and QZone, this app does a little bit of everything.
It’s a messaging, social media, and mobile payment app rolled into one, and users also play games, shop, and access government services through the social media platform.
Like other social media apps, users can also share photos, make video calls, and text.
Advertisers on WeChat benefit from Facebook-esque customer data collection.
If your audience is in or from China — including tourists, students, and expats — then this all-in-one social media service is worth a look.
Foreign businesses must go through a 3rd party agency to advertise on WeChat, which is a lot of hassle unless you’re serious about reaching Chinese audiences.
WeChat is a huge platform with tons of organic and paid marketing options for brands and businesses.
Instagram is a video and photo-sharing social platform where users upload photos and short videos, often adding filters and other effects before sharing them with family and friends.
It’s owned by Facebook, which provides robust marketing data for reaching your audience.
Well-suited to influencer marketing, it’s the perfect place to show off products and tell visually centered stories about your business. Whether that’s e-commerce or personal training, you’ll find that Instagram users are ready to buy.
A variety of brands thrive on Instagram, especially those in travel, beauty, and fashion — the largest demographic is under 35, urban females with above-average income.
If you’re not prepared to consistently post unique, high-quality images and videos, then you won’t capture much attention. (Thankfully, there are several great Instagram scheduling tools available to make consistent posting much easier.)
Instagram is growing every day. With increasingly sophisticated and powerful tools for social media marketers, it’s a great social site for growing your business.
TikTok is a massively popular social network coming out of China that bills itself as the “leading destination for short-form mobile video.”
TikTok users create various types of short (up to 60 seconds) looping videos to share, including comedy, talent, lip-synching, dancing, stunts, and more.
Like other social networking sites, its algorithm will learn what you like and show you similar content over time.
If your audience is young adults, and you can demonstrate a creative or visually appealing side to your brand, then TikTok is a must-have for your digital marketing playbook.
If your audience is older professionals, or if you’re a B2B company, then this probably isn’t the right place for you.
Also, the United States potentially banning TikTok due to data concerns has been a popular topic since 2020, so if privacy is a chief concern of yours, keep this in mind.
TikTok is a fun space to show your brand’s human side. If your audience is on this platform, it’s a great place to cultivate brand awareness.
QQ is another Chinese instant messaging platform.
Users can participate in group chats and send texts and audio messages — comparable to Facebook Messenger.
Although it’s primarily a desktop app, a lightweight and less functional mobile app is available.
The platform is especially popular with Gen Z, and you’ll need a social media account to use QQ’s blogging sub-platform QZone.
If your audience is not in China, or they’re older and have a higher income, then you’re better off with WeChat.
If you’re doing business in China, then look into QQ further to see if it’s a good fit for your brand. Here is a more in-depth article on the platform.
Sina Weibo, simply called Weibo in China, is a microblogging social network.
Similar to Twitter, you can find journalists, celebrities, and other public figures on this social networking website.
In addition to publishing text-based updates (up to 2,000 characters), users can share music, videos, and images. They can also comment, follow, private message, search, and use @Usernames to tag others.
And, like Instagram, users can post images (9 max per post) and create Stories.
If your brand can benefit from showing up in the larger social conversation of Chinese web users, then this could be a good fit.
Foreign companies pay up to $2,000 USD registering for an official account. Probably not worth it if you’re not sure if Weibo is for you.
Weibo offers a number of ways to reach your audience, whether that’s through advertising, content marketing, or via influencers.
With QZone, a bonded service to QQ, users share photos, watch videos, listen to music, keep diaries, play online games, shop, date, and blog.
Think of it as a mix of a social networking site and blogging platform. It’s similar to Facebook, and users can like, share, and comment on posts.
They can also customize their profile backgrounds with accessories (mostly paid) and a song that plays in the background (like Myspace).
QZone’s user base leans heavily toward youth living in the smaller, less sophisticated cities and towns of China. Brands with mass-market appeal do well with this audience.
If you’re going after university students or working professionals, then consider WeChat or Sina Weibo.
If your audience is Chinese citizens, either in China or living and traveling abroad, this could be a great place to run a marketing campaign.
The “front page of the internet,” Reddit is a forum where users can participate in thousands of communities called “subreddits,” covering any topic imaginable.
Content is user-generated and includes written posts, discussions, photos, videos, and links to articles.
Users often pose questions to the community (similar to Quora), or just browse for random stories like you would see on StumbleUpon back in the day.
If you want to gain insights into an audience’s thought process and communication style, then follow any subreddits they hang out in.
“Redditors” are typically savvy internet users that bristle at overt marketing attempts and shut down anyone not observing group norms (“Reddiquette”). Ease in and add value, or just be a fly on the wall and gain intel.
Reddit is an awesome resource for learning about topics and people. To learn more about marketing on Reddit, check out this article.
Kuaishou, called Kwai outside of China, is a short-video sharing and live-streaming app.
Users share clips of stunts and pranks and live streams of video gameplay.
Kuaishou’s algorithm is designed for inclusivity, ensuring more visibility for a wider range of user-generated content.
This has opened the way for people from China’s rural regions to share their lifeways while generating extra income, which they do by promoting their businesses or linking out to eCommerce platforms.
E-commerce businesses (conversions are higher on this platform) selling to the Gen Z demographic in China’s smaller cities and rural regions.
If your Chinese-speaking audience is more mature and sophisticated, you may have better luck with WeChat.
Kuaishou’s algorithm is designed to be more equitable in providing exposure. That could be an opportunity to “break in” and be seen.
Snapchat is “a camera and messaging app that connects people with their friends,” specializing in ephemeral content — media that is only accessible for a short time (kind of like Tumblr’s ephemeral chat rooms).
A Snapchat user can share image and video messages called “snaps,” which can be modified with stickers, text, filters, and other effects.
There are also private and public stories that show the last 24 hours of a user’s content.
If your audience is Millennials or Gen Z, and your brand aligns with the fun, laid-back vibe of this platform, then go for it.
Brands targeting older audiences won’t have as much success here.
Snapchat users are always looking for interesting content. This is a great opportunity to tap into your creative side and engage younger audiences.
People visit Pinterest for inspiration and to find and share new ideas.
This “productivity tool for planning your dreams” has virtual boards that users (called Pinners) fill with image-based “pins,” bookmarking them for future viewing.
Pins typically link to an external website and can be repinned from one user’s board to another.
Pinners view pins from all the other users and topics they’re following on their home feed.
If your audience is made up of women, and especially Millennial moms, then Pinterest could be perfect for you.
Content must be visually amazing on this platform. If you’re not willing or able to invest in great images, then you’ll be wasting your time.
Pinterest users have proven to be ready to buy. The great thing is that Pinterest gives social media marketers plenty of tools to channel that buying intent.
X/Twitter is a microblogging platform where users primarily share short posts called tweets (280 characters maximum) with their followers.
X/Twitter users can then like, comment on, or retweet these posts to their followers. It’s like having a massive conversation with people all over the world.
Twitter is full of businesses and brands communicating with their audiences, and “40% of Twitter users reported purchasing something after seeing it on Twitter.”
Probably anyone, but B2B companies targeting millennial males, living in urban areas, with above-average income do well.
Twitter is a politically charged space. Be mindful about stepping into social and political conversations, because the wrong tweet can bring quick consequences for brands and businesses.
Twitter is a great place to have a conversation with your audience. So show up, each day, and be ready to have a conversation with your people.
Hopefully this post has given you the big picture of the social media landscape.
The good news? You don’t need 15 social media accounts to get in front of your audience.
In fact, that would be terrible social media marketing.
You’re better off focusing on one or two social media channels where your target audience is most engaged.
Each of the social networks we covered has its pros and cons. Pick one or two that you think could be a good fit for your brand, download their app from the Apple or Android store, and follow our links to learn more.
Now is a great time to start showing up in front of your audience. Study them, engage, add value, and before you know it they’ll become loyal fans and customers.
Content Marketing,
This post was originally published on October 8th, 2020. It has been updated for clarity and comprehensiveness.
James Everett Youngblood
James Everett Youngblood is a writer, former editor at Smart Blogger and active social media user. He spent 40+ hours scouring the internet for the most accurate statistics to include in this post.