Social media comprises all the platforms and apps that allow people, content creators, and businesses to communicate with one another, create online communities, exchange or share ideas.
In today’s digital landscape, social media has revolutionized how people interact, share ideas and consume information.
Social media has become a vital tool for businesses seeking to establish their brand, engage with customers and drive business growth. The major social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, Twitter now (X), LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat. These article delves into the key platforms businesses can leverage to grow their operations.
Social Media Usage Statistics
- In 2025, an estimated 5.42 billion people will use social media worldwide.
- The average person uses 6.83 different social networks monthly.
- Forty-eight (48%) of consumers interact with brands more often on social media.
- Ninety percent (90%) of consumers rely on social media for trends and cultural moments.
Facebook Statistics
- Facebook has 3.065 billion monthly active users with 90% percent of consumers maintaining a profile.
- Facebook’s biggest user group is males aged 25–34, accounting for 18.4% of its global audience, with males aged 18–24 ranking second (13.5%). Female audiences aged 25–34 are the third largest demographic using Facebook.
- Facebook is the most-used platform by marketers worldwide (86%). Instagram sits in second place (79%).
- By age and gender of its users according to Statista, Facebook is the top platform for direct purchases with 39% of consumers turning to it when they are ready to buy. TikTok (36%) and Instagram (29%) follow closely behind.
- The platform’s aging demographic means marketers targeting decision-makers and high-income consumers should take full advantage. A mix of paid advertising, groups and community-driven content is the best way to stay relevant on Facebook.
Instagram Statistics
- Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users with about 82% of social users having a profile.
- Globally, Instagram users mostly identify as male.
- Instagram offers a total potential advert reach of 1.74 billion users.
- Sixty-nine (69%) percent of social users say they see the most engaging brand content on Instagram, and 44% wish brands used Instagram more often..
- Instagram is the top channel for product discovery, with 61% using it to find their next purchase.
- Seventy-two (72%) percent of Gen Z users prefer Instagram for customer care to any other channel.
- Instagram’s engagement rate dropped by 28% YoY to 0.50% (from 0.70%), which is still more than three times higher than Facebook (0.15%).
- Brands on Instagram should focus more on ecommerce features, quick-response messaging and interactive formats.
Tiktok Statistics
Beyond watching entertaining videos, TikTok users are actively searching for, shopping and interacting with brands more than ever.
- As of January 2025, TikTok receives around 2.65 billion monthly visits.
- TikTok offers a potential advertising reach of 1.59 billion users.
- Around 56% of social users have a TikTok profile, rising to 82% for Gen Z. It is the top platform for product discovery among Gen Z.
- Over half (54%) of TikTok users engage with brand content daily on the platform.
- As of February 2025, TikTok’s global user base tilts to male, with 55.7% of users identifying as men. Within the same period, 35.3% of TikTok users are 25-34 years old, the largest age group on the platform, followed by users aged 18-24 years old (30.7%).
X (Twitter) Statistics
X, previously known as Twitter, remains a go-to platform for real-time discussions, news, memes and customer service.
- X has about 611 million monthly active users in total worldwide.
- Half of all social users have a profile on X.
- In 2024, X recorded around 364 billion total user active seconds and 8.3 billion video views on a daily basis.
- The brands that thrive here are actively engaging in trending topics, responding quickly and maintaining a strong brand voice.
YouTube Statistics
YouTube is still the top platform for video content, outpacing competitors in watch time and engagement.
- As of April 2024, YouTube has nearly 2.5 billion users worldwide.
- Around 78% of all social users own a YouTube account.
- As of February 2025, YouTube’s biggest gender segments are males aged between 25-34 (12%), and males aged between 35-44 (10.1%). Audiences who identify as female in the same age groups are around 9.7% and 8.4%, respectfully.
- More people spend time on YouTube than on any other social platform. In fact, users spend almost twice as much time on YouTube than on its next nearest rival, TikTok.
- About 70.29% of all visits to YouTube come from a mobile device.
- Over half of YouTube users prefer long-form brand videos, while 31-60 second videos are their second choice.
- While short-form videos are growing, long-form content still holds strong on YouTube, showing that users want both quick entertainment and in-depth insights. To maximize audience retention and discoverability, use both formats as part of your YouTube marketing strategy.
Social Media Video Statistics
- Video remains a consistently popular content type. It is versatile, engaging and offers excellent return on investment (ROI) to marketers worldwide.
- Over 80% of consumers wanted brands to focus on short-form video (less than 30 secs) in 2024.
- Around 78% of people prefer to learn about a new product or service via short video content.
- The global digital video advertising market is expected to grow from $104.65 billion in 2024 to $140.18 billion in 2025.
- Around 93% of marketers plan to spend the same or more on video marketing in 2025.
- Marketers report that video has helped them improve user understanding of products or services (99%), increase brand awareness (96%), generate leads (88%) and boost website traffic (82%).
Influencer Marketing Statistics
The crux of the matter is that working with influencers is one of the top-notch marketing strategies being used today. As a result, consumers are making purchase decisions based on influencer content.
- The total influencer marketing market size is expected to grow to $32.55 billion in 2025, up from $24 billion in 2024.
- Instagram is the most preferred influencer-marketing channel, with 57.1% of marketers using it to collaborate with creators. TikTok (51.6%) follows closely behind.
- Nearly half of all consumers (49%) make purchases at least once a month because of influencer content.
- About 66.4% of marketers found that using AI improved the performance of their influencer marketing campaigns.
- Around 93% of influencers say the quality of a brand’s existing social content affects their decision to collaborate.
Consumer Behaviour Statistics
- Facebook (40%) and YouTube (32%) are the top social media platforms consumers use for reading reviews.
- Nearly 56% of online adults make online purchases on a weekly basis.
- Roughly 81% of consumers say social media compels them to make spontaneous purchases multiple times per year or more, with 28% making impulse purchases once a month.
- Around 73% of social users agree if a brand does not respond on social, they will buy from a competitor.
- Nearly three-quarters of consumers expect a response within 24 hours or sooner.
Key strategies for social media growth
- Establish a Strong Online Presence.
- Know Your Customers & Market: Identify your target audience and focus your time and resources on the most effective social media channels that will drive the highest return on investment (ROI).
- Set Clear Goals: Define measurable objectives for social media marketing efforts.
- Engage with Social Media Influencers to promote your brand or products.
- Build Brand Recognition with engaging content and utilize influencer marketing.
- Content is King: Develop high-quality content that entertains, informs and provides solutions. Optimize your content strategy with a balanced mix of videos or infographics to keep engagement high.
- Optimise for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with keywords and hashtags.
- Drive Traffic and Leads through strong calls-to-action and discounts to generate sales.
- Gain Customer Trust: Trust plays a huge role in buying decisions. People want social proof, fast customer service and transparent communication. Engage with customers, respond to comments, and show that you care to earn loyalty.
Conclusion
Social media advertising is indeed essential for visibility. To maximize return on investment (ROI), businesses must develop capabilities in posting (creating and sharing valuable), interaction (engaging with customers), and monitoring. They should prioritize influencers who align with their values and have strong audience connections. It is worth re-emphasizing that understanding platform-specific demographics and usage patterns is vital for tailoring social media marketing strategies to drive brand awareness, engagement and sales.
References:
https://buffer.com/social-media-terms/social-media
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics
BERNARD BEMPONG
Bernard is a Chartered Accountant with over 14 years of professional and industry experience in Financial Services Sector and Management Consultancy. He is the Managing Partner of J.S Morlu (Ghana) an international consulting firm providing Accounting, Tax, Auditing, IT Solutions and Business Advisory Services to both private businesses and government.
Our Office is located at Lagos Avenue, East Legon, Accra.
Contact: +233 302 528 977
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