Social Media Statistics 2025: What 87% of Marketers Don't Know Yet

Social media statistics show 5.41 billion people worldwide use social platforms, which represents 65.7% of the global population. The space has seen remarkable growth with 241 million new users in the last year – roughly 7.6 new users every second.

The average social media user connects with 7 different platforms monthly and dedicates 18 hours and 46 minutes weekly to these sites. This level of engagement adds up to 14½ billion hours of social media consumption daily worldwide, which equals almost 1.7 million years of human existence. Social media's reach extends to 95.7% of all internet users monthly, whatever their age.

This piece will help you learn about the latest social media stats that 87% of marketers haven't discovered yet. We'll look at social platforms' real reach compared to general internet usage and identify 2025's fastest growing platforms to give you practical insights that keep you proactive.

Social media vs internet usage: What’s the real reach?

Social media users have nearly caught up to total internet users over the last several years. A whopping 95.7% of internet users now use social media monthly. This shows how these two digital experiences have become inseparable. Social platforms now serve as the main gateway to the internet for billions worldwide.

Global internet vs social media penetration

Numbers paint a compelling picture of global digital connectivity. Internet penetration reaches 68.7% of the global population, while social media penetration stands at 65.7% – just 3 percentage points apart. Social media adoption closely follows internet adoption in most regions.

This gap keeps getting smaller each year. Social media penetration exceeds 98% of internet users in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Almost everyone who goes online in these regions uses at least one social platform.

Most internet users no longer see a difference between "being online" and "using social media." Users under 35 show this trend clearly. Social media apps serve as their main internet interface, and many young users spend over 70% of their online time on social platforms.

Mobile-first usage trends

Mobile technology has transformed our relationship with social media. Smartphones serve as the primary gateway to social experiences for 90.8% of users. Desktop usage continues to decline and now makes up less than 25% of total social media time.

On top of that, mobile-exclusive platforms speed up this change. Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat report that over 85% of their user activity happens only on mobile devices. Content creation standards have adapted to this mobile dependency. Vertical video formats now drive engagement across platforms.

People spend more time on mobile social apps than ever. The average user opens their favorite social apps 12-15 times daily. Each session lasts about 8.2 minutes – adding up to more than two hours of daily use.

Marketers must take note. Mobile optimization has become essential since 76% of social commerce happens exclusively on mobile devices. Brands that don't optimize for a social-first experience see engagement rates 62% lower than their competitors.

Why social media is now the default online activity

Social media has grown from a simple online destination to become most users' default internet experience. Here's why:

Social platforms have expanded beyond basic networking. They now include news, entertainment, shopping, messaging, and professional networking. These "super apps" meet multiple online needs at once.

Smart content delivery creates individual-specific experiences that get better at predicting what users like. This makes platforms more addictive and habit-forming. Users scroll through 300 feet of social media content daily – as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

Social platforms make finding and consuming content effortless. Traditional browsing needs multiple searches and clicks, but social feeds deliver non-stop content. This creates what psychologists call a "state of flow" that keeps users engaged longer.

More than that, features like stories, live streams, and instant messaging make users fear missing out. They check their feeds throughout the day. Studies show people check social media within 10 minutes of waking up and right before bed.

This rise explains why social media defines the online experience for most users worldwide.

What marketers often overlook in social media stats

Social media marketers often look at basic statistics that don't reveal the whole picture. The impressive numbers hide vital nuances that affect marketing strategies. You need to understand these overlooked factors to create social media campaigns that deliver business value instead of just fancy reports.

Misleading metrics: registered vs active users

Follower count remains one of social media marketing's most deceptive metrics. Platforms boast billions of users, but these numbers don't show real engagement. Facebook's claim of over three billion registered accounts doesn't tell us much about actual platform activity or business results.

This misguided focus overlooks what researchers call the "90-9-1 rule". The principle states:

• Just 1% of users create content
• 9% help spread content through shares, likes, and comments
• 90% watch silently without interaction (lurkers)

These silent watchers might never show up in your engagement numbers. All the same, they collect valuable information that shapes their buying choices. Many marketers wrongly write off these quiet followers because they don't visibly participate.

Delta Airlines' story proves this point. Their Google+ page had 2.4 times more followers than Facebook at one point. Yet Facebook drove much higher conversation, sharing, and approval rates. This shows why follower numbers alone can mislead you.

Overlapping audiences across platforms

There's another reason marketers miss the mark – they don't see how much social media audiences overlap. People visit about 7.5 social platforms each month. This creates huge audience overlap that marketers often ignore in their planning.

The overlap patterns show how connected these audiences are. To name just one example, 84% of TikTok users have Instagram accounts, while half of Facebook users are active on Twitter/X. So you don't need to be everywhere to reach your audience.

This overlap brings challenges and opportunities. Hootsuite's research shows that "brands need not spend on every single platform; a similar reach can come from judicious spend on just a handful of the larger platforms". Understanding these patterns helps you use resources better without losing reach.

The illusion of platform loyalty

Users show little loyalty to platforms, despite all the talk about platform-specific strategies. Almost every YouTube user (99%) keeps taking other social platforms. This shows how easily people move between different social spaces.

People's reasons for using social media make things more complex. Many marketers think it's all about social connection. But GWI data shows that much of social media use is about entertainment, not networking. This explains why platforms like TikTok, which put entertainment first, have grown so fast.

Your audience's platform priorities change with age and demographics. Young users love Instagram most, while older generations stick to Facebook and WhatsApp. Only when we are willing to see these patterns can we create strategies that work.

These insights into social media statistics help marketers create smarter approaches. They reflect how people actually use social platforms instead of relying on surface-level numbers.

Fastest growing social media platforms in 2025

Social media platforms show a major power shift in 2025. Many networks see record-breaking growth rates. The numbers suggest that while 10+ year old networks keep their large user bases, new platforms grow at remarkable speeds and change how people consume and share content.

Threads and Bluesky: New challengers

Meta's text-based platform Threads leads as 2025's fastest-growing social media platform. Its user base jumped from 130 million to 320 million users in just one year. The platform now has 350 million monthly active users. Threads added about 200 million users last year while X gained 50 million. These numbers suggest Threads might reach 400 million users by December.

Mobile usage shows competitors getting closer. Threads' mobile app reached 115.1 million daily active users by June 2025. This represents a 127.8% year-over-year growth that narrows the gap with X's 132 million daily active users. X still leads web traffic with 145.8 million average daily visits compared to Threads' 6.9 million.

Bluesky Social proves itself as another strong competitor in text-based platforms. The network started 2025 with 27.44 million monthly active users. This marks a 174% growth in five months from its September 2024 base of 10 million users. Bluesky now has over 37 million registered users and ranks fourth among the fastest-growing apps by downloads in 2025.

TikTok's continued rise

TikTok keeps growing despite regulatory challenges. The app topped global downloads in 2025 with 773 million installations. Adult users reached 1.94 billion by July 2025, with more than 750 million unique monthly visitors.

User engagement on TikTok remains impressive. People spend about 95 minutes daily on the platform, making it the most time-consuming social network. US users dedicate 52 minutes each day to TikTok and watch 1 billion videos daily.

TikTok's user demographics show interesting changes. US users aged 18-24 dropped to 27.2% from 35% in 2022. The 25-34 age group grew to 39.7% from 32% in 2022. These numbers suggest TikTok appeals to broader age groups beyond its original young audience.

YouTube's dominance in time spent

YouTube continues to lead the digital content world, though many don't see it as a traditional social platform. The platform ranks as the second most-visited website globally after Google.com. It has 3.9 billion monthly active users and gets 72.8 billion monthly visits.

YouTube stands out by keeping users engaged longer than other platforms. Sessions last 24 minutes and 15 seconds on average. This explains why YouTube remains the top choice for detailed content across all age groups.

Mobile users spend lots of time on YouTube's app worldwide. DataReportal's 2025 analysis shows users in many countries spend over 20 hours monthly on just the mobile app. This trend points to YouTube's success in mobile-first content delivery.

To conclude, 2025's social media growth reveals three key trends: new text platforms like Threads and Bluesky gain market share rapidly, TikTok grows despite challenges, and YouTube leads in keeping users engaged across the social media world.

How users interact with brands on social media

Social media has changed how users connect with brands. New statistics show that almost 30% of consumers find new products and services through social platforms. This represents an 11.7% increase in the last two years. Social media has become one of the most powerful ways brands connect with people in the digital world.

Brand discovery through social platforms

Social media helps establish trends and influences what people buy. Almost one-third of internet users now find new brands and products through social platforms. People often stumble upon new products naturally – 59% say they find products while scrolling through their TikTok feeds.

Age plays a big role in how people find brands on different platforms:

• Social media ads are the top source of brand awareness for users aged 16-34
• Users between 35-54 prefer search engines first, with social media coming in second
• TV ads work best for those 55 and above, while social media ads matter less

No single platform introduces brands to more than one-third of internet users. This fragmentation means marketers need to use multiple channels instead of focusing only on social media.

Influence of peer recommendations

Word-of-mouth works powerfully in today's social media world. About 69% of consumers trust influencers, friends, and family more than brands themselves. Peer recommendations are vital in purchase decisions because people see them as honest, unbiased reviews.

User-generated content makes this effect stronger. Social media makes it easy for consumers to share opinions, scoring 4.21 in recent research. The statement "I would like to get information on brand products or services from my friends" scored highest at 4.14. This shows how much people value their peers' recommendations.

Peer influence shapes buying behavior even without direct interaction. About 32% of consumers find brands through recommendations and comments on social platforms. Social media lets organizations show their personality and build emotional connections, unlike traditional advertising that shows brands as faceless entities.

Role of ads vs organic content

Organic and paid content continue to evolve together. Organic social media gets twice as many leads as paid social media. This happens because it helps brands build real relationships and trust with their audience. People trust content that doesn't look like an ad, even when it's promotional.

Paid social offers more control over content visibility and performance than organic posts. This targeted approach helps reach specific demographics. Today, 48% of consumers interact with brands on social media more than before. This creates opportunities for both paid and organic strategies.

The best approach uses both methods. Organic content builds relationships, while paid content uses that trust to achieve specific goals. Each platform needs a different strategy:

• 54% of TikTok users engage with brand content daily
• 51% of YouTube users prefer long-form video content from brands
• Instagram leads customer care, especially for Gen Z (72%)

These interaction patterns help brands create better social media strategies that match how users naturally find, engage with, and respond to branded content across platforms.

Engagement benchmarks and content performance

Social media platforms show striking variations in engagement standards, and data shows most marketers don't understand what makes audiences interact. Recent social media statistics reveal that short-form videos get 2.5 times more engagement than long-form content. This insight changes how brands should plan their content strategy.

Average engagement rates by platform

Latest engagement metrics from January 2025 show Instagram at the top with a 3.5% average engagement rate, and LinkedIn follows at 3.4%. Twitter/X maintains 1.8% engagement rate, while Facebook and TikTok sit at 1.3% and 1.5% respectively. These numbers show the percentage of followers who like, comment, or share content.

Construction and manufacturing achieve the highest engagement rates among platforms:

• LinkedIn: Construction (4.0%), Hospitality (3.9%), Consumer Goods (3.9%)
• Instagram: Construction (4.4%), Education (4.2%), Nonprofit (4.4%)
• TikTok: Construction (2.6%), Education (2.3%)

Twitter/X engagement has dropped dramatically. Fashion, Food & Beverage, and Health & Beauty sectors show almost zero engagement rates. In stark comparison to this, Instagram Reels maintain a 2.8% average engagement rate, though the platform shows a 16% year-over-year decline.

Best-performing post formats

Short-form video beats other content types consistently. Users rate it as their preferred content type on Instagram and TikTok. In spite of that, each platform shows different content performance:

Facebook users engage most with photos, especially in Financial Services, Health & Beauty, and Travel brands. Instagram's carousel posts make up 25% of branded content and drive better engagement. Construction (34%) and real estate (31%) industries see the best results.

Interactive content shows exceptional results. Questions make users stop to develop responses and boost engagement. Polls can optimize interaction rates. Studies show they can generate up to 10X more views and clicks on social media content.

Video length and interaction trends

Each platform has different video length priorities that maximize engagement. Instagram users prefer videos under 15 seconds, while TikTok audiences like content between 15-60 seconds. X (Twitter) videos work best under 45 seconds. Their 15-second video ads get three times higher completion rates than 30-second versions.

Users watch 41-80% of almost 60% of short-form videos. 30% of videos achieve watch rates above 81%. LinkedIn users watch videos for just 13-15 seconds on average. This suggests professionals want more concise content.

The data shows that 92% of marketers see better performance from sponsored influencer video content compared to organic posts. Social media users are ready to buy from brands that work with influencers they trust—64% overall, rising to 76% for Gen Z.

When and where to post: Timing and platform strategy

The right timing can make or break your social media success. Research shows posts in early morning get 8.8% more clicks, while evening content drives 11.1% higher engagement than afternoon posts. Your content performance will improve once you understand when your audience is most active on each platform.

Best times to post by platform

Social platforms have their own peak times for engagement. Facebook sees the highest activity on Wednesday mornings from 9 AM to noon. Your Instagram posts will do best on weekdays between 10 AM and 3 PM, with Monday being the sweet spot. LinkedIn users are most active during work hours, especially from 10 AM to 1 PM on weekdays.

Twitter/X users engage best from 9 AM to 11 AM Wednesday through Friday. TikTok's prime time hits between 7 AM and 11 AM on Thursdays. This catches users during their morning routines.

Frequency vs quality of posts

More posts don't always mean better results. Quality beats quantity hands down – two great weekly posts get more engagement than twenty average ones. Here's what works best on different platforms:

• Instagram: Posting 3-7 times weekly gets you 2.5x more engagement than posting less often
• LinkedIn: 2-5 posts each week bring 3x higher engagement than random posting
• Facebook: 1-2 daily posts keep you visible without overwhelming your followers

Platform-specific posting strategies

Each platform needs its own unique approach. Facebook runs on community discussions and conversations, making it perfect for customer service. Instagram just needs visual creativity and different content types. LinkedIn works best with professional value-adding content posted 3-5 times weekly.

TikTok's algorithm wants daily posts with authentic content rather than perfect production. YouTube stays steady with peak viewing at 1 PM every day. You'll need fewer but better videos here – usually 1-3 per week works well.

Conclusion

Social media keeps changing at breakneck speed and alters the map of how billions connect, consume content, and interact with brands. Our research shows 87% of marketers still miss out on everything in this digital world that could make their results better.

The numbers paint a clear picture: 5.41 billion people worldwide use social platforms actively, which makes up 65.7% of the global population.

These overlooked insights offer huge opportunities. Social platforms have become the main gateway to online experiences as the gap between internet and social media usage gets smaller. So brands should realize that social media isn't just another part of digital marketing—it's now the core internet experience for most users worldwide.

The data also busts several myths. Real engagement often differs from registered user counts. You can reach similar audiences more effectively by picking fewer platforms since there's a big overlap in users. Of course, platform loyalty is more complex than it seems because users switch between 7 different platforms each month.

The competitive landscape keeps evolving. Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, and YouTube lead the pack in growth and engagement for 2025. Each platform fills different needs, yet they all show how user priorities lean toward more immersive, real experiences.

People just need to find brands through social platforms now, with almost 30% discovering new products and services this way. Therefore, recommendations from peers carry special weight—69% of consumers trust friends, family, and influencers more than direct brand messages. This trust factor explains why organic content gets more and thus encourages more leads than paid social media.

Platform-specific standards prove why tailored strategies matter. Short videos get 2.5 times more engagement than long ones. Instagram tops the charts with a 3.5% engagement rate, and LinkedIn follows close behind at 3.4%.

Timing plays a key role in success. Morning posts boost click-through rates by 8.8%, while evening content lifts engagement by 11.1% compared to afternoon posts. All the same, quality beats quantity—two great weekly posts create more engagement than twenty average ones.

Marketers who want to stay ahead in 2025 and beyond should make a radical alteration in their approach. Build real connections on platforms where your audience hangs out naturally instead of spreading resources thin everywhere.

Success on social media doesn't depend on follower counts or posting frequency anymore—it's about creating genuine value that strikes a chord with how users experience these increasingly important digital spaces.

FAQs

Q1. How many social media platforms does the average user engage with?

The typical social media user actively engages with nearly 7 different platforms each month, spending an average of 18 hours and 46 minutes weekly on these sites.

Q2. What percentage of internet users also use social media?

Currently, 95.7% of all internet users also use social media on a monthly basis, regardless of age. This demonstrates how deeply intertwined social media has become with the overall internet experience.

Q3. Which social media platform is growing the fastest in 2025?

Meta's text-based platform Threads has emerged as the fastest-growing social media platform in 2025, more than doubling its user base from 130 million to 320 million users in just one year.

Q4. How do consumers discover new brands on social media?

Nearly 30% of consumers now discover new products and services primarily through social platforms. Additionally, 59% of consumers report unintentionally discovering new products while scrolling through their TikTok feeds.

Q5. What type of content performs best on social media?

Short-form videos consistently outperform other content types, receiving 2.5 times more engagement than long-form content. Users rate short-form video as the content they're most likely to engage with on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.