12 Must-Know Social Media Statistics Observed Worldwide in 2021

Social media has completely altered the way society lives, from how we obtain news to connecting with loved ones. Social media has taken over the world, and it is here to stay… making its various platforms the most crucial marketing aspect in the digital industry.

Since 2004, social media has grown exponentially, and it’s yet to achieve peak popularity. Social media gives users a unique channel for communicating beyond geographical and social borders and provides many options for sharing user-generated materials such as photographs and videos.

However, is social media a worthwhile investment to establishing businesses in 2021? Should you make social media marketing a priority in your marketing plan beyond 2021? Let’s unpack these questions according to the twelve most critical social media statistics that professional digital marketers observed throughout the world in 2021.

How Many People Use Social Media in 2021?

One of the world’s best marketing research companies, GlobalWebIndex (GWI), conducts a survey-led research every year analysing consumer social media trends. The 2021 online survey was approximately taken by 688,000 internet users aged 16 to 64 and discovered that 95% of the internet population utilises social media websites or applications.

Overall, Social Media is the Most Popular Platform for Advertising

According to the  Content Marketing Institute, when examining B2B advertising, social media advertising was used by 83% of marketers and ranked second in marketing success (29%) behind search engine marketing (33%).

Specifically, over half of social media users use social media for product discovery and learn about new companies or products through social media advertisements or suggestions.

Though not all social media platforms have such a significant impact. As social media users on Instagram and Snapchat have the most affinity for online social research, with Pinterest being the most likely platform consumers find companies.

With so many people using social media sites to discover products and services, get shopping inspiration, and keep up with their favourite brands – companies must continue to invest in Digital Marketing Services even during the complex digital landscape that the global pandemic has created!

Most importantly, a digital marketing agency selects the most effective social media channels for a business as dictated by their industry. Reputable digital marketing agencies conduct research into both specialised social media networks for niche audiences and the major platforms for targeting the general public.

For example, travel fans are more active on Q&A sites, forums and consumer review websites when looking for information, while beauty lovers prefer online pinboards. Finding the right social media platform is complex and dictates a campaign’s entire success rate, but don’t worry, as a digital marketing agency will suggest the best platform for your unique business.

51% of USA & UK Consumers Use YouTube to Research Products to Buy

According to GWI’s 2021 Social Media Trends Report, YouTube outperformed every other television, video, and film platform in terms of monthly engagement. When video marketing is done correctly, companies can expect to raise brand awareness, drive website traffic, create leads, and increase sales.

According to Cisco, by 2022, online videos will account for more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic, up from 15% in 2017. As a result, many companies worldwide have already raised their digital marketing services budget to produce more video content and tap into this rewarding social media format.

In addition, YouTube is concentrating on expanding its services in the future, which gives digital marketers and businesses even more reason to get started on the app. Shorts, YouTube’s TikTok-like feature, has already reached 3.5 billion daily views and is expected to see more usage in future years if the service succeeds.

Plus, the YouTube platform is striving to improve its e-commerce capabilities by allowing YouTube creators to tag shopping features in their videos and is expected to enable direct shopping options within the app eventually. Therefore, there are many current and future opportunities for successful digital marketing campaigns on YouTube.

Around 4 Out of 10 Pinterest Users Use the Site to Find Companies and Goods

Although often overlooked as a digital marketing service, the statistics from the GlobalWebIndex (GWI) 2021 Social Media Trends Report shows that most Pinterest users are using the app for purchase inspiration and product discovery, particularly since the Covid outbreak.

As a result, product discovery is becoming faster thanks to Pinterest, making this platform ideal for businesses looking to launch Pay Per Click (PPC) advertisements and increase their online sales.

Like most other PPC marketing, skilled audience targeting is vital for Pinterest marketing. Audience targeting is a technique digital marketing agencies use to ensure that their advertisements are only shown to those individuals who are most likely to be interested in what they’re offering.

As predicted, women Pinterest users are more interested in home décor, cuisine, and fashion categories. In contrast, male Pinterest users are more interested in fitness, travel, and family inspiration.

Furthermore, Gen Zs active on Pinterest are most interested in DIY and environmental concerns. As a result, pins that appeal to aesthetic homes and a healthy planet are likely to succeed for this target audience.

In a similar spirit, Pinners in the United States are especially keen on culinary inspiration. With one in every five Americans utilising meal delivery services, Pinterest could be an ideal platform for Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) companies to achieve high ROIs with PPC.

Ecommerce-driven companies in these previously mentioned industries will profit in the long run from investing in Pinterest marketing, especially as the platform continues to add more features that will make in-app purchasing and selling easier.

For example, launched last May, Shopify merchants can now input whole product catalogues as shoppable pins. As a result, according to Sprout Social, the number of Pinterest users shopping on the app increased by 50%, as many individuals turned to online shopping during the lengthy lockdowns and pandemic measures.

Therefore, businesses must not neglect the power of Pinterest marketing, as pins influence internet buying because Pinterest is a forum for sharing ideas and inspiration. Subsequently, companies should get in touch with a digital marketing agency for creating and managing ideal PPC content for their target audience on the Pinterest platform.

According to Facebook, Instagram has 1 Billion Monthly Active Users and 500 Million Use Instagram Stories Daily

Stories may be a brief form of content, but they have the potential to create a lasting impact on audiences by highlighting a brand’s ethos in a relaxed and honest manner. Although this short-form video content gained the most popularity among Instagram and Facebook users, Snapchat was the first to launch Stories material.

According to a Social Insider study, images in Stories have a 5.65% greater tap-forward rate than videos in Stories. A tap-forward refers to the number of individuals watching a Story and moving onto the next one before finishing. The same study discovered that images in Stories have a higher drop-off rate than videos, indicating that consumers prefer to watch Stories in video format.

As 51% of businesses are currently utilising videos in Stories, and that figure is expected to rise in 2021, companies must start taking advantage of this short-form marketing.

As a digital marketing services case study, Swell, a company that sells fashionable, reusable water bottles and containers, utilises polls to educate their audience, as a result building their audience trust and brand awareness. Swell conveys critical information to their audience by polling them on environmentally friendly subjects and showing some surprising results. Additionally, these tools may be used for consumer feedback, market research, or simply for fun.

Looking ahead, Instagram is working on a vertical Stories stream, similar to TikTok, with the goal of making this short-form of video content more desktop-friendly. Nonetheless, stories have the capacity to improve brand-consumer relationships, and as the technology develops, other social media platforms will follow.

The Latest Consumer Trend is Social Responsibility!

While social media has always encouraged the public to become involved with issues, the worldwide epidemic has shone a stronger focus on them. More than ever, consumers are asking businesses to assist the vulnerable and take a stand on critical social issues like never before, with social media serving as the critical communication channel.

According to GWI’s 2021 Social Media Trends Report, nearly as many people want companies to focus on treating employees properly (44 per cent) and being vocal about social concerns (41 per cent) as they do on providing high-quality products across seven nations (49 per cent).

While some businesses are concerned about alienating consumers who do not share the same views as their social media campaigns. The repercussions of refusing to engage in any type of socially responsible discussion are more severe since one out of five millennials would be hesitant to buy from a company that does not engage in political or social action.

As a case study, Panda Express’ Instagram account is an excellent example of how prominent digital marketing services showcase and reinforce a specific brand objective over time. Panda Express constantly shows support and unity for minorities across the United States. For instance, in June, Panda Express contributed $1 million in books authored by writers of colour to over 500 Boys & Girls Clubs to change attitudes at a young age.

Ready to Implement These Social Media Trends?

As social media continues to be so popular and new platforms are created every day, we must understand how different each platform and its audience operates. As a result, it is vital for every business to conduct comprehensive research into which social media platform resonates most with their target audience and adapt digital marketing services accordingly.

With more people online than ever before, businesses are discovering that combining social listening with their brand viewpoint can only help them better understand their customers and spot trends as they emerge.

Knowing the most popular social media marketing data and trends will help companies evaluate their approach and establish new objectives. But it’s important to note that these figures serve only as a guide for accurate social media targeting. To ensure brand success, many companies engage with a reputable Content Marketing Agency to put the statistics into practice.

Digital marketing agencies help businesses of every size manage their online voice and social media reputation, as well as grow brand recognition, respond to customer service issues across platforms, and develop loyal connect with your audience online.