Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Flipboard 0 Social media continues to be a part of consumers’ everyday lives. The latest statistics show there are 3.78 billion social media users worldwide in 2021—a five percent increase from a year ago. Furthermore, there are more than nine in ten (91 percent) social media users who use mobile devices to access social networks. (Oberlo) According to Influencer Marketing Hub , an average of 2 million people sign up to social networks every day. Facebook continues to dominate the social media space, with 2.7 billion users. This is followed by YouTube and WhatsApp, each at 2 billion users. While Facebook may have the largest numbers of users, YouTube by far has the most number of visits. The average number of social media accounts per internet user (aged 16 to 64) is 8.3. In data collected by GWI, at least 98% of the users of any given social media platform also use at least one other social platform. For example, 85% of TikTok users aged 16 to 64 use Facebook, and almost 95% of Instagram users in the same age group also use YouTube. Social Media Marketing Social platforms offer an ideal way for brands to connect with consumers. In Influencer Marketing Hub’s research, when asked why brands use social media, 69% of respondent stated they use it for brand awareness. Additional reasons include: 52% – Increasing web traffic 46% – Growing the brand’s audience 44% – Promoting content 43% – Increasing community engagement According to consumers, 57% follow brands to learn about new products or services. Other reasons include: 47% – To stay up-to-date on company news 40% – To learn about promotions or discounts 40% – To be entertained 34% – To be educated Conversely, 49% of consumers unfollow brands for poor customer service. Other reasons for unfollowing a brand include 49% – Poor quality of product or support 45% – Irrelevant content 45% – Too many ads from that brand 39% – Privacy concerns Many businesses collect and use social data related to their campaigns. Survey respondents were asked how they use this data. The most popular reasons were: How do consumers discover new brands on social? The most popular was taking notice of suggestions in their feed and/or using discovery tools (45%). Respondents were also asked what they (as consumers) did when they followed brands on social. The most common actions taken by consumers who follow brands on social included: 91% – Visit the brand’s website or application 89% – Buy from the brand 85% – Recommend that brand to a family or friend 84% – Choose that brand over a competitor 84% – Visit the brand’s physical retail store 75% – Increase their spending with that brand 74% – Reach out for customer service or support 74% – Read that brand’s blog or site content While nearly 7 in 10 people engage with brands on social media, many more interact with a brand in some other way due to its social actions. Reasons for engaging with brands on social include: Consumers love images and video. Types of content consumers prefer to engage with on social include: 68% – Images 50% – Videos 30% – Text-based posts 26% – Stories 26% – Polls 22% – Live Video There is overwhelming opportunity for brands who manage their social presence. These statistics can show you the state of social media today and help you create a social media marketing strategy to continuously meet customers where they want to be met. For more great information and resources, download our Success Kit to Skyrocket Your Customer Experiences and gain access to some of our most informative resources on customer experience marketing trends, strategies and tactics. The most convenient way to research, this success kit contains topic focused blogs, webinars, white papers, case studies and more – all with one download. Twitter Tweet Facebook Share Email This article originally appeared on V12Data and has been republished with permission.Find out how to syndicate your content with B2C Author: Larisa Bedgood Follow @www.twitter.com/V12Data As VP of Marketing for V12 Data, I have a deep understanding of today’s data-driven marketing environment, including key components such as Data Integration, Personalized Journey Management, Customer Experience, Third-Party Data, Marketing Technology and Analytics. I head up all marketing functions, including lead generation goals, content management , marketing strategy,… View full profile ›More by this author:How to Reach Today’s Omnichannel ConsumersWhy Marketers Can’t Afford to Wait for Black Friday and Cyber MondayHow Apple’s IOS 15 Update Affects Your Email Marketing