You wish to develop your activity on social networks ? Your communication strategy does not yet include social media and you want to know which one to invest? With this in mind, have the 2020 key figures of the main networks remains essential! You find them updated in the article.
We are witnessing a real explosion of social networks which are undeniably part of the connection habits of Internet users. Mobile, interactive, easy to use and accessible all the time, these platforms have it all! And the figures prove it: with 3.9 billion users in July 2020, that’s 51% of the world population who consumes it [1].
Facebook ™, Instagram ™, YouTube ™, Snapchat ™ and all other social media are no longer reserved for the family, they integrate professional activities. Many companies have been using these media for a long time as a means of communication and promotion. Want to learn more about the social networks that matter in 2021? Read the rest of the article for the up-to-date numbers.
Key figures Facebook ™: the juggernaut of social networks
The Facebook ™ social network
Founded 16 years ago, in 2004, Facebook ™ is today the largest social network in the world. With 2.70 billion monthly active users in June 2020 [2], Mark Zuckerberg’s app takes the top spot. Facebook ™ account every day 1.62 billion active users (June 2020) [2].
In France, in June 2020, Facebook ™ counts 45.9 million unique visitors per month and 28.8 million average unique visitors per day [5]. Knowing that according to INSEE [6], France has a total of 67 million people, this represents on average 43% of the population who visit Facebook ™ daily!
To continue to please its members, Facebook ™ regularly develops new features: business pages (2007), instant messaging (2008), “Like” button (2009), Timeline (2011/2012), Graph Search (2013) Facebook live (2016) [3] & [4]. This strategy is working and Facebook ™ remains the most popular social network. It continues to grow by recording around 500,000 additional profiles every day in the world [2].
Figures [4] tell us that 30% of users log into Facebook ™ more than once a day and spend on average 35 minutes on the social network.
Under these conditions, I advise you to optimize the time of your publications in order to increase your chances of being visible on the network.
To improve your content, I also invite you to consult my articles:
Video remains a very popular format for Internet users and every day 8 billion films are viewed on Facebook ™ [4]. Note that if you want to publish your videos, remember to adapt them to mute mode, because 85% are seen without sound [4].
Are you interested in Facebook ™ advertising? Depending on your industry, Facebook Ads can be a very attractive lever in your advertising campaign strategy. Here are the figures to know absolutely:
- 2 billion people are likely to be reached by advertisements [4],
- on average an internet user clicks on 8 advertisements [4],
- and 78% of advertising revenue comes from cell phones [4].
To maximize your ads, don’t forget to add a visual (image or video) and a call to action to encourage readers to click, like, share or comment.
Facebook Messenger
Launched in 2014, Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging application. Natively integrated into Facebook ™, it can also be downloaded independently. Messenger allows members to chat directly without having to log into the Facebook ™ network.
Messenger is very successful and records 1.3 billion monthly active users worldwide (2019) [4]. Each month, 20 billion messages and 17 billion photos are shared [4].
Key figures YouTube ™: the main video search engine
Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim founded YouTube ™ in 2005, and 1 year later in 2006 the video distribution network was bought by Google ™ (2006) [7]. Today YouTube ™ remains an essential network in the internet sphere. In 2020, more than 2 billion people in the world connect to YouTube ™ every month, ie 1/3 of Internet users [8].
The firm announces that it is available in more than 100 countries and that the platform is translated into 80 languages [8].
As the trend on all other media confirms, mobile use of YouTube ™ dominates the various devices (PC and tablet). It accounts for over 70% of YouTube viewing time TM [8]
On this online video platform, every day more than 1 billion hours of audiovisual content is consumed worldwide [8]. On YouTube ™, you will find diversified content for all tastes and all ages: clips, tutorials, films, trailers, reviews, short films, music, cartoons… 720,000 hours of videos are added every day [9].
The site gave birth to the phenomenon of Youtubers. Young Internet users who create their world and distribute their own content. Listened to and adored by teenagers, Youtubers are becoming essential influencers. Some work with advertisers to start trends or promote products.
Here are some 2020 figures for France:
- YouTube ™ checked in 46.6 million unique visitors per month and 19 million average unique visitors per day (June 2020) [5].
- More than 300 channels have more than 1 million subscribers [9].
- The French watch 76 million music videos a day [9].
- On average, 25 – 49 year olds spend 27 minutes / day on YouTube ™[10] .
Check out all the full YouTube stats in this article: YouTube ™: key figures 2021 (2020) and full statistics
YouTube ™ has real potential for communication and promotion for businesses. At a time when the preferred content of Internet users remains video, YouTube ™ offers you a platform to develop your notoriety, boost your image and increase your visibility on the Internet.
If you want to jump into video, I recommend:
Key figures WhatsApp ™: the mobile messaging application
WhatsApp ™ was created by two former Yahoo ™ employees, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, in 2009 with the aim of replacing cell phone texting[11] . In 2014, the app was bought by Facebook ™[11]. Today, WhatsApp ™ is the number one instant messenger in the world with 2 billion active users per month (February 2020)[12] .
In France, according to Médiamétrie, in June 2020 WhatApps ™ account 30 million unique visitors per month and 14 million average unique visitors per day [5], which places the service in 6th place among the most visited brands.
The tool allows:
- to exchange messages over the internet,
- participate in group discussions,
- make voice and video calls,
- to share images, audiovisual content and documents.
For business use, the app offers the free WhatsApp Business service. Features for boost your customer relationships are numerous: edit a catalog, interact with your partners, colleagues or customers, send mass releases, schedule responses.
If you are a VSE / SME and you work internationally, then this seems essential to me to manage customer relations.
To read in addition:
Key figures Instagram ™: the image social network
Launched in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Michel Mike Krieger, Instagram ™ allows you to distribute photos and videos by adding filters. Facebook ™ acquired it in 2012[13] . Instagram ™ has seen impressive growth in just 10 years. Used by 1 billion people every month , it is an extremely popular network around the world (3 e quarter 2019)[14] .
In 2016, Instagram ™ added the “story” functionality to the interface[13] . Stories are ephemeral content made up of photos or videos. They remain independent of the news feed and disappear completely after one day. They are very successful and every day 500 million users use stories (3 e quarter 2019)[14] .
Instagrammers are made up of 52% women and 48% men who spend on average 28 minutes daily on the platform[14] . Every day, 63% of users connect at least once[14] .
Instagram ™ is experiencing the same success in France, with 32 million unique visitors per month , it is placed in 4 e position of the most visited brands (June 2020) [5]. She counts 14 million average unique visitors per day in June 2020 [5].
Do you want to open a business page to take advantage of Instagram ™ opportunities? Here are the key figures for 2020 to know:
- 60% of visitors discover new products on the app[15] ,
- each day, more than 200 million users come to visit at least one business profile (internal data from 2017)[15] ,
- companies publish 1/3 of the most viewed stories (internal data from 2017)[15] .
Creating an Instragram ™ Business profile is free and can be an excellent lever to develop your company, especially if your professional activity allows you to generate beautiful visuals. Especially since you have the possibility to tag the product to allow the Internet user to buy it directly!
Key figures TikTok ™: the application for teens for sharing music videos
TikTok ™ is a recent social network, indeed, it was created only 4 years ago!
In 2016, the company ByteDance launched DouYin ™ in China and in 2017 TikTok ™ for non-Chinese markets[16] . This application makes it possible to produce and broadcast short music videos. Users can film themselves and design their clips directly in the app. After choosing a song, the user performs a playback or a choreography. It can then add filters and effects before sharing on the network.
This mobile application is extremely popular. Downloaded over 738 million times in 2019 in the world[17] , she is currently recording about 800 million monthly active users in July 2020[18] . In France, it is 4 million users (figures for the period August 2018 – August 2019) [19]
TikTok ™ incredibly popular with young people, is the favorite app for teenagers, indeed 41% of TikTok ™ members are between 16 and 24 years old[20] .
The TikTok ™ social network has real potential for companies whose targets are very young.
Twitter ™ key figures: the microblogging social network
Created in 2006 by the startup Odeo (Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass), Twitter ™ has made its nest in the sphere of social networks[21] . Designed to share small instant moments, Twitter messages ™ remain limited to 140 characters until 2017, then the platform expands the tweet to 280 characters[22] .
The particularity of Twitter ™ remains in the visibility of messages publicly (without being connected). Thus, everyone has access to the news, opinions and buzzes broadcast continuously. Every second about 9,000 tweets are published, or 750 million per day[23] . Note: The “protected tweets” feature exists and can be configured in each account.
In July 2020, Twitter ™ accounts for approximately 326 million monthly users worldwide [1]. And, statistics tell us that the network seems rather masculine with 64% male versus 36% female[38] .
According to Médiamétrie [5], in France Twitter ™ records 16.9 million unique visitors per month and 4.4 million average unique visitors per day in June 2020. Note that mobile use represents 71% of Twitter users [5].
Want to use Twitter ™ for your business? Note that like most social networks, editing a business page is free. So do not deprive yourself, because the opportunities are numerous:
- Twitter ™ is the first platform to discover new things [24]
- and 53% of users are likely to buy new products[24] .
Advertising features allow you to reach a different audience. People pass 26% more time on Twitter ™ ads (compared to other platforms)[24] .
Check out all the full stats in this article: number of Twitter users and key figures
To assert your presence on Twitter ™, it is imperative to post about 15 tweets per day, ideally every hour. Indeed, the lifespan of a message is 20 minutes on this social network.
Pinterest ™ key figures: the visual search engine
The Pinterest ™ social network was born in 2010! The baby of Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp and Ben Silberman has established itself in 10 years as an essential platform in the internet sphere[25] .
Pinterest ™ is primarily a network for sharing photographs. It allows each member to create “pinboard” tables where their favorites are stored by theme. The app offers its users the possibility of enriching their tables with Internet content by simply clicking on the “Pin It” button. Thus, pinners bring together everything that inspires them in one place.
In June 2020, Pinterest ™ accounts for more than 400 million visitors each month worldwide[26] . Over 200 billion Pins are saved on over 4 billion boards[27] .
It’s a predominantly female network which represents 60% of Pinterest’s population[26] . However, the platform collects a 48% increase in the male audience over one year[26] .
In 2020, Pinterest ™ is also attracting young audiences and has seen a 50% increase in the audience of Generation Z (18-24 years old)[26] .
In France, Pinterest ™ accounts for 16.9 million unique visitors per month and 2.5 million average unique visitors per day in June 2020 [5].
For businesses, being on Pinterest ™ offers many opportunities for visibility and sales. 90% of weekly users make purchasing decisions on Pinterest[28] . In addition, your activity on Pinterest ™ improves your ranking on search engines, especially Google.
To read in addition:
Snapchat ™ key figures: sharing short photos and videos with a limited lifespan
Impossible to miss the Snapchat ™ application represented by a little ghost on a flashy yellow background! Created by 2 students from Stanford University in California, Bobby Murphy and Evan Spiegel, Snapchat ™ appeared in 2011 on the App Store and in 2012 on Android[29] .
It is a network for sharing photos and videos which is distinguished by the temporary visibility of published content. The user defines a time limit of 1 to 10 seconds, after this time the media permanently disappears from the network. Be careful, however, even if the photos are ephemeral, screenshots are still possible.
Stories are coming to Snapchat ™ in 2013[30] . This popular feature allows users to combine a succession of snaps to produce a mini-video.
Worldwide, Snapchat ™ records 238 million monthly active users (2 e quarter 2020)[30] who spend on average more than 30 minutes a day[30] . Over 4 billion snaps are broadcast on average every day[30] .
These are 22.6 million French people who log on monthly to Snapchat ™ (June 2020 figure) [5] and 15.9 million average unique visitors per day (June 2020) [5].
The application appeals above all to young people:
- In the United States, Snapchat affects 90% of 13-24 year olds and 75% of 13-34 year olds[30] .
- In France, 60% of 18-34 year olds use the app every day[31] .
For businesses, Snapchat ™ offers, like other media, snap ads (paid advertising campaigns) to reach your young audience on this application.
Key figures LinkedIn ™: the professional social network
The LinkedIn ™ social network was launched in 2003 to facilitate networking between professionals. An inevitable recruiting tool, LinkedIn ™ remains essential for all professionals who wish to expand their network, develop their personal branding and access new opportunities.
In the service of professional visibility, the network makes it possible to publish a profile where members can:
- describe their career, their experiences, their achievements …
- publish content in the form of posts or articles.
To read : How to use LinkedIn TM ? 30 tips from the expert
You will find all the key updated figures of LinkedIn ™ on my article dedicated to this subject: LinkedIn key figures 202 1. Below are some essential statistics in brief:
LinkedIn ™ is present in 200 countries & territories and is translated into 24 languages[32] . Around the world, the network accounts for 660 million registered members (in 2019)[33] and 303 million monthly active users (2019)[34] .
These are 20 million French people registered in 202 1, which represents 64% of the working population[35] . The social network records 17 million monthly active users in France in June 2020 [5].
LinkedIn ™ is a rather mixed network with 55% male and 44% female[37] . The average age of users is 44 years[37] .
With such popularity, LinkedIn ™ remains the essential BtoB network.
The list of social networks is long! I advise you to choose 1 to 3 to develop your presence in an optimal way. Unless, of course, you have sufficient internal resources for community management.
Did you know that it is possible to find clients with LinkedIn ™?
Social media figures 2021: in conclusion
Here is the list in ascending order of popularity in the world in 2021 (monthly active users):
- Facebook ™: 2.70 billion (June 2020)
- YouTube ™: over 2 billion (2020)
- WhatsApp ™: 2 billion (February 2020)
- Facebook Messenger: 1.3 billion (2019)
- Instagram ™: 1 billion (3rd quarter 2019)
- TikTok ™ 800 million (July 2020)
- Pinterest ™: 420 million (June 2020)
- Twitter ™ 326 million (July 2020)
- LinkedIn ™: 303 million (2019)
- Snapchat ™: 238 million (2nd quarter 2020)
In France, the order of social networks differs, here is the Top 10 by number of active users (figures from June 2020 sources: Médiamétrie [5] except TikTok TM ):
- YouTube ™: 46.6 million
- Facebook ™: 45.9 million
- Instagram ™: 32 million
- WhatsApp ™: 30 million
- Snapchat ™: 22 million
- LinkedIn ™: 17 million
- Pinterest ™: 16.96 million
- Twitter ™: 16.94 million
- TikTok ™: 4 million (figures for the period August 2018 – August 2019)
Social media figures: to sum up in 3 questions
Combien d’utilisateurs actifs sont sur les réseaux sociaux dans le monde ?
Social media take a colossal place in the internet sphere. As of July 2020, they are used by 3.96 billion people around the world, or 51% of the world’s population. Source: Digital 2020 July Global Statshot Report (July 2020) v01 – We are social / Hootsuite
Quels sont les réseaux sociaux les plus populaires au monde ?
Globally, Facebook ™, YouTube ™ and WhatsApp ™ are the three most used social networks. They each have at least 2 billion monthly active users.
Quel est le réseau social le plus important en France ?
Contrary to what one might think, it is not Facebook ™ the leader of the French market, but YouTube ™. According to Médiamétrie, the video distribution platform had 46.6 million monthly active users in June 2020, against 45.9 million for Facebook ™. Source: Médiamétrie – global internet audience June 2020.
The sources :
[1] https://www.slideshare.net/DataReportal/digital-2020-july-global-statshot-report-july-2020-v01[2] https://investor.fb.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2020/Facebook-Reports-Second-Quarter-2020-Results/default.aspx
[3] https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/histoire-facebook-2003-2013/
[4] https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/chiffres-facebook/
[5] https://www.mediametrie.fr/sites/default/files/2020-08/2020%2008%2024%20-%20CP%20Audience%20Internet%20Global_Juin%202020%20vf.pdf
[6] https://www.insee.fr/fr/accueil
[7] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube
[8] https://www.youtube.com/intl/fr/about/press/
[9] https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/chiffres-youtube/
[10] https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/fr-fr/strat %C3% A9gies-marketing / video / infographie-mediametrie-youtube-27-minutes /
[11] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp
[12] https://blog.whatsapp.com/two-billion-users-connecting-the-world-privately
[13] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram
[14] https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics/
[15] https://business.instagram.com/getting-started
[16] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok
[17] https://sensortower.com/blog/tiktok-revenue-downloads-2019
[18] https://datareportal.com/social-media-users?rq=tiktok
[19] https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/chiffres-tiktok/
[20] https://blog.globalwebindex.com/trends/tiktok-music-social-media/
[21] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter#
[22] https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/topics/product/2017/Giving-you-more-characters-to-express-yourself.html
[23] https://www.internetlivestats.com/twitter-statistics/
[24] https://business.twitter.com/
[25] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinterest
[26] https://newsroom.pinterest.com/fr/post/pinterest-depasse-les-400-millions-demploi-actifs-mensuels-grace-a-la-nette-progression
[27] https://newsroom.pinterest.com/fr/company
[28] https://business.pinterest.com/
[29] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapchat
[30] https://s25.q4cdn.com/442043304/files/doc_presentations/presentation/Investor_Deck_v2_-_July_2020_07_21_2020_FINAL.pdf
[31] https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/chiffres-snapchat/
[32] https://valerialandivar.ca/linkedin-les-chiffres-cles-de-2018/
[33] Internal source at LinkedIn as of December 2, 2019.
[34] https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/50-chiffres-medias-social-2019/
[35] Source LinkedIn as of May 8, 2020.
[36] https://www.blogdumoderateur.com/50-chiffres-medias-social-2019
[37] https://early-com.com/2019/01/24/linkedin-les-chiffres-cles-2019 [38] [8] https://www.slideshare.net/DataReportal April 2021 (slides 115 to 118)