Top 10 Facts About Social Media in 2019
December 23, 2019“Build it, and they will come” only works in the movies. Social Media is a ‘build it, nurture it, engage them, and they may come and stay.’”
-Seth Godin, author and entrepreneur
Maintaining an audience on social media platforms can be challenging. Social media platforms undergo a lot of change, including who is using a given platform and what kind of content is hot.
We have compiled our list of the top 10 must-know social media user statistics for 2019 in this article.
#1: Instagram Outpaces Print
The number of Instagram users are expected to outnumber print readers in 2019. An estimated 113.3 million U.S. residents are Instagram users while 112.7 million U.S. resident read print magazines. That’s over half a million more Instagram users than print readers!
#2: Messages = Advertising
The amount of consumers who think that all messages from brands count as advertising may surprise you. One in 3 consumers believe that all brand communication is advertising and 6 in 10 think that messages from brands on social media count as advertising.
#3: Social Media Continues to Influence Purchases
Just 31% of U.S. consumers said they never make a purchase because of an ad on social media or online. Over 75% of US internet users said they would visit a brand's brick and mortar store after following that brand on social media.
A brand’s social media activity encourages 48% of U.S. Internet users to try a new brand. On average, 80% of global consumers reported that social media and online ads impacted their purchasing decisions in 2019, which is 10% higher than last year.
#4: Social Media Inspires Multiple Actions
Following a brand or company on social media inspires consumers to engage in several activities—not all of which involve spending money. The top actions U.S. Internet users take after following brands on social media include:
• 87% Visiting the brand’s website/app
• 78% Recommending that brand to friends/family
• 78% Talking about that brand with friends/family
• 77% Buying from that brand over another
• 70% Drawing inspiration from that brand
• 67% Increasing spending with that brand
• 53% Engaging with that brand on social
#5: People Spend More Time on Social Media
The average U.S. resident spends 2 hours and 6 minutes on social media daily. The global average in 2018 was 2 hours and 22 minutes, which is a 52 minute increase from 2012.
Social media users ages 16-24 spend the most time on social media. This age group is the only one to spend an average of over 3 hours on social media sites daily. Social media users ages 55-64 tend to spend the least amount of time on social media sites with an average of 1 hour and 13 minutes per day.
U.S. users are expected to spend 27 minutes per day on Instagram in 2019, which is 1 minute more than in 2018. However, the amount of time spent on Facebook among U.S. users is expected to remain flat at about 40 minutes per day.
#6: The Benefits Are Getting Even Better
Marketers are reaping more benefits from their social media marketing efforts than in previous years, according to the 2019 Social Media Marketing Industry Report from Social Media Examiner.
The top 8 benefits of social media marketing include:
• 93% Increased exposure
up 6% from 2018
• 87% Increased traffic
up 9% from 2018
• 74% Generated leads
up 10% from 2018
• 72% Improved sales
up 19% from 2018
• 71% Developed loyal fans
up 8% from 2018
• 58% Provided marketplace insight
up 4% from 2018
• 57% Increased thought leadership
up 11% from 2018
• 56% Grew business partnerships
up 7% from 2018
Which platforms are the most important social platform for marketers?
• 61% Facebook
down 6% from 2018
• 14% Instagram
up 4% from 2018
• 14% LinkedIn
up 2% from 2018
• 5% YouTube
up 1% from 2018
• 4% Twitter
• 2% Pinterest
• 1% Messenger Bots
#7: Most Prevalent User Demographics May Surprise You
What does the typical social media user look like?
The top user demographics per social media platform:
Gender: female
Ethnicity: non-Hispanic White & African American (tie)
Age: 25-29
Annual Income: over $75,000
Education: some college
Gender: female
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Age: 18-24
Annual Income: over $75,000
Education: college
Gender: female
Ethnicity: non-Hispanic White
Age: 18-24
Annual Income: over $75,000
Education: college
Gender: male
Ethnicity: non-Hispanic White
Age: 25-29
Annual Income: over $75,000
Education: college
Gender: male
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Age: 18-24
Annual Income: over $75,000
Education: college
#8: Most Consumers Follow Brands
Do shoppers follow brands on their social media channels? Yes. 70% of consumers follow brands on social media in 2019, which is up from the 57% who did in 2017.
Why do consumers follow brands?
• 54% Early access to best deals/discounts
• 41% Learn about latest products/trends
• 6% Participate in their community
#9: Social Media Interactions Can Improve Customer Connections
Brands that emphasize the “social” aspect of social media can improve their connection with their customers.
The social media behaviors that help brands connect with consumers:
• 55% Like/respond to consumer
• 45% Showcase the brand’s personality
• 45% Support a cause the consumer supports
• 44% Participate in relevant conversations
• 40% Highlight industry/category trends
• 39% Create strong online communities
• 39% Invite user-generated content
#10: Facebook Gets Even Harder for Marketers
Marketing on any social media channel takes continued effort. But marketing on Facebook may require an extra dose of patience as marketers adjust to its latest changes.
Facebook updated its algorithm earlier this year. This update continues to prioritize a user’s friends’ content over updates from business pages. Facebook’s algorithm determines which posts appear in a user’s news feed. In other words, Facebook deliberately designed its platform to make it harder for businesses’ posts to be viewed.
That’s not the only challenge for Facebook marketers. Earlier this year, Facebook announced a new Clear History tool that will enable users to clear their browsing history on Facebook. This function will make it harder for Facebook to leverage third-party data to target ads to users.
Need some help managing your company’s social media strategy? We can help with every aspect of social media management, from planning through execution. Contact us today at 877-9PRINT9 or at info@gofisher.net to get started.