Where is Social Media Going? [The 6 Platform Giants + Trends]

Social Media is just as important now as it was 3 years ago, but it sure looks different! One of the beautiful things about working with online sources like social platforms or digital marketing in general, is that there is a constant flux and the feeling of change is always in the air.

Unfortunately, it also means that sometimes you bet all your marbles on Myspace and get into some trouble.

So, instead of taking that gamble, let’s do the research, look at the trends, and see where social media is going according to the current giants (here’s looking at your, Facebook).

#1: Facebook, Of Course

Facebook is currently the largest social media platform in the world. With over 2.4 billion monthly active users. Essentially, if your business is online – it better be on Facebook. Because of this, Facebook is a great social media platform to market from – even with the saturation rates.

Since you have a massive audience at the end of your mouse and surely your target audience can be found on Facebook as well, it’s a superior platform for brands to promote or market their services and products to a huge audience – the only downside? The prices of Facebook can often match their user-ship.

#2: Instagram – Do It for the Gram

Instagram reached over 1 billion monthly active users in 2018. And though it might not be as large as Facebook (yet), it is the fastest-growing social platform, especially in the app-world. However, the marketing and uses for Instagram are considerably different than its super-giant of a relative.

Instagram is a fully-visual platform, and though there are captions, the main event are the pictures, videos, and visual material. Instagram is also considered to be more personal, especially with the addition of their live videos and stories.

Instagram is most popular among the younger generations – Gen Z and Millennials. So popular, in fact, that 32% of users are between 18 and 24 (Gen Z) and 33% are aged between 25 and 34 (Millennials).

#3: Twitter – From Presidents to Pop Culture

Twitter has over 326 million monthly active users, almost all of which are highly engaging – meaning they actually get on, post tweets, and interact with others on the platforms.

In fact, Twitter is so engaging that its users send out about 500 million (half a billion) tweets every day! That’s a lot of potential engagement, replies, and retweets.

So, if you plan on being very active online with your brand, Twitter might just be a great place to make a splash without overwhelming your followers with too many posts.

#4: Tumblr, 168 Billion Posts & Growing

Tumblr is great for fandoms (i.e. groups of people who all like the same show, music, pop culture icon, etc). This means that marketing a themed product can be great on Tumblr. Additionally, humor, witty banter, quirky style, and short-chain replies are popular on the site.

So far in 2019, there are over 450 million Tumblr accounts – but get this – they’ve posted over 168 billion times! And about 1/3^rd of Tumblr users hail from America

#5: LinkedIn, the Social App Built for Work, Not Play

LinkedIn is for professionals and the B2B audience – not like the above (and below) social media platforms which are usually more for play.

Luckily, this gives marketers a unique advantage as you gain access to a usually hard-to-find group – working professionals looking for industry connections. Also, LinkedIn users on average have a much higher income than the users of other social media platforms, which often means more disposable income. Of course, for B2B allows for much larger budgets than individuals, which makes LinkedIn a great option for business services.

#6: Snapchat – Like Instagram, but Less Permanent

Snapchat is visual, similar to Instagram, but where Instagram is meant to be permanent, Snapchat is transient. And, like Instagram, Snapchat is most popular with the younger generations, especially Generation Z who have grown up with it.

Snapchatters can send ‘snaps’ to each other or on their 24-hour Statuses much like WhatsApp or Instagram – but Snapchat did it first.

Snapchat currently has over 186 million daily active users, not monthly, daily. And they are highly, highly active. As of mid-2018, Snapchatters were sending out more than 2 million snaps per minute. And their daily videos often get over 10 billion views!

Got All That? Ready to Tackle Your Ideal Social Media Platform? If Not, Contact JSL Marketing & Web Design for Some Help!

We love social media, social media marketing, and social media research! Let us help you create the perfect strategy for your online goals!

Contact us at 817.435.1350 or fill out a form here! Want to learn more first? Check out our other articles on Social Media (and our Infographic)!