Understanding Social Demographics
Top 3 Social Media Sites Of 22-23
Facebook, Youtube, and WhatsApp were the three social media platforms with the most traffic in 22-23.
Facebook
Facebook is the largest social networking site in the world with over 3 billion MAU’s (monthly active users). Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook is used for both personal and business purposes. It’s mainly used to Share photos and videos, send messages and get updates in order to connect with others and/or create an online platform.
Youtube
Youtube follows in suite with 2.5 billion monthly active users. Youtube is a social media platform where anyone can film and upload videos for others to see. The site was founded on February 14, 2005, and since then many of the users have gained somewhat of a celebrity status. Youtube typically serves as a form of entertainment for those who solely view posted content. A lot of people also see Youtube as a possible job or a way to gain notoriety.
WhatsApp
In third place is WhatsApp with 2 billion MAU’s. WhatsApp is a mobile application/freeware messaging app that was released in november of 2009. The app provides greater security and privacy than SMS which many use to stay in touch with friends and family.
Demographics
According to an ‘Investopedia’ article written by one Adam Hayes, and I quote, “Demographics are statistics that describe populations and their characteristics. Demographic analysis is the study of a population-based on factors such as age, race, and sex.” This socioeconomic information is a great way for Government bodies, companies, and/or organizations to learn more about the characteristics of a given population. Demographics are important in social media because they are what helps these companies to better understand and cater to their audience.
The demographics that stand out among the three sites are fairly similar in age range. 20.7% of Youtube’s total ad audience and 29.4% of all active Facebook users are ‘men ages 25-34’. WhatsApp is barely different with a 84% platform penetration rate for ‘male users aged 24-35’.
Average Time Spent on These Sites
On average, Facebook users spend 35 minutes or 20 hours each month on the site. Youtube users are on the site for 15 minutes each day or 23.1 hours per month. Lastly, WhatsApp users are on the social media site for 38 minutes a day or around 19.4 hours every month.
The Fastest Growing Site
WhatsApp is currently, of the three networks, the fastest growing social media site. I believe the site’s sudden popularity and its rapid growth is due to the site becoming a facebook subsidiary in 2016. Additionally, I believe its recent resurgence is also a result of the global pandemic that created demand for a cheap & secure way to message others across platforms.
Accessing the Sites & the Devices Used
Visitors of both Facebook and Youtube access the sites using mobile devices while visitors of WhatsApp access the site via desktop/computer.