However, if you already have a presence on Pinterest, your own Pinterest analytics can be even more important than platform statistics. According to Sprout Social’s Index, 60% of organizations are using their own social data on a daily basis to help make informed decisions.

Throughout this article we’ll cover Pinterest statistics from all categories: usage data, user statistics, demographics and more.

Table of contents

• Pinterest stats every marketer should know
• Pinterest user statistics
• Pinterest usage statistics
• Pinterest audience and demographics statistics
• Pinterest advertising and marketing statistics
• Pinterest traffic and engagement stats
• Pinterest stats for business

Pinterest stats every marketer should know

1. Pinterest is the 15th most-used social media platform

When it comes to users, Pinterest is the 15th most popular social media platform worldwide. The first four are, of course, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram.

While Pinterest may not be as giant as some of the other social media platforms, that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. In fact, we have one compelling reason to have a presence on Pinterest as our next stat.

2. 45% of US users have an income of over $100k

Pinterest is a platform that’s perfectly poised for social commerce. Because nearly half of the platform’s users have an annual income of over $100,000, they’re ready to buy when they browse the platform for products.

3. Pinterest generated $877 million in revenue in Q4 of 2022

Pinterest’s Q4 is often its best quarter of each year, with it outperforming the first three quarters of the next year for the last three years in a row. The platform also generated $2.5 billion in revenue throughout the whole of 2021.

Pinterest is a profitable platform, which means it’s likely a stable platform. It’s a good idea to invest in a Pinterest marketing strategy so you can take advantage of this platform.

4. Pinterest has the highest ACSI score

ACSI is the American Customer Satisfaction Index. And from July 2021 to June 2022 Pinterest had the highest score with 76/100, tied only with YouTube. It’s good to hear that a platform you’re investing time (and potentially ad money) into has a highly satisfied user base.

Pinterest user statistics

5. Pinterest has 450 million monthly active users

Pinterest has nearly half a billion monthly active users. This is a small fraction of Facebook’s nearly 3 billion users, but Pinterest is steadily growing year after year (we have a stat for that, too).

6. Pinterest sees a 7.5% year-over-year growth

Pinterest has a healthy growth rate of 7.5% each year. It’s the third fastest-growing platform right now, behind Snapchat and LinkedIn. Facebook is still growing, but at a rate of 1.6% each year, and YouTube and Instagram are both losing users.

7. 84.6 million users are located in the U.S.

If you run a U.S.-based business, Pinterest might be a great option for you. The U.S. audience is by far Pinterest’s largest, with 84.6 million of its 450 million users located in the U.S. (18.8%).

The next four most popular countries for Pinterest are as follows:

• Brazil: 28.05 million users
• Mexico: 19.45 million users
• Germany: 15.88 million users
• France: 10.65 million users

Pinterest usage statistics

8. 80% of users say Pinterest makes them feel positive

The vast majority (8 in 10) of Pinterest users get a positive feeling from using the platform (no wonder it’s so high on the ACSI scale). 9 in 10 users also call Pinterest a social media oasis—whereas only 3 in 10 users say that about other social media platforms.

There are so many benefits of Pinterest, but the fact that its users are happy and at peace has to be a major one.

9. 85% of weekly users have made a purchase from Pinterest pins

Pinterest users are shopping on the platform—a whopping 85% of weekly Pinners have made a purchase based on a pin they saw from a brand. Creating boards that feature your products can help you get them in front of even more users, increasing the chances someone makes a purchase.

10. 85% of Pinners use the platform to start a new project

85% of users say they hit up the platform each time they’re going to start a new project. This might be for DIY inspiration, products to use or instructions on how to do something. But Pinterest is the place they go. Use this knowledge to your advantage when creating and sharing Pins.

Pinterest audience and demographics statistics

11. 76.2% of users are women

More than 3 in 4 users are women, with 17.2% of users men and 6.6% of users unspecified or another gender. If women are a big part of your target demographics, Pinterest is the perfect platform to find them.

12. Pinterest’s biggest audience segment is women aged 25-34

The largest portion of Pinterest’s audience is Millennial women aged 25-34, with that segment accounting for 28.5% of its global audience. The second largest segment was women aged 18-24, taking up over 18% of the user base.

13. Pinterest has 23 million Gen Z users

According to projections done in 2020, the platform should have around 23 million Gen Z users this year, accounting for around 5% of its entire user base. This is up from 16.4 million in 2020, so more and more Gen Z consumers are joining the platform.

Pinterest advertising and marketing statistics

14. Pinterest delivers a 32% better ROAS than other platforms

Pinterest ads have been shown to deliver a 32% higher ROAS (return on ad spend) than other digital platforms. This is especially the case with ads in the food or health and beauty industries. Get more bang for your buck by promoting Pins on Pinterest.

15. There are more than 5 billion monthly searches on Pinterest

Pinterest is essentially a visual search engine. And this is proven by the massive 5 billion monthly searches that occur on the platform. Pinterest SEO is a big part of success—using keywords in your pins, boards, profile and more. This can help make sure your pins show up better in search results.

16. Brands see 2.3x more efficient cost per conversion

Get a better ad performance than you do on other social media platforms. Pinterest ads generate a 2.3x more efficient cost per conversion than other social media sites.

Pinterest traffic and engagement stats

17. There are 945.3 million monthly visits to Pinterest

Pinterest received nearly 1 billion monthly website visits in May 2022, making it one of the more popular websites in the world. This means its users are visiting the site an average of 2+ times per month.

18. 44% of Pinterest’s web traffic comes from the U.S.

The U.S. is Pinterest’s most popular country, so it makes sense that nearly half of that traffic is coming from the United States. The next four countries that visit Pinterest.com most often in order are Brazil, India, Argentina and Colombia.

19. 97% of searches are unbranded

Nearly all searches on Pinterest are unbranded. This means people are searching for things like “brown sofa” or “floral wall art” rather than specific brands. This presents a great opportunity for your brand to be discovered. Pinners aren’t loyal to a single brand and instead are hoping to find new brands and products they can buy from.

20. Pinterest has one of the longest post lifespans

Most social media platforms have lifespans for their post that last only minutes to hours, depending on what time they are posted. However, Pinterest pins can have a lifespan of six months to a year. This means people can still see your pins months after you’ve shared it, creating a really stellar organic ROI.

Pinterest stats for business

21. Pinterest is the 5th most popular social commerce platform

The top five most popular social media platforms where online shoppers are most likely to make a purchase are:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Messaging apps
• Pinterest

This means your brand should be taking advantage of social selling capabilities on Pinterest so you can increase the number of conversions you receive directly from the platform.

22. 80% of weekly users have discovered a new product or brand on Pinterest

Pinterest is the perfect platform for businesses to get discovered. 4 in 5 users have found a new product or brand on Pinterest, likely resulting in a purchase or a follow. Promote your products on Pinterest to increase the chances that you reach a new audience member or potential customer.

23. Shoppers on Pinterest spend twice as much as shoppers on other platforms

Pinterest users spend 2x as much when shopping on Pinterest than they do when shopping on other social media platforms. This makes Pinterest an ideal platform for products with a higher price point, like furniture and designer clothing or accessories.

Don’t be shy about putting your products out there when it comes to Pinterest. Demographic data shows that Pinterest users have a higher income and are spending more on their shopping sprees.

24. Brands using a Pinterest Catalog get 5x more impressions on their products

If you needed one more reason to convince yourself to take advantage of Pinterest’s social selling tools, let this be it. Brands that set up their Pinterest Catalogs receive five times more impressions on their product pins than brands that don’t.

Use these Pinterest stats to inform your strategy

If these stats tell you anything, let it be that it’s time to get your social selling strategy set up. Learn how to sell on Pinterest so you can start generating even more sales and conversions through your chosen social media platforms.

The post 24 must-know Pinterest stats for marketers in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

That’s why it’s important to know what to post on each social media platform. So in this article, we’ll share the nine most valuable types of social media content according to marketers and how brands are using these formats to strike a chord with audiences.

The most engaging types of social media content in 2023

Keeping up with the latest in social media is a difficult task with all the different platforms, features and algorithms. That’s why we created The 2023 Content Benchmarks Report to help you identify the most valuable types of social media content.

In this report, we collected data from 729,000 public social profiles in 2022. Then, we analyzed trends to derive what types of social media content will inspire your audience and make them more likely to engage with your brand. Let’s take a look at which formats are most engaging.

1. Short-form video

Short-form videos are the most captivating type of social media content thanks to their capacity to break down and present information in less than one minute. Plus, the length makes it more shareable and ideal for social media.

You’re facing an audience that’s busier than ever. People are looking for immediate gratification with fast and entertaining content they can consume on the way. So a 15-minute video seems impractical when a one-minute video can do the job just as well.

Why short-form video works on social

About 66% of consumers find short-form videos the most engaging out of any other social media post types. And before you say it’s because bigger brands have the resources to produce high-end videos, the truth is successful videos don’t require unlimited time, resources or heavy editing.

According to our research, consumers find short-form videos 2.5x more engaging than long-form videos. So humor and relatability are enough to draw people to your brand. In fact, a survey shows that 34% of consumers like to see authentic, less-produced videos.

Additionally, short-form videos are perfect for different types of social media post ideas. From highlighting how to use your product or service to influencer collaborations and behind-the-scenes content.

Best social media platforms for short-form video

The popularity of TikTok videos, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts is evidence of their effectiveness when it comes to short-form video.

Both TikTok and Instagram have a variety of tools that help create short-form videos for free. You can record a few shots, add a soundtrack, use a filter and follow popular social media trends. Additionally, you can promote your content with native ad campaigns.

Even though YouTube Shorts are a recent feature from YouTube, they have become increasingly popular with 15 billion global daily views.

4 use cases of short-form video from Last Crumb

Last Crumb is a small business born in LA that bakes luxury handmade cookies. This brand stands out for using sassy language and an almost seductive tone to reach its audience.

Last Crumb uses short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram to encourage their audience to crave their cookies with:

1. Content relating their cookies to popular holiday celebrations. Last Crumb uses their holiday-themed videos to hop on relevant trends and conversations, prompting their audience to share their content with friends and allowing the brand to reach a wider audience.

   @lastcrumb

   There’s no better way to “I love you” than with a box of decadent cookies. @Sugar Pusher ® #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie #lastcrumbvalentines

   ♬ It’s A Wrap – Sped Up – Mariah Carey

2. Influencer collaborations to taste-test their cookies. In these videos, influencers unbox the luxury package and eat the cookies. This tactic leverages influencers’ loyal followings to generate interest within an untapped audience with “reviews” people trust.

   @lastcrumb

   @Keith Lee is back and this time, he went Platinum. #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie #lastcrumbtastetest #lastcrumbunboxing

   ♬ original sound – Last Crumb

3. Last Crumb’s destruction collection, in which the brand destroys their extravagant cookies, merge “demos” with entertaining content to show the delicious texture of the cookies to keep people watching and drive engagement.

   @lastcrumb

   It’s what’s on the inside that counts ❤️ #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie #smashorpass #lastcrumbvalentines #valentinesday

   ♬ Pass or Smash – 💜The Simple Touches💜

4. Last Crumb’s sandwich collection shows how you can make different luxury ice cream sandwiches with their cookies. This helps them stay connected with their customers by sharing recipes they might want to try the next time they order cookies.

   @lastcrumb

   A simple solution for when you can’t decide which cookie you want. #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie

   ♬ f urself in vegas – SHIMA

2. Images

Images are the second most valuable type of content out of the nine popular social media content categories. They’re also one of the types of social media most frequently posted across social networks.

Static images are absorbed and appreciated in an instant. The colors, composition, text (or lack of it) and other details give social users an immediate impression of your brand.

Why images work on social

Amongst the types of social media content, 61% of consumers find images the most engaging type of in-feed social content. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather look at a picture than read a thousand words.

Since mobile devices are equipped with high-definition cameras, and there are many free editing tools, anyone can embrace their inner photographer and graphic designer. This means social media marketers can create images for their content strategy without enlisting a ton of resources.

Best social media platforms for images

Instagram and Pinterest are platforms that naturally lend themselves to images. These social media platforms have unique advantages to leverage your visuals like filters, effects and editing.

Instagram started as an image-sharing platform and even though it has evolved to be much more, its content is still made of 87% images.

When consumers go to Pinterest, they’re looking for inspiration and creativity. In fact, 97% of all searches on the platform are unbranded, creating the perfect environment for audiences to discover your brand and spark their interest in a future purchase.

As a bonus, both platforms have social commerce features that allow you to tag products, transforming images into “shoppable” content.

3 use cases for image posts from Williams Sonoma

Williams Sonoma is known for its kitchenware, home furnishing and gourmet foods. It maintains a strong following, clear reputable brand identity and “shoppable” feeds across social platforms. They achieve that with sumptuous, vibrant images in the following ways:

1. Williams Sonoma uses top Pinterest trends to create Pins and carousels with colorful dishes and recipes. These images catch the eye of their target audience, enticing clicks to learn more about how to make the dish, which drives engagement and traffic to their website.
2. They support the full shopping experience on Instagram using eye-candy imagery and product tags. Thanks to these, consumers can get the product they like with a few taps, reducing friction to the final purchase.
3. Across platforms, they leverage their organic presence by using captions to enhance their image content and CTAs to their blog or online store to continue the buying journey.

3. Live video

The ongoing digital transformation has left businesses thinking differently about how they can engage with customers in real time. In 2020, Live video came out as a winner during the pandemic with live video viewers reaching 152.5 million (20.4% more than in 2019).

Why live video works on social

37% of consumers find live video the most engaging type of social media content. It enables businesses and creators to broadcast conversations, webinars, Q&As or other virtual events. And unlike text or image posts, where you wait for an interaction, live videos give audiences a chance to react in real time.

Live and simultaneous viewing also gives people a sense of community and togetherness. What’s even better is you can repurpose your livestream video to get more value from the content. For example, you could create multiple shorts or text snippets from your livestream for posts on other networks.

Best social media platforms for live video

Many platforms have livestream capabilities, but the best ones are Facebook Live, Instagram Live, YouTube Live and LinkedIn Live.

YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn Live experienced a boom during the pandemic. YouTube and Facebook Live acted as entertainment for people. While LinkedIn Live allowed brands to reach and communicate with a professional network. On average, LinkedIn live videos get 7x more reactions than native videos.

According to Statista, 43% of US social media users aged 18-34 watched Instagram Live in 2021. That’s in part because the platform is designed to better your chances of followers joining you. When you go live on Instagram, your Live content appears at the beginning of Instagram stories.

How BuzzFeed uses live video to spark interest

BuzzFeed is a news and entertainment company that talks about viral topics. One of its branches, BuzzFeed Video, produces original video content about their articles.

From trying viral TikTok products to, home decor andor easy meal preps, BuzzFeed Video attracts a wide audience around pop culture. They use Facebook Live to bring their blog content to life and be part of the conversation on social. Jumping on viral trends or speaking directly to their audience’s interests enables them to stay relevant in real time and be an entertaining source of information that makes you want to come back for more.

4. GIFs/memes

GIFS and memes are a particular type of social media content favored by younger generations. When words can’t describe the mix of gestures and feelings we all relate to at some point, memes can add meaning to these situations.

These types of social media content assure your audience gets the message and helps your brand relate to your audience through comedic takes on daily life.

Why GIFs and memes work on social

Besides the fact that they’re shareable and enjoyable, their relatability makes it almost personalized content. Something that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver.

When people see personalized content, their immediate response may be to interact with it and share it with friends. That’s how memes become viral if they’re used with the right audience.

GIFs can have the same effect but are more dynamic due to their animated feature. This makes them an excellent way to start conversations with more than words and still leave an impression.

Best social media platforms for GIFs and memes

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are ideal to post memes. But for GIFs, we recommend Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. If you post a GIF on Instagram, it will be added as a short video.

Memes drive engagement, that’s why Instagram users share over one million memes daily. They also drive traffic, as proved by a study from Social Media Today. They posted memes on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for a month, which increased their website traffic by 12%.

In the case of GIFs, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have special features for sharing this type of content. Twitter and LinkedIn make it as easy as tapping on the “GIF” icon and selecting the GIF you want to share. And Facebook’s boomerang feature allows you to capture moments in a loop so you can create your own GIFs.

How ProWritingAid uses GIFs/memes to connect with their audience

ProWritingAid is an AI writing assistant software that corrects your grammar and style with automated suggestions. If you go to their Instagram profile, you’ll notice that their most engaging posts are memes from writers for writers.

They use memes to convey their audience’s common tasks, like finishing a book outline, the struggles that come with it and wholesome messages. This relatable content builds relationships with their audience by speaking to their pain points, while still providing comedic relief.

5. Text-based posts

It’s important for businesses to prioritize visual content, but they shouldn’t lose sight of the power of words. What’s more, 32% of consumers say text-based posts are still one of the most engaging types of social media content.

Written content needs the same attention, consistency and creative elements that you give other content formats. But developing a distinctive brand tone and voice that aligns with your visual identity will help your written content stand out from the crowded social chatter.

Why text-based posts work on social

According to our index, 34% of consumers follow their favorite brands on social to see the brand’s personality. And the most direct way to give that to your customers is with text posts.

Short-form video is reigning and an image is worth a thousand words. But that doesn’t mean text-based content is redundant. And that’s especially true for social media, where text-based content can be valuable for starting conversations that help you get to know your customers better.

Best social media platforms for text-based posts

Reddit, Twitter and LinkedIn are top-of-mind for text-based posts in the social media content categories.

Reddit is a great platform to engage in Q&As and get conversational with your fans. While LinkedIn is perfect to share thought leadership, articles and engage with your professional network.

Still, Twitter is by far the most popular platform for text-based posts. It’s perfect to share digestible bits of information, ideas and news. That’s why it’s always buzzing with conversations. And engaging in conversations that interest your audience can help you widen your reach and build a community.

4 use cases of text-based content from McDonald’s

McDonald’s is one of the most successful fast-food chains with millions of customers served each day. On Twitter, the brand uses text posts to communicate with fans in a relatable, casual and humorous voice that brings the brand down to earth. Specifically, they use these types of text posts to define their brand values and start conversations:

1. Asking their fans questions and encouraging them to engage in fun trends.

   what’s your drive thru hype song? there are no wrong answers

   — McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 7, 2021

2. Using Tweets to collect and act on the feedback shared directly from their community.

   about to present this to my boss do u guys have any feedback? https://t.co/yp3NreJaXy

   — McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 10, 2021

   Y’ALL WE DID IT. Hi-C Orange is coming back 💥 pic.twitter.com/wIaUa6vzPZ

   — McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 10, 2021

3. They don’t just post, wait for engagement and leave it at that. The brand addresses nearly every response they get.
4. McDonald’s cross-promotes their text tweets and repurposes them on other social platforms using graphic elements.
   if u can do this u can have my job

   Posted by McDonald's on Thursday, February 25, 2021

These examples show how McDonald’s uses text-based content as a way of building a community and engaging with them. Plus, this makes customers perceive the brand as approachable which builds trust.

6. User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is content created by fans, consumers or users that brands repurpose for their feed. When consumers create content showcasing your products, they’re essentially giving you social proof and testimonials.

UGC has opened the doors for brands to reach a wider audience as people enjoy being part of a community. Also, UGC shows real-life uses of your products or services, which makes your followers more willing to try them.

Why user-generated content works on social

Of all the types of social media content, UGC is the most trustworthy. Consumers want to see real customers showing their experiences with your brand.

According to our 2023 content benchmark report, around 39% of consumers like to see testimonials or customer demos from the brands they follow on social because that’s the type of content they consider authentic. This creates trust, which ultimately affects the decision of 58% of consumers to pick a brand over a competitor, according to our Index data.

Also, you can take advantage of UGC to maximize your budget while reaching more consumers. When a user tries your product and posts about it, their followers may want to try it and post about it as well. This creates a chain reaction in which you reach the followers of your followers. Yet, over 93% of marketers aren’t using the full power of UGC, so there’s a lot of opportunity with this type of content.

Best social media platforms for user-generated content

Instagram and TikTok are the go-to social media platforms to find user-generated content. This is because both are highly effective for visual content, especially short-form videos. And since video content is best for showcasing a product over text or static images, 79% of marketers are willing to invest more in video leveraging authentic content (UGC) in 2023 according to the SOUGC report.

How L’Oreal Paris USA leverages UGC content with TikTok

L’Oreal Paris is a cosmetic brand that empowers women through beauty. They launched a TikTok contest to win $25,000 in which TikTokers had to upload a 15-second video showcasing their new telescopic lift mascara.

This tactic generated tons of UGC videos that fueled their brand awareness. Also, their mascara went viral on TikTok, promoting more sales. And they got lots of product demos for future campaigns.

7. Long-form video

Long-form video is the type of social media content you look for when you want educational and informative videos. Even though short-form videos are the most popular type of content, they lack the depth you crave when you’re genuinely interested in a topic. While videos that last longer are packed with information that builds authority.

Why long-form video works on social

Long-form videos are great for developing relationships with your audience. What’s more, 24% of consumers report long-form video content as the most engaging type of social media content.

Also, long-form videos are one of the best types of social media content to share educational topics. In fact, 93% of viewers use YouTube for educational purposes, and as of March 2021, users spent an average of 29 minutes and 36 seconds per visit.

Best social media platforms for long-form video

YouTube and Facebook are the most popular platforms for long-form content.

When you think about long videos, your mind naturally drifts to the giant online video-sharing platform we know as YouTube. And with good reason, as YouTube is designed to share videos of all lengths and keep people watching.

It’s also important to note that 71% and 51% of consumers expect to use Facebook and YouTube (respectively) more in 2023, according to our Index data.

How TED uses long-form video to connect with its audience

TED Talks discuss specific topics that move the world. Speakers present “Ideas Worth Spreading” from innovative research in their fields hoping to ignite imagination and give space to possibility.

TED’s long-form video content has become a worldwide phenomenon because the ideas click with people, giving them a feeling of belonging and community. But how does TED keep people interested in a 10+ minute video?

Because of storytelling!

The script of every TED Talk is packed with knowledge and information, but also strategic rhetorical questions, pauses and a bit of humor. The talks are meant to be stories that draw the listener in. So it’s all about how you present this information. YouTube creates the perfect space for this as it enables TED Talks to appeal to their audience through education and entertainment.

8. Audio

Social audio is about using your voice rather than comments, emojis or reactions to communicate. You record yourself talking about hot topics or experiences you think will interest your audience.

And the single best format for this type of social media content is podcasts.

Why audio content works on social

Around 32% of people in the US put their headphones on and listened to podcasts while in the car in 2022. A smart way of learning something new and passing the time when you need your eyes on the road. And sometimes people want information without the commitment of being in front of a screen for an hour.

Even though podcasts have at least a basic outline to plan their episode, most of the talking, expressions or personalities are genuine. This allows listeners to connect with the host, but the quality of the content is also important to prompt your audience to hear the next episode.

Best social media platforms for audio

Podcasts are best found in libraries like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be repurposed to fit your social media networks.

TikTok and YouTube are great platforms for podcasts as they can play long audio recordings, just like they do with video. You just need to add an image or film the recording of your podcast.

2 use cases of audio content from HerFirst100k

HerFirst100k strives to give women financial education and create a supportive community that thrives. Their podcast, The Financial Feminist, aligns with their financial freedom and community goals. Here’s how they repurposed their podcast on their social to achieve more visibility:

1. TikTok teaser videos that increase their reach and promote their podcast to get more subscribers.

   @herfirst100k

   Whatever she’s doing is working because @nadyaokamoto has redirected the attention to important issues like period poverty. #financialfeminist

   ♬ original sound – Tori Dunlap — Money Expert 💸

2. YouTube gives HerFirst100k a chance to address questions important to their audience on a platform they frequent. Also, it expands its reach beyond podcasting platforms by increasing their visibility on one of the popular search engines.

9. URL/links to other content

Using links helps you bring more followers to your website or other content. As the links are in your social media posts, it gives your audience easy access to content of interest and extends their experience with your brand.

URLs allow your brand to share more details, or go beyond the limits of character count within a social media platform with a single click.

Why URL/links to other content work on social

If you put a link in your social media posts to respective content on your website, you’re creating more opportunity to drive traffic to your site.

What’s more, when you promote a new product or service on social media, a link to the checkout or pricing page can help drive sales. It also reduces friction to purchase by making it easy to go from one platform to the next.

Best social media platforms for URL/link to other content

The best social media platforms for URL/links to other content are LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. On these platforms, linking to other content is as easy as including the link in the character field and posting it.

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter emphasize your links by showing a thumbnail image in your posts. For Pinterest, the process is similar, but you can customize the thumbnail image by uploading an image, titling your pin and adding a description.

3 use cases of URL content from Sprout Social

Sprout Social uses specific platforms to expand the reach of their website content. They meet people where they’re at in the format they want to consume it. Here are three types of URL content Sprout Social uses:

1. Updates of newly added functionalities and integrations to get the attention of potential customers in the decisions stage. This can lead to sales but also drive engagement among current customers that enjoy the new features.
   
2. Social media articles in Sprout Social’s Insights blog which drives traffic to their website and more visibility when it comes to industry topics.
   

Find the types of social media content that work for your audience

Thanks to all these types of social media content, there are multiple ways for you to express your brand voice and make meaningful connections. And while best practices are a good starting point, your audience and brand are unique, so you need to find what works best for both.

Discover what type of content your brand should use on social media by taking our social media content mix quiz to find the ideal fit.

The post 9 popular types of social media content to grow your brand appeared first on Sprout Social.

But as social media’s influence moves from marketing departments to other business functions, it might be time to think about creators in the same light. Obviously, creators won’t ever man your customer care lines, but their in-depth knowledge of their communities (a.k.a. your potential customers) can come in handy. Creators already have their hands in sales with affiliate marketing. It might be time to think about integrating them into another key function of your business: product development.

What brands can accomplish with co-creation

Creators have platforms because they understand their audience. They know what their audience wants to see, what problems they’re facing and what stories are relevant to them. That foundational knowledge is the basis of product design and research.

Tapping into that knowledge source can be invaluable for brands. After all, an unfiltered comment section on a creator video will give you far better insight into your consumer than any formal survey or focus group ever could. In a world where businesses increasingly rely on social data, creators can provide qualitative insights to complement the quantitative results you get from social listening.

If you don’t take advantage of creator insights, they might do it themselves. Today’s marketing collaborator could easily become tomorrow’s competition. We’ve seen dozens of creators parlay their consumer insights, and existing customer base, into successful independent brands.

For example, creator Emma Chamberlain launched her own coffee company in 2020, garnering a $7 million Series A round in the process. Partnering with creators before they decide to go it alone can knock out potential competition before it emerges.

Case studies in successful co-creation

The idea of bringing creators to the product development table is new, but it’s not untested. We’ve seen successful collaborations across industries that bring value to both the company and the creator.

The Shutterfly Collective

Shutterfly, an online retailer specializing in personalized products, launched The Shutterfly Collective, a limited collection designed by influencers in July 2022. They paired popular creators like Brittany Broski, Chris Olsen, Serena Kerrigan and Elsa Majimbo with designers to create over 4,000 new designs for their customers. Shutterfly capitalized on these creators’ personal sense of style and knowledge of the customer to create captivating designs for their customizable products.

Tabitha Brown for Target

Tabitha Brown rose to prominence as a creator in 2020 as the perfect package of personality and style. She started out sharing vegan recipes on social media and quickly garnered a following through her warmth and authenticity. Recognizing Tabitha’s range, Target reached out for an unprecedented co-creation partnership that reached almost every aisle in the store.

Tabitha Brown for Target features apparel, home goods, office supplies, food, pet items and kitchenware. Each piece is inspired by her outgoing personality, commitment to health and overall charisma. It’s the result of a two-year partnership and fans absolutely love it.

Tabasco x Tinx

Your customer might be using your product in ways you’re not thinking about. For instance, Tabasco has been making hot sauce since 1869. In that time, they’ve made different varieties of their sauce, but they’ve firmly stayed in that lane.

Enter creator Christina Najarr, better known as Tinx on social media. When she posted a video about “drowning” her guacamole in green Tabasco as a DIY dressing for her Chipotle bowl, it caught the legacy brand’s attention. The result of their co-creation effort was an entirely new product for the company, an avocado green hot sauce dressing.

How to bring creators into your product development process

If you’ve been inspired to bring creators into your product development process, here are some tips to get you started.

Start with data

As they say, it’s not what you know, but who you know. You likely have a roster of creators you’ve worked with in the past. Scrutinize the data on those collaborations and look for patterns. Which campaigns were most successful? Which creators have a pulse on the demographics you’re trying to reach? What trends are you seeing across the board with your creators? All of that information is incredibly valuable when you’re figuring out which creator is best suited for the co-creation process.

Forge a new kind of focus group

Creators’ communities are living focus groups. Creators themselves are steeped in the opinions of their audience, which can help you eliminate some of the cost and time-intensive aspects of your product development process. If you bring in the right creators early on, you can cut down on the number of iterations and get to a viable product that much faster. If a creator says something will work, trust them. Obviously, you’ll still need to test and ideate, but creators should be a main source of information—and inspiration.

Make it make sense

Don’t embark on co-creation just for the sake of trying it. Make sure you’re working with someone who makes sense for your business, audience and the rest of your product roadmap. It took two years for Target to expand Tabitha Brown’s line to their entire store. Take your time and make sure you’re creating products your audience actually wants.

And remember: Bigger isn’t always better. When you’re co-creating, it’s better to have a creator partner with a deep understanding of their audience and a strong point of view than a creator with a larger follower count. The best co-creation benefits come from creators with a clearly defined niche.

Be on equal footing

You’re an expert in your product. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be running the show. Creators have a unique window into your audience, making them the experts on what they want. They’ll be putting their name—and reputation—on this product in the same way you will, so approach them as equal partners in the process.

Co-creation is just good business

Creators are one of the most valuable resources your company has access to if you can collaborate with them effectively. However you’re looking to leverage creators, our creator economy data report has insights you need to get started.

The post Co-creation: Why creators should be part of your product development team appeared first on Sprout Social.

Social media statistics give you valuable insight into who your audience is, their interests and habits. This helps you tailor your marketing strategies to boost engagement and ROI.

Stats can also help you benchmark your own performance within your industry and even uncover new opportunities.

Use the social media statistics below to guide your presence in 2023 and beyond.

Table of contents:

• Social media usage statistics
• Social media advertising statistics
• Facebook statistics
• Instagram statistics
• LinkedIn statistics
• Pinterest statistics
• TikTok statistics
• Twitter statistics
• YouTube statistics
• Social media video statistics
• Influencer marketing statistics
• Consumer behavior statistics

Social media usage statistics

It’s no secret that we’re all glued to social media (guilty as charged).

Below is a quick snapshot of how social media demographics and usage is changing, which networks are winning and just how hooked consumers are on social.

1. In 2023, there are estimated to be 4.89 billion total social media users worldwide.
2. The average person bounces between seven different social networks per month.
3. The amount of time internet users spend on social media is now higher than ever — 151 minutes per day.
4. TikTok is the fastest-growing social network with a staggering 100% user growth rate between 2020 and 2022.
5. The number of social media users worldwide grew by only 3% YoY from January 2022 to January 2023 (+137 million users.)

Despite slow growth, social media presents a huge opportunity for marketers and advertisers. However, with users spread across several platforms, it’s more important than ever for brands to take a multi-channel approach. Don’t forget to leverage emerging platforms like TikTok to reach new audiences and stand out from the competition.

Social media advertising statistics

Sure, social ads might have a bad reputation among the average consumer.

But they’re still incredibly effective and you can’t escape them. Winning with social media advertising means that you can’t just “spray and pray” when it comes to your ads. Higher campaign price tags and consumers ignoring ads is obviously a problem for brands, but positive results keep rolling in.

6. It’s now projected that $130.5 billion of total social media ad spending will be generated through mobile by 2027. 
7. Social media recently overtook paid search as an advertising channel, growing 25% YoY and exceeding $137 billion (just edging out search’s $135 billion).
8. Retargeting ads are the most-used among marketers, with 77% of B2B and B2C marketers alike saying they use retargeting as part of their Facebook and Instagram advertising strategies.
9. Total spend on social media advertising is projected to reach $268 billion in 2023.

Social media ad spend is growing at a steady rate. With more marketers investing in ads, brands should get ready to allocate bigger budgets to paid marketing strategies to compete.

Facebook statistics

Facebook remains an advertising powerhouse. Whether or not brands should focus on Facebook is a tough question that really depends on your individual Facebook metrics. The following Facebook statistics can clue you in further.

10. Facebook is the most-used platform by marketers worldwide (93%). Instagram sits in second place (78%).
11. As of Q4 2022, Facebook is the largest online social network in the world with roughly 2.96 billion monthly active users.
12. 70% of American adults use Facebook
13. An average American spends 33 minutes per day on Facebook.
14. 56.6% of Facebook users are male and 43.4% are female (based on available gender data.)
15. Almost a quarter of Facebook users in the US are between the ages 25-34.

Facebook remains a favorite among marketers. That’s not surprising, considering the massive reach offered by the platform. Plus, the increasing average age means more users are in high-level, decision-making positions in their careers.

Instagram statistics

Instagram quietly crossed 2 billion users in 2022 and brands are still scrambling to get more Instagram followers. Below are the top social media statistics for Instagram.

16. Instagram is the king of social selling. For consumers, it offers the best in-app shopping experience of any app. For marketers, it offers the highest ROI for selling products.

17. 61.2% of total Instagram users are between the ages 18-34.
18. Reels take up 30% of the time people spend on Instagram.
19. Instagram’s engagement rates are four times higher than Facebook (0.60% to 0.15%), but have been continuously decreasing.

20. In 2023, 29% of marketers plan to invest more on Instagram than any other platform.

Once the go-to social platform for influencers, Instagram is facing challenges from the likes of TikTok and its younger base appears to be dwindling.

Still, relatively high engagement rates, fresh ecommerce features and big ad spending signal that the future is still bright for Instagram.

LinkedIn statistics

LinkedIn has done a brilliant job of carving out its niche as the go-to professional network. The platform is a potential goldmine for B2B brands and the rapid growth of their ad platform speaks for itself. Here are some LinkedIn statistics you should know.

21. There are more than 900 million members across 200 countries on LinkedIn.
22. The United States has the highest user rate in the world on LinkedIn with an audience reach of over 199 million users.
23. There are over 58 million company profiles on LinkedIn.
24. 16.2% of LinkedIn users in the US use the platform daily (versus 48.5% that log in monthly).

Spurred by the widespread career changes over the past two years, the platform doesn’t look to slow down any time soon. Hint: now’s the time to level up your LinkedIn marketing if you’re in B2B.

Pinterest statistics

Pinterest often doesn’t get its due when it comes to social platforms. The platform’s diverse, big-spending audience is among the most dedicated and engaged of any network. Here are some top Pinterest statistics to look out for.

25. 450 million people use Pinterest every month.
26. 76.7% of Pinterest users are women, 15.3% are men and 8% are unspecified.
27. 45% of Pinterest users in the US have a household income over $100K, and 21% earn $30K or less.
28. Pinterest is the second-most visited website in the US.
29. Pinterest users spend twice as much monthly as people on other platforms.

The power of Pinterest advertising is well-documented and the platform is the perfect place to uncover new products. Also, marketers targeting a US audience would do well to include Pinterest in their marketing efforts.

TikTok statistics

TikTok has totally transformed itself to a must-have social network for brands. The platform’s rabid fanbase, rapid growth and sky-high usage spell great news for early adopters. Below are some interesting TikTok statistics to know about.

30. TikTok has over 1 billion active users worldwide.
31. TikTok is the most frequently used social media app worldwide, with users spending an average of 23.5 hours per month on the platform.
32. TikTok’s user base skews female, with 54.1% of users identifying as women (based on available gender data.)
33. 38.9% of TikTok users are 18-24 years old and account for the largest share of TikTok’s advertising audience.
34. 78.9% of TikTok users are looking for fun or entertaining content on the platform.

Younger consumers and smaller influencers dominate the platform right now, but that may change in the very near future. If you’re already on the platform, make sure to watch your TikTok analytics and how to reach your audience ASAP.

Twitter statistics

Twitter has cemented itself as the hub of political discussions, memes and a prime place to go back and forth with brands. Take a look at the Twitter statistics below to understand more about marketing on the platform.

35. Twitter boasts about 556 million monthly active users in total worldwide.
36. 53% of Twitter users use the platform to get the latest news.
37. More than half (63%) of Twitter users are men (based on available gender data.)
38. 71% of marketers plan to spend less time on Twitter in 2023.
39. US adults spend an average of 34.8 minutes daily on Twitter.

The rise of features like Twitter Spaces signals a window of opportunity for the platform to really earn its wings again.

Youtube statistics

To compete with emerging platforms like TikTok, the second-largest search engine in the world is making some big changes. Here are the top YouTube statistics to know about.

40. As of January 2023, YouTube has over 2.5 billion users worldwide. However, the platform’s active users have decreased by 48 million over the past year.
41. YouTube Shorts get 30 billion views daily from users around the globe.
42. 12% of YouTube users are males aged between 25-34, and 9% are females of the same age (based on available gender data.)
43. People spend an average of 19 minutes per day watching videos on YouTube.
44. Nearly 90% of all visits to YouTube come from a mobile device.

Despite a slight downward trend in growth this year, YouTube is still users’ go-to video-sharing platform. With more people accessing the app on mobile, though, marketers would benefit from posting more short-form, vertical content (i.e. Shorts) on the platform.

Social media video statistics

Video continues to be an all-time favorite content type. It’s versatile, engaging and offers excellent ROI to marketers worldwide. Let’s look at some recent social media video statistics.

45. 51% of people are more likely to share videos with friends and family over any other content type.

46. 87% of marketers say video marketing has helped them drive more sales.
47. Short-form video offers marketers the highest ROI of any social media marketing strategy.
48. US video advertising is expected to increase from $67.16 billion in 2022 to $78.45 in 2023.

Video is making its way into all types of marketing strategies in virtually every industry. However, it’s evolving in its shape and form. Brands can expect to see better results from short-form video content that’s primarily entertaining and/or funny.

Influencer marketing statistics

Working with influencers is one of the best inbound marketing strategies being used today. Here are some statistics about which influencer platforms marketers are leveraging, what they’re hoping to achieve and how they plan to execute influencer marketing in the future.

49. Instagram offers the highest ROI to influencer marketers, followed by YouTube and Facebook.
50. 56% of marketers use TikTok for influencer marketing, making it the most popular influencer marketing channel.
51. Generating more engagement, reaching new audiences and strengthening community are the top three marketing goals for working with creators.

52. 67% of marketers plan to spend more on influencer marketing campaigns in 2023.
53. 63% of marketers plan to use AI in launching their influencer campaigns. And 2 out of 3 of these brands will use AI for identifying influencers.

More marketers are realizing the potential of influencer marketing. If influencers are not already part of your marketing efforts, it’s time to switch your focus. The key is to pick the best platforms and influencers for your brand, both of which can be automated using the right tools.

Consumer behavior statistics

The concept of buying something you saw on social media is nothing new. From product recommendations to first impressions from brands, the impact of social media on consumers is well-documented.

54. More consumers report finding the perfect product by seeing a targeted ad (49%) over an organic post by a brand (40%).

55. The majority (71%) of livestream viewers have purchased something via social media.
56. Gen Z shoppers anticipate making more purchases on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, whereas Baby Boomers plan to shop more on Facebook.
57. 41% of Gen Z and Millennials make an impulse purchase online every 2-3 weeks. On the other hand, only 10% of Baby Boomers can say the same.

The recent growth of direct social sales is notable. Consumers likewise crave authenticity and ads that don’t feel like ads. But the key to selling on social is to know your customer, which platforms they prefer and how their unique buying behavior works.

Use social media statistics to guide your strategy

Learning the latest social media marketing statistics is key to fine-tuning your strategy and setting smarter goals.

Are there any opportunities on new networks? Do you need to shift from organic content to ads (or vice-versa)? Should you double down on what you’re doing now?

We hope our social media statistics help you find the answers. Combing through them is totally worth it — you should bookmark them if you haven’t already.

After reviewing these stats, make sure you check out our roundup of the top social media management tools to help you maintain a memorable and consistent social presence.

The post 50+ of the most important social media marketing statistics for 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

These LinkedIn Statistics will show you why it is the network for B2B marketers, to target motivated audiences in 2023.

We will bring you up to date on the value of LinkedIn as a network, and provide insight into how to expand your reach with statistics and data from trusted sources, including the Sprout Social Index™, Social Media Trends for 2022 & Beyond. The demographic data alone could be the key to planning your LinkedIn marketing strategy for 2023. 

Let’s dive in.

Table of contents:

• LinkedIn demographics statistics
• How many users are on LinkedIn?
• LinkedIn advertising and marketing statistics
• LinkedIn Engagement Statistics

LinkedIn demographics statistics

1. More men use LinkedIn than women

Worldwide, men tend to use LinkedIn more than women. As of January 2022, 57.2% of users were male and 42.8% were female. The numbers of users are skewed slightly higher to male in the United States, at 58%.

Note: Sprout Social acknowledges gender beyond male and female; we are presenting the stats as reported by the source. Statista limits its gender reporting to male and female.

2. Members in the US are generally older than global users.

LinkedIn usage statistics on age of users vary globally. As of January 2023, 60% of global users were aged 25–34, representing younger millennials. Those between the ages of 18–24, mid-range Gen Z, made up 20.4% of LinkedIn users while only 2.9% of people over 55 were using the platform. No statistics were provided for users aged 35–54.

In the US, as of December 2022, 31% of users were older millennials between the ages of 30 and 39. Those aged 40–49 made up 23% of the user base, while almost 20% were primarily within the Gen Z cohort at 18–29 years old. No statistics were provided for users aged 50 and over.

So although the Gen Z user cohort appears consistent both globally and in the US, users in the United States alone tend to be a bit older.

3. At least half of LinkedIn’s members’ households earn more than $75,000

LinkedIn demographics indicate that more than half of users have higher incomes. A December 2022 survey indicated that 53% of LinkedIn users in the United States had a high monthly household income. The year before, Pew research showed that 50% of LinkedIn users had a household income of more than $75,000. That 2022 survey found that 29% of users’ households would be considered middle-income, while only 17% would be considered low-income.

This correlates with the Pew study which found that 21% of US users’ income was between $50,000 and $74,999 and 21% was between $30,000 and $49,000. Only 12% of LinkedIn users had an income of less than $30,000.

4. More than half of LinkedIn’s members have at least a bachelor’s degree

These LinkedIn numbers are not surprising when we consider the LinkedIn members’ education statistics. In December 2022, one-third of LinkedIn members had a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and another 23% held a master’s degree or its equivalent. Just 2% had a secondary-level education. This is an 8% decline in high school users from February of 2021.

5. LinkedIn is favored by suburban and urban dwellers

A Pew research study determined that 30% of LinkedIn users lived in urban centers, 33% lived in the suburbs and only 15% lived in rural areas.

How many users are on LinkedIn?

6. LinkedIn has more than 900 million members in 200 countries and regions

The question of LinkedIn usage statistics was answered in LinkedIn’s second quarter of fiscal year 2022 update. The number of current members is in excess of 900 million. And 3 new members sign up every second!

At this time, there are over 61 million companies listed on LinkedIn.

7. There are more than 199 million members in the US alone

As a country, the United States clearly represents the most members on LinkedIn. However, as a region, Asia Pacific (APAC) has the most members at 227 million. North America, or NAM, is next with 220 million members, then EMEA, Europe, the Middle East and Africa is next with 210 million. Latin America (LATAM) is last on this list with 109 million members.

LinkedIn is available in 26 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Turkish.

8. Most desktop traffic to LinkedIn comes from the US

With these LinkedIn numbers, it’s no surprise that the largest share of desktop traffic to LinkedIn comes from the US. As of May 2022, 31.28% of this traffic came from the United States, 7.08% came from India and 5.99% came from the United Kingdom. Brazil and Canada rounded out the top 5 with 4.39% and 4.11% respectively.

9. More than 137 million US LinkedIn members use the platform daily

In December of 2022, data indicated that 69% of US users were on LinkedIn daily, 15% used it several times a week and another 5% used it once a week. LinkedIn’s most up-to-date statistics do not contain data on the number of monthly average users (MAU). But, it was projected that in 2022 MAU in the US alone would reach 66.8 million, a 2.1 million gain over 2021.

Also, App Ape reported that 48.5% of US LinkedIn app audiences were monthly average users in 2021. In that same year, 17.1% of US Android LinkedIn app owners used the app daily.

10. The average visit to LinkedIn is just over 7 minutes long

There were 1.7 billion visits to LinkedIn in December 2022, a 16.86% increase over November. The average visit lasted 7.27 minutes and, on average, 7.66 pages were visited. These LinkedIn stats refer only to desktop traffic.

LinkedIn advertising and marketing statistics

11. The #1 platform for B2B marketers

According to a study by LinkedIn, it’s the leading platform for lead generation. And, 4 out of 5 of its 900 million members drive business decisions. That’s over 720 million members! Even when membership was only 850 million plus, LinkedIn reached 180 million senior-level influencers. And, a LinkedIn audience has twice the buying power of the average online audience.

Compared to other social channels, 82% of B2B marketers obtain their greatest success with LinkedIn. A staggering 93% of B2B marketers used LinkedIn for organic social marketing in the 12 months preceding October 2021. And 77% said they saw their best organic results from LinkedIn. Of the 77% of B2B respondents who used paid social media platforms, 75% chose LinkedIn in that same time period, saying it produced the best results. So, it’s not surprising LinkedIn generated 3.8 billion in ad revenue in 2021, which revenue is expected to increase to 7.7 billion by 2026.

12. Ads on LinkedIn do especially well

Ads on LinkedIn garner a 33% increase in purchase intent for brands. When they advertise on LinkedIn, brands can see a 2–3x lift in their brand attributes. Marketers experience a conversion rate up to 2x higher on LinkedIn. And audiences that have been exposed to brand and acquisition messages on the platform are 6x more likely to convert.

13. Highly effective channel for lead generation

LinkedIn is rated as the most effective channel for driving high-quality leads by 40% of B2B marketers. In fact, 89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation and 62% say it produces leads for them. It only makes matters better that LinkedIn’s cost per lead is 28% lower than Google AdWords.

And, 35% of B2B marketers ranked LinkedIn as the most important social media network overall in 2021. With all that LinkedIn has to offer marketers, it’s no surprise that 97% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for content marketing.

According to the latest LinkedIn statistics, the platform has an audience reach of 199 million users in the US alone.

LinkedIn engagement statistics

14. Complete your LinkedIn page

Pages with complete information get 30% more weekly views. LinkedIn best practice is to fill in all the information including your logo, overview, organization information and so forth. Don’t forget, members can search you by keywords, so the more complete and relevant your page is, the better. Companies that have done this and are active on their pages see a 5x lift in page views, a 7x lift in average impressions per follower and an 11x lift in clicks per follower. And, companies that post on LinkedIn weekly will see a 2x higher engagement rate.

15. Listicles and LinkedIn Polls seem to do best on LinkedIn

Text-only posts should not be ignored. They are still quite common on LinkedIn and can do a lot to engage your target audience when employed strategically. The character limit for posts has changed to 3000 in 2023 which can be anywhere between 500 and 1000 words. Use hashtags. They can be searched on LinkedIn, bringing users straight to your content.

An independent study of 3000 posts on LinkedIn found that long-form content of 1900-2000 words get the most views, likes, comments and shares on LinkedIn. And if those posts were broken up by 5, 7 or 9 headings they gained 50%, 33% and 47% more views than a single heading post, respectively.

Listicles, especially “how-to’s” do very well on LinkedIn. The independent study found that a “how-to” post performs 31.5% better in terms of LinkedIn analytics than all other types of posts.

LinkedIn Polls help you engage with your audience because they get to give their opinions about the questions you pose. Use them to learn about pain points, what they’re looking for from your brand and more. Your question should be engaging and relevant. You can give up to four answer choices. Use the number that will best allow your ideal audience members to share their opinions. Not only do these polls engage your audience, but you can learn a great deal about them to help you in your future marketing efforts.

This LinkedIn Poll by Sarah Johnston got 6,290 votes and 160 comments.

Imagine what you could do with the right question.

16. Images have a marked effect on engagement

Using images in your posts results in a 98% higher comment rate compared to text-only posts. And for ads with a single image, larger images of 1200 x 627 pixels garner up to a 38% higher click-through rate. In the case of images, sometimes more is better. Custom collages of 3–4 images in a post perform particularly well for companies. And the independent study mentioned above indicated that posts with a single image are over 2x as engaging as a text-only post. Posts with 4 images are almost 4x as engaging and those with 8 images are almost 10x as engaging. Further, having 8 images is nearly 4x as engaging as a single image post.

17. Video is becoming more impactful on LinkedIn

Video gets 5x more engagement on LinkedIn. Users will engage with video ads for nearly 3x longer than other types of ads. Since videos are often watched without sound, it’s a good idea to add captions to attract and engage your audience. And, show them what you want them to see within the first 10 seconds before you lose their attention. LinkedIn’s research shows that members are 20x more likely to share a video on LinkedIn than any other type of post. Plus, 73% of B2B marketers say that video positively impacts their marketing return on investment.

According to LinkedIn, you can use YouTube videos too, and they will play directly in your feed, generally resulting in a share rate of 75%.

Video is so versatile. You can share just about anything. It doesn’t only have to be ads. You can share your brand values, news, and information on upcoming events or opinions on social issues that matter. In fact, data from the Index indicate that 71% of consumers think it’s important for brands to raise awareness and take a stand on sensitive issues. This is a great way to engage with and grow your audience, especially if you take advantage of the many tools available to you on LinkedIn.

People tend to favor short-form videos, which they find 2x more engaging than long-form videos. And, according to the Index, 34% of consumers want to see authentic, less-produced videos. Only 26% would like to see polished, highly produced video.

LinkedIn Live videos get 24x more engagement than static posts. Live stream also gets 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than other videos.

You can keep up with this influx of comments from LinkedIn Live using Sprout Social’s Smart Inbox, one of its social media management tools. The Smart Inbox consolidates all of your incoming messages in one place so you don’t have to go from platform to platform to engage with your audience.

LinkedIn recommends that you have a moderator for your live streams and plan to stream for at least 15 minutes to allow your followers time to join. Your audience will keep building as you stream. Use #LinkedInLive in your stream description as well as any other relevant hashtags. This will help you grow your audience beyond your followers.

18. LinkedIn features help you extend your reach

The minimum audience size to run an advertising campaign on LinkedIn is 300 members, but you should shoot for 50,000 or more for text or single image ads. You can increase your reach by using LinkedIn’s “lookalike audience” feature.

This targets people or companies with similar characteristics to your matched audience segment. Using this feature can increase the size of your original audience by up to 15x, not including your original matched audience.

And, you can extend your reach further with the LinkedIn Audience Network feature. It delivers your single image, carousel and video ads beyond your LinkedIn feed to users on third-party apps and sites.

Over 9 million users have turned on LinkedIn Creator Mode since it was launched at the beginning of 2021. Using Creator Mode allows you to grow your reach and influence by helping you establish thought leadership through the content you create and share.

To learn more about the tools you can get access to through creator mode, including LinkedIn Live, visit LinkedIn Creator Mode Help/Answer.

Creator Mode can have a profound impact for marketers. Thought leadership is critical to 79% of potential buyers in determining which providers they want to learn more about. And 70% of potential B2B buyers say LinkedIn is one of the most trusted sources of that information. Another 75% say thought leadership helps them determine which vendors to choose.

Thought leadership is important to 90% of B2B decision makers. Almost half of all C-suite executives will spend at least one hour per week engaged with this type of content.

Improve your LinkedIn marketing strategy in 2023

In 2022, LinkedIn was ranked number 7 in the top ten fastest-growing brands worldwide, based on brand value growth (68%). It was one of only two social media networks in the rankings; YouTube was the other. And LinkedIn’s tools, such as Creator Mode and Audience Network, help you to extend your reach and engage new audiences.

As these LinkedIn statistics and data have shown, executives, decision-makers, buyers and marketers are all networking and growing their businesses on LinkedIn.

Isn’t it time you used LinkedIn for business? Sprout has all the tools you need to do so effortlessly, including the Smart Inbox to help you keep the conversation going smoothly across social platforms.

The post LinkedIn statistics for marketers in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

We gathered 30 statistics to help you understand YouTube’s place in your video marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking for user insights, YouTube search trends or historical facts and figures, we’ve got you covered.

• YouTube data and channel statistics
• YouTube users
• Advertising on YouTube
• YouTube organic search statistics
• YouTube usage statistics
• YouTube growth
• YouTube marketing statistics

YouTube data and channel statistics

Before getting into general YouTube stats, let’s get personal. If you currently manage a presence on the platform, you can check your channel statistics using YouTube analytics. (Also, if you don’t have a brand account on YouTube, now’s a great time to create a channel.)

Access the YouTube analytics tool by going to studio.youtube.com or by clicking your profile icon and selecting “YouTube Studio.”

Once you’re in YouTube Studio, you can click on “Analytics” in the left hand panel to access your YouTube performance analytics. There are several reports available but if you’re just looking for a general overview of channel performance, check out the Channel Overview Report.

The Channel Overview Report will provide you with a graph measuring how your views, watch time and subscriber count are trending over time. On social media, consistency is key. If you’re updating your channel at a regular cadence, you should see gains in channel growth over time.

If you’re noticing a dip, check out these creative approaches to promoting your YouTube channel.

YouTube users

When launching a video marketing strategy, you need to know if the platform’s demographics match your target audience. Let’s cover some of YouTube’s main demographics.

1. YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users

YouTube is visited by nearly a quarter of the world’s population, boasting two billion monthly active users. It’s fair to assume that YouTube has a diverse user base and your business can likely connect to your target audiences.

2. India has the largest YouTube audience, followed by the United States and Brazil

There are approximately 467 million active YouTube users in India, making it the network’s largest audience by country.

High-speed internet became widely available in India in 2016, and internet usage has flourished there ever since. This speedy adoption has contributed to the rise of Indian YouTube stars like T-Series, who is one of the most subscribed YouTubers on the platform.

3. English and Spanish are amongst the most popular languages used on YouTube

More than half (66%) of the content from YouTube’s top 250 channels is produced in English, followed by Spanish (15%) and Portuguese (7%).

4. The largest age group using YouTube is between ages 15-35

About 77% of internet users between ages 15-35 are on YouTube, along with 73% of users aged 36-45, 70% of users aged 46-55 and 67% of users aged 56+.

YouTube’s popularity with Gen Z makes sense; they came of age alongside the network and its top creators, like Emma Chamberlain and David Dobrik.  Aside from entertainment, research shows that Gen Z also turns to YouTube as an educational tool.

5. YouTube users skew male

Roughly 53.9% of YouTube users are men and 46.1% are women. (There’s no data on other genders available at this time.)

6. YouTube users are more likely to have a college education

A Google-commissioned Nielsen study found that YouTube users are more likely to be college educated compared to the general population.

Advertising on YouTube

YouTube ad campaigns pack a visual punch that generate responses from consumers of all ages. If you’re wondering whether they’re worth the investment, let’s dig into some YouTube ad stats.

7. YouTube generated $7.9 billion in ad revenue in Q4 2021

YouTube is a promising advertising platform for brands, generating over $7.9 billion in advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022 alone.

8. Consumers find YouTube ads to be more relevant than linear TV advertising

YouTube ad targeting capabilities create a highly tailored experience for the end user. According to a 2022 study, 59% of respondents agree that YouTube ads are more relevant than ads on linear TV or other streaming apps.

9. Vertical video can increase conversions per dollar

Vertical video—meaning video filmed and viewed in portrait mode, rather than landscape—has exploded in popularity on the platform since the launch of YouTube Shorts. People have been watching YouTube on a variety of screen sizes for quite some time. Now, marketers have the tools they need to optimize for mobile viewing.

Tailoring YouTube ads to adhere to content consumption preferences can drive a noticeable lift in ROI. Vertical creative assets delivered 10% to 20% more conversions per dollar on YouTube Shorts when compared to landscape assets.

10. The most viewed ad of 2022 is a promotion for Amazon’s Alexa home speaker

The minute-long Big Game ad features SNL star Colin Jost and actress Scarlett Johansson.

YouTube organic search statistics

YouTube has its own algorithm and search engine optimization rules to get your content seen. Let’s get into a few stats related to YouTube search.

11. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world

Alphabet, Inc. has cornered the market on search. YouTube follows Google as the second-largest search engine in the world, generating more search queries than Bing, Yahoo, AOL and Ask combined.

This shows how important YouTube SEO is because the platform is also a video and information search tool.

12. 35% of the top global YouTube searches in 2022 are TV related

Turkish television hit Duy Beni nabbed the third highest spot on a 2022 list of top global YouTube searches, making it the most searched for TV show of the year on the platform.

13. The top 5 global searches on YouTube

The top five global YouTube searches of all time are “minecraft”, “TikTok”, “comedy”, “tik tok” and “ASMR.” Two out of these five searches are related to the short-form video giant, TikTok.

14. Gen Z turns to YouTube to dive deeper into their favorite TV shows

According to an Ipsos survey, 60% of Gen Z viewers use YouTube to find content related to TV shows and movies they recently watched.

YouTube usage statistics

Understanding how the platform is being used will inform incorporating YouTube into your marketing strategy.

15. YouTube Shorts earn more than 30 billion daily views

Since its launch in 2021, YouTube Shorts has become a vertical video staple. It’s home to 1.5 billion monthly active users, earning more than 30 billion daily views.

16. TV is YouTube’s fastest-growing screen size

Thanks to connected smart home devices, viewers are enjoying YouTube content beyond the confines of a laptop. Viewers watch more than 700 million hours of YouTube content on TV daily, making it the fastest-growing screen size for content consumption.

17. People watch over 1 billion hours of YouTube video content each day

Not only does YouTube have a large user base, but they also have a highly engaged one with over 1 billion hours of video content being viewed each day.

With the right video content strategy and optimizations like YouTube descriptions, any brand can find an audience for their videos.

18. The most popular YouTube channel has over 200 million subscribers

The most popular YouTube channel is T-Series, with over 230 million subscribers. The next most popular YouTube channels are YouTube Movies, Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes, SET India and Music.

19. The most viewed YouTube video of all time is “Baby Shark Dance”

Parents, this one is probably more than familiar. The viral hit took off in 2016 and shot to the top of the list of most viewed YouTube videos of all time. The video has more than 12 billion views, as of February 2023.

YouTube growth

YouTube has grown quickly since its inception in 2005. Considering the video platform was initially meant to be a niche dating site, its wide appeal use as a video juggernaut is nothing short of remarkable. Let’s look at a few stats to see just how much growth it’s achieved over the past 17 years.

19. The first YouTube video was uploaded on April 23, 2005

YouTube founder Jawed Karim uploaded the very first video to the platform. It was called “Me at the zoo,” and was a 19-second video that has now generated over 221 million views.

20. In 2006, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion

Just a year and a half after the youtube.com domain was bought, Google acquired the video-sharing platform for $1.65 billion. At the time, Google believed they overpaid to acquire the platform. But considering YouTube ad revenue was $8.6 billion in just the last quarter, we know now that Google got a steal.

21. YouTube rolled out video ads in August 2007

YouTube ads have been around almost the entire lifespan of the company. Ads rolled out in August 2007, just 10 months after Google’s acquisition.

22. YouTube is the second most visited website in the world

YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, behind only Google. This means that audiences are frequently referencing YouTube for everything from entertainment to how-to videos.

23. YouTube is available in over 100 countries and 80 languages

Another great statistic showcasing the wide range of users is that YouTube’s video platform is available in over 100 countries and is localized into 80 different languages.

You can reach a wide variety of demographics and even publish video content in various languages to bolster an international marketing strategy.

24. Over 500 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every minute

Don’t get lost in the noise. Over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, so you need a strategy to ensure your video gets seen.

Plan a focus keyword, strategically craft your video title and description and don’t forget about search optimization. You can even incorporate hashtags into your YouTube video content to signal what topics your video is related to.

25. There are more than 51 million YouTube channels

Over 51 million YouTube channels have been created, growing 36% in the last year.

Out of those 51 million+ channels, 306,000 YouTube channels have more than 100,000 subscribers, 29,000 YouTube channels have more than 1 million subscribers and 700 YouTube channels have more than 10 million subscribers.

YouTube marketing statistics

Let’s take a look at how marketers view YouTube. Knowing how other companies are positioning their strategies can help decide your team’s next steps.

26. There’s a prioritization disconnect between marketers and consumers

According to The Sprout Social Index™ 2022, half of consumers (51%) plan on spending more time on YouTube over the next 12 months. In terms of popularity, it’s second only to Facebook.

On the other hand, only 35% of marketers anticipate leveraging the platform over the next year. This disconnect creates a clear opportunity for savvy brands looking to gain a competitive advantage.

27. 22% of marketers are using YouTube Stories

YouTube Stories, the platform’s answer to ephemeral content, came out in November 2017. As of now, 22% of marketers have incorporated YouTube Stories into their strategy.

Unlike Instagram or Facebook Stories, YouTube Stories expire after seven days, as opposed to 24 hours. If you want to test out the feature, we recommend using them as a promotional tool for recently added content. Give your followers a peek at what to expect from your latest video so they can decide whether they’d like to see more.

28. Influencer follower count impacts engagement rate

YouTube influencers with between 100,000 and 1,000,000 followers had the highest engagement rates, amounting to just over 4%. YouTubers with between 1,000 and 5,000 followers had the lowest engagement rate on average, at 2.05%.

These averages are good to keep in mind, but they shouldn’t be the end all and be all of your YouTube influencer marketing strategy. Remember: Micro-influencers can speak more effectively to a niche target audience than some of the biggest names on the platform.

29. YouTube is the first stop in the social shopping journey

YouTube has some serious sway when it comes to social commerce. According to research from Google and Ipsos, 80% of shoppers who watched a video related to a planned purchase said they watched it at the beginning of their shopping process.

YouTube is home to several content formats that allow consumers to research interests alongside their favorite creators. Whether it’s a haul video, a “shop with me” vlog or something else entirely, these videos provide consumers with a more authentic look at the value they can get from a purchase.

30. There are penalties for over-tagging

According to Google’s Help Center, if a YouTube video or playlist has more than 60 tags, all of the hashtags on that content will be ignored.

A little bit goes a long way when it comes to YouTube hashtags. We recommend using one to two hashtags in your video title and three to five hashtags in your description. Anything more can appear spammy, turning away potential viewers.

Ramp up your YouTube marketing strategy

Demographic data and usage trends are the foundation of any network-specific social media marketing strategy. Combine these YouTube stats with your channel-specific metrics to create a blueprint for success in 2023.

Keep building on your strategy with our complete guide to YouTube marketing. It’ll give you all the strategic tips you need to take full advantage of this social media powerhouse.

The post 30 YouTube statistics to power your marketing strategy in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

Brands that are truly “killing it” on TikTok are creating content that’s as entertaining as it is authentic–making the audience feel closer to the brand. This trends away from the often polished and perfect posts we’re used to seeing from businesses on other social media platforms.

This 45-minute discussion will cover: 

• How your business can gain value from TikTok 
• TikTok audience insights and its potential for your business
• Impactful TikTok marketing tips you can begin implementing now

Featuring speakers from Sprout Social:

The post How to Unlock the Power of TikTok for Your Business appeared first on Sprout Social.

When creating your TikTok marketing strategy, it’s a good idea to use a mixture of popular TikTok trends as well as some staples that can count as evergreen content. This will help your channel stay relevant and timely.

But in order to keep up with the latest trends, you need to know what they are.

We’ve compiled a list of the top eight TikTok trends we expect to see this year (and beyond). With each example, we dive in and share how you can use these trends in your own TikTok strategy.

Top TikTok trends to influence your 2023 TikTok strategy

1. Dance challenges

Dance challenges remain a popular trend on TikTok—the only thing that’s changed is the song and the dance. However, given that TikTok morphed from the lip sync app Musical.ly, it’s no surprise that it still hangs onto its roots. Plus, some of the most famous TikTokers grew their following by creating and performing dance challenges.

Brands that have mascots get a bit of an advantage when it comes to this. While organizations can always have their team members join in on a dance challenge, there’s something about a company mascot dancing along that just stands out.

Mascots can either join in on an existing dance challenge or consider creating their own, like Charmin and their new “Charmin Slide” remix.

The brand even got some famous TikTokers to publish their own rendition of the “Charmin Slide” as a fun promotional technique.

Think of ways that your brand can also jump on various dance challenges. If you scroll through TikTok videos for a bit each week, you should be able to compile a consistent list of dances for your brand mascot to join in on.

2. Pack an order with me

Many small businesses have taken to TikTok to build a community, and one great way to do that is by packing orders on camera. This has become so popular for certain businesses that they will receive comments from customers requesting that their order is packaged on camera.

These videos often tend to take on an ASMR-vibe (more on that in the next trend), making them a double whammy. By making your stockpile visually appealing, you can create an engaging video that showcases how you package orders and builds trust by proving to customers that the products they’re buying are kept safe and sound.

Here’s an example of what this type of video might look like from a small jewelry business.

If you want to start creating your own “Pack an order with me” videos, you’ll want to first focus on your order packaging setup. Create a space where all of your merchandise is housed so that you can easily grab each item for the order and put it together with the shipping materials.

3. ASMR/Satisfying videos

We mentioned ASMR videos briefly in the last point, but we’re going to touch on these a bit more. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response and it refers to the tingling sensation one might feel down their back sometimes triggered by hearing a certain type of sound.

These ASMR videos focus exclusively on sound, like grabbing items to put into an order, restocking items (another popular video type on TikTok) or filling jars with your product. like we have in this example from DTE Beauty.

ASMR is deemed a type of satisfying video, but there are a number of types of “oddly satisfying” videos that relate more to the visual satisfaction the viewer gets, like this professional baker decorate cookies.

How can you make your product or service visually or auditorily satisfying? Brainstorm some ideas then start filming.

4. Green screen

You’ve heard of a green screen in filming before—it’s used in TV and film to help add digital effects seamlessly. Essentially, it’s a green backdrop that makes it easy for editors to superimpose other images behind the actors. It’s also what is used by meteorologists when sharing maps of the weather.

TikTok also has its own version of a green screen that creators can use in their videos. There are a few different ways you can have your video record overtop the background (the green screen, if you will), each of which can be accessed in the “Effects” tab when recording your video.

Here’s an example of a standard green screen where Chipotle has recorded someone talking over an image of the menu, sharing information about some of their new offerings.

There are so many different ways you can take advantage of the green screen in your own content, so start brainstorming and recording your own videos.

5. Skits

A skit is a type of short video used to entertain or inform your audience via a sort of play or performance. These are extremely popular on TikTok, especially in “Karen” skits and stories about customer service. However, these can be useful for different types of businesses.

Here’s an example of The Washington Post using a skit to explain a news topic in an easy-to-understand format.

If you have a complex topic to explain, consider writing a skit to convey the information. This can also be a fun way to share customer interactions, talk about new products or services and more.

6. Day in the life

Another trending TikTok video type is the “day in the life” video. These follow someone (either someone on your team or the business owner for a small business) throughout their day-to-day tasks and activities, especially how it relates back to their business.

Here’s an example of a bakery owner sharing what a day in her life looks like. She creates these videos multiple times a week and her followers enjoy being able to watch as she grows her business.

This trend can be emulated in a number of different ways. Consider having one team member take over your TikTok account each week and walk followers through what their day-to-day job and work load looks like. Or, if you run a small business, consider regularly sharing what you do throughout the day. Transparency like that is not only interesting to an audience but can also encourage others to follow in your footsteps.

7. Creators take the wheel

Trend-setting TikTok creators are fueling the rise of the creator economy. TikTok is a creator and influencer culture incubator. It enables popular TikTokers to reach and engage millions of users on the app in minutes. And they do this without tons of studio equipment or highly-produced content. Actually, users favor content that feels genuine and realistic rather than perfect. In the world of TikTok, anyone can be a creator.

Creators play a key role in connecting people to brands and products. Entertaining videos featuring real product reviews continue to grow in popularity. Hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt led to many products reaching record sales and completely selling out in 2021. Creator product reviews work because people trust TikTok creators to be genuine and share honest feedback about a product.

One of the most popular food critics on the platform right now is Keith Lee, based in Las Vegas. He’s been reviewing small businesses all over the area, causing their restaurants and food trucks to explode with new business. With that in mind, luxury cookie company Last Crumb sent him a box of their cookies for him to review and share his honest opinion.

Tap into creators to help co-create your brand’s identity on TikTok. Remember that come-as-you-are content makes people feel like they can trust you, the creators you partner with and your products.

8. [Insert subculture here] Tok

The TikTok community has something for everyone. That’s why people worldwide are bonding over niche interests and creating their own subcultures. Even though subcultures have existed since the dawn of the internet, TikTok has made them more accessible.

Whether you’re interested in #BookTok #FoodTok, #CleanTok or #MoneyTok, it’s easy to connect with like-minded people who share your passions. Subcultures lead to creative and entertaining videos, but they’re also a essential places for self-expression.

To connect with a subculture community, it is important to create content that feels trustworthy and authentic to your brand. Immerse yourself in the subculture and stay up to date on current music, jokes, edits and memes.

For a bookstore like Barnes and Noble, it’s easy to assimilate into #BookTok. Various B&N locations have their own TikTok accounts and create content about the bookkeepers’ favorite books, store layouts or utilize fun and relevant filters, like in this example below.

Use these TikTok trends in your marketing strategy

Take advantage of these TikTok trends and more in your 2023 strategy. Sprout’s social listening tools can make it even easier for you to discover some of the latest trends and audio clips to use. Combine that tool with our guide on how to go viral on TikTok, you’ll have an unbeatable presence this year.

The post 8 TikTok trends to fuel your social video content in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

Throughout this article, we’re going to cover the top nine trends on Instagram for 2023 so you can seamlessly incorporate them into your own strategies. Let’s look at each example to explore how you can emulate these trends for your own audience.

Table of Contents

1. Instagram Reels still on the rise over images
2. “Add Yours” Story stickers attract buzz and UGC
3. Create partnerships with collaborative posts
4. Social justice movements on Instagram
5. Paid promotion is growing
6. Shoppable posts simplify the ecommerce experience
7. Memes are incorporated into social content calendars
8. Engage users with carousel posts
9. Interact with followers in broadcast channels

1. Instagram Reels still on the rise over images

This has been a trend since their inception, but Instagram Reels are still taking priority. Do me a favor: Open your Instagram app and scroll through the first 10 to 15 pieces of content. As you scroll, you might notice a common theme—most of the posts are Reels.

Instagram Reels launched in 2020 and slowly rolled out to all users throughout 2021. This micro-video addition to Instagram was created to compete with Snapchat and TikTok and has continued to grow in popularity. Many brands and content creators will repurpose their micro-videos across each of the platforms—TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

Instagram began prioritizing Instagram Rees over photos in 2022 and, despite recent news of content discovery becoming a focus in 2023, it seems like the platform is definitely continuing to prioritize this type of content.

However, does that also impact an Instagram account’s overall reach? One content creator even shared on her TikTok that she experimented with posting Reels to Instagram once every day for a month and she grew her follower count by 33% (from 8500 to 11.4k).

While posting Reels every single day may not make sense for your strategy, you might want to consider adding them to your content calendar more often.

Take a look at some examples of how to use Reels for your brand.

1. Ecommerce plant store Bloomscape showcased three giant plants for plant parents, and linked to the products from their Instagram store.
2. Fitness clothing brand AYBL shared a workout routine featuring their activewear.
3. Graphic design tool Visme uses Instagram Reels to show real-world applications of some of their best features.

The takeaway: Start incorporating Instagram Reels into your own strategy to help your brand generate more reach, increase your follower count and stay relevant on the app.

2. “Add Yours” Story stickers attract buzz and UGC

There are a plethora of interactive stickers available to add to your stories, one of the newer ones is the “Add Yours” sticker.

Incorporating stickers like questions, polls, quizzes, etc., into your Stories helps engage your audience and increase the amount of time they spent interacting with your account. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that they see your Stories towards the front of their feed, keeping your business top of mind.

Tap on the “Add Yours” option from the available stickers and type in a prompt. This could be something like “What are you reading?” or “Outfit of the day,” or “Your favorite feature.” Make sure the prompt is relevant to your business but simple enough for someone to want to share their own photo on their story.

3. Create partnerships with collaborative posts

Collaborative posts are another big trend that you’ll start seeing pop up more and more. This is because Instagram recently released a feature that allows users to “invite collaborators” to a post as well as to tag brands in paid partnerships, having both involved accounts show up—and publishing the post to both collaborators’ profiles.

To invite a collaborator, you’ll go through the motions of publishing your Instagram post, then tap the option to Tag people. You’ll see this window pop up below where you can either add a tag (the same way you always have on Instagram) or invite a collaborator.

Select the user you’re working with on your post and publish your post. However, Instagram won’t sow the tag or post to the collaborator’s profile until they approve the tag.

Here’s an example of what this would look like in action below, where a travel guide partnered with a local brewery to host an Instagram giveaway.

Collaborative posts will also be part of paid partnerships as Instagram also simultaneously released a feature that tags when posts are sponsored and even allows the content creator to tag the brand sponsoring the content right inside the Instagram post.

For an influencer to tag brands in sponsored posts, they’ll manage the Advanced settings part of their post before publication, scroll down to the Paid partnership feature and tag the applicable brands. Again, brands will have to approve the partnership before they’re publicly tagged in the post.

Whether you’re partnering with another brand or an influencer, take advantage of Instagram’s features to help improve your overall reach and make your Instagram content more engaging.

4. Social justice movements on Instagram

The two largest age groups on Instagram are 25–34 at 31.2% (Millennials) and 18–24 (Gen Z)at 31%. Younger generations are increasingly more interested in what’s happening in the world and which brands are helping to make the world better and more accessible.

Instagram reports that Gen Z is an activist community, and though only 30% of Gen Z are old enough to vote currently, they care about the brands they buy from. They’re following brands on Instagram that talk about social justice issues and stick up for issues they believe in. They’re following influencers who care about accessibility. And they’re making purchases from the ones that they believe in.

This means it’s okay—in fact, it’s encouraged—for brands to be open about the causes they support and the social issues they believe in. Your customers want to see it. Genuine brand authenticity goes a long way with your customers.

TOMS is a great example of this. The brand was created as a way to give shoes to children in need, giving away a free pair for every pair purchased. They’ve since increased their donations, also giving away impact grants to charities they support.

TOMS shared a 2022 roundup to showcase how much they were able to give away in donations throughout the year:

The brand’s tagline is “Wear TOMS. Wear Good.” And that resonates with customers in 2023.

In this social justice era, we’ve also seen the onset of a number of social justice Instagram accounts like @so.informed and @impact that share news and updates from the US and around the world. These social-justice slideshows help users learn and spread awareness about causes that matter to them most.

5. Paid promotion is growing

As the popularity of social media platforms grows and their user bases grow, the need for algorithms to best serve their users also grows. And when an algorithm is deciding who gets served your content, you might see a decline in reach. Because of this, Instagram paid promotions are a growing trend in 2023.

Let’s go back to our exercise from the first trend, where we scrolled down to see the first 10 to 20 posts.

If your feed was anything like mine, you saw about nine Reels, six regular posts and five sponsored posts. That means about 25% of your feed is filled with paid ads, like the one below.

While that might seem like a lot, let’s look at it from a different perspective. It also means that 25% of your target audience’s feed is filled with sponsored posts. And that if you start investing in Instagram ads, your brand can be part of that 25%.

6. Shoppable posts simplify the ecommerce experience

Instagram shopping is still extremely popular, with nearly half of all Instagram users saying they use the app and its shopping features to shop their favorite brands each week. By creating your Instagram shop catalog full of your products, you can make it even easier for your followers to make a purchase.

By tagging your products in a shoppable post, you’re creating the ability for someone to see your post and make a purchase without ever having to leave the Instagram app.

Shoppable posts will continue to be a major trend in 2023 due to how easy it makes shopping for customers. And products can be tagged in any type of Instagram post—a photo post, a carousel, a Reel and a Story.

7. Memes are incorporated into social content calendars

Who doesn’t love a good meme? According to a YPulse study, 75% of those aged 13-36 share memes. Which is why they’ve become and stayed so prevalent on Instagram.

Although brands have leveled-up how they share memes from their accounts by adding branded background colors and other design elements.

Many brands also will take screenshots of Tweets to share on their Instagram with a colorful background to fit their brand aesthetics. Incorporating memes into your social strategy is a fun trend, but make sure the trend works for your brand before jumping in with both feet.

8. Engage users with carousel posts

Instagram carousel posts can include up to 10 photos and videos in a single post. They can be used in a number of different ways to share even more content with your audience at once. Plus, one study discovered that Instagram carousels are the most engaging post type on the platform.

Create carousel posts that tell a story, such as products from a new launch or an educational slideshow.

Here’s an example of a carousel post sharing a brand’s mission and how they want to make a different in plastic use:

And here’s an example of an educational Instagram carousel from our social team at Sprout:

9. Interact with followers in broadcast channels

Instagram recently announced the debut of broadcast channels as a one-way messaging tool for creators to engage with their followers. These channels will give creators an opportunity to give behind-the-scenes or latest updates to their followers in a one-to-many messaging format for a more intimate and interactive space.

Currently, creators can send text, photo, video and voice notes but Instagram will be adding more features in 2023. The goal is to create a new way to connect with fans and followers. It’s still too early to tell if this will expand to other professional or business accounts or if it will remain just for digital content creators.

Use Instagram trends to update your strategy

Instagram trends arise from influences based on other networks and introductions of new features. Keeping up with the current trends on Instagram freshens up your content and shows your audience that you’re not afraid to try new things.

If you’re looking to further level-up your Instagram marketing in 2023, learn how these top Instagram tools can help you plan, create, curate and publish your content for a more streamlined and conscious workflow process.

The post 9 Instagram trends to watch in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

If you’re feeling the heat, we see you and hear you. Managing social through down markets requires an additional layer of focus, rigor and empathy. It’s challenging to navigate, but possible with some extra preparation.

What does that preparation entail exactly? We tapped Carilu Dietrich to find out. Dietrich is a former CMO, most notably the head of marketing who took Atlassian public in 2015. Today, she advises several CEOs and CMOs as they navigate various phases of hypergrowth.

Keep reading to find out what you need to know to successfully navigate social media marketing through times of economic contraction.

• Why social media needs continued investment (even under economic pressure)
• How to make a case for social media investment in a down economy
• 4 ways to make the most of your current social media resources in a tight economy

Why social media needs continued investment (even under economic pressure)

Social media has revolutionized how businesses and consumers interact. Now, a brand’s relevance isn’t determined by how many storefronts they own or their presence at major conferences. Instead, it’s determined by their place in the greater cultural conversation.

“I don’t think of social as exclusively a brand or marketing activity,” says Dietrich. “It’s really a reflection of a full-funnel consumer experience.”

A strategic, social-first brand presence can serve as an entry point into the valuable conversations that are moving the needle for your brand. This ongoing consumer engagement allows brands to build connections and create fans at scale.

Those connections are worth their weight in gold, especially during economic turbulence. A Q1 ‘23 Sprout pulse survey found that 77% of consumers are more likely to spend more with brands they feel connected to, up from 57% in 2018.

Dietrich considers building this type of brand affinity to be a skill built over time. “The ability to activate on social is a critical muscle that companies need to exercise, even in times of economic pressure,” says Dietrich. “Today, “the people” control the message and the conversation. Brands need to engage in that dialogue to effectively provide service to their customers.”

Market shifts may tempt some to pump the brakes on brand marketing efforts, but that’s a risk you can’t afford to take. On social, the same tactics can only yield the same results for so long. The channel moves quickly, and marketers need to stay agile to move alongside it.

Social data is the key to strengthening your market position and future-proofing your brand. Cutting back on social media investment during an economic downturn gives your competitors room to swoop in and gain share of voice.

To put it simply, brands can’t afford to cut back on social.

How to make a case for social media investment in a down economy

“While most companies are cutting people and budgets, there is still money available for ideas and investments that can prove a return,” explains Dietrich. “The issue is that most teams want more funds to do what’s in their current plan.”

“To get more money, you need to deliver more than what’s already in your marketing plan. You need to be sharp on how, and bold on results you can deliver.”

You know why your brand needs to lean in on organic social. Now for the next task: Sharing your vision with the rest of your marketing leadership and executive teams. Follow these tips for success as you make your case for additional social media resources.

Zoom out

Under normal circumstances, requesting additional marketing resources would call for a clear pitch that explains the value for your team and overall strategy. This year, you’ll have to zoom out.

If you want to upgrade your toolkit or expand your team in 2023, your request should focus on how social can support your entire organization. The data and insights available through social media can—and should—change an entire business by giving them the cultural context they need to truly understand what their customers, employees and shareholders want.

To create an appeal that resonates, get acquainted with the goals of your cross-functional partners. How could an integrated social media management tool support your customer care efforts? How could social listening inform product development priorities?

Assess opportunities from all corners of your business to fortify your case.

Make it urgent

If you’re not involved in day-to-day social management, it can be easy to forget that the channel isn’t just for trends and memes. There are real risks that come with under-equipping a social media team. It’s your job to ensure your executive team is aware of that.

For example, suppose you’re lacking the tools or support needed to act on a social media crisis communication plan. In that case, you probably won’t be able to react as swiftly as consumers expect. More than 75% of consumers expect a response from brands in less than 24 hours.

If you don’t have what you need to get ahead of the issue before time runs out, you risk losing hard-earned fans.

Now that social has come into its own as a customer care channel, failing to respond to customers on time, even in non-crisis situations, is a risk in itself. When this happens, 36% of consumers say they’ll share that negative experience with friends and family. A comparable 31% won’t complete their purchase, and 30% will buy from a competitor.

Provide competitive context

So far, most of what we’ve covered is hypothetical. If you want to pull some of these insights into reality, you’ll need to provide the right context.

Conduct a social media competitive analysis to better understand your brand’s role in the current social media landscape. Dietrich believes that can serve as a blueprint for outpacing your competitors.

“Capitalizing on a competitive gap or shortcoming can be huge,” says Dietrich. “We may not get as much funding for social media this year, but it needs to remain strong enough to function through the downturn and seize on opportunity when the time is right.”

Understanding how your competitors use (or don’t use) social can unveil opportunities that are hidden in plain sight. Here are some questions to consider as you dig for competitive intel.

• What content formats (design, visual) are your competitors prioritizing? Based on their existing content, how would you rate their level of investment?
• How active are your competitor’s mentions, tags and comments? How often are they replying?
• What can you infer about their priorities based on their social content mix?

This context will help make the risks and benefits of your requested resource more tangible throughout the approval process.

4 ways to make the most of your current social media resources in a tight economy

Dietrich is no stranger to turbulent markets. She clearly remembers feeling frustrated in the face of budget cuts during the 2008 recession. “It’s hard to do more with less. It’s not like we’re all sitting around, spending money on things we know don’t work.”

If additional resources aren’t in the cards, don’t worry. There are still ways to optimize your social media operations to get the most out of what you have today. Here are some tips that will help you deliver results on a tight budget.

1. Audit team responsibilities

Many team rituals are maintained due to inertia instead of impact. If you haven’t taken time to review your team processes and responsibilities in the new year, now’s the time to do it.

Host candid conversations with your team about their bandwidth, routines and working styles. These talks will give you a better idea of how your team spends their time.

You may find that everyone can take a few hours back by swapping meetings for async stand-ups or rolling back an initiative that’s not driving clear results. Whatever the outcome, it will help ensure your team is on the same page, marching toward the same goal.

2. Focus your efforts

You won’t be able to do it all. The more comfortable you get with ruthless prioritization, the easier it will be to push back on competing priorities confidently.

For example, if you find that a specific network consistently underperforms compared to the rest of your brand accounts, now’s the time to put it into maintenance mode. Share posts and stay on top of customer care requests, but save big swings for networks with proven track records for engagement.

“They say ‘necessity is the mother of innovation,’” says Dietrich. “We need to experiment with different approaches this year. We need to keep experimenting in the current market if we are going to figure out how to get better results than our straight line budget cut would suggest.”

3. Build community

“It’s hard to get new customers in this market,” says Dietrich. “Our best chance at survival is through supporting and delighting the ideal customers within our existing contact lists. If we can keep them elated, we can ride on the wave of their word-of-mouth.”

This advice tracks with one of the biggest social trends we’ll continue to see in 2023—the popularity of closed communities. People are flocking to more intimate online destinations, pulling attention from some of the larger social media mainstays we know today.

Brands can lean into this by embracing social as a multi-way communication tool. Encourage conversations in the comments, keep community Facebook groups alive and active, and engage with accounts of all sizes.

Use community building as a way to create more value for your audience. This will keep your brand top of mind in crowded feeds.

4. Tighten market positioning with social data

Social data can illuminate customer experience improvements, product innovations and brand differentiation opportunities. It’s the north star that will help ground your strategy in the needs and motivations of your audience.

Your social listening tool can provide real-time insights into your brand and its competitive landscape. Use it to spark new marketing ideas that will help your brand stand out among the rest.

“Make your spending work harder by having more targeted, better content,” advises Dietrich. “A lot of messaging is ‘blah,’ but every now and then something really pierces through the noise and speaks to you. How can you create that for your company? How can you make your product critical in this current market?”

Social media is essential for growth-minded brands

Social can drive the brand loyalty needed to weather any storm, including choppy market conditions. Dietrich captures it well in just a few words: “It’s an investment in more good and less bad.”

Sprout Social CMO, Jamie Gilpin, has her own words of advice for marketing leaders boldly moving full steam ahead on big plans and bigger goals. Check out her recommended packing for your 2023 marketing journey today.

The post What marketers need to know about managing social media through an economic downturn appeared first on Sprout Social.