As social distancing and working and studying from home have become the new normal, 2020 has brought lots of changes to how people use social media. In recent blogs, we’ve talked about how COVID-19 has changed marketing and online behavior. But now that we’re well into the second half of the year, we thought it was about time to bring all the most interesting stats on social media in 2020 together for your perusal.

Below, learn what’s changed and what hasn’t about how people are using social media in 2020.

Social Media in 2020: Facebook Statistics

1. Facebook had over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2020.

According to this figure from Statista, Facebook is the biggest social network worldwide. What does this mean? Even as talk in the public sphere turns toward new, trending platforms like TikTok, Facebook is still massively popular on a global scale and shouldn’t be ignored by marketers.

2. Facebook use among teens down.

Since 2015, Facebook use among teens has been in decline. First, platforms like Instagram and Snapchat began to eclipse Facebook for younger users, but now the big winner is TikTok. (More on that later.)

3. 88% of Facebook users are on the platform to stay in contact with friends and family.

This figure from Statista aligns with broader social media trends in 2020. At the end of the day, all demographics have stuck with Facebook as a way to stay connected during the time of social distancing.

4. 85% of videos on Facebook are watched with the sound turned off.

This statistic from Digiday will probably come as no surprise for most Facebook users. What does it mean for marketers? If your videos can’t be understood without the sound, make sure to incorporate closed captions so that people can understand what’s going on. You can also take advantage of the medium by making videos that don’t require sound to convey meaning.

5. 53% of users are more likely to make a purchase if they can contact the business directly via platforms like Facebook Messenger.

In our blog on customer service chatbots, we discussed the value of social media messenger chatbots for businesses that want to automate customer service to provide faster, more precise support to customers. This statistic released by Facebook confirms that for more than half of users, the ability to communicate with a business in a direct, digital way has a positive effect on conversion.

Social Media in 2020: Instagram Statistics

6. 54% of people admitted to making a purchase either in the moment or after seeing a product or service on Instagram.

Some marketers maintain that Instagram isn’t the best platform for purchases. However, this statistic from Facebook Business shows that over half of Instagram users are, in fact, using the platform to find and purchase products. Marketers should take this into consideration when planning their Instagram ad strategies.

7. 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day.

One of the signature features of Instagram – Instagram Stories – is also one of its most popular. According to Hootsuite, a whopping 500 million watch these every day. For marketers, Instagram Stories provide a valuable opportunity to show off your brand with entertaining video content that has a wide reach.

8. One-third of the most-viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses.

If the above statistic wasn’t enough to convince you of the value of Instagram Stories for your social media marketing strategy, this one should be!

Social Media in 2020: Twitter Statistics

9. Twitter has 145 million monetizable users daily.

According to shareholder data, in 2019, Twitter had 145 million daily users who were seeing ads (i.e., monetizable users). That doesn’t even include all the users who don’t see ads, who can still present opportunities for organic reach for savvy brands. As users continue to rely on Twitter for news in a fast-paced media cycle, brands can probably count on Twitter use being high for the time being.

10. 92% of the U.S. population is familiar with Twitter.

As mentioned above, Twitter is vital in the media and journalism world. Data from Statista estimates that almost everyone has been exposed to Twitter at some point, even if they don’t have an account. This makes Twitter a powerful reach tool for certain types of brands.

11. 80% of tweets in the U.S. come from 10% of users.

This statistic reveals a lot about what kind of platform Twitter is. Unlike Facebook or Instagram, where there’s a large variety of types of brands and content that thrives, Twitter is more specialized. Prolific users tend to be in media, journalism, politics, and related fields, and there’s a wide gap between the most and least prolific users. Brands that rely on visual and video content might need to look elsewhere for organic reach.

Social Media in 2020: TikTok Statistics

12. Users spend an average of 45 minutes per day on TikTok.

You can fit a lot of TikTok videos into 45 minutes. That’s about 33% more than the 29 average minutes spent on Instagram – meaning 33% more time for your video content to get in front of your target audience. Speaking of the TikTok audience…

13. TikTok boasts 500 million daily active users.

This statistic from South China Morning is eye-opening. While the number isn’t as high as the number of Facebook or Instagram users, it’s a big achievement for such a young platform.

14. In 2019, 49% of teenagers surveyed had used TikTok in the previous month.

This statistic from Business of Apps is in line with the conventional wisdom that TikTok is most popular among younger users. Brands with teen and young adult users should keep their eyes on TikTok trends.

Stay up-to-date with Bloom Ads

At Bloom Ads, we pride ourselves on staying up-to-date on the latest marketing and social media trends so we can help our clients stay ahead of the curve. In 2020, that has been more important than ever. Learn more about our digital marketing services today, and keep in touch with us as we keep an eye on social media in 2020.