With all of the changes we’ve experienced in 2023, at least one thing will remain the same in 2024: companies will continue to rely on social media as one of their primary marketing channels.
The widespread adoption of social networking sites has deeply influenced people’s daily lives. As a result, maintaining a strong presence on these platforms becomes imperative for companies, perhaps more than ever before. Ready to harness social media for your brand’s success? Here are the 5 best social media platforms for businesses in 2024.
1. Facebook
According to Meta’s (Facebook’s parent company) latest quarterly report, Facebook has surpassed 3 billion monthly active users (MAU). This is astonishing, meaning about 37% of the world’s population uses Facebook.
On Facebook, businesses can create content via text, video, images, and Stories, with an algorithm that promotes meaningful conversation and interaction between people and businesses. The popularity of Facebook is largely due to it being the first major social media platform with users arriving in millions through the last two decades. But just because it’s older doesn’t mean it isn’t effective for marketing - in fact, you’re more likely to find a diverse and engaged demographic because of its widespread use.
2. Youtube
The next heavy-hitting social media platform is YouTube, with over 2 billion monthly active users (MAU) - it is among the most popular social media sites and the second most widely used search engine behind Google.
Individuals worldwide spend a combined 1 billion hours watching videos on YouTube daily, and it is estimated that a single subscriber on YouTube is worth 25 times more than a follower on TikTok.
Companies will mostly leverage video content on this platform, either in long form or short form (under 1 minute in length). To gain a strong following on YouTube in 2024, ensure your brand consistently uploads content and engages with viewers who comment or subscribe.
3. Instagram
Instagram is similarly enormous, with 2 billion MAU. Each social media platform has its own niche, and Instagram is certainly centered on visually appealing content.
The goal of using Instagram should be to establish a strong visual identity so that your brand can cultivate an authentic audience with high engagement and high awareness. Most Instagram users will be focusing on pictures and videos presented to them in their feed, so be sure to create content that is primarily visually appealing and can communicate a message with little to no words. This is definitely a challenge, but consider it an opportunity to showcase your products, services, and aspects of your brand that are generally aesthetically appealing.
4. TikTok
TikTok is the rising star of our best social media platforms. Starting in 2019, TikTok has soared to over 1.5 billion MAU in under four years with expectations to reach 2 billion by the end of 2024.
To leverage TikTok’s potential, it’s critical for businesses to create an effective TikTok marketing strategy. Because TikTok is so new, there’s less data available to help companies understand the best way to market themselves on the platform. But in general, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the platform, creating content that suits your target audience, and building a community through mutual engagement.
Since TikTok is a platform that is growing rapidly with its user base, this is a social media site that we recommend jumping on board right away. With just one well-done post, your content has the ability to go viral and thus gain awareness and a plethora of new customers overnight.
5. X (Formerly Twitter, But Now X For Some Reason)
We have a bit of a dark horse in the 5th slot of best social media platforms. X (known as Twitter, once upon a time) has undergone a bit of a rollercoaster over the last couple of years. While X reports fewer active monthly users than all the rest, with only 550 million users, the platform has been making massive ripples in society and culture more broadly.
Acquired by Elon Musk in 2022, X is now being transformed into society’s “digital town hall”. Standing as a beacon of transparency and free speech in an age of uncertainty, edited photos, and AI deepfake videos, this platform is one to keep your eyes on over the next few years. More and more people are realizing the need for a trustworthy source of information, and as more people turn to X for their news and entertainment, this could be the platform that the world needs.
In terms of reach, practically every notable person, including every country and politician, has an X account. Furthermore, there are plans to turn X into an all-in-one app that can make payments, phone calls, and even memes from a single location. While it is currently smaller than the other social media platforms listed here, X will likely be a key site moving into the future.
Social Media Tools
As an important side note, it's critical to know that each social media platform comes with tools and metrics to optimize your marketing performance. Metrics like total impressions, follower growth rate, and engagement rate will all help to refine your marketing strategy. Use social media tools to their highest potential, and see your impact and awareness grow.
Your Brand - Your Social Media
The bottom line is that social media is here to stay. From a marketing standpoint, the amount of active users, mutual engagement, and community creation that is part and parcel of social media make it a no-brainer to incorporate into your marketing strategy. The takeaway, however, is that you should not stop with one platform but incorporate them all. Each social media site has the potential to uniquely contribute toward your mission and connect you with your customers worldwide.
If your business is ready to take the next step into the world of social media, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Beyond Blue Media right away! From authentic social media content creation to brand growth and awareness, we are your trusted partners in all things marketing.
