In early 2021, when asked to indicate the most important social media platform for their business, the vast majority of global marketers selected Facebook. Instagram and LinkedIn followed at second and third place, however Instagram started seeing a growing importance only since 2019. 2021 was the first year when Pinterest was not named in this context.
Social media usage among marketers
Marketers are divided by the length of time they have been using social media for promotional purposes. Close to a quarter of them have been utilizing social media marketing for either less than a year or more than five years, while another 26 percent have been using the channel for two to four years.
When it comes to specific media, Instagram is gaining momentum, with 64 percent of marketers planning to increase organic posting on the platform, in turn reducing their activity on Facebook. YouTube and LinkedIn will also see enhanced usage in the near future. Conversely, Twitter, along with TikTok and Snapchat are not planned to be used at all in 2021 by many marketers.
All in all, industry professionals around the world agree that using social media for marketing purposes is beneficial in terms of increasing exposure and traffic. New leads and improved sales are also cited as crucial advantages of social media marketing.
Most important social media platforms for marketers worldwide as of January 2021
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Statista Accounts:
Access All Statistics. Starting from $468 / Year
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Social Media Examiner. (May 10, 2021). Most important social media platforms for marketers worldwide as of January 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/259390/most-important-social-media-platforms-for-marketers-worldwide/
Social Media Examiner. "Most important social media platforms for marketers worldwide as of January 2021." Chart. May 10, 2021. Statista. Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/259390/most-important-social-media-platforms-for-marketers-worldwide/
Social Media Examiner. (2021). Most important social media platforms for marketers worldwide as of January 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 16, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/259390/most-important-social-media-platforms-for-marketers-worldwide/
Social Media Examiner. "Most Important Social Media Platforms for Marketers Worldwide as of January 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 10 May 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/259390/most-important-social-media-platforms-for-marketers-worldwide/
Social Media Examiner, Most important social media platforms for marketers worldwide as of January 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/259390/most-important-social-media-platforms-for-marketers-worldwide/ (last visited May 16, 2022)