Global Social Media Usage – Engagement Metrics

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Global Social Media Usage – Engagement Metrics Over the Last 100 Years

Social media engagement metrics have evolved significantly over the past century, providing valuable insights into how users interact with content on various platforms. Here are key statistics illustrating these changes:

Key Statistics

  • 1990s: Social media in its early stages, with limited data on engagement metrics available.
  • 2000s: The rise of modern social media platforms like Friendster, MySpace, and LinkedIn. Engagement metrics like views, comments, and shares begin to emerge.
  • 2010: Facebook introduces reactions (like, love, haha, wow, sad, angry) in addition to comments and shares, providing more granular engagement data.
  • 2015: Instagram introduces reactions (like, comment, save, share) and Instagram Stories, enabling new ways to measure engagement.
  • 2020: Social media engagement skyrockets during the COVID-19 pandemic, with users spending more time on platforms and interacting with content.
  • 2022: Average engagement rate across all industries reaches 0.58% on Instagram and 0.13% on Facebook.
  • 2024: As of April 2024, the average social media user engages with around 6.7 different platforms per month, spending an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes per day on social media.

Common Engagement Metrics

  • Likes/Reactions: A simple way for users to show their appreciation for content.
  • Comments: Indicates deeper engagement as users take the time to share their thoughts.
  • Shares/Retweets: Measures how much users find content valuable enough to share with their own networks.
  • Saves: Allows users to bookmark content for later, showing interest.
  • Clicks: Tracks how many users click on links, images, or other elements within a post.
  • Video Views: Measures how many users watch a video, with completion rate indicating engagement.
  • Mentions: Tracks when users mention a brand or account in their own posts.
  • Hashtag Usage: Measures how many users engage with a branded hashtag.

Factors Influencing Engagement

  • Content Quality: Well-crafted, visually appealing, and relevant content drives higher engagement.
  • Posting Frequency: Consistent posting keeps users engaged, but too much can lead to fatigue.
  • Audience Targeting: Tailoring content to specific audience segments improves relevance and engagement.
  • User-Generated Content: Encouraging fans to create and share content about a brand boosts engagement.
  • Influencer Partnerships: Collaborating with relevant influencers exposes brands to new audiences and drives engagement.

Engagement Benchmarks

  • Instagram: Average engagement rate of 0.58% across all industries in 2022.
  • Facebook: Average engagement rate of 0.13% across all industries in 2022.
  • Twitter: Average engagement rate of 0.045% across all industries in 2022.
  • LinkedIn: Average engagement rate of 0.35% across all industries in 2022.

These statistics and insights highlight the evolution of social media engagement metrics over the past century, providing valuable data for brands to optimize their content strategies and measure the effectiveness of their social media efforts.

Sources

Citations:
[1] https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-metrics/
[2] https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-metrics/
[3] https://datareportal.com/social-media-users
[4] https://www.sprinklr.com/blog/social-media-metrics/
[5] https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-research/