With Facebook's monopoly and TikTok's explosive growth, the social media scene is changing constantly. It is essential for both individuals and organizations to stay ahead of emerging trends and comprehend the dynamic preferences of virtual communities. Mobile app development companies are utilising agile methodologies to develop a robust and interactive app.
In this comprehensive guide, we will look at the top social media platforms of 2024, closely examining their unique features, user bases, and potential benefits for both personal and professional goals.
Facebook is the undefeated and unrivaled leader of the social media landscape. Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has been growing and making new records of popularity. Despite its turbulent year due to some epic controversies, Facebook still commands a significant 77% share of social network usage.
In April 2023, 2.9 billion active monthly users were reported, making Facebook the most widely used social media app globally. Undoubtedly, it is the most popular platform, specifically among users aged between 12 and 34 years. Facebook will continue to amplify its success by serving a diverse audience and allowing people to foster connections online.
Youtube
YouTube maintains its supremacy as an ultimate destination for video streaming worldwide. It is the second-most demanding app among the list of top social media platforms, with over 2.29 billion registered users. Over the last decade, YouTube has witnessed steady user and revenue growth. As per the reports, in the previous four years, its revenue has boosted up to 30%, and it is increasing continuously due to the high demand for video content. YouTube offers a wide variety of video content ranging from entertainment to educational, making it a sustainable shareholder of the social media network.
With its features, such as end-to-end encryption, status updates, quick messages, and media sharing, Whatsapp has become the most popular instant messaging app.
It had 200 million users in 2013, and in its decade-long journey, they have gathered a solid user base with over 2 billion global users despite all challenges. According to the study, 50% of Whatsapp users open the app at least once a day, and around 78% of users use the app once a week. Even though WhatsApp hasn't integrated conventional advertising into its revenue model, it still offers enormous marketing value for businesses like other social networks, making it a powerful communication tool.
Instagram claims a top position in the social media market with 56% shares. It is the world's most favorable and most used photo-sharing app, with 1.22 billion active users. Instagram started as a photo-sharing app, but it extended its boundaries with time and introduced different features. Instagram is one of the best product of cross-platform app development framework. It has become a professional networking platform where businesses can promote their products and services through visual content such as photos, videos, Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, and Instagram Shopping. It significantly contributes to the world of digital marketing, making it a go-to marketing channel for social media marketers. Instagram has now established itself as a popular platform for B2C marketing, with more than 70% of organizations in the US actively leveraging it as a marketing channel.
TikTok
Chinese technology company ByteDance introduced a video-sharing platform, TikTok, which dominated the social media landscape overnight. The emergence of this app has transformed the international social media scene, and it successfully gave competition to tech giants like Google. This platform allows users to create and broadcast their short videos while utilizing the editing and sharing options available in the app. Within two years of its launch, TikTok secured its position in the top five most downloaded apps worldwide. It now has 689 million active users, and half of its users are Gen-Z, aged between 18 and 24, while the other half are Millennials.
Telegram
Telegram is the cloud-based instant messaging service launched in 2014 but it came into limelight after the Whastasapp’s recent PR disaster. It is integrated with advanced security features backed up by blockchain enthusiasts and crypto traders. In 2021, when Whatsapp announced changes in its privacy policy, a huge fall in its users area was observed. Users are opting for telegram instead of Whatsapp which results in 5% increase in Telegram user base in just three weeks. During three years, the app saw its monthly active users grow by a staggering ratio going from 200 million to 500 million users in only 34 months, making telegram a top social media platform.
Snapchat
Snapchat is an instant messaging, photo, and video-sharing platform that users can use to send text messages, photos, and snappy short videos, making it easy to connect with friends. It is integrated with a unique feature called disappearing messages and images, which appeals to users who are seeking real-time and authentic conversations. Snapchat is infused with augmented reality filters and lenses – features that add a layer of exclusivity to the social networking site. The young generation immediately resonated with the app, which has shown impressive growth, gaining over 500 million followers worldwide. Snapchat focuses on security and rejects the notion that "once it's on the internet, it's forever."
Pinterest is a visual discovery engine for finding anything users are interested in. It was launched in 2010, but the boost in its growth was seen in 2020. This platform gained over 100 million new active users in January and December 2020. Pinterest has over 445 million active users, 85 million in the US alone. Millennials make up the majority of its users; however, the image-sharing app is also slowly acquiring traction among Gen-Z. Demographically, female users are largely dominating, but gradually, male users are slowly climbing the ranks, and the gap is narrowing.
Conclusion
The social media landscape is dynamic, evolving as new platforms and trends appear. New competitors like TikTok and Telegram are staking out their own spaces in the market while industry heavyweights like Facebook and YouTube continue to rule. Navigating this digital jungle requires an understanding of these disparate platforms, their distinctive features, and user demographics.
Everybody can find the ideal platform for their purpose, be it an individual interacting with friends and family or an organization trying to connect with its target audience. You can also create your own social media app by leveraging the best mobile app development services. But keep in mind that success requires not just picking the appropriate platform but also actively interacting with your audience, producing insightful material, and developing sincere relationships.
