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Digital 2025: AI accelerates, YouTube tops user charts, social ad spend soars and more

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, and We Are Social, the socially–led creative agency, have released Digital 2025, their latest annual report on social media and digital trends worldwide.

Digital 2025 shows that AI’s momentum is accelerating, social media is increasingly important for brand discovery, and ad spend has increased significantly across digital, social and influencer.

Brand discovery grows on social

According to Digital 2025, global social media user identities now stand at 5.24 billion, an increase of 4.1 percent over the past 12 months. The typical internet user spends 2 hours and 21 minutes using social media each day.

Importantly for marketers, half of all adult social media users now visit social platforms with the intention of learning more about brands; a figure that has steadily increased over the last year. Instagram tops the research charts, with 62.3 percent of its adult users researching brands on the platform. Facebook ranks second, (52.5 percent) with TikTok third (51.5 percent). Digital 2025 shows that 22 percent of active social media users follow influencers or other experts on social channels. However, this figure jumps to 30.8 percent for women aged 16 to 24.

Social platforms vie for top spot

YouTube was the ‘most used’ social media platform at the start of 2025, with an active user base 16 percent larger than second placed WhatsApp; Facebook, Instagram and TikTok make up the top five. When it comes to the world’s ‘favourite’ social platform*, Instagram tops the charts, with 16.6 percent of social media users pledging their allegiance. WhatsApp ranks second with 16 percent, while Facebook comes in third, with 13.1 percent.

However, there is good news for TikTok, whose Android user base spent almost 35 hours using the platform’s app in November 2024; the average monthly time that the typical TikTok user spends using the platform’s Android app increased by almost two hours between August and November. The 6.6 billion TikToks tagged with “#FYP” attracted an incremental 24 trillion views in 2024 alone.

When it comes to breakthrough platforms, Threads now has 320 million monthly active users, of which more than 100 million are active each day, and topped the ‘active user growth’ rankings at the end of 2024. Bluesky has attracted more than 30 million registered users, but data.ai reported that the app still had fewer than 25 million monthly active users at the end of November 2024.

Digital and social ad spend grows – again

The increasing importance of digital in the advertising landscape is reflected in ad spend figures. Marketers spent US$1.1 trillion on ads in 2024, with global spend increasing by $75 billion – 7.3 percent – compared to 2023. Digital channels now account for 72.7 percent of worldwide ad investment, with online spend exceeding US$790 billion last year; a year–on–year increase of 10.3 percent (+$74 billion). In fact, digital ad spend has more than doubled since 2019.

Within the digital landscape, social media ad spend has increased to $243 billion, a 15% rise year–on–year. And brands’ continued interest in influencer marketing is clear, with a 14% increase in global influencer marketing spend year–on–year and annual influencer investment now at $35 billion.

ChatGPT makes gains

Digital 2025’s app data showcases the rising interest in, and use of, AI. ChatGPT tops the AI leaderboard, with its mobile app averaging more than a quarter of a billion monthly active users between September and November 2024. It was also one of the world’s most downloaded apps during that period, placing eighth in data.ai’s global ranking across all app categories. Data also shows that ChatGPT.com had an average of 310 million unique monthly visitors between September and November, who generated a combined 3.5 billion visits to the platform’s dotcom domain.

Digital 2025 is a 630+ page report that covers data points from across the entire online ecosystem, from social media to smart devices, gaming to social commerce. Other key social media highlights from the report include:

  • The world’s social audiences use 6.83 platforms per month on average.
  • More than 1 in 3 active social media users say that they use social platforms for work–related activities.
  • 23.6 percent of adult social media users now say that finding content related to sports is one of the main reasons why they visit social platforms.
  • LinkedIn’s global ad reach has increased by a hefty 17 percent over the past year.
  • Pinterest reported ad reach grew by more than 10 percent in 2024.

And from the wider digital ecosystem:

  • Global internet users have passed the 5.5 billion mark, with 136 million new users added in the last 12 months.
  • 56 percent of online adults in the world’s top economies make online purchases every week, which points to an online shopping universe of roughly 1.7 billion in any given seven–day period.
  • People over the age of 50 are underserved by the world’s marketers; across many of the world’s biggest economies, people over the age of 50 account for more than half of all consumer spend.
  • More than 1 in 5 online adults (22.1 percent) now listens to at least one podcast each week.
  • The number of connected adults expressing concern about their online privacy is declining. Fewer than 3 in 10 adult internet users say that they’re worried about how companies use their personal data online today, with that figure down by 7.1 percent compared on 2023.

“With digital ad spend exceeding $790 billion in 2024 and social media ad spend growing more than 15% within that, it's clear that businesses are investing more than ever in capturing consumer attention. Along with this growing investment comes the growing need to prove ROI and show results based on marketing campaigns. With user behavior on social platforms continuing to shift, teams need data to inform decisions about what platforms to prioritize and create strategies for,” said Alexandra Bjertnæs, Chief Strategy Officer at Meltwater.

Toby Southgate, global group CEO at We Are Social said: “Social is where brands can win or lose – it’s central to brand discovery, consumer engagement, and commerce. At the same time, AI is revolutionising how we search, create, and interact, while influencers continue to shape content trends and consumer behaviours. The opportunities for marketers to drive meaningful engagement have never been broader, but the complexity of digital and social media – evident in our 630+ page report – means there’s no single route to success. To create effective work, brands need to understand the cultural nuances of the online world, and create ideas worth talking about. Those who do will make an impact.”

Read the full report now: https://www.meltwater.com/en/global–digital–trends

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Costello
pr@meltwater.com

About Meltwater

Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About We Are Social

We are a global socially–led creative agency, with unrivalled social media and influencer marketing expertise. With 1,200 people in four continents, we deliver a global perspective to our clients in a time when social media is shaping culture.

We make ideas worth talking about. We understand social behaviours within online communities, cultures and subcultures, spanning the social and gaming landscape. We build influencer partnerships with impact.

We work with the world’s biggest brands, including adidas, Samsung, Google and Amazon, to reach the right people in a strategic, relevant and effective way.

We Are Social is part of Plus Company. To learn more, visit www.wearesocial.com

*’Favourite platforms’ dataset from GWI does not include YouTube


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9353141)

Meltwater Announces New Integration with Snapchat for Social Listening

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, today announces a new integration with Snap Inc., becoming the first social listening platform to provide Snapchat–specific insights for brands and agencies to inform their advertising and content strategies on the platform.

As brands increasingly recognize the importance of Snapchat, which is home to a community of 443 million daily active users1, in their marketing efforts, the new partnership allows Meltwater to provide customers with tools to optimize their presence on the platform.

Through the integration, Meltwater customers can surface and analyze content coming from public Snapchat profiles, including Stories, saved Stories, and Spotlight videos, via Snapchat's Public Profile API. Meltwater users can view post and profile–level Snapchat metrics like views and engagement, and gain insights on topics, sentiment and more. 

Meltwater’s listening analytics are geared towards marketing teams who want to boost their Snapchat presence and drive better campaign results. By analyzing trends and best–performing stories, brands and agencies can gain deeper audience insights and improve content performance on Snapchat.

Key benefits of the new integration include:

  • Comprehensive campaign analysis: Measure and analyze the resulting engagement, reach, and sentiment of branded content and campaigns on Snapchat, and easily report on the impact of campaigns.
  • Image recognition: Measure brand exposure and ROI of sponsorship activities with AI generated tags on video and image content that can highlight brand names, logos and more.
  • Optimized content strategy & performance: Analyze the types of public Snapchat content that perform best and incorporate insights and learnings to boost performance.
  • Deeper audience insights: Analyze and learn audiences’ attitudes, interests, and preferences and craft more engaging content aligned to audiences’ wants, needs, and interests.
  • Trendspotting: Detect emerging themes and trends across public Snapchat profiles.
  • Competitive benchmarking: Benchmark and analyze competitors’ content performance on Snapchat and identify opportunities to outperform competitors.

“Meltwater's integration with Snapchat represents a new milestone in social listening, enabling brands to gather meaningful public insights from Snapchat's platform to help them stay informed, competitive, and engaged with their audiences,” said Ali Rana, Global Head of Revenue Partnerships, Snap Inc. “We are pleased to welcome Meltwater as an official API partner and look forward to seeing how this integration helps brands and agencies achieve impactful campaign results across the board.”

“We’re excited to partner with Snapchat and become an official Snapchat partner,” said Chris Hackney, Chief Product Officer at Meltwater. “With the increased importance of video content across social media, our customers are eager for greater insights into how they can craft standout campaigns and build stronger, more meaningful connections with their audiences. It’s fantastic to see Snapchat leaning into the power of social listening, and enabling brands to better understand how they are performing on this important platform.”

With this integration, Meltwater is well–positioned to support brands in navigating the competitive landscape of social media marketing and ensure they have the insights needed to reach audiences on Snapchat for years to come.

For more information please contact:
Kelly Costello
pr@meltwater.com

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About Snapchat
Snap Inc. is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We contribute to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company's three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles. For more information, visit snap.com.

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1 Snap Inc. internal data Q3 2024 vs. Q3 2023


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9351644)

Meltwater Achieves ISO 42001 Certification, in Industry First

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, is proud to announce that the company is the first in its industry to receive ISO 42001 certification for responsible development and use of AI systems. ISO 42001 is the world’s first AI management system standard for organizations that have established a robust framework for managing risks and opportunities in AI systems and who meet the highest standards of information security and privacy.

ISO 42001 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS), such as Meltwater’s industry–leading AI engine. This certification demonstrates Meltwater's commitment to responsible AI governance with strict policies and procedures, as well as safeguarding customer data and ensuring transparency and accountability in handling sensitive information, the details of which can be found on Meltwater’s Trust Center.

For Meltwater customers, this certification means they can trust the company's ability to protect their data. With the growing concerns surrounding data privacy and security, the ISO 42001 certification is a testament to Meltwater's proactive approach in addressing these challenges. At Meltwater, AI is responsibly developed with transparency, security, risk mitigation and customer–centricity at the heart of the approach.

The certification process involves a comprehensive evaluation of Meltwater's information security policies, risk management strategies, and operational procedures. This rigorous assessment ensures that the company not only meets but exceeds the expectations set forth by the ISO standards. As a result, Meltwater is better equipped to respond to potential security threats and to continuously improve its information security practices.

“Achieving ISO 42001 certification marks a significant milestone in Meltwater’s AI journey. We process over a billion pieces of content and perform 15 billion AI inferences daily for our customers and this certification validates not just our commitment to responsible AI development, but our ability to operate AI systems at massive scale while maintaining the highest standards of governance,” said Aditya Jami, Chief Technology Officer at Meltwater. “Building upon our ISO 27001 and 27701 certifications, this new standard demonstrates our proactive approach to AI management and risk mitigation.”

Meltwater's achievement of the ISO 42001 certification underscores its commitment to delivering exceptional value to its customers while prioritizing their security and privacy. This milestone not only strengthens Meltwater's position in the market but also sets a benchmark for excellence in the media intelligence industry.

The certification can be found on Meltwater’s new Trust Center, a centralized portal for customers and partners to access compliance certifications and documents, information on security controls, and frequently asked questions. The Trust Center is another way Meltwater is investing in trust and security, and enabling customers and prospects to easily self–service the security information they need.

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Costello
pr@meltwater.com

About Meltwater:
Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9333354)

Meltwater and Cyabra Partner to Address Dis- and Misinformation Threats to Brands

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a leading global provider of media, social, and consumer intelligence, today announces a new strategic partnership with Cyabra, whose AI shields companies and government agencies from dis– and misinformation by uncovering fake profiles, harmful narratives, and GenAI content.

Together, Cyabra and Meltwater will enable customers with a powerful solution to protect brand reputation from online disinformation attacks, manage crises effectively, and enhance the quality of insights on genuine consumer sentiment. This holistic framework complements Meltwater’s existing social intelligence solutions and allows for a deeper understanding of dis– and misinformation amplified by malicious actors through fake accounts. Through this partnership, joint customers of Meltwater and Cyabra will receive real–time alerts about emerging threats in order to improve decision–making and strategic planning.

Cyabra is an AI–powered platform that uncovers and analyzes dis– and misinformation online, protecting companies and governments from harmful actors. Using advanced AI, Cyabra sifts through billions of conversations across social media and other digital platforms to detect fake accounts and false narratives. It provides organizations with clear insights into the spread of false information, arming customers with the tools and knowledge to make proactive decisions. Supporting over 100 languages, Cyabra offers a comprehensive understanding of online narratives and public sentiment.

“Reputation is one of the most valuable assets for a brand, and many of today’s top brands face online threats, harmful narratives, and mis– and disinformation attacks. Cyabra’s leading technology gives teams advanced tools to be able to detect, manage, and counter harmful narratives in real time and protect brand reputation, and we’re proud they have chosen to partner with Meltwater to advance this mission,” said Doug Balut, SVP of Global Alliances and Partnerships, Meltwater.                          

“The rise of brand disinformation has created a critical challenge for businesses worldwide,” said Emmanuel Heymann, SVP of Revenue at Cyabra. “By joining forces with Meltwater, we are extending our capabilities to offer a comprehensive solution to a wider audience. Meltwater’s suite of tools, combined with Cyabra’s advanced technology, empowers businesses to better identify and counter online threats. Together, we provide a powerful solution for safeguarding brand reputation and building consumer trust in the digital age.”

With this partnership, Cyabra has joined the Meltwater Partner Program, a fast–growing ecosystem of top technology and services providers. By joining the program, Meltwater partners gain access to a broad range of programs, including access to innovative technologies and exclusive co–marketing opportunities to amplify their brand and accelerate revenue growth.

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social, and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About Cyabra
Cyabra is an AI–powered platform leading the charge against online disinformation. We uncover and analyze deceptive campaigns and malicious actors that spread dis– and misinformation across all social and online platforms. Leveraging proprietary algorithms and a tailored NLP model, our trusted solution is used by global corporations, governments, and agencies. Cyabra collects and analyzes publicly available information, providing real–time alerts and actionable insights.

For more information, visit: www.cyabra.com

For more information, please contact:
Jill Burkes
Communications Lead
jill@cyabra.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9265213)

Meltwater launches new global Partner Program to fuel customer success

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a leading global provider of social, media and consumer intelligence, today announces the launch of the Meltwater Partner Program, a fast–growing ecosystem of the top technology and services providers working together to enable organizations to be insight–driven.

Meltwater’s suite of solutions unlock the power of media, social, and consumer data, transforming them into actionable insights to give customers a competitive edge. With the most comprehensive dataset in the industry and more than 1 billion pieces of media and social content analyzed each day, Meltwater empowers companies with easy–to–action insights that drive data–backed decision–making. Its suite of solutions span media intelligence, media relations, social listening, social media management, influencer marketing, consumer intelligence, and more.

Through the Meltwater Partner Program, Meltwater customers now benefit from complementary solutions, services and technology, enabled by Meltwater’s dynamic partner ecosystem. The creation of the program is an investment into Meltwater’s customers and ensuring that they reap the full benefits of Meltwater's offerings.

The Partner Program consists of global systems integrators, agencies and consultancies, technology partners, cloud partners, regional partners and service partners, all providing a unique value proposition for Meltwater's customers. From joint solutions, to service packages, to agency work, Meltwater’s customer–centric philosophy puts its customers at the heart of this partner strategy with the goal of providing the maximum amount of value towards their business goals.

“I’m thrilled to launch the new Partner Program, along with enablement offers that will help our partners build their practices. Our goal is to always put our customers in a position to succeed, and with our best–in–class partners we are building a robust global partner ecosystem with solutions that enable our shared customers to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Doug Balut, Meltwater’s Senior Vice President of Global Alliances and Partnerships.

Select Meltwater partners include:

  • Microsoft, one of the world’s leading technology companies, is fueled by its mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Stephanie Cohen–Glass, Senior Director, Communications Strategy at Microsoft said, “We were looking for a partner that shared our vision of reinventing communications with AI, and with Meltwater we found just that. Together, we’re creating solutions that allow PR and Comms professionals to access data and insights in a more natural way, in the workflow they already use, to drive impact.”
  • Dig Human, a digital agency that bridges data, design, strategy, technology and AI, to help organizations accelerate digital transformation, innovation and growth. Rob Harles, CEO and Founder of Dig Human said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Meltwater and bringing their world–class solutions to our customers to enable growth, transformation and innovation. Working with a partner like Meltwater helps us to help our clients capture real value from technology and data and build stronger, more enduring human connections with customers, employees and citizens.”
  • Point 600, a Communications Consulting Firm specializing in Data Analytics – Brittany Paxman, Managing Partner, Point 600 said, “We’re excited to join the Meltwater Partner Program and help our shared customers leverage Meltwater to make data–informed decisions. At Point 600, we help our clients use data and technology to prove and improve the impact of communications. We've seen firsthand the transformative power of Meltwater's dataset when used in smart ways. Together, we're enabling communications leaders to operate with greater impact, intelligence, and efficiency.”

By joining the program, Meltwater partners gain access to a broad range of programs, including access to innovative technologies and exclusive co–marketing opportunities to amplify their brand and accelerate revenue growth, access to our partner portal, lead generation and much more.

Meltwater’s investment in developing a dynamic partner ecosystem, following the appointment of Doug Balut as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances and Partnerships at the end of 2023. Balut is spearheading the development of Meltwater’s partnership strategy, channel sales organization, and partner go–to–market strategies, all aimed at propelling Meltwater's growth, creating more value for customers and solidifying its position as an enterprise–grade suite of solutions.

For more information please contact,
Kelly Costello
pr@meltwater.com

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social, consumer, and sales intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9204525)

Meltwater joins forces with Microsoft to bring to market the next-generation, AI-powered communication insights solution built on Microsoft Azure

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a leading global provider of media, social, and consumer intelligence, today announced the launch of a market–making collaboration with Microsoft. Microsoft has signed with Meltwater as a provider of media, social, and consumer intelligence on a global scale. In turn, Microsoft will work with Meltwater to deliver an integrated communications insights solution, harnessing the capabilities of Meltwater's leading listening tools alongside Microsoft’s technology stack, including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Teams. This solution will combine Microsoft’s advanced AI services with user–centric design to redefine the customer experience by turning data into dialogue, enabling better collaboration and quick action on business–critical news, market shifts, trends, and competitive intelligence. Meltwater also agreed to a multi–year commitment to make Microsoft Azure its preferred cloud platform for future Microsoft customer deployments.

In the era of AI, organizations need easy–to–use solutions that enable them to be more productive, more efficient, and more creative. Meltwater is taking its world–class data set and building on Microsoft’s industry–leading AI technologies to unlock data–driven insights and power better decision making. Together, they will develop a new generative AI–powered offering, with customer value at the center to solve critical customer challenges—faster.

The new solution will allow enterprise users of Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams who are Meltwater customers to engage conversationally with Meltwater's global data set, providing easy access to real–time insights such as brand mentions, sentiment analysis, key issues, and competitive benchmarking. This means that the right insight is not just a simple request away, but also presented in an easy–to–action, accessible way that drives strategic decisions, integrated directly inside of Teams. This builds on Meltwater’s existing integration with Teams, which is already bringing value to more than 1500 Meltwater customers with seamless delivery of AI–powered alerts right into Teams.

“By harnessing the power of Microsoft’s technology stack and AI capabilities, we're pushing the boundaries of our existing integration further, allowing users to interact with Meltwater’s analytics tools through intuitive dialogue, asking questions and receiving insights as if they were conversing with a data–savvy colleague. Our aim is to transform the way insights are accessed and actioned, embedding Meltwater's deep listening capabilities into the daily rhythm of business communications,” added John Box, CEO of Meltwater.

With this collaboration, Meltwater becomes a global provider of Microsoft’s media, social and consumer intelligence needs, enabling the Microsoft Communications organization and its internal stakeholders to access real–time insights across teams and geographies. “Our goal is to reinvent Communications using AI. We wanted to work with a partner that could help us deliver deeper insights using Microsoft’s AI technology in the place where our teams get their work done with Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams. Meltwater’s leading technology and intuitive platform made them the best partner to help us build a solution that goes beyond hindsight reporting, delivering real time and AI–powered predictive insights.” said Steve Clayton, Vice President of Communications Strategy at Microsoft.

Meltwater will also be featured in the Azure Marketplace for all Microsoft customers to easily deploy Meltwater solutions, unlocking the power of the company’s deep data insights and coupled with the trusted Azure cloud platform. Meltwater will also participate in the Microsoft ISV Co–Sell Partner Program. “Meltwater is extremely excited to begin this powerful partnership with Microsoft, where the real winners will be our joint customers, who have access to market leading solutions run on the leading cloud platform,” said Doug Balut, SVP of Global Alliances and Partnerships at Meltwater.

For more info, please contact:
Kelly Costello
Corporate Communications Director
pr@meltwater.com

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social, consumer and sales intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact.
Learn more at meltwater.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9037793)

Digital 2024: Global social media users pass 5 billion milestone

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, and We Are Social, the socially–led creative agency, have released Digital 2024, their latest annual report on social media and digital trends worldwide.

In a year full of digital milestones, Digital 2024 shows that active social media user identities* have passed the 5 billion mark (5.04 billion), equivalent to 62.3 percent of the world’s population. The global total increased by 266 million over the past year – an annual growth of 5.6 percent.

The typical social media user now spends 2 hours and 23 minutes per day on their social platforms of choice, and uses 6.7 platforms each month. TikTok has the highest average time per Android user of any social platform globally, clocking in at an impressive 34 hours per month – equating to more than an hour per day using the platform. In second place is YouTube, with the average user spending just over 28 hours per month on its Android app.

In terms of the world’s ‘favorite’ social platform, Instagram has taken the crown from last year’s winner, WhatsApp. Digital 2024 shows that 16.5 percent of internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 consider Instagram their most loved platform, pushing WhatsApp into second place with 16.1 percent.

Digital 2024 is a 550+ page report that covers data points from across the entire online ecosystem, from social media to smart devices, gaming to social commerce.

Other key highlights from the report include:

  • The typical internet user now spends 6 hours and 40 minutes online each day – up by 3 minutes per day, or 1 percent, year–on–year.
  • Facebook – which celebrates its 20th birthday on 4th February – grew its global ad reach by more than 200 million over the past 12 months, delivering year–on–year growth of 10.5 percent.
  • LinkedIn, Snapchat, WeChat, and Pinterest all reported strong user growth year–on–year.
  • Digital ad spend grew by 10 percent year–on–year, with almost $720 billion spent on digital ads in 2023. Social ad spend increased by 9.3 percent to USD $207 billion, and investment in influencer activities increased by 17 percent.
  • The typical internet user now spends 17 minutes per day less watching TV content than they did this time last year – a decline of 8.2 percent year–on–year.
  • In a rich analysis of TikTok hashtags, Digital 2024 reports that TikToks tagged with #fyp (for your page) have amassed a total of 55½ trillion views – making it the platform’s top hashtag.

Alexandra Saab Bjertnæs, Chief Strategy Officer at Meltwater, said: “As social media enters its next chapter with five billion–plus users, understanding usage patterns, engagement, and emerging trends is crucial to helping brands find their unique voice amidst all the online chatter. The rise of TikTok, coupled with Instagram’s ‘favorite’ status and the growth of professional networking platforms like LinkedIn, paints a picture of evolving preferences. With so many platform choices, brands need to really understand where their target audience is going for information—and shape compelling narratives that engage them with unparalleled precision and authenticity.”

Nathan McDonald, co–founder and group chief executive at We Are Social, commented: “Social media continues to be a vital part of the way we connect with one another, from building communities to researching purchases and everything in between. TikTok’s continued popularity has changed the way that people behave online – social is not somewhere where a broadcast approach works for brands, and the importance of thinking social first has never been more important. It’s encouraging to see strong growth across multiple social platforms, each offering something different, whether that’s Pinterest for social commerce or Facebook for connecting with communities. For marketers, understanding platform nuances – and how to use social media to connect in culturally relevant ways – will be more crucial than ever.”

*social media user identities may not represent unique individuals

To view and download the report go to: https://www.meltwater.com/en/global–digital–trends

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Costello
pr@meltwater.com

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social, consumer and sales intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

About We Are Social

We are a global socially–led creative agency, with unrivalled social media expertise. With over 1,300 people in 19 offices around the world, we deliver a global perspective to our clients in a time when social media is shaping culture.

We make ideas worth talking about. We understand social behaviours within online communities, cultures and subcultures, spanning the social and gaming landscape. We work with the world’s biggest brands, including Adidas, Samsung, Netflix and Google, to reach the right people in a strategic, relevant and effective way.

We Are Social is part of Plus Company.

To learn more, visit www.wearesocial.com 


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9029074)