May 10 2024
25 Snapchat Statistics & Facts For 2024 via @sejournal, @annabellenyst

Snapchat, known for its ephemeral content, innovative augmented reality (AR) features, and fiercely loyal user base, is a vital player in the social media landscape.

While it sometimes flies under the radar – as other platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram tend to dominate the cultural conversation – Snapchat is an incredibly powerful marketing tool that holds a unique place in the hearts and minds of its users.

In this article, we’ll explore what you need to know about Snapchat, with insights that shed light on what audiences think of the app and where its strengths lie.

From user growth trends to advertising effectiveness, let’s look at the state of Snapchat right now.

What Is Snapchat?

Snapchat is a social media app that allows users to share photos and videos with friends and followers online.

Unlike other social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok – where much of the content is stored permanently – Snapchat prioritizes ephemeral content only.

Once viewed, Snapchat content disappears, which adds a layer of spontaneity and privacy to digital interactions.

Snapchat leverages the power of augmented reality to entertain its audience by creating interactive and immersive experiences through features like AR lenses.

Users can also explore a variety of stickers, drawing tools, and emojis to add a personal touch to everything they post.

What started as a small collection of tools in 2011 has now expanded to a massive library of innovative features, such as a personalized 3D Snap Map, gesture recognition, audio recommendations for lenses, generative AI capabilities, and much more.

Creating an account on Snapchat is easy. Simply download the app on Google Play or the App Store. Install it on your device, and you’re ready!

Snapchat downloadScreenshot from Google Play, December 2023

25 Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know About Snapchat

Let’s dive in!

1. Snapchat Has 406 Million Daily Active Users

That number, released by the company in October 2023, represents an increase of 43 million year-over-year – a 12% increase.

Here’s a chart from Statista showing Snapchat’s user growth from 2014 to 2023:

Snapchat’s user growth from 2014 to 2023Screenshot from Statista.com, December 2023

And with 750 million monthly active users (MAUs), Snapchat is the fifth-biggest social media network in the world.

2. Users 18-24 Years Old Account For The Biggest Chunk Of Snapchat’s Audience

According to Snapchat’s own advertising data, the platform has 243.5 million users aged 18 to 24 – representing 38.6% of its total ad audience.

The second largest group of users are between the ages of 25 and 34, followed by 13-17-year-olds – proving that Snapchat is reaching young people around the world.

On the flip side, the platform isn’t huge with older users; people aged 50 and over account for only 3.8% of Snapchat’s total ad audience.

As a marketer, you can take a hint on what your campaign should focus on if you use Snapchat. As Snapchat’s own report puts it:

“From its inception, Snapchat has inherently created a frictionless space where Gen Z creatives can experiment with their identities, yet not have to feel like they’re ‘on brand’ in communicating to their close friend groups.”

3. Snapchat Reaches 90% Of The 13 To 24-Year-Old Population

It also reaches 75% of people between the ages of 13 and 34 in over 25 countries, according to Snapchat’s estimates.

In the US, 59% of American teenagers (between the ages of 13 and 17) report using Snapchat. This number amounts to roughly six in 10 US teens.

4. Snapchat Users Open The App Nearly 40 Times A Day

According to the company, this means people interact with their social circles on Snapchat more than any other social network.

In the US, about half of teenagers (51%) report using Snapchat at least once a day – making it slightly more popular than Instagram, but not quite as popular as YouTube or TikTok.

5. Taco Bell Paid $75,000 For 24 Hours Of The Taco Filter/Ad

To boost sales, Taco Bell launched the taco filter on Snapchat. Here’s what it looked like.

The filter is humorous, relevant, and unique. Users adored it, and it got 224 million views.

That’s great, considering Taco Bell paid $75,000 for the ad – which actually proved to be a great investment for the exposure the brand received.

6. More Than Half (50.6%) Of Snapchat Users Are Female

In contrast, 48.7% of the platform’s global users are male.

While there is not a huge discrepancy between the demographics here, it’s helpful information for any marketers looking to put together Snapchat campaigns.

7. Snapchat Is The No. 1 App People Use To Share What They Bought

Is your brand looking to reach young social media users around the world? Snapchat could be the perfect platform for you.

People are 45% more likely to recommend brands to friends on Snapchat compared to other platforms.

They’re also 2X more likely to post about a gift after receiving it – making Snapchat a powerful tool for influencer marketing and brand partnerships.

8. Snapchat Pioneered Vertical Video Ads

Once a novelty in the social media industry, vertical video ads have become one of the most popular ways to advertise on social media and reach global audiences.

What are vertical video ads? It’s self-explanatory: They’re ads that can be viewed with your phone held vertically. The ad format is optimized for how we use our mobile devices and designed to create a non-disruptive experience for users.

You’ve definitely seen countless video ads by now, but did you know Snapchat pioneered them?

9. You Can Follow Rock Star Business Experts On Snapchat

Who knew Snapchat could be a powerful business tool? Here are the top three experts you should follow right now:

10. More Than 250 Million Snapchatters Engage With AR Every Day, On Average

Snapchat was the first social media app to really prioritize the development of AR features, and it’s paid off.

Over 70% of users engage with AR on the first day that they download the app – and, to date, there have been more than 3 million lenses launched on Snapchat.

11. People Are 34% More Likely To Purchase Products They See Advertised On Snapchat

When compared to watching the same ad on other social media platform, Snapchat proves to be an effective way to reach and convert.

12. Snapchat Is The King Of Ephemeral Content Marketing

Ephemeral content marketing uses video, photos, and media that are only accessible for a limited time.

Here are three reasons it works:

  • It creates a sense of urgency.
  • It appeals to buyers who don’t want to feel “sold.”
  • It’s more personalized than traditional sales funnel marketing.

Guess who’s one of the kings of ephemeral content marketing? That’s right: Snapchat.

Consider that if it weren’t for Snapchat, Instagram Stories would likely not exist right now.

13. More Than 5 Million People Subscribe To Snapchat+

Snapchat+ is the platform’s paid subscription service that gives users access to exclusive and pre-release features on the platform.

Subscribers also receive a range of other perks, including options to customize their app experience and the ability to see how many times their content has been rewatched.

The fact that so many millions of users are willing to pay for special access and features to Snapchat should be a sign to brands and marketers everywhere that the platform has a strong pull with its audience.

Beyond that, the fact that Snapchat+ drew 5 million subscribers within just a year or so of launching is impressive on its own.

14. Snapchat Reaches Nearly Half Of US Smartphone Users

According to Statista, approximately 309 million American adults use smartphones today.

Snapchat’s ability to reach such a considerable portion of US smartphone users is notable.

15. Snapchat Users Spend An Average Of 19 Minutes Per Day On The App

That’s 19 minutes brands can use to connect with people, grow brand awareness, and convey their message.

16. Snapchat’s Original Name Was Picaboo

In fact, Snapchat did run as Picaboo for about a year.

17. Snapchat Was Created After 34 Failures

Snapchat creators Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Frank Reginald Brown worked on the Snapchat project while they were studying at Stanford University.

After 34 failures, they finally developed the app as we know it today.

18. Snapchat’s Creators Had A Major Falling-Out Before The App Was Released

Frank Reginald Brown was ousted from the Snapchat project by his friends.

Although no one knows the real story, Brown claims Spiegel and Murphy changed the server passwords and ceased communication with him a month before Snapchat was launched.

19. Snapchat Downloads Doubled After The Launch Of The Toddler & Gender Swap Filters

Users downloaded Snapchat 41.5 million times in a month after the release of these filters!

20. Mark Zuckerberg Tried To Buy Snapchat

Snapchat’s owners refused to sell Snapchat to Zuckerberg (even though the offer went as high as $3 billion!).

21. Snapchat’s Mascot Is Called Ghostface Chillah

The mascot was inspired by Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan – and when you consider that the app was once called “Picaboo,” the ghost logo makes more sense.

Apparently, Snapchat co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel has said that he developed the mascot himself and chose a ghost based on the ephemeral nature of Snapchat content.

22. Facebook And Instagram Borrowed Ephemeral Content From Snapchat

As we mentioned above, we have Snapchat to thank for Facebook and Instagram Stories, which have since become integral to the social media experience.

Snapchat also pioneered the use of AR filters, which were adopted by Instagram and paved the way for the filters that dominate the world of TikTok today.

23. 75% Of Gen Z And Millennials Say Snapchat Is The No. 1 Platform For Sharing Real-Life Experiences

Social media is all about authentic moments and human connection – and social media marketing is no different.

With such a large number of young people preferring Snapchat over other platforms for sharing their life experiences, marketers should follow suit.

Find ways to share behind-the-scenes moments with your team and company, and emphasize the humans behind the brand.

24. Snapchat Users Have Over $4.4 Trillion In Global Spending Power

That’s nothing to sneeze at.

25. In 2022, Snapchat Generated $4.6 Billion In Revenue

It is currently valued at over $20 billion.

Looking Ahead With Snapchat

Snapchat’s ephemeral content, intimacy, and spontaneity are strong points for everyday users, content creators, and businesses alike.

Marketers should keep a keen eye on emerging trends within the platform, such as new AR advancements and evolving user demographics.

Those looking to reach younger audiences or show an authentic, human side of their brand should consider wading into the waters of Snapchat.

By harnessing the power of ephemeral content and engaging features, brands can effectively use Snapchat to grow their brand awareness, engage with audiences on a more personal level, and stay relevant in the fast-paced world of digital marketing.

More resources:

Featured Image: Trismegist san/Shutterstock

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May 3 2024
Robert Cialdini on Social Commerce

I attended a live webinar last month led by Dr. Robert Cialdini. He’s the author of the seminal book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.” If you haven’t read his work, you almost certainly know of his impact on ecommerce. He’s arguably the intellectual brains behind many of the conversion optimization techniques we all rely on. He invented the concept of social proof.

Through his work, Cialdini has evolved persuasion from the offline world to online. And there’s an emerging component of the role of social media in shopping.

Product Discovery

How consumers discover products has changed.

Studies suggest that upwards of three-quarters of online shoppers now discover products on social media. Two-thirds use social media for shopping every week. The percentages are even higher for Gen Zs — teenagers to mid-20s — who largely use Instagram or TikTok when looking for a new product or service.

Yet while social enables discovery, three-quarters of consumers prefer to buy directly from the brand or retailer.

Thus the sales funnel now looks very different with buying journeys that often start on social but end on an ecommerce site.

Reduce Uncertainty

Robert Cialdini

Much of Cialdini’s work aims to reduce uncertainty to help consumers make purchase decisions. On social there is a paradox. Lack of trust causes consumers to hesitate. But creators and influencers offer reassurance, as does the built-in social proof of likes, follows, comments, and ratings.

Which brings me to the webinar. I asked Dr. Cialdini how brands should use social media, given his principles of authority, social proof, scarcity, and reciprocity.

He pointed out that brands should leverage the power of the medium and emphasize their own strengths.

He told me, “If a brand has true scarcity or dwindling availability, use it. If it has true expert voices, that’s the one. And if it has evidence of a lot of people moving toward it, use that one.”

Social media is a game changer, he said, because “now we have access to opinions of people who have similar interests and are making similar choices to us, from all over the world. Thousands of them can weigh in on their experience. We’ve never had that before — technology has allowed it. What your friends and those around you are doing has always been powerful, but now we can access the information like never before.”

With social media, we can get “98% of the world into this uncertainty-reducing tool. That’s why it’s become so powerful and why the more we employ it, the more people want to consider what we offer in that process.”

Human Connection

I asked Dr. Cialdini about the role of social media influencers as a source of paid-for authority.

He addressed the human dimension. “I saw a study recently that in the last 10 years, handmade products have increased in popularity by 37% even though the quality of the products has declined. Why the increase? Because there’s a real person there. Increasingly we shop separately and work separately. We entertain ourselves separately by pushing buttons on screens. Consumers are looking for a human connection. ”

Cialdini continued by referencing the many studies that show how evidence persuades shoppers. He especially likes the evidence from testimonials because they are real people, stating, “If there’s a person there, consumers will be more inclined to pay attention to it.”

Lastly, Cialdini had intriguing advice on reviews.

“We’re being systematically separated from one another because of technology. We get social proof from the number and quality of reviews, which gives us authority. But I’m going to suggest a small change. Instead of listing the number of reviews, merchants should list the number of reviewers. Instead of listing the number of testimonials, we should list the number of testifiers because those are real people.”

He added, “What’s a review? It’s a click. What’s a reviewer or a testifier? That’s a person — somebody like me. An individual.”

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Apr 27 2024
Copywriter Shifts to X Ads, Scales Brands

No one can accuse ecommerce copywriter Chris Orzechowski of mimicking others. In an era of image-heavy marketing emails, he prefers plain text. Amid the Facebook-Google advertising juggernaut, he favors X.

Orzechowski is an 11-year writer and marketer, first as a freelancer and then, in 2020, at Orzy, the agency he founded. In our recent conversation, he addressed his keys to successful product copy, frustration with Meta, and migration to X Ads.

The entire audio of our discussion is embedded below. The transcript is condensed and edited for clarity.

Eric Bandholz: What do you do?

Chris Orzechowski: I’m a copywriter and an email and retention marketer. I help ecommerce brands craft better messaging to grow revenue and scale their businesses. I founded an agency called Orzy Media in 2020. Before that I was a freelancer for seven years.

I’ve worked with many direct-to-consumer companies. Over the past 11 years, I have written for Carnivore Snax, Perennial Pastures Ranch, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and Filippo Loreti.

I specialize in copy-heavy plain text and story-driven emails that differ from traditional poster-style versions. That’s my signature style. I started getting into X Ads out of necessity when I was having issues with Facebook.

We’re a small team at Orzy, a boutique. We like to go deep with our clients. Good copy will have a story and vivid descriptions, which I call dimensionalization. When folks read the product description, they don’t care about the features. They care about how it will improve their lives.

There are millions of ecommerce stores. How can a single store stand out? The marketing, the copy, the voice, and the personality will help win consumers’ mindshare. To improve copy, you have to be curious.

Part of it is immersing yourself in the industries you work in and seeing what everyone else is doing.

Bandholz: Orzy manages clients’ ad campaigns. You’re doing well with X Ads.

Orzechowski: I was initially skeptical. For a long time, people have said not to waste time on Twitter. That was pre-Elon. The platform was wonky back then, but it’s since improved.

I got started on X because I was frustrated with Meta. I got locked out of my account for over a year. I couldn’t talk to anyone at Facebook support. I opened a new account, but still had trouble. I decided to explore other avenues and zeroed in on X. I noticed some brands’ ads were getting 10 million or more impressions.

HexClad, Ridge Wallet, and other big DTC brands were running ads on X. I thought, “These are big, successful companies. The people running these ads are not idiots. There’s a reason they’re doing it.”

I started experimenting with a few campaigns. They were cheap. Some had 38-cent CPMs and 25-cent CPCs.

I started experimenting with my book, the lead magnet for my services. I was getting leads. It’s just taking a piece of content, adding some targeting parameters, and then expanding the number of impressions. Now I manage X campaigns for several clients. They work pretty well. There’s some nuance. It’s different from Meta.

Meta has many data points. They know who your people are. However, the downside is that brands get capped out with the amount they can spend. They can’t push it any higher in a profitable way. With X, you have more room to run because you can choose the targeting parameters. It’s like Google Ads or direct-mail list rental back in the day. You can create similar list universes within the targeting parameters of X.

Bandholz: On X, is it better to build on keywords, content, or demographics?

Orzechowski: It’s a bit of all three. Demographics are big. We layer on the keywords and the follower lookalikes. We choose 10 to 30 profiles, and X will generate a lookalike audience based on the profiles’ followers.

Finding good follower lookalikes, where you can get many people, is critical. You want at least a few hundred thousand, if not a million, within your targeting pool. Unless you’re a higher-end B2B SaaS company and have just 5,000 potential customers. Then you might want to target some smaller, high-end profiles.

X Ads has a feature called Optimized Targeting. It uses data from a campaign and its targeting parameters and then expands and tests it on different pockets of users.

An easy way for brands to get started on X is to roll out a successful campaign from Meta. Static ads on X tend to get more impressions. We’ve made video work, too. A good video demonstrates the product and describes it in an attention-grabbing manner.

Bandholz: Where can folks follow you?

Orzechowski: My agency is Orzy.co. “The Moat,” my book for growing brands, is on Amazon. I’m @chrisorzy on X. I’m also on LinkedIn.

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Apr 25 2024
13 Awesome Professional Networking Alternatives To LinkedIn via @sejournal, @hoffman8

LinkedIn is a huge professional networking site.

In fact, it is the world’s largest professional network, with more than 610 million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

I tend to use LinkedIn as a virtual Rolodex and I try to connect with all of the individuals that I work with, so that I always have an updated means of contacting them.

However, like any social network, LinkedIn has weaknesses.

For one, because of the size and the number of users, my feed doesn’t always feel personal and the content isn’t always hyper-relevant.

Worse yet, I get DMs by the dozen from people trying to sell me things. The ratio of quality connections to spammers seems to be sliding in the wrong direction lately.

Although I can’t see myself leaving LinkedIn – and I’m not suggesting you should, either – there are a number of other sites and platforms that can add supplemental value.

Here are 13 professional networking alternatives to LinkedIn.

1. Meetup

The header of the meetup homepage depicts a diverse group of people riding a tandem bicycle, symbolizing shared activities that lead to friendships, with the tagline Screenshot from Meetup, April 2024

Meetup is a cool platform that allows you to seek out (or create!) local meetups. When you register, you mark your interests.

Meetup will then notify you of any local meetups that you might be interested in, as they are created. The meetups span a wide variety of topics from professional topics to hobbies and everything in between.

If you don’t find one that you’re interested in or one that works with your schedule, you can set one up and Meetup will notify anyone that has identified your topic as something that is of interest to them.

It’s a great way to bring like-minded people together, locally.

2. Xing

Webpage screenshot of professional networking platform xing, featuring search fields for job title and location with options Screenshot from Xing, April 2024

Xing is a professional network that is similar to LinkedIn.  After signing up, you can join groups with like-minded professionals to network and share ideas.

You can stay on top of the latest news in your industry and identify relevant seminars, conferences, and tradeshows.

You can post jobs, search jobs, and research companies. Xing is more prominent in Europe than in the U.S., but is used by people in over 200 countries.

It is free to use but you can unlock additional features with a premium membership, similar to LinkedIn.

3. Bark

barkScreenshot from Bark, April 2024

Bark is designed to connect local professionals with people who are seeking their services.

Looking for a professional’s assistance? You can cut down on search time by using Bark.

Bark will reach out to professionals in your area and circle back with estimates. Even more valuable, you can set up your own profile and be paired with prospects that are seeking out the services that you offer.

4. Opportunity

OpportunityScreenshot from Opportunity, April 2024

Opportunity is a networking site that prides itself on “professional matchmaking.” It strives to connect people based upon their needs.

For instance, users can be notified each time someone in their target market indicates that they need what the user offers.

Likewise, users can be notified of relevant employment opportunities. In addition, professionals can discover other professionals based upon the preferences they select (e.g., age, gender, interests, personality).

5. Jobcase

JobcaseScreenshot from Jobcase, April 2024

Jobcase is pretty unique in that it has been powering over 100 popular job sites since 2009.

Because of that, Jobcase has access to a wealth of data about open roles and the companies that are currently hiring for roles that you might be interested in.

So how does it work?

With Jobcase, you can set up a profile and get access to a huge database of jobs. In addition, you can join groups, or peruse the community to participate in discussions.

Jobcase boasts over 80 million users, so there are plenty of discussions to join in on!

6. LunchMeet

LunchMeetScreenshot from LunchMeet, April 2024

Lunchmeet is a mobile app. This is a valuable tool to identify local professionals with similar interests (similar to Meetup.com).

What makes Lunchmeet unique is that you use it to identify one other local professional to meet for coffee or lunch, as opposed to pulling in a crowd.

With Lunchmeet, you can set up your availability for an impromptu meeting and find other local professionals with availability during those time slots.

7. Community Forums

Screenshot of the Google Ads Help Community homepage, featuring a search bar, various posts, and a colorful illustration of people engaging in different activities like running and reading on professional networking platforms.Screenshot of Google Ads Help Community, April 2024

One of the easiest, and yet most overlooked, networking opportunities are in community forums.

Interested in Google Ads? Check out the Google Ads forum.

Bing Ads? Check out the Bing Ads forum.

Not so much interested in ads? The Google Webmaster Central Forum might be more your speed.

The forums are a great way to ask questions and to share your experience with others that are seeking input. The forums stay active and are frequented by many knowledgeable people.

8. X (Twitter) Threads

X (Twitter)Screenshot of X (Twitter), April 2024

Believe it or not, some of the best industry networking that I’ve been privileged to stumble upon has come from some really great X (Twitter) communities!

The especially great thing about these is that: they are public, they are free, they are active, and they can be really supportive.

New members are welcomed and people are encouraged to share their questions and struggles. Plus, it’s just fun to talk shop with others who get it.

I’ve made a lot of lasting connections on X (Twitter), which have led to a variety of career opportunities from speaking at industry events to client referrals and more.

Digital marketers can find relevant content on #PPCchat, #FBadsChat #SEOchat, #SEOtalk, #SEMrushChat, #HootChat, #SproutChat, #socialROI, and #contentwritingchat – just to name a few.

9. Reddit

RedditScreenshot of Reddit, April 2024

Although Reddit has a strong reputation for being the source of many-a-meme, it’s also so much more than that.

Reddit hosts a huge span of micro-communities, including r/PPC for paid search and r/SEO for, you guessed it, SEO.

Like X (formerly Twitter), the communities are completely free to join and public to peruse. Simply visit https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/ or https://www.reddit.com/r/PPC/ and you’ll see a list of topics.

You can reply to existing posts or create your own; just sign-up for a free Reddit account if you want to partake in the action.

Not interested in SEO or PPC? No problem.

Reddit has a huge list of topics. There’s something for everyone.

10. Slack

A screenshot of a professional networking app with various users introducing themselves for networking alternatives, including their job titles and objectives.Screenshot from Slack

Slack receives some mixed reviews and it’s no surprise why: there are several Slack communities that can add a lot of value.

On the other hand, it can also be really distracting. Nearly every other networking community in this list is browser-based (with the exception of Lunchmeet).

Slack is a messenger-based mobile app and desktop application, where each community has a mix of public threads and the option to DM anyone else in the community.

I’m a fan, because I’ve joined some great communities, met great people, and have even created working relationships all through Slack.

However, if you find yourself easily distracted by IMs and mobile/desktop notifications, Slack might not be the best option.

Note: it is possible to adjust your notifications in the settings to help mitigate the distraction.

If interested in finding a Slack community, a quick Google search for “’Insert Topic Here’ + Slack Community” usually turns up several options.

It’s also easy and free to create your own Slack community and invite your friends.

11. Facebook Groups

FB groups for digital marketingScreenshot from Facebook, April 2024

Maybe somewhat surprisingly, there are several Facebook groups dedicated toward sharing professional knowledge and experiences.

Although Facebook is often considered to be more of a personal social platform than LinkedIn, it can also be a great source for professional networking.

If interested in seeking out a community, just use Facebook’s search tool to find groups about the topic of interest.

There are several communities that cater to various aspects of digital marketing from tactical knowledge all the way to running a digital agency.

12. Sumry

SumryScreenshot from author, April 2024

Sumry is a site that was built to make first impressions easier. It is a web app that builds online resumes and portfolios.

Sumry allows you to aggregate your certifications, skills, and work experience and it also allows you to include testimonials and your full timeline of work experience – similar to LinkedIn.

With the premium version, it also gives users a chance to introduce themselves before submitting an application.

Once you are ready to submit, Sumry makes it easy to apply with one-click with a link to your profile and a PDF of your resume.

13. Gust.com

Gust is a community focused solely on startups, in fact, it claims to be the world’s largest startup network.

Gust is a global SaaS funding platform, for the sourcing and management of early-stage investments for startups. It enables entrepreneurs to collaborate with investors and angel investor networks.

Summary

LinkedIn is the largest professional networking in the world, but there are plenty of other networking options to help you make meaningful connections.

In fact, some of these alternatives may be more helpful than LinkedIn because they focus on creating more professional connections based on your location or niche.

More Resources:

Image Credits

All screenshots taken by author, March 2019

FAQ

What are some alternatives to LinkedIn for professional networking?

In response to the growing need for more personalized and niche-specific networking platforms, several alternatives to LinkedIn have emerged. Some notable platforms highlighted in the article include:

  • Meetup: A platform for creating or finding local meetups based on shared interests.
  • Xing: A Europe-based professional network for industry news and job searching, similar to LinkedIn.
  • Bark: Connects local professionals with those seeking their services.
  • Opportunity: Focuses on professional matchmaking based on user needs.
  • Jobcase: Offers access to job databases and collaborative community discussions.

These alternatives cater to various aspects of professional networking, from local in-person meetings to industry-specific discussions.

Is online networking on social platforms like X (Twitter) as effective as formal networking sites?

Social platforms like X (Twitter) can be remarkably effective for professional networking because these communities are often more casual and approachable in nature. Here are some of the benefits:

  • They are public and free, allowing unfettered access to industry discussions.
  • Communities such as X (Twitter) provide supportive environments where new members are welcomed and encouraged to contribute.
  • Professionals can use hashtags to engage in industry-specific conversations, share expertise, or seek advice.
  • Many professionals have leveraged X (Twitter) for career opportunities, including speaking events or client referrals.

X (Twitter) and similar platforms offer a dynamic and interactive avenue for building professional relationships and staying current with industry trends.

What are some considerations when choosing a professional networking platform?

Choosing a networking platform suitable for your professional needs involves evaluating several factors:

  • Purpose: Determine if you need a platform for job searching, industry networking, client outreach, or professional development.
  • Geographical Focus: Some platforms are better for local networking (like Meetup), while others have a broader, often global reach.
  • Industry Relevance: Look for platforms hosting communities or forums that cater to your specific industry or niche.
  • Format and Features: Consider if you prefer casual social media interactions, structured networking sites, or industry forums for knowledge exchange.
  • User Base: The size and activity level of the community can greatly impact networking opportunities and resource availability.
  • Cost: There might be membership fees involved, so assess if the potential benefits justify the expenses.

Analyzing these aspects can help pinpoint the best networking platforms for achieving your professional goals.

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Apr 22 2024
The Top 30 Social Media Influencers Worldwide via @sejournal, @theshelleywalsh

Social media influencers are prominent figures. They dominate the online world and social apps we use daily to become household names.

Social media platforms have elevated individuals around the world to reach an audience of millions, with YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) all boasting users in the tens of millions – and in some cases, even hundreds of millions.

But every platform is different, with its own style of content and recognizable top influencers. This can make it difficult to tell who the most influential people on social media are, rather than the most popular on one platform.

We’ve looked at social media influencers across the most popular social media platforms.

By combining the total number of followers and subscribers across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X (Twitter) for each individual, we created a leaderboard of the top 30 social media influencers worldwide.

What Is A Social Media Influencer?

A social media influencer, usually referred to as simply an influencer, can be any individual with a significant follower count.

They typically have established credibility within a certain niche and use that authority to connect with people via social media.

However, what’s considered large is relative. Mention reports that 26.4% of Instagram accounts have less than 1,000 followers, while almost half have between 1,000 and 10,000.

Although 10,000 may sound like a lot, it is overshadowed by the top social media influencer’s 622 million Instagram followers.

Types Of Social Media Influencers (By Follower Count)

Nano Influencer (1,000 to 10,000)

With a modest following, nano influencers typically have more trusting relationships with followers and are great for hyper-targeted campaigns.

Micro Influencer (10,000 to 100,000)

Popular within a specific niche, micro influencers remain relatable and maintain high engagement rates with their target audience while getting more attention.

Macro Influencer (100,000 to 1,000,000 followers)

Macro influencers possess broad appeal which can originally stem from a niche. Their large audience is established over a long time at the expense of lower engagement rates.

Celebrity influencer (1,000,000+ followers)

These are well-known names in an industry with huge global audiences, making them great options for brand awareness campaigns but will likely cost a lot to work with.

Which Social Media Platform Has The Biggest Audience For Influencers?

Social media influencers realistically want to reach the largest audience possible. The more people that see their content, the bigger their influence will be.

That’s why choosing the right social media platform can have an impact on how much you can grow as an influencer.

Monthly Active Users (MAUs) For Each Social Media Platform

  • YouTube: 2.5 billion active users.
  • Instagram: 2 billion active users.
  • TikTok: 1.2 billion active users.
  • X: 541 million.

(Source)

Despite having fewer active users, Instagram is now considered to be the most popular platform with TikTok gaining year-on-year.

Each platform has its benefits for different types of social media influencers, depending on the type of social content they create:

  • YouTube – Primarily long-form video, secondary short-form video, and live streaming.
  • Instagram – Primarily still image, secondary video and live streaming.
  • TikTok – Primarily short-form video, secondary live streaming.
  • X – Primarily text, secondary still image and video.

As social media platforms have grown, they’ve developed their main features alongside secondary functions to compete with each other.

This has made it easier for influencers to cross-post and repurpose the same content between different platforms, helping to cross-pollinate audiences and grow multiple followings. For example, users frequently see videos from TikTok appearing on Instagram Reels and vice versa.

Doing this helps social media influencers grow their audiences and boost their influence, which can make them more appealing partners for brands and marketers to work with.

The Top 30 Social Media Influencers Worldwide

Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok YouTube Total Category
1 Cristiano Ronaldo 622,164,640 110,569,623 n/a n/a 732,734,263 Sport
2 Selena Gomez 429,805,012 66,446,790 59,000,000 34,500,000 589,751,802 Music
3 Ariana Grande 380,308,915 85,268,269 34,200,000 53,500,000 553,277,184 Music
4 Kylie Jenner 400,477,343 40,044,424 54,900,000 12,100,000 507,521,767 Influencer
5 Justin Bieber 293,090,942 111,264,898 27,300,000 72,600,000 504,255,840 Music
6 Leo Messi 499,705,843 N/A N/A 2,110,000 501,815,843 Sport
7 Dwayne Johnson 397,240,518 17,100,000 74,200,000 6,360,000 494,900,518 Entertainment
8 Taylor Swift 281,714,581 95,295,063 24,900,000 56,500,000 458,409,644 Music
9 Kim Kardashian 364,318,648 75,194,423 9,600,000 2,000,000 451,113,071 Influencer
10 MrBeast 50,400,000 28,700,000 93,300,000 240,000,000 412,400,000 Content Creator
11 Beyoncé 319,996,984 15,300,000 5,400,000 26,700,000 367,396,984 Music
12 Katy Perry 206,853,190 106,785,495 7,100,000 44,800,000 365,538,685 Music
13 Khloé Kardashian 310,907,419 30,200,000 6,200,000 704,000 348,011,419 Influencer
14 Kendall Jenner 294,711,196 31,700,000 6,100,000 285,000 332,796,196 Influencer
15 Jennifer Lopez 253,650,838 44,761,851 17,600,000 16,600,000 332,612,689 Music
16 Virat Kohli 266,486,829 61,091,254 N/A n/a 327,578,083 Sport
17 Neymar Jr 219,676,224 63,265,287 32,100,000 4,440,000 319,481,511 Sport
18 Rihanna 152,230,498 108,159,084 9,600,000 42,700,000 312,689,582 Music
19 Nicki Minaj 229,345,664 28,162,082 20,300,000 26,600,000 304,407,746 Music
20 Miley Cyrus 217,012,486 46,384,263 18,700,000 19,000,000 301,096,749 Music
21 Kourtney Kardashian 224,413,301 26,428,379 7,300,000 N/A 258,141,680 Influencer
22 Kevin Hart 180,287,999 36,868,857 34,800,000 N/A 251,956,856 Entertainment
23 Khaby Lame 79,827,228 384,800 161,500,000 7,340,000 249,052,028 Content Creator
24 Cardi B 169,210,738 33,320,086 24,100,000 19,200,000 245,830,824 Music
25 Demi Lovato 157,403,357 52,785,567 5,800,000 18,000,000 233,988,924 Music
26 Shakira 90,586,379 53,660,569 38,300,000 45,500,000 228,046,948 Music
27 Ellen DeGeneres 139,741,535 74,692,180 12,800,000 N/A 227,233,715 Entertainment
28 Billie Eilish 110,287,844 7,300,000 51,000,000 49,100,000 217,687,844 Music
29 Lebron James 159,781,164 52,856,615 89,200 63,400 212,790,379 Sport
30 Charli d’Amelio 44,900,000 5,100,000 152,000,000 9,130,000 211,130,000 Influencer

Data from March 2024.

While some social media influencers have grown organically on one of the different platforms, many of the most popular influencers on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms are offline celebrities first.

As many traditional celebrities grew their popularity decades before social media was around, they’ve successfully transferred their established fame into tangible followers in the online world.

With 14 of the names in the list being primarily singer-songwriters, music-based influencers make up the majority of the top 30 list. However, many of them also have careers outside music. In fact, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato all got their start in acting for Disney or Nickelodeon.

Several Gen Z influencers are also featured in the top 30 who grew up as social media natives, including Charlie D’Amelio, Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson, Billie Eilish and Khaby Lame.

Khaby Lame is particularly interesting as he managed to achieve a stratospheric rise to fame during the COVID pandemic without any brand affiliation. His predominantly silent video content focused on satirical teasing of the overcomplicated life hacks that had become popular on TikTok.

Khaby has since gone on to become a key figure in Hugo Boss’ rebrand and gets paid as much as $750k [paywall] per sponsored post. Impressive for an influencer who is known for saying very little.

Looking at the more straightforward lifestyle influencers, all three Kardashian sisters and both Jenner sisters feature within the top 30. This makes Charli D’Amelio the only top lifestyle influencer who isn’t part of the Kardashian dynasty.

The Top 15 Social Media Influencers By Followers

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese athlete (soccer), 732 million followers – Despite only being active on two platforms, his reputation as one of the greatest of all time to play the game has made him an international icon and Instagram’s standout influencer.
  2. Selena Gomez, American actor/musician, 589 million followers – Evolving from her Disney star roots, she’s grown as both an actress and advocate for mental health and equality to become one of the world’s most influential women.
  3. Ariana Grande, American musician/actor, 553 million followers – Pop icon with a four-octave vocal range and a considerable back catalog that has seen her listed as an influence by multiple high-profile music artists.
  4. Kylie Jenner, American influencer/reality TV star, 507 million followers – The most influential social media star from The Kardashians, she’s balanced a range of branded business ventures with life as a socialite.
  5. Justin Bieber, Canadian musician, 504 million followers – Bieber is arguably the most well-known case of social media stardom. His early R&B covers on YouTube helped net him a record deal back in 2008 after his videos were discovered.
  6. Leo Messi, Argentinian athlete (soccer), 501 million followers – An Argentinian soccer legend and supposed rival to Ronaldo. He’s also only present on two social media sites, yet has still gathered more than half-a-billion followers.
  7. Dwayne Johnson, American actor/wrestler, 494 million followers – Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is also one of the highest-paid actors globally and a fitness icon.
  8. Taylor Swift, American musician, 458 million followers – The current reigning queen of pop, Taylor Swift has become a worldwide sensation with her global tours even influencing local economies.
  9. Kim Kardashian, American influencer/reality TV star, 450 million followers – As one of the first people to be famous for being famous, Kim K successfully brought her socialite stardom into the social media sphere.
  10. MrBeast, American content creator, 412 million followers – The most influential YouTube creator has now cracked the top 10 social media influencers overall, with each of his challenges and giveaway videos being watched by tens of millions.
  11. Beyoncé, American musician, 367 million followers – One of the best-selling music artists of all time with a wide range of accolades, Beyoncé has also been dubbed ‘Queen Bey’ by her massive fanbase – ‘The BeyHive’.
  12. Katy Perry, American musician, 365 million followers – With a huge following on X and the most diamond-certified singles of any female artist, Katy Perry has had a big impact on modern pop music since the late 2000s.
  13. Khloe Kardashian, American influencer/reality TV star, 348 million followers – The youngest of the Kardashian sisters, she’s worked alongside her family to promote various products via their reality TV shows and social followings.
  14. Kendall Jenner, American influencer/reality TV star, 332 million followers – The highest-paid supermodel and another Kardashians family member, Kendall started her modeling career at 13 and has walked her way into influential international model status.
  15. Jennifer Lopez, American actress/musician, 332 million followers – Also known as ‘J.Lo’, she’s helped to increase the representation of Latino Americans in entertainment throughout her award-winning career spanning over five decades.

How To Use Social Media Influencers To Market Your Brand

The world now collectively spends 11.5 billion hours a day on social media platforms, with each average user contributing almost two-and-a-half hours.

That gives social media influencers a lot of time every day to connect with their audience. But it also means there’s plenty of potential for brands to work with influencers and capitalize on that time.

Many social media users now rely on influencers, reviewers, or established voices within a niche before making decisions. For TikTok, 65% of users say they rely on content creators and online reviewers to help them make decisions before buying a product.

Rather than promoting your own brand channel organically, you can leverage social media influencers by having them endorse your products or services. It has also been found that trust can be transferred from an influencer to a brand when influencer marketing is done well.

The top influencers also know how powerful it can be. Many have launched their own products to market within their content to capitalize on the benefits themselves. For example, MrBeast’s Feastables brought in 70% of his revenue in its second year.

Find An Influencer Within Your Budget

As a general rule – the bigger the influencer, the more they’ll want in return for a post. Smaller influencers might be satisfied with receiving your products for free, but influencers with large followings will almost certainly charge a fee.

Paid content will also be explicitly highlighted on some platforms, such as the ‘paid partnership’ label appearing on Instagram.

This came about after the Fyre Festival incident where some influencers were found to be promoting the festival as a personal recommendation when they were, in fact, paid to post about it.

Choose An Influencer That’s Relevant To Your Business

Practically all influencers have built their following within a certain niche. It’s important that you work with an influencer that feels like they would naturally align with your brand and has a similar target audience to your own.

A fashion influencer talking about the benefits of a new line of skin care products would feel on-brand. If they were to be promoting power tools or something similarly out of place, then it wouldn’t resonate with their audience.

This will likely result in fewer conversions for the partnered business, as well as the audience of that influencer becoming more distrustful of paid sponsorships.

Let An Influencer Promote Your Business Authentically

Social media influencers have built their personal brands through the content they make. Their audience will be familiar with how they talk and put themselves forward.

When working with an influencer, it’s important to make sure any messaging meshes with how that influencer communicates. That authenticity is what will connect with their audience and feel less like something they’re doing just to get paid.

If you have them stick to a rigid script, then you lose what makes an influencer unique – their personality and their audience.

Influencers Can Extend Their Trust And Influence To Your Brand

We live in a world with more influencers and celebrities than ever before. While many have now achieved the one million follower milestone, the top social media influencers possess almost unbelievably big followings.

Considering Charli D’Amelio became the first person to reach 50 million followers on TikTok in April 2020, and then the first to reach 100 million just seven months later, it’s clear that influencers like her are growing exponentially.

That’s part of the reason influencer marketing is now growing in popularity. When executed well with the right influencers on board, you can raise the profile of your brand at an accelerated rate.

Not only can it introduce you to a brand-new audience, but it can potentially convert those who’ve seen your brand before but needed some extra reassurance.

If you’re unsure about working with influencers, you can always start with a nano influencer on a small, targeted campaign to establish whether it works for your business.

Methodology

To create the top 50 social media influencers worldwide list, we took the top 100 accounts from each platform based on their follower or subscriber count (Source: SocialBlade.com, Youtube, X, Instagram, TikTok).

We compiled all influencer names across these lists and created a total number of followers/subscribers across all platforms.

These numbers were collected by hand directly from the social media platforms as a rounded figure, or taken from Socialblade.com for a live count.

The list was then reordered based on total follower counts to find the top 30 social media influencers.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

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Apr 9 2024
AI Apps for Social Media Images, Videos, Infographics

Social media posts containing images and videos generate more engagement than text alone. The reasons are two-fold. First, social platforms prioritize visual content over text in feeds. Second, visual updates attract attention and thus user response.

Creating compelling social media visuals used to take much time. No more. AI technology can instantly generate images and videos from text prompts.

Here are three AI platforms to get started.

Visme

Visme is an online image creator and editor with infographic features. A new addition is generating infographics from text. To test, I prompted Visme to create a downloadable, infographic-like checklist that I could repurpose into social media posts.

First, I described what to create. My prompt was:

Create a checklist on how to improve productivity when working from home.

Visme then asked if I had anything to add. I said no, and the tool generated a visual list. I can edit or customize it as needed.

Visme’s “Basic” plan is free with limited templates and design assets. Paid plans start at $29 per month.

Visme can create AI-generate visuals, such as this infographic, from text prompts. Click image to enlarge.

Predis.ai

Predis.ai is a social media content generator. It can create social media posts that include images, videos, or carousels — all from prompts, scripts, articles, or product specs. It can also generate humorous memes.

In my testing, I used a similar prompt as with Visme:

How to improve productivity when working from home.

It instantly created the video and caption below.

The caption required little editing. It included popular hashtags, a question, and steps.

Struggling to stay productive while working from home? You’re not alone! Follow these tips to boost your productivity and make the most out of your remote work experience. 1. Create a consistent schedule to establish a routine and stay on track with your tasks. 2. Minimize distractions by setting boundaries with family members, turning off notifications, and finding a quiet space to work. 3. Designate a specific workspace that is comfortable and free from clutter to help you focus. 4. Remember to take regular breaks to rest your eyes, stretch your body, and recharge your mind for optimal productivity. #WFHtips #ProductivityHacks #RemoteWorkSuccess.

I could have edited the video or added a logo. If I were to set up a brand kit, every auto-generated image or video can optionally include my company’s logo and URL.

Predis.ai can connect to users’ social media platforms and directly publish updates. A content calendar allows users to schedule posts.

Predis.ai’s free version includes 15 AI-generate posts per month. Paid plans start at $32 per month for 60 posts and many more features.

Predis.ai creates social media posts that include images, videos, or carousels — all from prompts. Click image to enlarge.

Canva

Canva’s new Magic Studio is available for Pro users and as a free trial. It creates social media images and videos from text prompts.

I entered the same prompt — “How to improve productivity when working from home” — and chose a color scheme. The tool generated 10 images to choose from and edit. Each had slightly different messaging, which helped me brainstorm a potential final image. Examples included:

  • “Tips to help you stay focused when you work from home,”
  • “Make work from home productivity a reality,”
  • “Tips for working at home.”

Magic Studio’s editing features include background removal and visual effects. I could have uploaded my own image and prompted Canva to edit it, such as adding texture, animation, or three-dimensional effects.

Canva’s Pro version is $119 per year (with a free trial) and includes AI features and a brand kit with a logo, name, and color scheme.

Canva’s new Magic Studio creates social media images and videos from text prompts. Click image to enlarge.

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Apr 6 2024
Meta Plans A Less Punitive AI-Generated Content Policy via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Meta announced an update to its AI labeling policy, expanding its definition of “manipulated media” to go beyond AI-generated videos, to now include deceptive audio and images on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

An important feature of the new policy is it’s sensitivity on being perceived as being restrictive of freedom of expression. Rather than adopt the approach of removing problematic content Meta is instead simply labeling it. Meta introduced two labels, “Made with AI” and “Imagined with AI,” to make clear what content was created or altered with AI.

New Warning Labels

The AI-generated content will rely on identifying the signals of AI-authorship and self-reporting:

“Our ‘Made with AI’ labels on AI-generated video, audio, and images will be based on our detection of industry-shared signals of AI images or people self-disclosing that they’re uploading AI-generated content”

Content that is significantly misleading may receive more prominent labels so that users can get a better understanding.

Harmful content that violates the Community Standards, such as content that incites violence, election interference, bullying or harassments will qualify for removal, regardless if it is human or AI generated.

Reason For Meta’s Updated Policy

The original AI labeling policy was created in 2020 and because of the state of the technology it was narrowly defined confined to addressing deceptive videos (the kind that depicted public figures saying things they never did). Meta’s Oversight Board recognized that technology has progressed to the point that a new policy was needed. The new policy accordingly expands to now address AI-generated audio and images, in addition to videos.

Based On User Feedback

Meta’s process for updating their rules appear to have anticipated pushback from all sides. Their new policy is based on extensive feedback from from a wide range of stakeholder and input from the general public. The new policy also has the flexibility to bend if needed.

Meta explains:

“In Spring 2023, we began reevaluating our policies to see if we needed a new approach to keep pace with rapid advances… We completed consultations with over 120 stakeholders in 34 countries in every major region of the world. Overall, we heard broad support for labeling AI-generated content and strong support for a more prominent label in high-risk scenarios. Many stakeholders were receptive to the concept of people self-disclosing content as AI-generated.

…We also conducted public opinion research with more than 23,000 respondents in 13 countries and asked people how social media companies, such as Meta, should approach AI-generated content on their platforms. A large majority (82%) favor warning labels for AI-generated content that depicts people saying things they did not say.

…And the Oversight Board noted their recommendations were informed by consultations with civil-society organizations, academics, inter-governmental organizations and other experts.”

Collaboration And Consensus

Meta’s announcement explains that they plan for the policies to keep up with the pace of technology by revisiting it with organizations like the Partnership on AI, governments and non-governmental organizations.

Meta’s revised policy emphasizes the need for transparency and context for AI-generated content, that removal of content will be based on violations of their community standards and that the preferred response will be to label potentially problematic content.

Read Meta’s announcement

Our Approach to Labeling AI-Generated Content and Manipulated Media

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Boumen Japet

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Apr 4 2024
Charts: TikTok in the U.S.

According to a new Pew Research Center study, approximately half of U.S. adult TikTok users have not posted a video and nearly two-thirds have not supplied bio details.

The Pew Research Center is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focusing on U.S. and global social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends. The purpose of Pew’s TikTok review was to gain insight into users’ views of and behaviors on the site and how their opinions might vary based on posting activity.

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Per the Pew Research study, while 70% of adult users have altered their account nickname from the one provided by the platform, an equal percentage have not added any content to the bio.

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Approximately 85% of adult TikTok users find the content on their “For You” page to be at least somewhat interesting, with 40% describing it as either extremely or very interesting. Only around 14% consider their “For You” content uninteresting.

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A Pew Research study from December 2023 found only 38% of U.S. adults and 18% of teenagers supported a government ban on TikTok.

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Mar 21 2024
The Best Time To Post On Instagram In 2024 via @sejournal, @theshelleywalsh

Instagram is the third most popular social channel, with 500 million daily active users and one billion monthly active users.

That’s a lot of targeted audience to tap into; naturally, there is no shortage of brands leveraging the social platform.

Like all social media channels, with those huge numbers of users, it’s easy to fall through the cracks. Just because you put effort into your posts doesn’t mean your posts will be seen.

It’s worth knowing that Instagram’s algorithms promote recent posts alongside interest and relationship, so determinng when your users are active is crucial.

Knowing when is the best time to post can be the difference between hundreds or thousands of engagements.

To find the best time to post on Instagram, we reviewed a range of data studies from social media tools and compared the data below.

It’s worth remembering that data like this is only a starting point and you should experiment to find what works for your audience.

The Best Time To Post On Instagram

Before you look at your specific audience, having an idea of general trends when Instagram users are posting is a useful starting point for you to experiment with.

We reviewed data studies from social media tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, HubSpot, and Later to gain insight into the best posting times.

Between them, they analyzed millions of posts to find when users are most active across different days and time zones.

What stands out is that each study and social tool shows a different day and time as the best time to post on Instagram. This highlights the importance of analyzing your niche and data to find the best times and what works for you.

Never take another study as the rule when you should post.

They are a guide only; putting in the time to experiment and analyze your data will help you get the best results.

Always be testing.

Best Time To Post On Instagram, Social Tool Data Studies Compared

Source Study Hootsuite Later Hubspot Sprout Social
Time Zone Pacific time Local time Local time Local time
Monday 12 p.m. 5 a.m. 7 – 9 p.m. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Tuesday 9 a.m. 7 a.m. 8 – 9 p.m. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wednesday 11 a.m. 3 a.m. 8 – 9 p.m. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Thursday 11 a.m. 3 a.m. 9 p.m.
Friday 2 p.m. 7 a.m. 9 p.m. 9 – 11 a.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. 1 a.m. 6 – 11 p.m.
Sunday 7 p.m. 1 a.m. 4 -9 p.m.

Sources, June 2023:

  • HubSpot reviewed 110M posts across 1M Instagram users.
  • Later analyzed over 11M posts.
  • Hootsuite analyzed over 30,000 Instagram posts.
  • Sprout Social analyzed 2B engagements across 400,000 profiles.

Best Time To Post On Instagram By Location

If you have a global audience, you should be considering and posting at the best time for their time zone and not the time where you are.

If you are working across multiple countries, you should consider staggering posting across different time zones or trying to find overlaps between countries.

Plot what time your Instagram users are most active (see below) and then adjust for local time.

Time Zone Time To Post
US Pacific Time 9 p.m. – 12 a.m.
US Central Time 10 p.m. – 12 a.m.
US Eastern Time 11 p.m. – 4 a.m.
South America 5 a.m.
UK 3 a.m. – 4 a.m.
Western Europe 4 a.m. – 6 a.m.
Eastern Europe 5 a.m. – 7 a.m.
Africa 2 a.m. – 3 a.m.
Middle East 4 a.m.
East & South East Asia 6 a.m. – 8 a.m.
Australasia 11 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Source.

Best Day To Post On Instagram

According to Hootsuite, the worst day to post is a Sunday.

Later and Sprout agree that Wednesday is one of the best days to post on Instagram.

Later thinks Monday mornings are all about “early to rise and early to post” for the best views and engagements.

Social Tool Day of Week Time To Post
Later Monday 5:00 a.m. Local
Sprout Social Tuesday & Wednesday 9/10 a.m. – p.m. Local
Hootsuite Wednesday 11 a.m. PT

Source – as above.

Best Times To Post Reels On Instagram?

There is no doubt that video-based content is on the rise across all online platforms, including social media. TikTok has created an increasing market for short-form videos.

Competitors’ response has been YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

If you are experimenting with Instagram Reels, then according to:

  • Hootsuite, the best time to post on Instagram Reels is 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., Monday to Thursday.
  • SocialPilot, the best time to post is between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. from Monday to Thursday.

As I mentioned, this can take trial and error – and depend on your industry and target market.

What Time Are Instagram Users Most Active?

As a starting point, consider your audience and what sort of routine and habits they might have. For example, many people check their social media as soon as they wake up and before they start work.

This can vary depending on the demographic and age, but 7 – 8 a.m. (local time) is generally a good time for a morning post.

When people wake up, they often check social media, spending a couple of minutes or more scrolling through their newsfeeds or watching Instagram Reels.

So, around 7 – 8 a.m. can be a great time to post in the morning.

Another time when people are often on their phones is when they take their lunch break. Posting around 11 – 1 p.m., when people are likely to be breaking for lunch, can help ensure your post will make it closer to the top of their feed.

People also tend to scroll through social media right after work or before bed.

Don’t forget that posting times can depend on your target audience’s age, demographic, and industry.

Understanding your audience and demographic is critical as a starting point to consider what they might be doing during the day and what time they might be active in the evening.

Best Times To NOT Post On Instagram

Weekends tend to see lower engagement levels, but don’t count them out altogether. Saturday can be a decent time to post if you post at the right time.

Brands that offer consumer goods tend to see high engagement on Sunday evenings.

But the consensus has been that Sunday is generally the worst day to post on Instagram, as people are decompressing or preparing for the week ahead.

So, typically, they will spend less time scrolling through social media.

How Often Should You Post On Instagram?

That depends on a couple of factors.

First, do you have enough product images, content, and ideas to post a couple of times per day or week? The goal here is to post consistently.

On the other hand, don’t put content out there for the sake of posting regularly. Instead, spend time conducting a thoughtful customer journey-based content strategy.

That might take more time on the front end but it will help your content strategy as the weeks go on.

That way, you can spend more time managing social media and engaging with followers and less worrying about getting enough content out there.

If you don’t have an abundance of post ideas, try posting three times a week. Then you can adjust accordingly by measuring your ongoing insights.

How To Find The Best Time For You To Post On Instagram

Studies and shared data are useful as a benchmark and a starting point for you to test with your own posts.

To find the best times to post on Instagram for you, experiment and test different times to see when you get the best response.

You will most likely find that different types of posts will get different reactions at different times, and you will also want to experiment across a range of posts relevant to your audience and brand.

As we said above, think about creating a journey, aim for posting types of messages, and try to post content consistently to encourage follower expectations.

To help inform when you should be posting, you can check the following:

  • Evaluate your top-performing posts, measuring when they were posted and what you posted.
  • Check when your audience is online to know where and when your audience is online and active.
  • As an extension to when your audience is online, you must be aware of the different time zones your brand operates across and post at the times relevant to those time zones.

To measure most of the above, you can use Instagram Insights to get valuable data.

Using Instagram Insights

First, set up your account as a business or creator – that’s required to view Instagram Insights.

Once you have 100 followers, you can see your audience’s demographics: including the age, gender, and location of your followers.

Instagram Insights also gives you the ability to analyze high-performing posts.

When reviewing the data, ask yourself, what worked here? Was it a high-quality image? Was it the post time? Maybe it was the copy and hashtags? Or was it a mix of all of these?

Analyze and test. Analyze and test.

The only way to learn is to just keep experimenting with different ideas. It’s worth noting that some pieces of content just won’t perform well, while others do.

Don’t get hung up on creating something perfect. Just keep trying.

Other Social Media Tools

You can also use other tools like Brandwatch or Iconosquare to view analytics and schedule posts.

If you regularly post on Facebook, you can also use Meta Business Suite to schedule and analyze posts across both platforms in one place.

Check Competitors’ Content

Another thing you can do is check out your competitor’s content.

Look when your competitors are posting. For example, are their Tuesday 2 p.m. posts performing well, or was another time working better for them?

Analyzing the competition to see when they get the most engagement can be the best insight for a new brand when you don’t have history to measure.

Keep Testing And Be Consistent

Over time, the more content you have, the more accurate your Insights will be in analyzing your Instagram post strategy.

Then, you can change up your content strategy based on your systematic analysis.

Ultimately, you and the brand must determine what success looks like.

Maybe it’s more likes, comments, follows, or general brand awareness.

While posting times are a crucial part of overall engagement, you still need to select the right hashtags, visuals, and copy for your posts – and pay attention to promoted posts, as this can impact how you look at your Insights.

Ultimately, you must balance all these variables to grow your follower base and increase engagement consistently.

The important thing is to stay consistent. Post regularly and check back often to see how your posts are doing.

More resources:

Featured Image: PixieMe/Shutterstock

FAQ

What factors influence the best times to post on Instagram?

Determining the optimal posting times on Instagram is not a one-size-fits-all process. Several dynamic factors influence this timing, such as:

  • User Behavior: Audience activity patterns, which vary based on demographic, habits, and routines.
  • Time Zones: Geographic location of the audience which dictates the local times they are most active online.
  • Content Type: Different types of content, like images, carousels, and videos (including Reels), may perform differently at various times.
  • Social Media Algorithms: Platforms like Instagram prioritize recent content but also consider user interest and relational factors.
  • Industry-Specific Trends: Audience engagement can vary significantly depending on the industry or niche of the content being posted.
  • Competitor Activity: Understanding when competitors are posting can provide insights into potential optimal posting windows.
  • Experimentation: Testing different posting times and analyzing performance data to see which times yield the best engagement for your specific audience.

How can Instagram Insights help in determining the best posting times?

Instagram Insights is a valuable tool for content creators and marketers to understand their audience and optimize their posting strategy. Some ways Instagram Insights can assist include:

  • Audience Demographics: Insights into follower demographics such as age, gender, and location can help tailor content to the audience’s preferences.
  • Engagement Patterns: Information on when followers are most active on the platform allows marketers to post at times when their audience is online.
  • Content Performance: Analyzing which posts have the highest engagement can indicate which posting times are most effective.
  • Historical Data: Looking at trends over time to understand when your content typically performs best.
  • Optimization: Using insights to tweak and test different content schedules to find the best time to post for your brand.

By interpreting this data, brands can schedule posts to align with when their audience is most likely to engage, making their content strategy more effective.

What are the recommended considerations for brands posting across multiple time zones?

For brands with a global audience, considering multiple time zones is crucial to ensure consistent engagement. Some key considerations include:

  • Staggering Posts: Scheduling content to go live at optimal times in each target time zone to maximize visibility.
  • Overlap Identification: Finding time slots where multiple time zones have high engagement rates and posting during these windows.
  • Audience Analysis: Understanding the geographical dispersion of the audience and tailoring the posting schedule to their local peak times.
  • Content Localization: Customizing content to resonate with audiences in different regions, which may involve varying the content itself or the timing of posts.
  • Utilizing Analytics Tools: Employing advanced analytics and scheduling tools to manage and automate posting across time zones effectively.

These practices can help in creating an effective content calendar that addresses the global nature of the brand’s audience and fosters engagement from different regions.

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Mar 20 2024
The 30 Most-Subscribed YouTube Individuals (Q1 2024) via @sejournal, @theshelleywalsh

In Q1 2024, MrBeast has retained his top spot as the most-subscribed YouTube individual on the social media platform.

After MrBeast overtook PewDiePie in late 2022 to shake up the top most-subscribed on YouTube leaderboard, there has been even more movement in the last 12 months.

At the beginning of YouTube, it was a long journey for individuals to reach 100 million subscribers – but now MrBeast is the first individual YouTuber to crack 200 million subscribers.

On YouTube, way back in 2006, Judson Laipply was the first recorded individual to have the most subscribers, with mere thousands.

In the same year, Brookers was the first channel and individual to reach 10,000 subscribers – and that was a big deal.

Although MrBeast is the most-subscribed individual, just above him is T-Series – an Indian record label and film studio that remains the number one most-subscribed channel on YouTube.

T-Series was the first channel to reach 100 million subscribers in 2019 and the first to 200 million in 2021.

While T-Series held twice as many subscribers as the top individual YouTuber last year, the distance is now closing between the most popular content creators.

Being an influencer is big business.

Who Is The No. 1 Most Subscribed YouTuber?

As of February 2024, MrBeast is the most-subscribed YouTuber, with 240 million subscribers.

Kid-friendly content channel Like Nastya is now the second most-subscribed YouTube individual with 113 million subscribers.

PewDiePie has continued his decline to drop down again to third place with 110 million.

When reaching the 200-million subscriber milestone in October 2023, MrBeast took to X (Twitter) to say how stunned his 13-year-old self would be and that he planned to continue making content for decades.

In his usual philanthropic-style, he also gave away a private island for his 100-million subscriber milestone – which is probably part of the reason he originally took the top position from PewDiePie in December 2022.

The Top 50 Most-Subscribed YouTubers, February 2024

Channel Videos Language Subscribers
1 MrBeast 778 English 241,000,000
2 Like Nastya 868 English 113,000,000
3 PewDiePie 4,753 English 111,000,000
4 Justin Bieber 249 English 72,600,000
5 EminemMusic 160 English 59,000,000
6 Marshmello 470 English 56,800,000
7 Taylor Swift 226 English 56,600,000
8 Ed Sheeran 458 English 54,200,000
9 Ariana Grande 176 English 53,500,000
10 A4 874 Russian 51,700,000
11 JuegaGerman 2,105 Spanish 49,400,000
12 Billie Eilish 88 English 49,100,000
13 Mikecrack 1,994 Spanish 47,900,000
14 Bad Bunny 154 English 47,500,000
15 Fernanfloo 544 Spanish 47,000,000
16 Felipe Neto 4,690 Portuguese 46,200,000
17 Jess No Limit 2,716 Indonesian 46,100,000
18 Shakira 345 Portuguese 45,500,000
19 Alan Walker 535 English 45,000,000
20 Katy Perry 135 English 44,800,000
21 whinderssonnunes 745 Portuguese 44,500,000
22 Kimberly Loaiza 317 Spanish 44,400,000
23 Ricis Official 3,869 Indonesian 43,200,000
24 Rihanna 85 English 42,800,000
25 SHFA2 1,713 Arabic 42,600,000
26 LUCCAS NETO – LUCCAS TOON 2,581 Portuguese 42,300,000
27 Luisito Comunica 1,337 Spanish 42,100,000
28 Fede Vigevani 1,233 Spanish 42,000,000
29 CarryMinati 193 Hindi 41,400,000
30 elrubiusOMG 701 Spanish 40,300,000

*Data Sources (SocialBlade, YouTube), February 2024

Please note this is a list of the most subscribed individuals — not the most subscribed channels. It excludes “brand” channels that don’t focus on an individual personality, artist, or influencer.

Who Are The Top 12 Most-Subscribed YouTubers?

The list of the top 30 most-subscribed individuals features many successful music artists but has a majority of native YouTube influencers.

With the channel becoming an integral part of marketing and distribution for music artists, it’s no surprise that top artists feature highly.

Justin Bieber (the top individual artist) leveraged YouTube from an early age to gain mainstream attention on his terms.

MrBeast has over 167 million more subscribers than Bieber, which highlights just how much attention the channel can achieve – and that, today, being a YouTube influencer is the same as being a traditional celebrity.

To get a better understanding of who all the influencers are, we’ve included a summary of the top 12 most-subscribed YouTuber influencers below.

1. MrBeast

U.S.-based Jimmy Donaldson started MrBeast as MrBeast6000 in 2012 when he was only 13.

He also holds five other channels, including Beast Reacts, MrBeast 2, Beast Philanthropy, and MrBeast 3 (inactive). MrBeast Gaming also sits in the top 100, with just under 42 million subscribers.

MrBeast’s early videos include counting to 10,000 non-stop (a 44-hour stunt), which quickly went viral but is now best known for videos that involve elaborate stunts, charity donations, or cash giveaways.

In one video, he gave away $1 million and has done several big philanthropic stunts, such as “I Built 100 Wells in Africa” and “I Rescued 100 Abandoned Dogs.”

Jimmy Donaldson’s channel brings in between $600-700 million a year, but his mother is the person who looks after his bank accounts.

He still lives in his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina, and employs many local people when producing his videos.

2. Like Nastya

Anastasia Sergeyevna Radzinskaya is the only individual child YouTuber on the list. She was born in January 2014 and is the youngest influencer with the most followers – now overtaking PewDiePie by 2 million to take the No. 2 spot.

It’s worth noting that another channel, Vlad and Niki, is very popular with 112 million subscribers – but as a duo rather than an individual, they aren’t included in this list. Despite being featured in last year’s rankings, Ryan’s World has now fallen out of the rankings.

Although Radzinskaya was born in Russia, she has since moved to the U.S., and her videos are produced in English. The channel is for children and covers educational entertainment and vlogging.

Some of her success is down to the channel being dubbed in several languages, enabling her to reach a wide audience.

Radzinskaya’s parents help her manage the Like Nastya channel, but she is the face and star of the show.

3. PewDiePie

PewDiePie, otherwise known as Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, held the most-subscribed position on YouTube for nearly 10 years until 2022. He was the original YouTube influencer who crossed over from online to be famous offline.

Swedish Kjellberg registered PewDiePie in 2010, and started out with play-by-plays of video games – a genre known as “Let’s Play.” It only took three years for him to be the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, and he was the highest-earning YouTuber in 2016.

Alongside “Let’s Play” content, PewDiePie has also experimented with comedy, commentary, music, and shows.

Following the rising success of his channel, Kjellberg also released his own game and published a book.

In 2022, his content shifted more towards lifestyle content after moving to Japan, with another shift in 2023 as he became a father. These changes to the types of videos PewDiePie produces could be the reason for his slightly waning subscriber count.

4. Justin Bieber

Canadian Justin Bieber is the musical artist with the most followers on YouTube. He joined YouTube in 2007 and, after coming second in a local singing competition, began posting himself performing song covers.

After his channel started to grow, he got the attention of his now manager and his record label. In 2008, he signed a recording contract.

Bieber continued to focus on his YouTube channel and growing his followers – known as “Beliebers.”

This most likely contributed to his early and continued success. He continues to post videos on YouTube alongside his music videos and promotional content, although his last upload was now over a year ago.

5. EminemMusic

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known as Eminem, is an American rapper who first gained success in 1996.

With a career spanning almost three decades and an impressive discography, he is one of the most successful music artists of all time.

Mathers joined YouTube in 2007 to leverage the platform and mostly posts music and promotional content.

His channel has continued to grow, and he has swapped places with Marshmello to become the fifth most-subscribed YouTube individual.

Eminem demonstrates that despite no longer being in the mainstream media spotlight, it’s still possible to maintain popularity with a dedicated audience.

6. Marshmello

American music artist and DJ Christopher Comstock, also known as Marshmello, joined YouTube in 2015.

For several years, he kept his identity hidden under a marshmallow-type helmet. In 2017, when his identity was revealed, he said on X (Twitter):

“I don’t take my helmet off because I don’t want or need fame. I’m genuinely trying to create something positive for people to connect with.”

The most popular videos on Comstock’s channel are music and lyric videos. He also posts cooking videos, how-tos, vlogs, and films.

Although he’s dropped down a position compared to 12 months ago, he’s still gained followers and released his new album “Sugar Papi.”

7. Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American music artist. She pursued musical training from an early age, including acting and vocal training. She learned to play the guitar at age 12.

After moving to Nashville at age 14, Swift signed a recording contract at age 15 and quickly went on to achieve international fame. She is currently on a huge worldwide tour, which is showcasing her popularity around the globe.

She is now considered the reigning queen of pop, having recently won her fourth Grammy for Best Album, and even has her own academic conference called Swiftposium.

Swift is known for having dedicated fans, which was demonstrated when online trolls targeted her using improper use of AI technology, and her followers rushed to her defense online.

Swift uses her YouTube channel for music, but has also posted a series of videos showing her personal life backstage.

Her growing worldwide following has meant she’s now passed both Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande by millions of subscribers.

8. Ed Sheeran

Edward Christopher Sheeran MBE is a music artist from the UK. He first joined YouTube in 2006.

Sheeran began singing at age four and playing the guitar at 11. In 2004, he independently recorded and released his music. When he moved to London in 2008, he would busk on the streets.

In 2011, he began to gain traction until he became the successful and widely known artist he is today.

On YouTube, his channel started to take off in 2017 when he reached 10 million subscribers. Since then, his channel has escalated in popularity.

Sheeran’s channel is mostly music.

9. Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande-Butera is an American music artist and actress who began her dream of a music career at age 8.

Grande joined YouTube in 2007 and uploaded her first YouTube video, “Ain’t No Other Man.”

In 2008, Grande began performing professionally in a Broadway musical at the age of 15, and her fame grew as a TV actress.

In 2011, her cover songs on YouTube gained the attention of her record label and resulted in her being signed as a music artist.

Grande has become a highly successful music artist and mostly posts music on YouTube.

10. A4

Belarusian content creator Vladislav Andreyevich Bumaga, known online as Vlad A4 or simply A4, holds the position of one of the most popular Russian-speaking YouTubers.

He created his channel back in 2014, with A4 being a play on his last name, Bumaga, meaning “paper.”

In 2016, he released a video called “24 Hours in a Trampoline Centre,” which took his subscriber count from 200,000 to his first 1 million.

Now, with just over 51 million subscribers, he continues to upload a wide variety of challenges and vlog content featuring his friends, as well as promoting his branded products.

11. JuegaGerman

Chilean Germán Alejandro Garmendia Aranis, also known as JuegaGerman, produces comedy videos about everyday life and Let’s Play videos in Spanish.

Garmendia peaked in 2015-2017 when he had the second most-subscribed channel behind PewDiePie.

Garmendia has three channels on YouTube:

  • HolaSoyGerman, which he started first in 2011 and focused on comedy videos about everyday life.
  • HolaSoyGerman2.
  • JuegaGerman, which he started in 2013 as a Let’s Play video gaming channel.

12. Billie Eilish

American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell started her music career at age 14.

She wrote songs with her brother Finneas O’Connell for fun and uploaded them to SoundCloud.

Finneas wrote the song “Ocean Eyes” for his band but thought it would suit Billie’s voice better.

It drew the attention of music industry professionals, and within a year, she was signed to her record label.

The “Ocean Eyes” music video was posted to her YouTube channel in 2016 and started to grow her subscribers.

She has gone on to win a number of awards, including the Song of the Year at the 2024 Grammy Awards for “What Was I Made For?” which was written for the Barbie movie.

Despite not featuring in the top 30 most-subscribed YouTube individuals list, her aesthetic and lyrics have resonated with Gen Z – potentially helping to fuel her meteoric rise in popularity both online and offline.

Why YouTubers Are Significantly Influential For Online Marketers

Achieving a most-subscribed status on YouTube cements you as an influencer and enables you to make serious income.

Not only can YouTubers earn from ads on the videos, but they are also in demand as brand ambassadors for product placements, product reviews, and product collaborations.

Mere mentions of products and brands by an influencer can drive traffic and sales for brands.

Smart influencers use the exposure to diversify into many mainstream areas of collaboration and business to supplement their income and ensure longevity.

Much like top-level sports stars have always been in demand as brand ambassadors, influencers can be used for brand alignment.

This doesn’t just apply to YouTube, either. TikTok has risen in terms of popularity, with 65% of users relying on content creators to inform their purchasing decisions.

Influencers who can dominate one or even both of the platforms will be the ones to watch in the coming years.

Billie Eilish cracked the top 12 YouTube individuals in the last year, but her TikTok account is also featured in the top 30 most followed TikTok accounts, making her dominant across both platforms.

Influencer marketing is useful for online marketers to spread a message and reach a target audience. Influencers can be leveraged as part of specific campaigns, or to create hype around a product or brand.

Influencer marketing doesn’t have to be just for the big brands; influencers with only a few thousand engaged followers can help spread messages.

And for smaller brands, elevated exposure on social media can be a major benefit.

More resources:

Featured Image: Arsenii Palivoda/Shutterstock

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