21 Popular Social Media Platforms

November 11, 2021
Contents

If we ask you what did do today more than half of the people will answer to having checked their social media at least once a day. people have more social media friends as compared to real-life friends these days and it is because the world has been digitalized in such a way that everything we need is available on social media. Social media is making it easier for us to socialize. People are using multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others in order to connect with other people around the world! There has been an increasing number of users signing up every year because we enjoy spending time on these apps.

Social media sites are an effective way for businesses to reach a wide variety of customers. But each business needs its own unique social marketing mix that focuses on its target audience, which is different from one company to the next depending on what they offer and who they're trying to reach. However, there is value in choosing the popular platform that has a lot of active users as those will be more relevant for your customer base. Here we have listed some most popular social media sites which you can use. Let's get started!

1. Facebook

With more than a third of the world's population using Facebook, it is one of the most recognizable social media platforms in existence. The platform has consistently evolved to fit its users' needs and attract new ones through acquisitions like Instagram and WhatsApp. Not only individuals, but businesses worldwide are using Facebook to promote their products and services. The social media site has more than 65 million business pages, which is beneficial for businesses because they can target the right audience in a specific region or country.

Moreover, there are six million businesses who advertise on this platform as well - making it an effective way of reaching customers around the world! So no matter what type of product you’re selling online, chances are high that your potential buyers will be present on Facebook too. Businesses can create their own pages for promotion as well as groups or events where they are able to advertise targeted messages that will appeal specifically to consumers who see them on their feeds. They also have an option with Messenger which allows businesses to send personalized messages directly from within Facebook itself so people know exactly what brand sent them something when they receive it rather than just seeing someone else’s name (no other private messaging app offers this).

2. Twitter

Ever heard of Twitter? It's a popular social media site that allows users to post short, text-based messages called “tweets”. These tweets are limited in length and can be up to 140 characters long – but not anymore! Now you're able to share photos, videos, or other multimedia files with your followers on this platform. With about 330 million monthly active users as of March 2018, it isn't quite the size and popularity Facebook is at 2 billion-plus daily active members; however, its user base still makes it worthwhile for businesses looking into online marketing strategies because there could potentially be an audience here who might find value from what they offer.

Twitter is a useful site for any business that is related to entertainment, sports, politics, tech, or marketing. On Twitter, brands can be creative and helpful in addition to informative. Brands should join the nonstop conversation by jumping into threads, sharing their own content as well as others', and providing value.

3. YouTube

YouTube is the second most popular search engine behind Google, and it's also one of the leading video-sharing platforms in existence. People visit YouTube to watch videos logged into their accounts or even without signing up for an account. This gives businesses a wide audience on which they can market by using videos uploaded onto this site that provides analytics, facilitates interaction between users through subscriptions and comments, as well as lets you embed your own content outside of its platform with ease! The second-largest social media platform, YouTube has a user base of 38% across all age groups. It is the go-to for brands to invest in video content marketing as it covers almost every genre from beauty and gaming to education and DIY home improvements. It is a great place to share movie trailers, TV shows, live streams.

YouTube Cards are a fun way to enhance videos with links and playlists. They can appear at any time during your video, making it more interactive for the audience. YouTube Live lets live streamers engage with viewers through comments, questions, polls, etc., which are displayed in real-time on the screen while they watch your channel's broadcast. After the 1,000 followers, the milestone is reached channels have access to post text/images/GIFs in the Community tab which further connects them with their audiences.

With the endless supply of quality videos on YouTube, it has become a must-have platform for companies looking to harness video marketing. Furthermore, as this social media site is often thought of as second only to Google itself in terms of search volumes - you should optimize your channel and videos accordingly. It’s also worth mentioning that with its advertising options including TrueView ads; growing your business through YouTube shouldn't be overlooked!

4. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world's most popular social network for professional networking. With over 700 million registered users and 300 million active monthly, LinkedIn allows you to connect with others in your industry, post updates about what you're working on, add resumes/CVs so recruiters can find them if they need a new employee or contractor, etc., even publish paid ads and content! In terms of marketing effectiveness: B2B companies especially benefit from using this site as it helps create opportunities rather than just closing deals which all happens under one roof. 92 percent of B2B marketers prefer to use LinkedIn over all others, and 80% of social media marketing leads come from the platform. It's a great place to discover people you can collaborate with because it's one-of-a-kind networking opportunities that help develop individual personalities in today’s society; plus you have access to advertising reach out too! For businesses seeking talent acquisition, it has become a place where they can establish their thought leadership and authority in industry niche so that talented people join them instead of competing with companies with similar products or services. This is why we believe it’s such an important tool when trying to build up our own careers as well as promote them professionally online. Companies are flocking to LinkedIn because it's not just a place for networking, but also has advertising opportunities. It can increase your reach and attract new talent by putting ads in its users' inboxes or near the site itself.

5. Instagram

Instagram is another social media site similar to Facebook, but it's especially known for its photo filters. It was launched in 2010 and later bought by Facebook. The platform has more than 1 billion monthly users and mostly relies on mobile devices. Instagram offers targeted advertising options that can help business owners reach specific audiences using ads based on the interests or demographics of their target audience members' profiles. In addition to photos, the website also allows videos, slideshows & stories as well as live streams. If you’re considering influencer marketing, Instagram is the best platform to get started with. Brands can set up and optimize an Instagram business profile which will provide access to tons of dedicated features including Insights and Shopping. You can even make purchases directly from images with shoppable tags! These shoppable Instagram posts which was started in 2018, give businesses a chance to rake in the dough for higher ROI, as it allows them to connect with massive audiences and link product information straight from Gram. You may also plan posts and schedule them for increased productivity. Short videos and photos can be added on stories that stay for 24 hours after which it disappears. This is a great way to let people know about your products and your brand.

6. Whatsapp

A very common name that is familiar to almost every one of us is WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a popular mobile messaging app that allows users to connect with their friends and family as well as other businesses. Launched in 2010, the company was purchased by Facebook along with Instagram, which has since increased its usage on social media platforms. The platform now reaches more than 2 billion monthly active users worldwide which provide business opportunities for small companies looking to create personal connections with customers or prospects. If you run a small business, this app can help grow your company by allowing users to get in touch with them through WhatsApp. The app also allows businesses to send updates about their purchases and communicate with customers directly. If you want access to more features and tools as the owner of a growing company, upgrade from WhatsApp Business Basic API for an easy-to-use customer service solution on desktop or mobile devices. Free international text, voice, and video messaging tools allow your businesses to connect with customers. These include automated greeting messages, the ability to reuse messages for quick replies, labels for organizing contacts and chats as well as a profile page with basic business info. Document sharing allows users to share spreadsheets easily at once.

7. Tumblr

In recent years, Tumblr has seen a decrease in visitors as Facebook and Instagram have become more popular. However, this is an opportunity for brands to stand out from the crowd on smaller platforms where there isn't much competition, it still has 400 million monthly visitors. The platform is popular among bloggers and businesses as it allows text posts, images, audio files, etc., making content more engaging for users on this site. This unique feature from other platforms makes some people see potential in using Tumblr advertising for their business or brand promotion. Sponsored posts are another way that companies can grow their following using this blogging site. Many blogs that you come across online might be using Tumblr! In addition to letting you customize your blog design, many users opt to use Tumblr as their website.

8. Snapchat

Touted as the app for millennials, Snapchat's growth skyrocketed after its initial release in 2011. Now with over 360 million users worldwide and a very young user base, brands can create business accounts to advertise on this social media platform that has seen slow but steady growth. is a mobile-based social media platform that allows users to share one-time content with friends or post stories for all their followers. Brands can also set up business accounts on Snapchat in order to advertise towards young consumers who are the primary demographic using this channel of communication.

Snapchat may not be as popular among young adults anymore, but it still has plenty of users who enjoy making and viewing video snippets. Users can add emojis, stickers, filters to their messages along with a draw tool that is fun for art lovers using Snapchat's platform. The social media site also created the Stories medium which was later adopted by Facebook and Instagram allowing users to share photos or videos over time instead of in one continuous feed like on Instagram or Vine. A lot of brands have got an increased number of followers due to this site and also an increase in sales.

Sponsored Geofilters can be created by businesses to let users prove they were at a specific location. There are two features that make it even easier for your audience to contact you: Swipe Up To Call and Swipe Up To Text. If your brand aligns with the fun, laid-back vibe of this platform, go for it! Brands targeting older audiences won't have as much success here though.

9. TikTok

TikTok is a new and extremely popular social network that lets you create short, creative videos. It has already gained 800 million monthly active users around the world! Businesses can use it to show off their creativity as part of their social media marketing. Although Tiktok was initially most prevalent in China and other Asian countries, its popularity continues to grow across Western culture too.

TikTok users can customize their videos in many ways. They can add music, speed up the playback, change filters and sounds. Tik Tok also gives its audience a chance to film themselves reacting alongside original content with React or trying to sing alongside other people's songs using Duet. If your audience is young adults - who are attracted to visually appealing things - then you should definitely use this app! According to recent data, 25% of TikTok's audience in the US are young teenagers or younger. That said, this segment is highly engaged; as of January 2021, time per user spent on TikTok exceeded that for Facebook by a notable margin.

10. Reddit

Reddit is a social news and entertainment website with dedicated sub-communities for specific interests. Users can submit content, comment on threads to interact with other users, or join active communities that are targeted towards their shared interests. Reddit has 430 million monthly active users. There are tons of sub-communities dedicated to specific interests, making it a great option for sites looking to reach new audiences or interact with other users. For businesses, Reddit can be tricky to navigate. However, if you do your research and learn the rules of the platform before using it for promotion or marketing purposes, then advertising on Reddit is a great way to get started. Redditors are very particular about self-promotion. Be careful when you post because if the tone isn't just right, commenters can quickly trash a brand.

11. Telegram

Telegram is one of the largest messaging social media sites in the world. The key differentiator for Telegram users is privacy. launched in 2013 and is one of the largest messaging social media sites in the world. Telegram stands out from other messengers by offering privacy and security to its users, as all messages are encrypted between two parties (meaning that if any communication is intercepted it will need to be deciphered before being understood).

Businesses might want to consider using this platform as a way to create chatbots or provide customer support via Telegram's channel feature where an unlimited number of subscribers could receive their message on whatever topic they choose without having access to personal information about those customers.

Telegram channels are a great, quick way to update information about your product. Rather than writing blog posts and uploading images on your website, you can simply send out messages through Telegram that explain the latest updates in real time! This is also useful as creating live blogs; create a public channel for users who want up-to-date news regarding what's going on with their favorite SaaS company. the file size limit in telegram has been updated to 2GB that enables users to send large sized files.

12. Pinterest

True to its name, Pinterest is a digital pinboard where users can share anything and everything from recipes or DIY projects to product images. With more than 400 million monthly active users on the platform, it's an incredible marketing opportunity for businesses who want their content shared with visual appeal in mind. Brands can also take advantage by creating "pinnable" buttons that allow visitors' boards to be updated when they click through your site via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter too!

This works as a social media site and a search engine as well. Pinterest is a social media platform where users share images, thoughts, and ideas. It's useful for businesses because it has the highest engagement out of all other platforms in its industry. Seventy-eight percent of users say brand content on Pinterest is useful; therefore it's a great platform to include in your business strategy. If you market products or services towards women with children--especially millennial moms--Pinterest would work well as part of your overall content campaign plan.

Business Pinterest accounts, which are free and come with sales-oriented features like analytics, enable you to gain access to a majority of users who report that they discover new brands and products through the social media platform every week. You can also benefit from using Trends on Pinterest to help decide what content you should pin or what your next product could be. To succeed in this competitive space though, it is important for organizations such as yourself have visually pleasing pins so customers will want them!

13. Viber

Viber is a VoIP and instant messaging mobile app that allows users to exchange audio, video, images with other registered users. It’s perfect for personal use or sharing information between customers in groups of up to 250 people at once as well. There are also emoticons you can send along with your messages as well as stickers that express emotions better than words alone ever could. Like other chat apps, Viber lets you share on a personal level for connecting more closely with customers or partners instead of using text-only platforms like emailing which loses some meaning when not used face-to-face.

Viber is a cost-efficient and safe way to communicate with customers. Businesses can send customized messages not only efficiently, but also at a low cost due to charges being incurred for delivered messages and not unopened ones. This makes Viber's service better than traditional direct mailing which charges all fired emails even if they remain unopened in an inbox or get bounced back off by servers. Additionally, with recent data privacy issues such as breaches and leaks becoming commonplace these days it offers greater security through user data protection. In addition, Viber can still be used on 3G networks easily too!

14. Medium

Medium is different from every other social media platform on the list. It's a blogging site, not a multimedia blog or anything like that. Most posts are free to read but some articles require users to pay in order to access them behind a paywall for writers and publishers who want readership compensation when they engage with their content.The number of users who visit Medium monthly is now nearly 100 million. Businesses can use the site to share complex ideas or discussions with a wide audience, instead of publishing original content on Medium, it’s quite common for brands to republish their blog posts from their company blogs onto medium and extend reach.

15. Wechat

WeChat is a messaging platform that has recently become popular for brands to use in their social media marketing campaigns. This mobile app allows users to send text messages, voice calls, and video content as well as make payments; there are group chats and individual chat options available too. With around 1 billion monthly active users worldwide, WeChat offers official business accounts which allow businesses to easily communicate with customers via the service or even attach them into an ongoing campaign on various platforms such Facebook Messenger (and Instagram), etc.

WeChat has many useful features that make it easier to expand your business internationally. WeChat is a social media site with messaging and calling capabilities, but users can also use the platform for shopping online, transferring money, making reservations, and more! This makes it simpler than other platforms like Facebook or Instagram which aren't available within China. One of WeChat's most powerful advertising solutions is similar to those on Facebook; they're easy-to-use tools perfect for expanding businesses worldwide!

16. Discord

Discord is a social media site designed for video gaming communities. It allows gamers to form communities and interact with each other while playing online video games. Discord, the new Slack for gamers is clean and responsive. It makes chatting with fellow gamers easier by connecting you to various servers that discuss everything from economics to KPop. Discord allows users one-to-one messaging, text chats in groups of up to 10 people as well as content sharing like pictures/videos.. Recently it has also introduced video chat and screen sharing features within its file exchange function.

17. QQ

QQ is a messaging platform owned by Tencent, which also owns WeChat. This social media has 807 million users – that’s more than double the number Twitter has. It's particularly popular with young people in China and if you're looking to market to Generation Z in China then QQ is something worth considering for your marketing endeavors as it allows one to blog, shop online or even watch movies on its app - besides being an instant messenger of course!This social media platform offers instant messaging features like sending messages and receiving notifications as well as decorating avatars with stickers among many other features that can help you connect better with your target audience.

18. QZone

Qzone is another popular Chinese social media site, owned by Tencent. It has more than 300 million users - and can easily be compared to Facebook Messenger because of its messaging features (QQ). Qzone allows you to post images, videos, blog posts, etc., but also do things like online shopping or movies, play games, and decorate their own virtual spaces.

Brands can create customized 'microsites' and other interactive marketing applications that function within the platform. Users can have up to 1,000 QZone albums with each album having 10k photos. A certified space gives businesses extra features which help them stay connected with their audience. The user base of Qzone is mainly youth who reside in smaller cities less sophisticated than others brands may look for this kind of a target market as it presents an opportunity for companies looking forward to make sales from these locations.

19. Line

Line is a social media and messaging app. It's Japan’s most popular messaging platform, where users can communicate through videos, stickers, games, and more. Line also allows businesses to create branded accounts to engage with followers or share news about their company via posts on the timeline; they can promote offers/discounts as well by creating official brand pages for this purpose. Users of the social media platform can also order taxis & shop online .

20. Kuaishou

Kuaishou is a short-video sharing and live streaming app.The algorithm on Kuaishou ensures more visibility for users by including people from all backgrounds like rural regions in China, as well as allowing them to share their daily life experiences while generating extra income through promoting businesses or linking out to eCommerce platforms. Their simple interface allows anyone who downloads the app easy learning process of how it works which makes this platform accessible to everyone worldwide! Users post clips of their stunts or pranks, along with videos of themselves playing video games. Live-streaming allows users to provide a variety of entertaining and educational experiences. Businesses can link out to e-commerce platforms, which are more likely to garner conversions from Gen Z in China's smaller cities or rural regions due to the platform being popular with this demographic group. If your Chinese-speaking audience is older/more sophisticated you may have better luck on WeChat than live streaming as it appeals less so toward younger demographics..es.

21. Sina Weibo

Sina Weibo is often called China's Twitter. It shares many similarities with the original site, such as a limit on posts (in this case 140 characters compared to Twitter's 280) and allowing users to upload photos or videos. Sina Weibo has 132 million more members than its American counterpart despite being banned since 2009- however, if you're looking for an untapped market when expanding your business into Chinese territory or just want extra exposure through another platform online- look no further; as it would certainly be worth taking a look at.

Conclusion

Social media sites come in all shapes and sizes. However, understanding the audience you want to reach on each channel is most important before choosing social media platforms for your brand. Knowing all the ins and outs of a platform is critical to social media marketing success. Different functions, features, cultures, legacies attract different audience demographics- solid insight into these variables will make your next campaign show returns that are more than worth it!

Written By
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