Social Media Networks Study: Trends for 2024

12 December 2023

#AYearInMetrics

This study is based on the analysis of 9 social media networks, 978,379 accounts, and 29,482,611 posts.

In the annual social media study, we analyzed the professional use of each social media platform, which can help us extract powerful conclusions such as:

→ The evolution of each social media network, independently. 

→ Which network and strategies work best, based on your brand’s goals. 

We also compared this year’s data with that of the previous year to measure the evolution. 

To guarantee that the data is reliable without variation, our study parallels that of 2022, in comparison with 2023.

Account grouping

The analyzed accounts are separated into groups, depending on their following. The idea is to be able to analyze the results with comparable accounts and see how the data evolves as the account following increases. 

Therefore, we created five different groups according to the number of followers:

Tiny0 – 500 followers
Small500 – 2K followers
Medium2K – 10K followers
Big10K- 50K followers
Huge50K – 55M followers

Naming: small accounts – large accounts

In the study, we talk about “small accounts”  and “large accounts”. When we refer to small accounts, we mean any group smaller than the previous one, and vice versa. 

In other words, a small account doesn’t necessarily have to be those accounts with 0-500 followers, because it could also refer to those with 10K-50K, compared to those with 50K-55M followers.

Facebook

The results of this study show that Facebook is experimenting with some important changes. For one, the rise in Reels, which can be proved with the decrease in post reach and interactions.

20222023
Accounts211,060289,180
Posts4,207,1025,093,000
Reels91,328699,037

After analyzing more than 280,000 Facebook accounts and more than five and a half million posts and reels, the data speaks for itself.

Decline in Facebook usage for brands

All user-interaction data has decreased in 2023. This shows that there is a significant shift for this social network.

Reels sweep in the number of posts

Without a doubt, this is the year of Reels. Brands have posted 600% more Reels compared to 2022. However, these efforts have not resulted in increased interaction and reach data. The only positive data is Reel engagement, which increased by 33%. 

*This increase may be due to Meta’s efforts to repurpose Instagram content on Facebook.

Engagement rate Reels20222023Difference
Tiny16.522.435.68%
Small15.421.640.51%
Medium1723.135.35%
Big22.526.115.97%
Huge26.127.97.05%

Post vs Reels

This engagement tells us that Reels are the content that more users are drawn to, while the engagement rate for posts has decreased considerably. 

The posting frequency of feed posts has also decreased in all account sizes. 

Weekly posting frequency of Facebook posts20222023Difference
Tiny3.21.85-42.85%
Small3.32.64-20.57%
Medium12.23.72-69.49%
Big8.206.08-25.37%
Huge51.814.58-71.88%

Meanwhile in Reels, the format with increased engagement, the weekly posting frequency has skyrocketed. 

Weekly posting frequency of Facebook Reels20222023Difference
Tiny0.100.49372.56%
Small0.070.43483.01%
Medium0.390.99151.35%
Big0.180.98447.78%
Huge1.673.87131.69%

Based on the analyzed data, the trend for growth on Facebook in 2024 is reliant on Reels. 

Brands are spending less and less effort on Facebook, and these efforts are centered on repurposing content from other social media platforms. It seems that in the new year, this will continue to be the trend.

Adapting to these network changes will be key.

Twitter

Twitter experienced a significant drop in impressions across all account sizes, indicating a decrease in content reach overall. 

Interactions metrics have positive growth minus the Tiny accounts, except in clicks and mentions, suggesting that users are interacting more with the content they see.

20222023
Accounts60,29892,559
Posts4,405,5955,044,379

Increased posting frequency, as account size grows

Although the posting frequency has decreased in comparison to the last year, the average number of posts has increased according to the size of the account.

There is a jump in “Huge” accounts that published an average of 80.7 times per week. Therefore, the largest accounts are more active on the platform and generate more content.

Weekly posting frequency20222023Difference
Tiny7.75-35.55%
Small10.68.2-22.73%
Medium17.413.1-25.07%
Big29.720.4-31.50%
Huge119.980.7-32.67%

And higher engagement for all accounts

It seems that besides the decrease in impressions, the rise in interactions has contributed to the increase in engagement. Meaning, the content may reach less people, but those who see it tend to interact more. 

Decrease in impressions across all account types

In summary, the study suggests that Twitter continues to be an effective platform in terms of interactions, even despite the drop in impressions, the algorithm changes, and account size. 

Therefore on X (Twitter), if your goal for 2024 is to generate more brand awareness by sparking conversations with your clients and customers, X can help you.

LinkedIn

On LinkedIn in 2023, we noticed a decrease in impressions and a smaller decrease in interactions. As a result, engagement tends to be higher. Even though brand content isn’t reaching as many people, it reaches those who are interested in the content.

We analyzed overall comparative LinkedIn data: impressions, interactions, reactions, comments, shares, clicks, engagement, weekly posting frequency, and the number of LinkedIn accounts by size.

20222023
Accounts12,96031,925
Posts173,157383,433

Relevant and shareable content 

Virality is booming, hence the importance of creating content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to share. 

This can be seen in the number of shares, which has increased significantly.

Posting frequency per account size 

The smallest accounts (Tiny and Small) stand out even though they are the ones that post the least, while the rest of the accounts’ posting frequency has increased. 

Apart from this data, engagement continues to be higher in smaller accounts, with a drop on Huge accounts.

Increased participation. Increase in interactions and engagement:

The increase of more than 141% in interactions and more than 12% in the engagement index indicates increased audience participation.

This increase is attributed to higher interaction per post and that LinkedIn and its algorithm may be promoting activity.

From 2022 to 2023, we saw that LinkedIn was more efficient: fewer posts, but more powerful and increased engagement. Although sharing is the star interaction, it’s a sign that people want to see content that matters to them.

For 2024, it seems that less is more, but it has to be content that is shareable. Diversity in account size seems to be maintained, so everyone has a place on LinkedIn, which is increasingly more about content and interaction than recruiting.

Pinterest

Let’s go with a quick overview of the key changes on Pinterest during 2023 and the trends for next year. These were the data analyzed.

In the case of Pinterest, it is global data without separation by account size, since the platform through its API does not provide this information.

20222023
Accounts3,64110,747
Pins77,900279,713

Pinterest remains the platform for discovery

Engagement is up on Pinterest at 32%, and the star interaction that has driven this rise is clicks to external links.

So it reaffirms the idea that Pinterest is not only the social media network for discovery, but it also generates traffic to your website.

Where user participation continues to grow

Users are not only viewing content, but interaction with the content has grown by more than 17.4%, from clicking on links to saving content. This emphasizes the importance of user-centric strategies and actionable content.

Considering the data from the study, we anticipate some key trends and changes for 2024.

With the large increase in clicks on pins to go to external urls and the platform’s shopping features, Pinterest will cement itself as a social network for direct purchase. Brands must be prepared to create eye-catching pins that invite interaction to finalize transactions.

Visual quality will be a key point to stand out and get as many interactions and clicks as possible.

Twitch

Twitch has experienced changes in 2023: growth in the average length of streams, an explosion in video viewing on larger accounts, and a drop in the frequency of streams.

20222023
Accounts1,1072,143
Clips67,25789,663
Streams11,66222,487

Changes in publication frequency

The “Tiny” and “Small” categories show significant decreases in weekly stream posting frequency, except for the “Big” category which has a slight increase. In terms of clips, the steepest decrease is for the “Small” and “Huge” accounts.

This suggests that there are changes in content strategy, with creators focusing on quality over quantity.

Video duration increases

The average length of streams on Twitch has seen an overall growth from 2022 to 2023.

Suggesting that content creators are devoting more time to their streams.

Average stream duration in minutes20222023Difference
Tiny7,286.88,14211.74%
Small10,756.411,159.23.74%
Medium10,244.811,880.815.97%
Big11,050.211,285.62.13%
Huge14,566.315,486.26.32%

Large accounts claim victory in views

The larger the account, the longer the duration, the frequency of publication and the number of views.


It is the Medium, Big and Huge accounts that have increased their number of views despite having a lower frequency than in 2023.

Average views20222023Difference
Tiny64696.6-85.05%
Small142.1113.4-20.19%
Medium395.4413.64.59%
Big1,617.84,081.5152.28%
Huge18,91440,242.2112.76%

Quality vs. quantity

Twitch is maturing as a streaming platform and if one premise seems clear based on the data analyzed, it is that streamers must offer quality content focused on their audience rather than quantity.

Instagram

In 2023, the adoption of Reels on the platform is a fact; the increase in the frequency of publication corroborates this. However, a decrease in the average reach, reposts and participation is observed, which marks a change in the dynamics of the platform.

20222023
Accounts167,952297,147
Posts1,637,6072,486,041
Reels656,0441,373,460
Stories5,137,0365,196,965

Stories are a hit: reach and impressions are on the rise

Especially in the “Tiny” and “Huge” accounts. The stories format has the highest frequency of publication in relation to posts and reels.

A booming format for smaller accounts.

Frequency of publication has a direct correlation with interactions

The frequency of post publications has dropped considerably, with the frequency of reel publication increasing in all accounts except for the Tiny size.

This decrease can also be seen in the number of interactions received by posts and reels.

Interactions have decreased in posts. While in reels, the larger accounts, which have also increased the frequency of publications, have benefited. Especially the “huge” ones that have obtained 18.26% more compared to 2023.

Frequency of Instagram posts per week by size account20222023Diference
Tiny4.72.1-56.6%
Small3.42.2-35.7%
Medium12.63.3-73.9%
Big8.66-31%
Huge82.319.6-76.2%
Frequency of Instagram Reels per week by size account20222023Difference
Tiny0.90.8-14.5%
Small0.60.840.8%
Medium0.81.139.6%
Big1.31.837.6%
Huge34.135.1%

Stories and reels are positioned as the formats with the highest projection for 2024.

This pattern suggests that there is a challenge to retain the attention and engagement of the audience with the reel format, especially for smaller and medium-sized accounts. 

Therefore the story format could become an ally for strategies on Instagram for accounts of specific sizes to retain their communities.

Instagram has many more keys: formats such as videos and carousels that we see in detail in the 2023 Instagram study. These are just some headlines, we invite you to see all the details in the following link.

TikTok

We analyze in general terms how Tiktok has evolved in 2023 based on visualizations, interactions and engagement.

20222023
Accounts14,20666,567
Posts171,213810,703

Things are looking more favorable for larger accounts 

If TikTok has been known for anything, it’s been for how easy it was to grow even if you were just starting out on the social network.

Although we see that the Tiny accounts continue to have good engagement, if anyone is favored, it is the Huge accounts that increase both in engagement and interactions.

Merit for longer videos on the video network 

The frequency of publication decreases, except for Big accounts, and the average length of videos increases, with an average of 55 seconds.

So fewer but longer videos.

Weekly frequency posting20222023Difference
Tiny2.72.1-20.8%
Small3.42.9-14.5%
Medium3.93.4-13.8%
Big4.54.87.6%
Huge76-9.9%

With the decrease in interactions and average views across various account sizes, the conclusion could suggest a saturation of content on the platform, meaning creators and brands should focus on more effective strategies to maintain audience engagement.
For detailed data and differences between personal and business accounts you can see the complete 2023 TikTok Study here.

Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile is consolidating its position as the channel to promote local businesses. In addition to facilitating the insertion of businesses in Google searches, it also acts as a social network with publications.

20222023
Accounts83,31986,626

Let’s take a look at how GBP has evolved in 2023

Impressions on mobile and desktop searches reduced

But there is a 22.53% increase in mobile impressions on Google Maps.

This data may show a change in user behavior with respect to searches.

Decrease in website clicks and increase in bookings

The user uses GBP in a map-like environment, so clicks to ask for directions and book are the ones that increase in percentage, while the rest experience a decrease.

And the number of publications is increasing, highlighting the video format

Google Business Profile posts grab more space in Google’s search results. Brands have increased these posts to attract the attention of internet surfers.

20222023
Photos262,630339,412
Videos7,55114,129
Posts107,588184,993

Google Business Profile is the platform to get more direct actions within the search engine. Users are increasingly using these profiles to perform immediate actions without leaving Google, such as making a reservation or asking for directions to the location.

YouTube

The YouTube study analyzes all videos together (both shorts and regular videos). YouTube Shorts launched in 2020, so it does not interfere with the data obtained from 2022 and 2023.

The larger the size of the YouTube channel, the higher the frequency of publication

The posting frequency has increased in all channels, regardless of their size, although the biggest increase is seen in the Huge accounts. The increase in content production has grown by more than 27% compared to 2023.

Does the posting frequency influence the number of followers? We cannot say this 100%, but it is data to take into account.

Huge accounts publish an average of 219 videos (shorts and videos) per week as opposed to Tiny accounts which average 3.49 videos per week.

Weekly posting frequency20222023Difference
Tiny3.163.4910.31%
Small11.8212.314.21%
Medium25.6627.346.55%
Big54.660.7811.33%
Huge172.54219.6127.27%

Decrease in Average Interaction per Video:

Despite the increase in content production, channels of all sizes have experienced a decrease in average engagement per video (except for Tiny accounts). This suggests that, although they are posting more videos, they may face challenges in retaining audience attention and engagement.

Growth in Video Impressions per Video in Huge Channels:

“Huge” channels have an impressive 69.46% increase in impressions per video. This growth suggests greater visibility and reach for videos posted on this size of channels. These channels are most likely using effective promotion and content distribution strategies to reach wider audiences.

Average impressions per video20222023Difference
Tiny0.930.81-12.90%
Small0.320.3818.75%
Medium0.500.524%
Big0.861.0319.77%
Huge4.066.9069.46%

 

The trend for 2024 is expected to be marked by an even greater focus on quality content and promotion to increase audience interaction and engagement.

Content creators, especially on smaller channels, can benefit from focusing on specific strategies to improve audience retention.

In addition, the significant growth in impressions per video on “Huge” channels highlights the importance of advanced digital marketing strategies, such as SEO optimization, partnerships, and in-platform advertising to maximize visibility.

Social Media Study Methodology 

Data collection was carried out over 30 days, September 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.

The accounts and content originate from more than 120 countries, so the results are global and not localized by language or geographic area. All the accounts are business or creator accounts, so the study and conclusions are focused on using social media professionally.

The accounts and content analyzed vary by social network. In each section, the specific data of the sample is attached.

Like all of our Metricool studies, we separate by account size the social networks that give this data, except Pinterest.

To access all the metrics and graphs, download the Data Studio Dashboard.

I would like to access all the Looker Studio data. 

Metricool Software, S.L. is responsible for the processing of your data in order to send you the complete data for the Social Media Networks study 2023 and send you communications with news and promotions if you check the box for this purpose. You have the right of access, rectification, deletion, limitation, opposition to treatment and portability. You can exercise your rights at [email protected]. More information in the Privacy policy.

More accurate algorithms

The saturation of content in networks is evident, with decreases in interactions and reach. However, engagement is on the rise.

This data indicates that the algorithms, especially in large networks (TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook) are more accurate. As there is more content, they have to do a more efficient job. 

Therefore, content appears to those who are most likely to interact with the content, so the algorithms are doing their job well, hence engagement goes up but reach and interactions go down.

Quality vs Quantity

The general trend points to a focus on quality content rather than quantity, especially on Twitch and LinkedIn.

Video Formats on the Rise

Stories, Reels, and Lives are positioned as content formats with positive projections for 2024, with an emphasis on creating engaging, visual content.

Adaptation to algorithm and platform changes:

Adapting to changes in algorithms and audience preferences becomes crucial in maintaining high engagement across all platforms.

Increased engagement in smaller accounts: authenticity is rewarded

While there is an overall increase in posting frequency in larger accounts, engagement is often higher in smaller accounts, highlighting the importance of authenticity and connection.

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Isabel Romero Isabel Romero , 12 December 2023
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