Lately, it appears like everyone seems to be on social media. However make no mistake, not everyone seems to be on each channel.

As entrepreneurs, it is vital to know your viewers’s favourite social channels. For example, should you’re promoting retirement houses, it is protected to forgo Snapchat, the place solely 3.7% of customers are over 50.
HubSpot surveyed over 1,200 entrepreneurs around the globe discover out which social media channels are gaining steam — and that are falling behind. Learn on to find which platforms are hottest with entrepreneurs and shoppers in 2023.
Social Media Channels Gaining Steam in 2023
Based on SimilarWeb, the Instagram app has over 78 million month-to-month energetic customers, making it one of the in style apps as we speak.
And Instagram is anticipated to see extra progress. Our survey outcomes present that 52% of entrepreneurs plan to extend their funding within the platform in 2023. We additionally discovered that 29% of social media entrepreneurs plan to take a position probably the most in Instagram over another platform.
Entrepreneurs’ affinity for Instagram is smart, contemplating entrepreneurs in our survey stated the app yields the best ROI and engagement in comparison with different social media platforms.
Another excuse for Instagram’s reputation amongst entrepreneurs is that the platform is main the cost in leveraging the social promoting development. Instagram has probably the most developed in-app promoting instruments of any platform. Our survey reveals that 80% of entrepreneurs consider shoppers will purchase merchandise through social media apps extra usually than from a model’s web site.
Entrepreneurs aren’t the one ones utilizing the platform.
Though Gen Z visits TikTok probably the most, they rank Instagram as their favourite social media app — as do Millennials.
Instagram can also be holding regular with older audiences. In the previous couple of months, 55% of Gen X-ers have visited Instagram, adopted by greater than 1 / 4 (27%) of Child Boomers. Nonetheless, should you’re concentrating on these audiences particularly, Fb or YouTube may very well be a greater possibility.
On the advertising and marketing aspect, greater than half of video entrepreneurs rank Instagram as the very best platform for ROI, engagement, and lead technology. For those who’re seeking to dive extra into video advertising and marketing, Instagram is a lovely possibility.
Fb
Proper behind Instagram, Fb is anticipated to see distinctive progress in 2023. Based on our survey, 23% of social media entrepreneurs plan to take a position extra in Fb than another platform, and 43% plan to extend their funding.
Moreover, 36% of social media entrepreneurs plan to make use of Fb for the primary time in 2023.
Fb at present attracts 2.93 billion month-to-month customers, greater than any of its rivals. A excessive focus of its viewers belongs to Millennials, Gen X-ers, and Child Boomers.
Within the final three months, a whopping 91% of Child Boomers, 88% of Millennials, and 83% of Gen X-ers have visited Fb.
On high of that, Gen X and Child Boomers rank Fb as their favourite social media app and their most visited app. For those who’re seeking to goal older demographics with social media advertising and marketing, Fb is your greatest wager.
That stated, engagement drops considerably for Gen Z audiences.
Simply 12% of Gen Z-ers say they use Fb greater than another platform, and solely 55% have visited Fb previously three months.
TikTok
TikTok is called the platform for Gen Z — and the information confirms it. Actually, over half of Gen Z shoppers are on TikTok. Plus, Gen Z-ers say TikTok is the platform they use most, pulling forward of Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
It does not cease there: TikTok can also be choosing up steam with different demographics. 36% of TikTok customers in 2021 have been between 35 and 54 years outdated, a ten% enhance from the 12 months earlier than. That stated, utilization amongst Child Boomers continues to be low, with solely 7% visiting the app within the final three months.
Whereas solely 36% of social media entrepreneurs use the platform, those that are utilizing TikTok are strengthening their funding in 2023 – greater than entrepreneurs on another platform. Actually, 53% of them will enhance their funding in advertising and marketing on TikTok in 2023, and one other 36% will preserve investing the identical quantity.
It is also value mentioning that TikTok has the best engagement fee out of another social platform, averaging 10.85 minutes per session. Briefly, TikTok’s snackable content material is addictive for a wide range of age teams.
YouTube
YouTube has a person base of 2 billion+ individuals and receives over 34 billion month-to-month visits, in line with information we pulled from SimilarWeb.
YouTube is in style with Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X audiences, nearly in equal measure. Within the final three months, 83% of Millennials have visited YouTube, adopted by 81% of Gen Z, and 79% of Gen X. For Child Boomers, YouTube is their second favourite social media app, simply behind Fb.
YouTube was additionally a high favourite amongst video entrepreneurs. Actually, greater than 1 / 4 of video entrepreneurs deliberate to spend money on YouTube than another platform in 2022, in line with HubSpot’s Video Advertising Report. As well as, video entrepreneurs ranked YouTube because the second-best platform for ROI.
Social Media Channels Shedding Steam in 2023
Tumblr
After quite a few acquisitions and near-revivals, Tumblr has but to recreate its early- to mid-2000s reputation. Based on our report, Tumblr is hottest with Millennials, however solely 11% have visited the platform previously three months.
Surprisingly, Gen Z has visited Tumblr at practically the identical fee (10%). Actually, a report by Quartz discovered that 61% of recent Tumblr customers in 2022 have been underneath the age of 24. This begs an vital query: is one other revival across the nook?
Whereas it is nonetheless too early to name, we advocate specializing in platforms that pull stronger numbers for the viewers you wish to goal.
Twitch
Though Twitch is high canine within the live-streaming area, all main streaming platforms — together with Twitch, Fb Gaming, and YouTube Reside — are seeing a drop in whole hours watched this 12 months.
Within the final three months, solely 15% of Millennials have visited Twitch, adopted by 13% of Gen Z, and 11% of Gen X.
Decreased viewership is not the one concern for Twitch — individuals are additionally streaming much less. 12 months-over-year, hours streamed on the platform declined 16% from 2021 to 2022.
When is the very best time to put up on social media?
Whereas social media platforms will proceed to fall out and in of favor with shoppers and entrepreneurs, one factor stays fixed — timing is every thing. Regardless of which platform you select to spend money on, it is vital to know the very best time to put up to spice up your model’s visibility.
In our Social Media Advertising report, we requested over 300 social media entrepreneurs if their firm used a social media schedule or calendar when posting content material, 72% of entrepreneurs stated sure. Instruments like HubSpot can successfully assist entrepreneurs craft and execute the appropriate social media scheduling technique; nonetheless, realizing when to put up will assist increase engagement.
For instance, social media entrepreneurs working in Japanese Commonplace Time reported 6-9 p.m. as the very best time to put up.
However, entrepreneurs in Pacific Commonplace Time stated 3-6 p.m. yielded the very best outcomes.
Nonetheless, the very best time to put up depends upon your viewers and when they’re probably the most energetic on social media. With that stated, here’s a fast breakdown of what entrepreneurs say is the very best time to put up on every platform:
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Fb: 6-9 p.m., 3-6 p.m., and 9-12 p.m.
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YouTube: 6-9 p.m., 3-6 p.m., and 12-3 p.m.
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Twitter: 6-9 p.m., 3-6 p.m., and 12-3 p.m.
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Instagram: 6-9 p.m., 3-6 p.m., and 9-12 p.m.
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LinkedIn: 6-9 p.m., 3-6 p.m., and 12-3 p.m.
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TikTok: 6-9 p.m., 3-6 p.m., and 12-3 p.m.
Moreover, entrepreneurs say Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the very best days to put up throughout social media platforms.
Again to You
One query stays: what channels are greatest in your social media advertising and marketing? Must you persist with mature platforms, like Fb and YouTube, or check the waters with new platforms, like TikTok?
In the end, your choice ought to hinge on one essential issue: your audience. Placing your viewers on the middle of your social media technique means prioritizing the platforms that may attain them most successfully.
And bear in mind, social media advertising and marketing is all about experimenting. There is no must commit to 1 platform for the remainder of time — in reality, it could be helpful to run aspect experiments on totally different platforms to see what outcomes you get.