A new study revealed Facebook secured second place as the most popular social media platform, with 216.4 billion visits in 2023.
Marketing measurement platform Lifesight.io, utilized SEMrush to unravel the complex dynamics of social media usage by analyzing trends, user demographics, country-specific engagement, and platform growth; the study aimed to offer comprehensive insights into the shifting landscape of social media.
Key Findings
- Facebook: Facebook remained a key player, with 216.4 billion visits in 2023, up 15.33% from 2019.
- Dominant Platforms: In 2023, YouTube led with 1.35T visits, followed by Facebook and Twitter.
- TikTok’s Rise: TikTok saw a dramatic increase to 41.8B visits, a growth of 6015.0% since 2019.
- Five-Year Growth: Social media visits jumped from 582.9B to 1.98T, a 70.56% increase over five years from 2019 to 2023.
- Top Visiting Countries: The US (436.1B), India (171.8B), and Brazil (123B) led in social media visits in 2023.
- User Demographics and Devices: Male users dominated at 68.65%, with most accessing social media on mobile devices (59.10%).
Facebook Overview: Facebook, which once held the crown for the most visited site, has seen more modest growth, standing as the second most visited platform in 2023 with 216.4 billion visits. From its 2019 visits count of 183.2 billion, the platform has grown by 15.33%, a more restrained but still impressive pace with a growth rate of 1.18 times.
The platform has a fairly balanced user base with 66% male and 34% female users, and it has an almost even split between desktop and mobile usage. As a platform for social connection, Facebook is still leading the charge on that front.
Here are some key numbers:
- Total Visits 2023: 216.4B
- % of Total Visits of the Top 10 Sites: 10.93%
- Average Monthly Visits in 2023: 18.0B
- Average Daily Visits in 2023: 592.7M
- Growth (2019-2023): 33.2B (15.33%)
- Average Visit Duration in 2023: 21:09
- Gender Distribution: 66% Male, 34% Female
- Device Preference: 49.72% Mobile
10 Most Popular Social Media Platforms
1. YouTube: maintained its leadership in social media, skyrocketing to 1.35 trillion visits in 2023 from 263.3 billion in 2019, marking an impressive 80.49% growth.
2. Facebook: Although it lost its top spot, Facebook remained a key player, with 216.4 billion visits in 2023, up 15.33% from 2019. This growth, albeit more modest, demonstrates Facebook’s enduring relevance in social networking, with a fairly balanced gender distribution and almost equal use of desktop and mobile platforms.
3. X (Twitter): Exhibited notable growth, with visits soaring to 112.9 billion in 2023, a 63.19% increase from 41.6 billion in 2019. This reflects Twitter’s appeal for real-time content, with a slightly male-dominated user base and a significant preference for mobile usage (77.51%).
4. Instagram: Capitalized on the visual content trend, escalating to 87.3 billion visits in 2023, a 62.40% increase from 2019. Instagram’s growth underscores its strength as a mobile-first platform, popular for visual entertainment, with a gender distribution leaning towards male users (67%).
5. Reddit: Emerged as a significant player with 81.0 billion visits in 2023, up 68.72% from 2019. This growth rate highlights Reddit’s role as a key platform for community-driven content, with a majority male user base and a high percentage of mobile traffic (72.27%).
6. TikTok: Apart from being banned in many countries, TikTok showed the most explosive growth among all platforms, with a 60.15 times increase in visits, reaching 41.8 billion in 2023 from just 0.7 billion in 2019. This surge underscores TikTok’s rapid rise as a mobile-centric platform, equally popular among male and female users.
7. WhatsApp: Saw significant growth in visits, reaching 31.3 billion in 2023, a 68.72% increase from 2019. The platform is predominantly used by male users and has a surprising number of desktop users, indicating its broad appeal as a cross-platform communication tool.
8. LinkedIn: Continued to grow steadily, reaching 20.5 billion visits in 2023, up 59.41% from 2019. This growth reflects LinkedIn’s importance in the professional networking space, with a majority male user base and a preference for desktop usage.
9. Twitch: Nearly doubled its visits to 20.0 billion in 2023, marking a 48.14% increase. Twitch’s growth is indicative of the rising popularity of live streaming, especially within the gaming community, with a significant male user base and considerable mobile device usage.
10. Quora: Experienced notable growth, with visits climbing to 19.0 billion in 2023, a 60.25% increase. This growth rate shows the platform’s increasing relevance in knowledge sharing and information seeking, with a slight male dominance in its user base and a strong trend towards mobile usage.
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