New report finds 1.3 million new users joined social media every day during 2020: 15 new users every second

Digital 2021 shows significant increases in internet and social media users over past 12 months

Vancouver, Jan. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hootsuite, the global leader in social media management, and We Are Social, the socially led creative agency, have released Digital 2021, their latest annual report presenting the most salient global findings on social media and digital trends.

With much of the world spending a significant amount of 2020 in lockdown, Digital 2021 shows that social media users have grown at the fastest rate in three years. There are now 4.20 billion social media users around the world, representing year-on-year growth of more than 13 percent (490 million new users). The number of social media users is now equivalent to more than 53 percent of the world’s total population. 

Perhaps surprisingly, people say they are spending the same amount of time on social media each day as they did the previous year, at 2 hours and 25 minutes. Facebook remains the world’s most used social platform, followed by YouTube and WhatsApp. Facebook-owned apps account for 4 of the top 5 most used social platforms globally. 

“Increasingly, consumers connect with brands in the same way they do with their friends and family members, via social and messaging apps,” said Tom Keiser, CEO of Hootsuite. “The pandemic has only accelerated this shift, with even laggard brands now moving to online interactions.”

The nearly 300-page report also outlines the expanded use of social media, with 45% of users aged 16 to 64 searching for brand information on social networks, and 40% using social media for work purposes. A key consideration for marketers is the growing popularity of messaging platforms, with 91% of internet users aged 16 to 64 now using chat apps each month; messaging has surpassed social media platform use, now in second place at 88%.

“Providing the global perspective on demographics and usage patterns on these platforms helps our customers focus their digital strategies and connect with their audience in the most relevant and authentic way,” added Keiser.

Meanwhile, overall time spent online has increased, with the average internet user now spending almost 7 hours per day using the internet across all devices. This means the average user spends more than 2 full days online out of a 7 day week—this has increased by 16 minutes, or 4 percent, year-on-year. Digital 2021 shows that there are now 4.66 billion people around the world using the internet in January 2021, up by 316 million (7.3 percent) since this time last year. 

Nathan McDonald, co-founder and group chief executive at We Are Social, commented: “It’s no surprise that in a year where many people all over the world spent weeks and months in lockdown, we’ve seen massive growth in social media and internet users. Much of our lives are now being played out through digital channels, whether that’s connecting on social media, shopping on mobile, using voice, installing smart devices or playing online games. The pandemic has accelerated a shift that had already begun, and 2021 is shaping up to continue in this vein.  For marketers, understanding how to connect in culturally relevant ways with online audiences will be more crucial than ever.” 

Additional headlines in Digital 2021, which looks at social media, internet, mobile and ecommerce trends globally, include: 

• Mobile’s phenomenal growth to become our first screen, accounting for a greater amount of people’s time than live TV.
• Rise of ecommerce: 77 percent of internet users aged 16 to 64 now say that they buy something online each month, with food and personal care the fastest-growing consumer ecommerce category. 
• Silver surfers: Older age groups are the fastest-growing segments among some of the top social platforms’ audiences; users over the age of 50 are growing more quickly than any other age group on Facebook and Snapchat.
• Gaming popularity through generations: More than 90 percent of Gen Z internet users say they play games, compared to 67% of those aged 55 to 64. 

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View and download the report at hootsuite.com/resources/digital-trends 

About Hootsuite
Hootsuite is the global leader in social media management. With over 200,000 paid accounts and millions of users, Hootsuite powers social media for brands and organizations around the world, from the smallest businesses to the largest enterprises.

Hootsuite’s unparalleled expertise in social selling, social customer care, and social media management empowers organizations to strategically grow their brands, businesses, and customer relationships with social. 

Hootsuite Academy, the industry-leading online learning platform, empowers education and growth through a wide range of certifications and has delivered over one million courses to over half a million people worldwide. 

To learn more, visit www.hootsuite.com

About We Are Social
We are a socially-led creative agency. We are a global team of more than 850 people in 15 offices around the world with a common purpose: to connect people and brands in meaningful ways.

We believe in people before platforms and the power of social insight to drive business value. We call this social thinking.

We work with many of the world’s biggest brands, including adidas, Netflix, Samsung, Lavazza and Google on global, regional and local projects.

To learn more, visit www.wearesocial.com.

CONTACT: Corporate Communications
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