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YouTube now world’s ‘most used’ media platform says new research

Media intelligence company Meltwater and We Are Social have released Digital 2025 looking at trends in the market.

Key highlights include:

YouTube is now the world’s ‘most used’ social media platform, with an active user base 16% larger than second place WhatsApp; Facebook, Instagram and TikTok round out the top five.

Digital and social ad spend grows – again: Digital ad spend grew to US$1.1 trillion in 2024, up $75 billion (7.3%) from 2023. Digital channels now make up 72.3% of worldwide ad investment, a 10.3% ($74 billion), year-on-year.

ChatGPT makes gains: ChatGPT leads the AI leaderboard, with its mobile app averaging more than 250 million monthly active users and ChatGPT.com attracting 310 million unique monthly visitors between September and November 2024.

Other findings include:

Global internet users have passed the 5.5 billion mark, with 136 million new users added in the last 12 months.

56 percent of online adults in the world’s top economies make online purchases every week, which points to an online shopping universe of roughly 1.7 billion in any given seven-day period.

People over the age of 50 are underserved by the world’s marketers; across many of the world’s biggest economies, people over the age of 50 account for more than half of all consumer spend.

More than 1 in 5 online adults (22.1 percent) now listens to at least one podcast each week.

The number of connected adults expressing concern about their online privacy is declining. Fewer than 3 in 10 adult internet users say that they’re worried about how companies use their personal data online today, with that figure down by 7.1 percent compared to 2023

Meltwater CSO Alexandra Bjertnæs says: “With digital ad spend exceeding $790 billion in 2024 and social media ad spend growing more than 15% within that, it’s clear that businesses are investing more than ever in capturing consumer attention. Along with this growing investment comes the growing need to prove ROI and show results based on marketing campaigns. With user behavior on social platforms continuing to shift, teams need data to inform decisions about what platforms to prioritize and create strategies for.”

We Are Social global CEO Toby Southgate says: “Social is where brands can win or lose – it’s central to brand discovery, consumer engagement, and commerce. At the same time, AI is revolutionising how we search, create, and interact, while influencers continue to shape content trends and consumer behaviours.

“The opportunities for marketers to drive meaningful engagement have never been broader, but the complexity of digital and social media – evident in our 630+ page report – means there’s no single route to success. To create effective work, brands need to understand the cultural nuances of the online world, and create ideas worth talking about. Those who do will make an impact.”

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