Our cluttered digital world is both a boon and a minefield for marketers. The abundance of data makes it difficult to focus on any area and determine which information is most important. In any case, however, it pays off to stay in the loop of what people say about your brand and about the competition. That’s why we prepared a list of essential social listening statistics to further underscore the importance of this marketing medium and give you some insight that will hopefully help you tweak your own social listening strategy. Stay tuned!
Social Listening Statistics (Editor’s Choice)
- 4.6 billion people use social media daily.
- 71% of marketers share insights they gather on social media with other departments.
- The social media analytics market should experience a CAGR of 24% between 2021 and 2026.
- Google searches for “social listening tools” increased by 22% in a single year.
- 76% of US consumers expect the brand to react within 24 hours of them reaching out via social media.
General Stats About Social Listening and Social Media
1. 4.6 billion people use social media globally.
That’s an incredibly large pool of data waiting for businesses to explore. Stats further indicate that social media’s global penetration stands at an impressive 58.4% as of 2022.
2. China had 1.02 billion social media users in 2022.
China accounts for nearly a quarter of all social media users globally, making the country a fertile soil for social listening marketing. India is nipping at China’s heels with 755 million users, with the gap closing even more at 1.17 billion by 2027. The US ranks third with 302.25 million users.
3. Facebook is the most extensive social media network globally.
While some may scoff that Facebook is no longer trendy, social listening statistics show that the social network is still a valuable tool with its 2.91 billion monthly active users. Next up is YouTube with 2.56 billion, while Meta-owned WhatApp rounds out the top three with its 2 billion monthly active user base.
4. 68% of adults stateside use Facebook every day.
51% of users check into the platform more than once daily, making it a valuable tool for social listening. Groups, in particular, help glean information or start conversations about brand awareness, further underscoring the platform’s social listening benefits.
5. TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2021.
While the quirky platform is nowhere near the behemoth that Facebook or Instagram is, stats about social listening indicate that the new kid on the block has a lot to offer, growing at a rate of approximately eight users per second. One popular social listening example includes coconut water brand Vita Coco which leveraged social listening on TikTok to create a buzz about its products. The campaign, which involved identifying trends on the platform and sharing different recipes using the company’s ingredients, saw Vita Coco’s TikTok following double.
6. Social media listening statistics show that 51% of marketing professionals gathered information from social listening platforms in 2020.
As the pandemic erupted, social listening became the second-most important way for marketers to assess market sentiment. Only third-party research sources came in higher at 62%. Experts attribute the pandemic-fuelled renaissance of social media listening to the increased use of such networks during lockdowns which created an opportunity for businesses to keep tabs on real-time trends and consumer sentiments.
Social Listening Trends
7. 54% of users use social media to research brands and products.
This creates a massive opportunity for brands to leverage social listening to identify consumer needs, gauge sentiments, and address issues. Stats from the same social listening report show that 37% have visited a brand’s page on social media, while 36% have liked or followed a brand.
8. 71% of marketers share insights they gather on social media with other departments.
Social listening trends show that insights you gather on social media can apply to the design, development, and pricing of services and products. Social listening use cases also point to customer service which can be improved with the help of social listening and, in turn, identify issues that normally remain unseen.
9. 29% of clients will unfollow your company because of bad press.
While you cannot avoid some negative attention, you can manage the fallout with a measured response. Irrelevant content and privacy concerns meanwhile will prompt 45% and 39%, respectively, to ditch your brand on social media.
10. The social media analytics market should experience a CAGR of 24% between 2021 and 2026.
Social listening statistics indicate that demand for brand monitoring tools will be underpinned by the growing number of social media users, as well as increased focus on competitive intelligence and a higher need for reliable social media measurement to boost customer experience. As a result, the projected value of the market in 2026 is 9.3 billion, attesting to the value marketers place on this segment.
11. Google searches for “social listening tools” increased by 22% between 2021 and 2022.
Social listening trends point to an increase in interest in social listening tools that can help businesses gain a competitive edge. While the term “social listening” has seen the same surge — 22% — the search volume for social media monitoring has stayed the same year-on-year.
12. 65.6% of marketers agree that social listening has increased in value for their organization over the past year.
As many as 26.1% of marketers strongly agree with that statement, while just under 40% agree somewhat. Social listening statistics show that only 2.3% totally disagree.
13. 76% of consumers in the US expect your brand to react within 24 hours of them reaching out via social media.
13% of consumers expect an answer within an hour. One of the top social listening benefits is that it allows you to respond to such queries timeously. AI-based tools can answer simple questions almost instantaneously.
14. 51% of mid-sized businesses use social media to improve their employee experience.
Brands are using social media and monitoring tools for more than just marketing purposes, stats about social listening show. The number of companies with 100-999 employees using the same tools for risk mitigation and brand protection stands at 50%.
15. 53% of companies use social media to reach their brand awareness goals.
The acquisition of new clients and driving conversations comes a joint second at 46%. A further 29% of brands use it to improve the customer experience.
In Summary
Social listening statistics are crucial in identifying and even leading consumer trends. Tools enhance your company’s ability to improve authenticity in dealing with your target market, employees, and industry peers. With the right tools, you can react proactively to market sentiments and brand challenges. The key is choosing the correct datasets and gathering actionable insights instead of gathering swathes of data you never use.
Sources: Statista, Social Media Today, Markets and Markets, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Statista, Statista, Adobe, We Are Social, Radarr, Emarketer, GWI, Fast Company, Hootsuite
