8 Little-Known Facts About Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing, it’s the current big thing. It seems like everyone’s doing it, but only some people are doing it right. Here are eight facts about social media marketing, each with the current number behind it, that can help your business:

1. 84% of US adults use YouTube and 71% use Facebook

Pew Research Center found in 2025 that 84 percent of US adults ever use YouTube, 71 percent use Facebook, and 50 percent use Instagram, with TikTok at 37 percent. Those are the shares business owners should take note of. If you’re not using social media to market your business, you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers.

There are many different social media platforms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. You must determine which platforms work best for your business and target your advertising accordingly.

For example, if you’re a B2B company, LinkedIn may be a better platform for you than Facebook. Alternatively, if you sell products that are visually appealing, Instagram and Pinterest may be better options.

Choose your social media networks wisely.

It can be a bit of a hassle to set up and manage social media accounts, but it’s definitely worth it in the end. With the right strategy, you can reach a large number of potential customers through social media marketing.

But you want to make sure you’re where your target audience spends most of their time. There’s no point in setting up a bunch of social media accounts that you never use.

That said, we advise our clients to set up their profile on every network imaginable (if they have the time and resources) and include a link to their website in the bio section. This allows them to be found by potential customers no matter where they look online.

Plus, they generate high-authority backlinks to your website, which is excellent for SEO.

2. The average user spends more than two and a half hours a day on social and video feeds

DataReportal’s Digital 2026 report puts the typical user at well over two and a half hours a day across social networks and video platforms, which works out to 18 hours and 36 minutes a week. That is most of a working day, every week, that your potential customers spend in these feeds.

Different platforms have different demographics. For example, Facebook is used by people of all ages, while Snapchat is primarily used by teenagers and young adults.

Find where your target audience spends most of their time online and target your efforts accordingly.

For example, if you’re selling products to teenagers and young adults, Snapchat would be a good platform to focus on.

3. Meta’s apps still reach more people daily than anything else

Meta reported that 3.60 billion people used at least one of its apps every day on average in June 2026. Meta stopped publishing a Facebook-only number after December 2023, when it last reported 3.07 billion monthly active users. Either way, that is a customer base you can reach.

Globally there are 5.66 billion active social media user identities, about 68.7 percent of the world’s population.

If you’re not already on Facebook, now is the time to set up a page for your business. If you are on Facebook, make sure you’re using it to its full potential to reach as many potential customers as possible.

4. YouTube drives the most engaged traffic of any social site

People love watching videos; YouTube is the perfect platform for content. You’re missing out on a massive opportunity if you’re not using YouTube to market your business.

YouTube is great for creating quality video content that can reach a wide audience. You can use it to create product demonstrations, how-to videos, customer testimonials, and more.

The key to using YouTube effectively is to create engaging, quality content that will interest your target audience.

Don’t forget to optimize your videos.

One of the most frequently made mistakes in social media marketing is forgetting to optimize your content.

This is especially important with YouTube, as you want your videos to appear in search results. Use keywords and tags throughout your video description to make sure your target audience can find your content.

It’s also essential to create catchy titles and thumbnails for your videos; this will help to increase click-through rates.

5. US social commerce sales pass $100 billion in 2026

Social commerce keeps climbing as people use these apps for more than news and entertainment. EMARKETER forecasts $100.99 billion in US social commerce sales in 2026, up 18 percent in a year and 7.2 percent of all US retail ecommerce.

That is a hundred billion with a B.

This is good news for businesses, as it provides another avenue to reach potential customers and make sales. Now is the time to start if you’re not already using social media for eCommerce.

Several platforms allow businesses to sell products directly on their social media pages, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. You need to use social media for eCommerce to take advantage of a massive opportunity.

6. Social media generates leads for B2B companies, not just B2C

Social media is not only for B2C businesses. It is one of the steadiest lead sources a B2B company has, and skipping it leaves that pipeline to a competitor.

There are many different ways to use social media for lead generation. You can use it to run contests, offer coupons and discounts, or just create quality content that will attract leads to your business.

For example, you can use LinkedIn to create a company page and post content that will attract leads to your business. You can also use Twitter to connect with potential customers and followers interested in your products or services.

The key is to create quality content that will interest your target audience.

LinkedIn is the most effective social media platform for B2B marketers

LinkedIn is an excellent platform for B2B businesses, as it’s specifically designed for professionals. You’re missing out on a big opportunity if you’re not using LinkedIn to market your business.

LinkedIn is great for creating quality content, connecting with potential customers and partners, and generating leads.

7. 76% of B2B marketers call LinkedIn their most effective channel

In the Content Marketing Institute’s 2026 B2B research, 76 percent of B2B marketers named LinkedIn the most effective channel for publishing thought leadership, ahead of email newsletters at 54 percent and speaking events or webinars at 52 percent.

LinkedIn is great for creating quality content, connecting with potential customers and partners, and generating leads.

8. Most companies still run social media separately from the rest of the business

Given the numbers above, you would think more companies would integrate social media into their business strategies. In practice most still run their accounts as a side task with no connection to sales, service, or the website.

That is the opening. A business that ties social to its website, its email list, and its follow-up process gets compounding returns from the same posts everyone else throws away.

The Bottom Line

Social media marketing can be a great way to connect with customers and grow your business, but it takes more than just setting up a profile and posting occasional updates. If you want to see real results from your social media efforts, you need to put in the time and effort to create and maintain an active, engaging presence on the platforms that matter most to your target audience.

And remember, social media is just one part of a broader inbound marketing strategy. To see results from your social media marketing, integrate it with other elements like content marketing, email marketing, and lead generation. With a comprehensive inbound approach, you can attract more prospects, convert more leads, and close more customers.