Social Platforms Archives | Sprout Social Sprout Social offers a suite of <a href="/features/" class="fw-bold">social media solutions</a> that supports organizations and agencies in extending their reach, amplifying their brands and creating real connections with their audiences. Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:51:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://media.sproutsocial.com/uploads/2020/06/cropped-Sprout-Leaf-32x32.png Social Platforms Archives | Sprout Social 32 32 11 Social messaging apps every marketer should know in 2024 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-messaging-apps/ Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:22:41 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=159848/ Social media messaging is an integral part of daily life for most of us. Today, 70% of people agree they expect to have conversational Read more...

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]]> Social media messaging is an integral part of daily life for most of us.

Today, 70% of people agree they expect to have conversational experiences with brands on social media, too. But finding ways to talk directly to your consumers can seem intimidating. So, how can you integrate conversational marketing into your strategy? Enter: social media messaging apps.

Social messaging apps give marketers the opportunity to connect with people one-on-one by creating impactful, personalized touchpoints. These channels are approachable for consumers, social media managers and customer care specialists alike.

When choosing the right apps to talk to your audience, consider why and how people want to connect with your brand.

  • Do they want a quick response to a frequently asked question?
  • Are they looking for a video consultation with an expert before buying?
  • Do they need help using your product or service?

A Sprout Social user reaches out to our team on Twitter and we ask him to send us a DM.

In this guide, we’ll break down the 11 most popular social messaging apps and their use cases. From the well-known to the often overlooked, we’ll help you find the right app(s) to reach your community.

Why should your brand use social messaging apps?

The customer journey is changing. Social media is now an essential part of reaching people, from generating awareness to creating advocacy. Consumers expect to direct message, voice chat or video call your brand when they’re in a moment of need. Social media messaging apps allow you to meet consumers’ new communication expectations while supporting your business objectives. Watch our video below for an overview of the most popular social messaging apps, along with tips to help you select the best social messaging app for your brand:

Engage in conversational commerce

About 90% of consumers buy from a brand if they follow them on social. That impressive number reveals how important it is to invest in your social messaging strategy. When brands adopt conversational commerce tools like chatbots, live chat and video consultations, they deliver easier buying experiences and win more sales.

The Fandango chatbot instantly responds to an inquiry in their Facebook DMs

Provide customer service and care

People will no longer settle for one-way communication or outdated 1-800 numbers when dealing with a customer service issue. They expect brands to use the most convenient channels for them, including social messaging apps.

If you’re not available to support your customers with social messaging, you will leave gaps in the customer experience. Some 67% of consumers identify responsive customer service as the most important factor in creating a positive experience with a brand on social.

Build a pool of brand evangelists

Be attentive and engage thoughtfully when people send you a positive direct message. By providing an extra level of care, you will make them feel like a top priority, and more likely to become a loyal customer.

RX Bar responds to a fan in their Instagram DMs

Take it a step further by surprising some of your diehard admirers with V.I.P. discount codes, premium offers, access to exclusive live events and sneak previews. These extra steps will turn your customers into brand advocates.

Navigate a social media crisis

On the flip side, show just as much care and attention when things go wrong. Although you can’t always control a social media crisis, you can minimize its negative impact by addressing customer concerns via social messaging apps. Keep a keen eye on your notifications and @mentions to prevent negative feedback from snowballing.

Thankfully, this doesn’t mean monitoring your social feeds 24/7. Social media engagement tools like Sprout Social can notify you of engagement spikes and spot a potential crisis before it snowballs.

11 most popular social messaging apps

Now, let’s dive into the most frequently used social media chat apps.

  1. WhatsApp
  2. Instagram direct messages
  3. Messenger
  4. TikTok direct messages
  5. WeChat
  6. SnapChat
  7. Telegram
  8. Discord
  9. Viber
  10. Twitter direct messages
  11. Zendesk

1. WhatsApp

Monthly active users: 2 billion

Key benefits:

The growing buzz around WhatsApp has many marketers asking, “What’s up with WhatsApp?” As the most popular messaging app in the world, WhatsApp is proving to be an essential part of modern marketing and customer care strategies—especially for brands with a global audience. WhatsApp makes it possible to streamline all messaging with consumers in one convenient place. Whether they have an issue with their order or are looking to buy something new, WhatsApp is the channel people turn to.

WhatsApp is the most popular social messaging app in the world. Adidas responds to fan inquiries and questions with their automatic replies.

On WhatsApp, you can call, video call or live chat with customers. If you face a high quantity of messages, you can also employ chatbots on the app. Although the app doesn’t allow advertising, brands have other opportunities to effectively reach consumers. For example, some leading brands use digital catalogs to help their customers discover their products and services.

2. Instagram direct messages

Instagram monthly active users: 2 billion

Key benefits:

  • Integrated with Instagram
  • Built-in GIF and sticker gallery
  • You can add filters, effects and drawing to images
  • Video and voice chat

Instagram is the most downloaded app in the world. Instagram direct messages (DMs) play an important role in its success by allowing users to connect one-on-one and in group messages. In the Instagram app, you can send DMs to all users, including brands.

Instagram DMs are a great way to dip your toe into social messaging apps. Chances are if you have a presence on Instagram, you’re already familiar with DMs, as they don’t require a separate app or account. Even when a consumer tags your brand in their Stories, you’ll automatically see it in your DMs.

Instagram DMs have built-in GIF and sticker galleries so you can infuse whimsy into your messages. If you send a photo or video, you can also add filters, effects and drawings. As Instagram continues to evolve into a video-first app, you can now make video calls and voice chat in DMs, too.

3. Messenger

Monthly active users: 1.3 billion

Key benefits:

  • Integrated with Facebook
  • Automated replies and chatbots
  • Built-in GIF and sticker library
  • Video chat

Messenger is Meta’s most-used feature. Originally launched in 2011, the app is separate from the Facebook platform, but still integrated in the user interface. Well-known around the world, Messenger is the right app for brands trying to reach a wide variety of people.

When using Messenger for business, you can create automatic replies and set up chatbots to answer frequently asked questions. This is useful for brands who receive a high volume of incoming messages.

Like Instagram, the app offers a built-in GIF and sticker gallery so you can infuse personality and playfulness into your live-chat, too. If your customer care cases go beyond chat, Messenger also provides video call capabilities.

4. TikTok direct messages

TikTok monthly active users: 1 billion

Key benefits:

  • Integrated with TikTok
  • Custom auto-replies

Like Instagram, TikTok messaging is integrated in the app. With 1 billion monthly active users and growing, the potential for reaching people increases everyday. But TikTok messaging is unique. To send a message, the recipient must accept your message request—even if they’re a brand.

To send other users a message on TikTok, they must accept your follow request. Even brands, like Nuuly.

For some consumers, this feature adds a roadblock on their customer journey. But this extra step also prevents your inbox from overflowing—which makes it easier to prioritize ongoing conversations with brand advocates, influential creators and high priority customers.

TikTok also offers an automated response option for business accounts. This helpful workaround allows you to acknowledge people sending you messages before accepting. It also enables you to answer frequently asked questions based on common keywords.

5. WeChat

Monthly active users: 1 billion

Key benefits:

  • Reaches Chinese-speaking communities worldwide
  • Video and voice chat
  • Broadcast messaging
  • Social commerce capabilities

If you’re trying to reach Chinese-speaking communities, WeChat is a must-use app. Facing steep competition, WeChat emerged as the leading Chinese messaging app because of its high message capacity and social commerce capabilities. In fact, users can send up to 45 billion messages a day. They can also send voice chats and make video calls. Like other social media platforms, they can broadcast messages publicly on WeChat, too.

WeChat’s social commerce integrations are among the best in the mobile payment app industry. WeChat Pay boasts 900 million users who send money and make purchases within the app.

For global brands, WeChat should play a pivotal role in their strategy—especially for timely events like Lunar New Year celebrations.

6. Snapchat

Monthly active users: 500 million

Key benefits:

  • Disappearing images and videos
  • Custom filters, effects and drawings

With certain social messaging apps, success depends on cross-promotion with other platforms. Take Snapchat for example. For people to see your content, they must subscribe to your Profile. To spark intrigue, share snippets of the highly engaging videos you’re posting on Snapchat to other social apps. This might include behind-the-scenes tours, interactive custom filters or influencer takeovers. You can also include links to your website or app in your content.

SnapChat is a social messaging app where brands can create Stories and Lenses.

Once you amass a following and your Profile is verified, you can start having meaningful conversations around the Stories you post. For example, your subscribers can send you questions or share their love for your new product. You can also Quote your followers’ replies and share them on your Story—this level of engagement is key to creating loyal superfans.

7. Telegram

Monthly active users: 500 million

Key benefits:

  • Edit and delete messages after you send them
  • Location sharing
  • Expiring messages
  • Unique themes and stickers
  • Supports group messaging up to 200,000 people

Similar to WhatsApp, Telegram is a popular alternative to traditional SMS texting—particularly for people messaging between countries. Telegram enables large group messages, location sharing and unique themes and stickers. But it also has additional features popular for businesses, including B2B brands.

In Telegram, you can edit and delete messages after they’ve been sent, or set an expiration date on a message. This could be valuable when you need to send a customer an expiring code or if you’re a B2B business sending confidential paperwork.

8. Discord

Monthly active users: 350 million

Key benefits:

  • Video and voice chat
  • Screen sharing
  • Bottom of the funnel opportunities
  • Live events

Discord, the social messaging app used most frequently by gamers, is a new frontier for many companies—even retail brands are beginning to tap into the platform’s potential.

By creating a Discord server, you are able to add channels catering to the niche interests of your community. Your channels can be private, public or view-only.

Brands can use the social messaging app Discord to reach their customers, like the brand ChannelFireball.

In your server, you can host live events. Whether it’s an “ask me anything” video or a gaming tournament, live events encourage advocacy and conversation within your community. Leading brands on Discord also give their consumers access to premium channels to encourage repeat purchases.

9. Viber

Monthly active users: 250 million

Key benefits:

  • Built-in GIF and sticker gallery
  • Video chat
  • Built-in QR code scanner
  • Supports unlimited group messaging

Viber, or Rakuten Viber, is another social messaging app often preferred over traditional SMS texting, especially in eastern European and Middle Eastern countries. Known for its security and end-to-end encryption, it’s marketed as one of the safest messaging apps. Viber offers group messaging with no size limitations, video chat and a built-in GIF and sticker gallery. Users with a subscription plan can also make calls to all telephone numbers.

Viber for Business allows companies to chat with customers through its platform, but this feature isn’t available in many countries. However, all brands can create ads for the app and take advantage of the built-in QR scanner.

10. Twitter direct messages

Twitter monthly active users: 217 million

Key benefits:

  • Integrated with Twitter
  • Chatbots
  • Built-in GIF and sticker gallery

If your brand is on Twitter, you probably already use your Twitter DMs to communicate with customers. Twitter DMs are integrated into Twitter, and anyone can send other users messages. In your DMs, you can employ chatbots to provide exceptional customer care, too.

When you slick "send a DM" on Sprout Social's on Twitter, our chatbot will automatically greet you.

We recommend using the built-in GIFs, sticker gallery and emojis to infuse your brand’s identity into your conversations.

11. Zendesk

Key benefits:

  • Omnichannel customer care
  • Voice chat
  • Chatbots

Although not technically a social messaging app, Zendesk is the glue that holds an effective social messaging strategy together. Zendesk is a customer service software dedicated to helping brands create meaningful, personal and productive relationships with their customers.

The software integrates with your social messaging apps to provide customer support and sales outreach at scale. You can also connect Zendesk with a social media management platform like Sprout Social to resolve issues faster across your social and customer service teams.

Manage your social messaging apps in one place with Sprout Social

If these social messaging apps are already a part of your strategy, you know the struggle of trying to balance so many channels at once. Sprout Social’s Smart Inbox unifies your social channels into a single stream to monitor all incoming messages. It simplifies customer care and outreach by making it easy to see messages, mentions and brand keyword usages at a glance.

Sprout Social's Smart Inbox helps you manage social media messaging apps in one place.

The Smart Inbox offers tools like People View to help you provide personalized experiences for your contacts. In People View, you can foster connections with influencers, manage your VIP Lists and view conversation history with a specific user profile.

It all boils down to this: When using social messaging apps, you must make your customers feel like they’re your top priority.

Looking for more guidance to help you refine your social messaging strategy? Learn why social messaging is the future of the customer experience.

The post 11 Social messaging apps every marketer should know in 2024 appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Unraveling Meta Threads: What we’ve learned since launch https://sproutsocial.com/insights/meta-threads/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:00:24 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=175574/ Nothing captured first-day-of-school energy quite like the release of Threads, a text-based social media platform. The launch of a new social network is typically Read more...

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]]> Nothing captured first-day-of-school energy quite like the release of Threads, a text-based social media platform.

The launch of a new social network is typically met with equal doses of curiosity and concern. The response to Threads was different. Brands and the social media managers that run them took to the platform with enthusiasm. Sure, there was some stress—expressed mainly in the form of overworked social media manager memes—but most seemed excited about the novelty and potential of a new platform.

Sprout Social's first desktop Threads post. The post says, "Our first desktop Threads post. Is this thing on?". The post ends with the microphone emoji.

Threads has generated a lot of discussion since then. What role will it play in existing social media strategies? What do consumers think about it? Does it have staying power?

Our team has spent the last six months discussing these questions while experimenting with our approach to Meta’s latest platform. Along the way, we’ve learned quite a bit and have some hot takes on what’s coming next. Let’s walk through why brands should consider a Threads profile and Meta’s future plans for the platform.

What is Threads?

Threads is a social messaging platform focused on fostering authentic conversations. Users can post and share text, images and videos to join in public discussions. Threads was developed by Meta’s Instagram team and launched on July 5, 2024.

Why your brand should consider a Threads profile

Is your audience on Threads? It’s probably likely. A lot of users have gravitated to Threads, but that’s just one reason why brands should consider using it in their social media strategy.

It’s the fastest app to reach 100 million users

Threads reached 100 million users less than a week (five days) after its launch and is the most rapidly downloaded app ever, surpassing ChatGPT. The platform hit 1 million users within an hour while ChatGPT earned the same amount within five days.

The user base will continue to grow over the next few years

In Meta’s Q4 2023 earnings announcement, Mark Zuckerberg announced Threads has over 130 million monthly active users. Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, shared the news on his personal Threads account:

A post from Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, on his personal Threads account. He shares that in Meta's earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg announced Threads has over 130 million monthly active users.

You can appeal to an international audience

Along with the United States, India, Brazil, Mexico and Japan have the highest number of Threads users. If you want to appeal to an international audience, you might want to consider incorporating Threads into your social strategy. Appfigures reports Threads was the sixth most downloaded app across the world in December 2023.

Threads offers unique features

Threads will feel familiar to fans of text-based social media platforms. However, there are still differences that give the app a unique user experience.

For example, some of the network’s instant popularity can be attributed to an exceptionally simple registration process. Users are required to have an Instagram account to sign up, maintaining the same account name, username and password across both networks. Users also have the ability to cross-share content to Instagram Stories or Facebook, creating an integrated experience.

Key features as of February 2024 include:

  • A 500-character limit for text
  • Video posts can be up to five minutes long
  • Quick follow, which allows users to follow accounts they see in their feed without navigating to their profile. Users can simply tap the plus icon in the corner of the other user’s profile picture.
  • Reply controls allow users to tighten the reins on who can engage with a specific post. Users can choose between the following audiences: Anyone, Profiles you follow and Mentioned only.
  • Users can mute profiles by tapping the three dot menu on a post from the Threads account they’d like to mute.
  • Users can also hide words and phrases from appearing in their Threads feed by navigating to the Privacy menu and tapping Hidden words.
  • Tapping the Share button allows users to share Threads to their Instagram Story or grid.
  • Choose between two feed options by tapping the Threads logo at the top of the app: the For you feed displays posts from followed accounts, as well as recommended profiles. The Following feed displays posts only from profiles you follow.

How to create a Threads profile

To create a Threads profile, install the Threads app from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you already have the Instagram app downloaded, you can also search “Threads” and tap the ticket icon that appears in the search bar.

Two screenshots of the Threads sign up experience in the Instagram app. The first is a screenshot of the Instagram search tab, with the word “Threads” in the search bar. An admit one ticket icon is shown in the right side of the search bar. The second screenshot shows a black screen with a white pass featuring the Threads logo. At the bottom of the screen, there’s a button that says, “Open Threads.”

When you open the Threads app for the first time, you’ll be prompted to log in with Instagram. At this point, you can also decide whether you’d like to auto-follow the accounts you follow on Instagram, or if you’d like to select your following from scratch. Once you do that, you’re ready to start Threading.

Meta’s future plans for Threads

Since its launch in July 2023, Threads users have been dreaming up additional features for the app. Luckily, Meta’s been in the mood to grant wishes over the past few months. Mosseri uses his Threads account to confirm what’s in development for the app. According to Mosseri, there are tests for several platform updates including a trending topic feature and the ability to bookmark posts on Threads.

A Threads post from Adam Mosseri announcing the roll-out of a trending feature, which helps users find timely topics people are talking about on the platform.

Other plans include direct messaging and expanded search functionality.

A Threads post from Adam Mosseri sharing platform updates about the ability to bookmark posts on the platform.

Aside from ongoing feature releases, Meta is also working to build Threads into the fediverse. The fediverse is a new type of decentralized social media network infrastructure that will enable people to interact with users on independent but interconnected platforms, like Mastodon for example.

A post from Adam Mosseri sharing updates about Threads connection to the fediverse.

Sprout Social and Threads: Sprout is testing a Meta Threads Publishing API

Meta is testing a Threads API. We’ve been working with the Meta team behind the scenes as one of the first partners to help develop and test the Threads API. As of Mar 1, 2024, all our customers can publish and schedule Threads in Sprout and we’re now beginning to test reply moderation and insights capabilities with Meta.

Even better news? In partnership with Meta, we’re officially pulling back the curtain: our Threads integration is now available in Sprout to all of our customers.

The integration enables you to schedule and publish Threads posts (text, image, carousel and video) alongside the rest of your social content in Sprout.

This means Sprout customers can build impactful social strategies on Threads with the most intuitive content planning and scheduling capabilities.

This means our customers can use features like our patented ViralPost® technology and Sprout Queue to schedule content to post at the times proven to generate engagement from your social audiences. You can also use URL tracking, the asset library, approval workflows and other Sprout features for Threads.

Manage your Threads campaigns seamlessly and evaluate how the platform contributes to your overall social strategy, so you can increase the reach of your content organically and build meaningful and long-lasting connections with your audience.

Since there’s currently no native scheduling feature in Threads, this API is a game changer for brands already using Threads or those ready to join the platform. Test it today with a trial of Sprout, free for 30 days.

Sign up for a free trial

Testing Threads: What we’ve learned since post-launch

We wouldn’t offer any advice we haven’t personally tried for ourselves. That’s why Sprout’s social team spent the last six months experimenting with Threads and exploring how it may impact the overall social media landscape. Here are some takeaways based on what we’ve learned through Sprout Social’s Threads account. Use these tips to lay the foundation for your Threads strategy.

Engagement is the big opportunity (at least for today)

Threads gained a record-breaking user base in just a few days. A near effortless signup experience combined with Meta’s influence in the social media industry made creating a profile an easy choice for brands and individuals alike.

Threads is available via mobile and desktop with a closed API. You can only view profiles and posts on desktop, but posting on the mobile version still feels personal.

A little attention from a brand can go a long way. While we wait for a native Threads analytics tool or API access—whichever comes first—we’re prioritizing quality of engagements over quantity. What we lack in concrete KPIs, we’re making up for in surprise and delight.

A post from Sprout Social on Threads about Elmo going viral and reminders about showing empathy to social teams. The post received a response from the official Instagram for Business Threads account.

However, we understand that senior leadership may not be too keen on dedicating time to a network that lacks the reporting functionality needed to prove its value. If you still believe Threads is the right play for your brand, sell them on the opportunity for 1:1 connections with customers, influencers and fans.

Threads is its own thing

If you haven’t noticed yet, text-based social media is having a moment.

You can’t talk about Threads without talking about X (formerly known as Twitter), BlueSky, Spill or any of the other emerging players in the social media landscape. Naturally, a lot of the conversation veers toward comparison. It seems there can only be one network to rule them all, and people want to know who it’s going to be.

The truth is, the social media landscape is fragmenting. A few networks have turned into many, each with their unique user base and engagement norms. It’s a new era of social media, all about authenticity and community—which will look different across platforms.

A Threads post from Sprout Social announcing the company was named the #1 Best Software Product by G2's 2024 Best Software Awards.

Although Threads has a similar user experience to other text-based social media networks, it has a different vibe. On top of that, the Instagram team has plans to continuously release features that will differentiate Threads from other social media networks.

Let consumers show you what they’re looking for

Every social media network has its original intended use, how people actually end up using it and all the features built to connect the two.

A venn diagram titled “The push and pull between social networks and audiences”. The left side of the venn diagram says, “A social network’s original intended use”. The right side says, “how people actually end up using it”. The center says, “The features built to bridge the gap.”

This push and pull can be seen in many of your favorite social networks. For example, TikTok is most commonly known as a platform for short-form videos, but photo slideshows and text posts are also popular.

Threads may be synonymous with text right now, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t using it to share photos and videos. When it comes to developing your strategy, embrace variety. Share a consistent mix of content types—static images, text, video, etc.—to narrow in on what people are responding to.

Are you thread-y for a new social media network?

Threads is still becoming itself. Right now, conversations on the network feel organic. There’s an intimacy that you can only find in an up-and-coming platform. As Threads continues to expand its daily active users and influence, the atmosphere will undoubtedly change.

Threads is worth considering as a place to experiment with your brand personality. How can your business sound more authentic online? How can you make customer care interactions feel more real? These are the questions you can unravel on Threads today by experimenting.

That said, running a new brand account is no small responsibility. If you’re still on the fence, watch our webinar about the rise and fall of new platforms—our panelists share more learnings about Threads and other emerging social media.

The post Unraveling Meta Threads: What we’ve learned since launch appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Social media demographics to inform your 2024 strategy https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/#comments Wed, 14 Feb 2024 16:27:12 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=69896 Whether it’s at the start of the year or the end of a quarter, your social media strategy needs a constant refresh based on Read more...

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]]> Whether it’s at the start of the year or the end of a quarter, your social media strategy needs a constant refresh based on the latest trends and data. A tactic that works today may no longer be as relevant a year down the line. This makes it crucial for marketers to stay up to date with the latest data points and statistics involving social media. To start with, you’ll need the latest social media demographics to update your strategy for 2024.

With more networks available than ever before, you need to spend your time and budget wisely. Specifically, you should focus on where your customers are.

Check out the latest social media platform demographics so you know where to focus your efforts in 2024.

Social media demographics: the numbers you need to know

Demographic data shows you which social media channels to prioritize in your strategy. It reveals where your target audience is and, in the process, which platforms are best for conducting market research.

Want to know which apps are up-and-coming? Curious about new opportunities to cross-post your content? Worried that a network might be “dying?”

We’ve got you covered.

Below, we give you a platform-wise breakdown of must-know social media demographics for 2024 (and beyond). These numbers come from the latest research and social media statistics available at the time of writing. They highlight the facts about social media that could inform how you approach each platform.

And as a bonus, we’ve also highlighted strategic takeaways for each network to guide your social marketing strategy.

Before we get started, here’s a quick summary of a few key insights.

What is the most used social media platform?

Facebook continues to be the most used social media platform.

What is the most used social media by age?

Below is a breakdown of social media usage by age range:

  • 18-29 years – Snapchat (41%), TikTok (35%), Instagram (32%)
  • 30-39 years – LinkedIn (34%), X/Twitter (34%), Snapchat (33%), Instagram (32%)
  • 40-49 years – LinkedIn (25%), Facebook (22%), X/Twitter (21%)
  • 50-59 years – Facebook (29%), LinkedIn (24%), Pinterest (24%)
Statista chart showing the percentage distribution of different age ranges for leading social media networks.

Source: Statistia

What age range is the most active demographic on social media?

Millennials are the most active demographic on social media, with 68.8% of them estimated using social in 2024. In terms of daily time spent on social media, Gen Z tops the list with 35% using it more than two hours a day.

McKinsey chart showing the generation-wise distribution of time spent on social media daily

Source: McKinsey

What social media does Gen Z use the most?

YouTube is the most used social media among Gen Z.

Facebook demographics and usage

Takeaways from Facebook demographics for 2024

  • Facebook remains the most popular social media platform among consumers and marketers. For the first time, it hit the 3 billion monthly active users, making it the first social media platform to do so.
  • Time spent on Facebook sees a slight increase from the previous year’s 30 minutes per day. However, a 9-second increase isn’t enough to suggest that people are spending significantly more time on Facebook daily.
  • Similar to the previous years, younger users continue to flock to TikTok and Snapchat. The platform’s usage among 13-17-year-olds stands at a sordid 4.8%, suggesting that it’s not the best place to target a younger audience.
Statista chart showing the demographics breakdown of Facebook users by age and gender.

Source: Statista

Learn more about other vital Facebook statistics to prepare your 2024 strategy.

Instagram demographics and usage

Takeaways from Instagram demographics for 2024

  • The platform’s growth remains steady in spite of a slowdown in recent years.
  • As far as social media age demographics go, Instagram maintains a firm hold on both Gen Z and millennials. These groups make up roughly two-thirds of their base.
  • Time spent on the platform increased from the previous year’s 30.1 minutes. A 2-minute increase indicates that people are spending more time engaging with Instagram content.

Learn more about other vital Instagram statistics to prepare your 2024 strategy.

TikTok demographics and usage

Takeaways from TikTok demographics for 2024

  • TikTok hasn’t surpassed Facebook and Instagram in number of monthly active users. But its growing popularity and increased usage could soon change that.
  • Gen Z is driving this growth in popularity, with 78% of US Gen Z using it in 2023.
  • Not only is TikTok’s user base booming but also its daily activity. TikTok boasts the highest average time spent per day of any network. Daily time spent on the platform grew by almost 10 minutes compared to the previous year’s 45.8 minutes.
chart showing the average time spent per day by U.S adult users on various social networks

Source: Insider Intelligence

  • The fact that the platform’s gender demographics are leveling out is also notable. In fact, there are now more male users than female, but only with a slight difference. Last year, the split was 54% female and 46% male. This signals TikTok’s status as a staple social app among the population at large.

Learn more about other vital TikTok statistics to prepare your 2024 strategy.

X (formerly Twitter) demographics and usage

Takeaways from X demographics for 2024

  • After rebranding to X, the platform saw a 13% decline in daily active users during the first year.
  • Some reports note a spike in activity while others note a migration away from the app. eMarketer predicts that X’s user base will drop to 335.7 million in 2024.
  • In spite of this, people are still spending much more time on X than on Facebook and Instagram.
  • There’s a slight increase in the number of female users (from the previous year’s 34.1%). That said, X is still one of those platforms with an overwhelmingly large male user base.

Learn more about other vital Twitter statistics to prepare your 2024 strategy.

YouTube demographics and usage

Takeaways from YouTube demographics for 2024

  • YouTube’s popularity has grown among Gen Z users, particularly in the United States. It’s now the most frequented online platform among U.S. Gen Z adults.
  • Gender distribution on the platform started to level out in the previous year with 51.4% female and 48.6% male users. This has completely flipped in 2024. Now there are more male users than female users on the platform.
  • People are also spending over 3 minutes more on the platform per day, highlighting the growing adoption of video content.
  • Still, most users claim to use YouTube for entertainment rather than to find brands and products. Brands still have a lot of work to do on the platform, finding a balance between entertainment and advertising.

Learn more about other vital YouTube statistics to prepare your 2024 strategy.

LinkedIn demographics and usage

Takeaways from LinkedIn demographics for 2024

  • Conventional wisdom might say that LinkedIn exclusively caters to an older audience. However, Millennials dominate the platform.
  • Moreover, LinkedIn adoption among the Gen Z population is growing too as they start to enter the workforce. Comscore reports a 53% increase in the platform’s reach within the 18-24 age group. This makes it the second fastest-growing platform among Gen Z, following the relatively new BeReal.
  • 53% of LinkedIn users come from highly monthly income households. This makes the platform a potential goldmine for ads.
  • Daily usage has grown significantly over the past four years. Only 22% of users were accessing the platform daily in 2020. This highlights an increase in highly engaged users on the platform, making it ideal for B2B content marketing.

Learn more about other vital LinkedIn statistics to prepare your 2024 strategy.

Pinterest demographics and usage

Takeaways from Pinterest demographics for 2024

  • Pinterest has seen a steady growth over time. After a slight dip in 2022, the number of monthly active users has picked back up in 2023.
Bar chart showing the change in daily active users for pinterest from 2016 to 2023

Source: Statista

  • Although there’s been an uptick in the number of male users, the platform’s user base is still overwhelmingly female.
  • People may not be spending as much time on Pinterest as on other platforms. But that doesn’t mean you should write it off. The platform promotes discovery, with 80% of weekly Pinners having discovered a new brand or product on Pinterest.

Learn more about other vital Pinterest statistics to prepare your 2024 strategy.

Snapchat demographics and usage

Takeaways from Snapchat demographics for 2024

  • Snapchat may not be the most talked-about network anecdotally. But the platform continues to see steady growth indicating that it’s not going anywhere.
  • Snapchat is still huge with the younger crowd. In fact, it has the highest number of Gen Z users among leading social media platforms putting it ahead of Instagram and TikTok. Statista predicts that Snapchat will have 49.6 million Gen Z users in 2024.
Line graph comparing user count for leading social networks from 2020-2025.

Source: Statista

  • Even if you aren’t active on Snapchat, it’s a prime place for trendspotting and learning what younger consumers want.

Are social media demographics part of your strategy?

The above demographics of social media platforms come from generalized data across billions of users. As such, it serves as a starting point for brands looking to prioritize their social platforms.

We recommend looking into the demographic data from your own social presence to see how it compares to the averages above.

As you gear up for a successful 2024, make sure to use our free social media templates to organize your efforts.

The post Social media demographics to inform your 2024 strategy appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/feed/ 15 Always up-to-date guide to social media image sizes https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-image-sizes-guide/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-image-sizes-guide/#comments Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:43:00 +0000 http://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=60583 Last Updated: January 29, 2024 Whether it’s a brand promotion, video, news update or even a meme, visual content rules the social media landscape. Read more...

The post Always up-to-date guide to social media image sizes appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Last Updated: January 29, 2024

Whether it’s a brand promotion, video, news update or even a meme, visual content rules the social media landscape. What has become so important is effectively conveying your brand on social media through images and video.

The visual face of your brand is oftentimes the first thing your audience sees and possibly the one thing they remember. It’s difficult to reuse the same image across all social networks unless you have a free social media image resizing tool like Landscape.

landscape animation gif

Sprout Social’s very own tool is free to use to resize, crop and scale social media image sizes. And along with our resizing tool, we’ve provided all the specific dimensions and a few quick tips to help you decide which image best fits each position.

Before we get into it, here are some additional resources:

Easily manage multimedia content with Sprout

Sprout’s Asset Library simplifies publishing and asset management by providing you with a centralized location to store images, videos and text.

Quickly create, organize, edit and publish assets directly from the Asset Library to deliver on-brand, visually engaging posts for any connected social network.

Start Your Free Trial

Social Media Image Sizes Per Network

These links will make it easier for you to navigate to the specific social media image sizes per network:

Facebook Image Sizes

With 2.96 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the world’s largest social network. For that reason alone, it’s important to have attractive and engaging images that are optimized for the platform.

Remember that different devices, whether it’s mobile or desktop, render differently. Make sure that you are choosing dimensions based on where you want the majority of viewers to see your image.

Learn more about Facebook image sizes

Get specs and tips for implementing the best visual content on Facebook with these guides:

Facebook Profile Picture

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook Profile image.

Say cheese: your profile picture represents you or your brand on Facebook. This is the round photo that appears on your timeline layered over your cover photo. Your profile picture will also appear when you post to other walls, comment on posts or when your profile is searched.

Facebook profile picture image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 320×320 pixels
  • Minimum file size: 180×60 pixels
  • Displays:
    • 176×176 pixels (desktop)
    • 196×196 pixels (smartphones)
    • 36×36 pixels (most feature phones)
  • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG
  • Profile pictures are cropped to a circle

Facebook Business Page Profile Picture

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook Business Profile image.

Facebook changed its Profile image for Business Pages to appear to the left side of the screen. The new look helps Facebook Business Pages follow a similar appearance as personal accounts. However, the dimensions are the same, but the photo appears on the page slightly different.

Facebook Business Page profile image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 320×320 pixels
  • Minimum file size: 180×60 pixels
  • Displays:
    • 176×176 pixels (desktop)
    • 196×196 pixels (smartphones)
    • 36×36 pixels (most feature phones)
    • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG
  • Profile pictures are cropped to a circle

Facebook Profile and Business Page Cover Photo

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook Business or Regular Profile cover image.

Your Facebook cover photo will only appear on your Facebook timeline, and it stretches across the entire screen, which gives you more freedom to choose something creative or supplement your profile picture. Where your profile picture might be a good choice for a picture of you or a brand logo, use this space to post something that speaks more toward you as an individual or as a brand.

Facebook profile and Business Page cover photo image guidelines

  • Ratio: 16:9
  • Minimum required size: 400×150 pixels
  • Recommended image size: 851×315 pixels
  • Mobile display size: 640×260 pixels
  • Max file size: 100kb
  • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG
  • Notes:
    • The left side of your cover photo will be covered by your profile picture. On mobile, it could be 75% of your profile picture will overlap into the cover photo.
    • Images with a logo or text may be best as a PNG file
    • Business Page dimensions are exactly the same as personal accounts.

Facebook Shared Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook shared image.

A shared image is one of the most common forms of sharing on Facebook. These images will always appear on your timeline, and ideally they will show up in most of your followers’ News Feeds — though with the Facebook algorithm determining which content will be served, it’s unlikely that everyone will see your post. The more people engage with your post, the more likely it is that the rest of your followers and their followers will see that activity.

Facebook shared image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1080×1350 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 8MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG, GIF
  • Appears in feed at a max width of 470 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1)
  • Appears on page at a max width of 504 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1)

Facebook Shared Link

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook shared link image.

Another great tool in your Facebook belt is the ability to share a link. It’s very similar to posting a shared image, but it gives you even more fields to work with. You can choose to create a shared link with a small square image to the left and text on the right, or with a larger rectangular image on top with text underneath.

Facebook shared link image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1080×1350 pixels
  • Displays:
    • 479×246 pixels (desktop)
    • 320 pixel width (mobile)
  • Minimum size: 200×200 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 8MB
  • Facebook will scale photos under the minimum dimensions. For better results, increase image resolution at the same scale as the minimum size.

Facebook Event Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook event image.

Facebook Events help capture the attention of users and cut through the noise on Facebook. Reminders are sent to your audience and having a good space with an even better image is important. Make sure you have the right dimensions down for a Facebook Event cover photo.

Facebook Event image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1920×1005
  • Facebook will scale down to minimum dimensions: 400×150 pixels
  • Facebook recommends for best results, choose photos that are 400×150 pixels.

Facebook Fundraiser image

Illustration showcasing the location of a Facebook fundraiser image.

Facebook has added the ability to create a fundraiser for charitable organizations or personal causes. The cover photo for these fundraisers slightly varies from a typical Facebook cover photo, with a minimum size of 400×150. The best experience across many display types will come from a higher resolution image, though.

Looking for Facebook ad sizes?

Facebook ad formatting can be even more complex than organic posts, so for more guidelines, check out our complete guide to every Facebook ad size!

Find more information on the image sizes for Facebook, visit the Facebook Help Center.

Twitter Image Sizes

With 436 million monthly active users, Twitter is one of the social media networks that your customers will most often use to discuss your brand.

X (fka Twitter) Profile Photo

Illustration showcasing the location of a X (Twitter) profile image.

Your X profile photo is the main image that represents you or your brand across the network. It’s going to be seen across the site in a number of places by a number of people so make sure it’s of the highest quality. Here’s the places your profile photo will be visible on the site.

  • On your page: The largest display of your profile picture is on your homepage and can be viewed by your followers as well as individuals who stumble upon your page.
  • In-stream: A smaller version of your profile picture appears in a follower’s X stream every time you Post or are Reposted.
  • Who to follow: Your profile picture is also going to appear next to a link to your page in the “Who to follow” box. This is located directly to the right of your X stream on desktop. Choose a recognizable image here.

X (fka Twitter) profile photo image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 400×400 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 5MB
  • Image types include: JPG, GIF or PNG

X (fka Twitter) Header Photo

Illustration showcasing the location of a X (Twitter) header image.

Your header photo is the image that spans the top of your X profile page. It’s quite a bit larger than your profile photo so make sure to save it at the highest resolution possible. Because you have more room to be creative with this picture and it will likely be the first thing your visitors see, make it something captivating.

X (fka Twitter) header image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1500×500 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 5MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG, GIF or PNG

X (fka Twitter) In-Stream Photos and Shared Links

Illustration showcasing the location of a X (Twitter) shared image or link image.

X users can attach photos to any of their Posts. Depending on whether you’re attaching one or many photos or sharing a link, the way photos crop and display in stream will vary slightly.

Fortunately, in 2021, X made waves with #TwitterCropIsGone, eliminating the sometimes-unfavorable automated cropping for vertical images that had often become the subject of memes and in-jokes among users of the platform. Extremely wide or tall images with unusual dimensions may still get cropped, but for most images in standard 4:3 or 16:9 dimensions, you won’t have to worry as much about centering subjects around automated cropping.

The following are some best practices to get an optimal result, and you can also preview the end result in Sprout’s Compose window before you publish.

Recommended sizes for images by types of Posts:

  • Recommended image sizes:
    • Minimum: 600×335 pixels
    • Landscape: 1024×512 pixels (minimum) and 1600×900 pixels (recommended)
    • Square: 1080×1080 pixels
    • Portrait: 1080×1350 pixels
  • Recommended aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Maximum file size:
    • 5 MB for JPG, PNG on mobile and desktop
    • 5 MB for GIFs on mobile
    • 15 MB for GIFs on desktop
  • Maximum number of images per post: 4 images

Find more information on in-stream photos at the X Help Center.

Instagram Image Sizes

Instagram is one of the most popular photo-sharing social networks. It’s the best place to showcase your visual creativity, even down to making a compelling grid out of the way your photos’ thumbnails display in sequence.

Instagram Profile Picture

Illustration showcasing the location of an Instagram profile image.

Instagram is based on visuals, which should be an indication of how important it is to follow these image size guidelines. Ensure your profile image is recognizable so users can find you even easier through search or explore.

Instagram profile picture image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 110×110 pixels
  • Recommended aspect ratio: 1:1, 4:5

Instagram Photo Size (Feed & Ad)

Illustration showcasing the location of an Instagram post image.

Because Instagram is all about sharing visual content – both images and videos – that appear in your followers’ feeds, it’s important to use higher resolution photos. Whether you’re posting natively in the app, via desktop or through a social media management tool, these guidelines below will help you put your best foot forward.

Instagram photo size (feed & ad) image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1080×1080 pixels or 1080×1350 pixels
  • Recommended minimum width: 1080 pixels
    • Images with a width between 320 and 1080 pixels will be kept at the original resolution as long as it fits the recommended aspect ratio listed below
    • If images are a lower resolution, Instagram will enlarge to a width of 320 pixels
    • If images are a higher resolution, Instagram will shrink it to a width of 1080 pixels
  • Recommended aspect ratio: 1.91:1 or 4:5
    • Images will be cropped to fit a supported ratio
  • Maximum file size: 8MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG and PNG
  • Maximum number of images per post: 10 images

Instagram Photo Thumbnails

When someone goes to your page, they’ll be presented with all of your content arranged in rows of thumbnails. These smaller renditions of your images and videos will expand when clicked and include a place for people to comment.

Instagram photo thumbnails image guidelines

  • Thumbnails will appear at 161×161 pixels
  • Recommended image width: 1080 pixel
  • Feed aspect ratio: 1:1

Instagram Stories

Illustration showcasing the location of an Instagram Story image.

Instagram Stories are a popular source of visuals on the app. There are both video and image options available to publish. And while this feature was originally meant to be ephemeral, it’s possible to upload your own content and build a strategy around Stories engagement.

Instagram Story image guidelines

  • Recommended resolution: 1080×1920
  • Minimum resolution: 150×150
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
    • Aspect ratio for Instagram Story images published through Sprout: 4:5 to 1.91:1

For those looking for more info on Instagram ad sizes, including video specs, check out this guide!

TikTok Image Sizes

With 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has grown considerably over the last few years. With nearly half its users under the age of 30, TikTok is becoming the social platform for younger target audiences.

TikTok Profile Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a TikTok profile image.

All TikTok users have the option to upload a profile image to their accounts. This is the perfect opportunity for businesses to showcase their personalities through branding or to highlight a specific campaign.

TikTok profile image guidelines

  • Minimum image size: 200×200 pixels
  • Recommended file type: JPG, GIF or PNG

Looking for more TikTok specs? Our Always-Up-To-Date Video Specs guide can answer those questions.

LinkedIn Image Sizes

With 467 million registered users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. Where other social networks may be good drivers of traffic and customers, LinkedIn is a great place for you to source great employees and to connect with other industry leaders.

LinkedIn Personal Profile Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn profile image.

LinkedIn started using a new layout for personal profiles and kept the box logo with company pages (more on that below). However, the personal profile dimensions for LinkedIn is very straightforward. This is the main image that represents you on your personal profile. So anytime someone takes a look at your profile for some quick info, this is the prominent image that represents you. It’s important to get the size right.

LinkedIn personal profile image guidelines

  • Minimum image size: 268×268 pixels
  • Recommended image size: 400×400 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 3MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Cover Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn cover image.

LinkedIn’s background image is a newer feature for your personal profile. It’s a little bit trickier to find something that really fits that space well, but if you get it right, your profile will look great.

LinkedIn cover image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1128×191 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 3MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Company Logo Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn company logo image.

One of the two brand logos that you should be uploading to LinkedIn is the standard company logo. This is the bigger of the two and is going to show up right next to your brand name on your LinkedIn homepage. This image also appears in the “Companies you may want to follow” section. The more enticing the photo, the more likely you’ll gain followers.

LinkedIn Company logo image guidelines

  • Minimum image size: 268×268 pixels
  • Recommended image size: 400×400 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 3MB
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Company Cover Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn cover image.

Unlike the personal background image, the company or standard business background image covers the entire top of the page. The image appears much larger than the personal dimensions, giving businesses a bit more space.

LinkedIn Company cover image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 1128×191 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 3MB natively
  • Maximum file size: 5MB via Sprout
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Shared Image or Link

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn shared image.

This size works for LinkedIn posts that share a photo or a link with an image to a blog post or article to your company page’s feed.

LinkedIn shared image or link image guidelines

  • Recommended image size for links: 1200×627 pixels, based on mobile scaling
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG

LinkedIn Life Tab – Main Image & Company Photos

Illustration showcasing the location of a LinkedIn life tab image.

The Life tab on LinkedIn company pages lets you provide a more in-depth look at the day to day experience of your company’s employees. Currently, the two types of images you can upload here are the main image, which serves as a hero and highlight to your page, and the horizontal scrolling gallery of other company photos beneath.

LinkedIn Life tab image guidelines

  • Recommended size for main image: 1128×376
  • Recommended size for company photos: 900×600
  • Recommended file type: JPG or PNG
  • The Life tab only appears on the mobile app, and not the mobile web version of LinkedIn, so exact display sizes will vary by device. Upload the recommended size for the best experience.

Find more information in the LinkedIn Help Center.

Pinterest Image Sizes

Pinterest Profile Picture

Illustration showcasing the location of a Pinterest profile image.

When setting up your Pinterest account you have the option to do so using Facebook, Google or email. If you choose Facebook or Google, Pinterest will pull in the profile image that you have set there.

If you’re using email, or would prefer to use a different photo, you can do that too: just upload a square photograph (the larger the better) and Pinterest will resize it to fit. Like other social sites your profile picture on Pinterest should be something closely tied to you or your brand.

Pinterest profile picture image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 165×165 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 10MB
  • Recommended image type: JPG and PNG

Pinterest Pin Sizes

Illustration showcasing the location of a Pinterest Pin image.

When adding a pin to your board, it’s important to remember that Pinterest puts a limit on the width of the image but not the length. This gives you the opportunity to add a photo that’s square or one that will scale to be even taller. Just remember to make sure you’re creating large images because they add more value, not just because you can.

Pinterest Pin sizes image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 735×1102 pixels
  • Recommended ratio: 2:3
  • Recommended file size: 20MB max, but only 10 MB when publishing via Sprout
  • Recommended file type: JPG, PNG, GIF
  • Note: Larger are resized to display at a width of 238 pixels with scaled height in feeds.

Text Guidelines

  • Title character count: 100 characters max
  • Textbox character count: 250 characters max

Pinterest Board Display

Illustration showcasing the location of a Pinterest Board grid image.

Creating boards is one of the most important things that you can do on Pinterest. Not only is it important to choose a photo that is enticing to your audience, it’s important to choose one that’s relevant to that particular board.

Pinterest Board display image guidelines

  • Final display: 222×150 pixels (large thumbnail)
  • Final display: 55×55 pixels (smaller thumbnail)

Find more information in the Pinterest Help Center.

YouTube Image Sizes

YouTube has more than 2.5 billion unique users every month and is available on hundreds of millions of devices. Millions of brands have already realized that YouTube is a great opportunity to reach their fan-base.

YouTube Channel Profile Image

Illustration showcasing the location of a YouTube profile image.

YouTube allows you to select different profile image borders, but the dimensions stay the same. Ensure your YouTube has a profile image set up before you select your border.

YouTube Channel profile image guidelines

  • Recommended image size: 800×800 pixels
  • Minimum image size: 98×98 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 4MB
  • Recommended image files: PNG or GIF (no animations)

YouTube Channel Cover Photo

Illustration showcasing the location of a YouTube cover image.

Spice up your YouTube channel with some “channel art.” When users click through your YouTube videos to your channel, some appealing images could entice them to stay on your page longer and watch more of your videos.

YouTube Channel cover photo image guidelines

  • Recommended file size: 2560×1440 pixels
  • Minimum file size: 2048×1152 pixels
  • Safe area for mobile and web (without text and logo cropping): 1546×423 pixels
  • Maximum file size: 6MB
  • Recommended image files: PNG or GIF

Across Different Devices

There are a lot of different platforms and devices that users can stream YouTube on so it’s important that you review your creative across devices and confirm that the most important parts of your image, such as text or logos, are displaying legibly in the “safe zone” noted above.

Find more information in the YouTube Help Center.

YouTube Video Uploads

Uploading your content to YouTube is the one of the most important parts of establishing your presence on the site. Videos can tell viewers something about you as a person, or it could show off something that your business might offer.

YouTube video guidelines

  • Videos must maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio. Smaller videos such as 4:3 will be pillarboxed to fit.
  • YouTube Shorts must maintain a 9:16 aspect ratio and 1920×1080 pixels.

For more on the specifics of YouTube video optimization, or to size video on any other social network, check out our complete guide to social media video specs.

Google My Business Image Sizes

Google My Business has become an essential platform for businesses with local, brick-and-mortar presences to gain visibility and conduct their review management strategy.

Types of Images for Google My Business

  • Logo: Your recognizable logo image. May not be available for all types of businesses–see Google guidelines for more detail.
  • Cover photo: A photo of your business that will typically be the first one shown. Choose a photo that gives the best overall representation of your place of business for this photo.
  • Business photo: You can use your other business photos to highlight different elements of your business or offices and help show off what local visiting customers should look for when they stop by.

For all three types of images, Google’s official guidelines recommend the below specs for the best appearance on the platform.

Google My Business image guidelines

  • Recommended resolution: 720×720 pixels
  • Minimum resolution: 250×250 pixels
  • File size maximum: 5 MB
  • Image file type: JPG or PNG

The post Always up-to-date guide to social media image sizes appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-image-sizes-guide/feed/ 70 How social media network fragmentation will impact your 2024 strategy https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-fragmentation/ Mon, 29 Jan 2024 15:00:06 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=181821 Social media networks, and the way users interact with them, evolve quickly. In the past few years, users traded glossy, retouched photos for lo-fi Read more...

The post How social media network fragmentation will impact your 2024 strategy appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Social media networks, and the way users interact with them, evolve quickly. In the past few years, users traded glossy, retouched photos for lo-fi videos and photo dumps. They simultaneously hopped on blink-and-you’ll-miss them trends, while championing authenticity. In 2023, we saw new platforms enter the scene and shake ups in platform preferences that changed the face of the industry, while other tried and true networks held consumer attention.

This year, plan for more changing audience preferences and deeper social media fragmentation. Just because a network was the foundation of your strategy in the past, doesn’t mean you won’t need a new cornerstone moving forward. Especially as powerhouse networks become increasingly oversaturated.

When charting a path forward, social media teams must orient their strategy around network white space, following the lead of influencers and creators breaking through on new channels. The dynamic industry landscape demands social media teams adapt fast, remain hyper vigilant to unpredictable user preferences and make room for experimentation.

Every pot has a lid

Today’s social media ecosystem is made up of many networks with unique algorithms, content formats and audiences. Consumers use all of them to meet their needs for connection and consumption.

A comparative bar chart with the headline, "Platforms consumers are most likely to post content vs. view content." The chart compares consumer self-reported viewing and posting rates on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and X.

According to a Sprout Social Q4 2023 Pulse Survey, short-form videos are what people want to see most on social, so it’s no surprise that platforms like TikTok and Instagram have seen such fast and steady growth. However, users are also still largely turning to social media to connect with family and friends, helping Facebook maintain popularity and user engagement on LinkedIn explode.

People are also using social media to learn about and purchase products. We are seeing platforms like TikTok lean into accessible commerce and thrive. On the flip side, our data shows that X (formerly Twitter) has dropped down the list of preferred platforms. With major changes at the company and new platforms like Threads, users are diversifying their time across platforms while remaining loyal to some legacy networks.

A data call-out that reads: 42% of people who expect to use more social media networks in 2024.

Our Pulse Survey data also reveals 42% of people expect to use more social networks in 2024. Though “go where your audience is” remains a closely held social marketing belief, audiences across demographics are using every network (looking at you Boomers on TikTok). Rather than trying to invest in every platform alongside your competition, now is the time for brands to meet their audience in more intentional ways.

Diversifying your network strategy

You know which networks are considered most relevant to your industry. Many B2B companies build their social marketing strategy around LinkedIn. Retailers go all-in on Instagram and TikTok. But if you and your competitors are all vying for consumer attention in the same place, you make it harder to secure a following, engagements and conversions.

Plus, you’re leaving opportunities on the table to connect with your audience. Instead of only joining the masses, learn more about how your audience uses other networks, and create space in your strategy and on your team for experimentation. Ask yourself: Where is your audience most likely to participate in a trend or engage with content? When do they feel most compelled to make a purchase? Which is their preferred channel for customer care?

Determine how each platform’s unique culture informs their behavior. You should also look for the niche between your product and specific subcommunities that exist, like those seen on vertical networks.

For example, when L.L.Bean took a break from traditional social channels (like Facebook and Instagram), they were able to build and maintain their community on Strava. While the outdoor retailer and some members of their audience unplugged from core social networks, the brand knew their audience would still gamify their time spent outside. To supplement their audience’s habit of tracking exercise, they created the “L.L.Bean Feel Good Challenge” on the physical exercise tracker-turned-subcommunity to foster community engagement “offline.”

Even if it means divesting from certain platforms, you will make a greater impact by doubling down on a smaller number of networks and diversifying which networks you invest in.

Go where your competition isn’t

To be clear, I don’t recommend completely nixing popular platforms and transitioning to an entirely decentralized social strategy (in most cases). Your audience has a seemingly bottomless appetite for content across networks—from legacy networks associated with your industry to emerging platforms—and many brands leave touchpoints untapped. When allocating resources, think beyond the constraints of “best practices” and go where the white space for your brand is.

Stake your claim in the ground by leaning into unexpected platforms and owning your niche there. When you take ownership of a new (or abandoned) network for your industry, you’re most likely to build brand loyalty, increase retention and foster community.

Make 2024 the year of standing out instead of blending in, and become the recognizable brand on social you know you can be. For more actionable tips to breakthrough on emerging networks, read what we learned during our month-long experiment on Threads.

The post How social media network fragmentation will impact your 2024 strategy appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> 15 social media monitoring tools you need in 2024 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-monitoring-tools/ Wed, 27 Dec 2023 18:55:02 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=162679/ Tracking social media engagement across a bunch of different networks can be tricky. But those likes, comments and shares are invaluable to your brand. Read more...

The post 15 social media monitoring tools you need in 2024 appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Tracking social media engagement across a bunch of different networks can be tricky. But those likes, comments and shares are invaluable to your brand.

According to The 2023 State of Social Media Report, 91% of business leaders agree that their company’s success will depend on how effectively it can use social data and insights to inform business strategy.

Putting your social interactions into context can uncover new opportunities to grow and expand. Social media monitoring tools can help you do just that.

Below, we’ve broken down some of the best social media monitoring tools out there. We’ve also included tips to help you craft a successful social media monitoring strategy.

Table of contents:

What is social media monitoring?

Social media monitoring is the process of tracking and reacting to social engagements. These engagements include @mentions, comments, #hashtags and keywords related to your brand.

Despite the name, “monitoring” is not a passive activity. Brands should track everything from shout-outs and reviews to questions and complaints. More importantly, brands must react to all of the above. This is the distinction between social monitoring and listening.

Social media monitoring involves much more than just direct mentions and branded keywords, too. For example, a competitor call-out presents an opportunity for your brand to intervene. The same rings true for people asking for product recommendations.

The problem? These types of conversations don’t typically pop up in your notifications. This is especially true if you’re active on multiple networks. That’s why brands use social media monitoring tools to supplement their native data.

4 benefits of social media monitoring

Using data to fuel your campaigns is always a smart move. But what kind of data does social monitoring help you get? How can you use it to grow your business?

Here are some specific benefits of social media monitoring for your brand:

Maximize the ROI of your social media campaigns

Social media monitoring helps you gather valuable data to inform your future campaigns.

For example, by understanding what resonates with your audience, you can craft more engaging posts that boost brand visibility and sales—directly impacting your social media ROI.

Also, you can use this data to run more targeted ads and choose the right influencers to work with. This ensures your content reaches people who are genuinely interested in your products or services— giving you more bang for your buck.

Get insight into your industry and competitors

Social media monitoring is more than just tracking brand mentions—it’s about keeping an eye on emerging trends, industry news and what the other players are doing.

This helps you make proactive decisions like creating viral content, adopting new strategies or tools and even developing product features that give you a competitive edge.

Competitive intelligence also helps you set realistic benchmarks for your brand’s performance. What’s the engagement like for the top players in your industry? How efficient is their customer service? How frequently do they post and which channels do they use the most?

Reputation management

Social media is a great place to manage your reputation.

In fact, according to State of Social Media Report, 9 out of 10 business leaders agree that social media insights help them proactively manage crises and create effective PR strategies.

For example, you can catch negative comments or reviews about your business early on and prevent issues from escalating.

Plus, with regular customer sentiment analysis, you’re always up-to-date on how customers feel about your brand. If there are any unexpected drops, you can go back to the drawing board and take swift action to get your brand’s social media reputation back on track.

Social media monitoring also helps you deliver exceptional customer service. Research shows 69% of customers expect brands to respond within 24 hours on social. By promptly addressing queries, comments and messages, you can improve public perception of your brand.

Monitor your brand mentions on social media

Want to gauge your brand’s actual popularity? Start listening. What are customers saying about your products? Which influencers are using your hashtags? Do you have any haters spreading negative vibes about your brand?

Monitoring your brand mentions can answer all of these questions. Better yet, it can reveal valuable insights about customer sentiment, product strengths and weaknesses, competitive opportunities and even user-generated content.

15 social media monitoring tools to use

Social media monitoring tools let you track your brand’s meaningful engagements wherever and whenever they happen.

There’s no shortage of monitoring tools out there. The following list can help you hone in on a tool that makes sense for your brand based on your needs.

1. Sprout Social

Sprout Social gives you everything not only to track important interactions but also to act on them.

For starters, our platform keeps track of mentions, comments and keywords across multiple networks including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

The ability to condense all of your interactions into one platform is a massive time-saver. Doing so ensures that you don’t miss any noteworthy mentions or let customer service concerns go unanswered.

For example, Sprout’s Smart Inbox provides a real-time, up-to-date list of all of your social interactions. This includes communications between leads, followers and customers.

Screenshot of the Sprout Social Smart Inbox.

With a collaborative inbox, you and your team can reply to mentions and call-outs without leaving the platform. These features speed up response times and allow your team to offer a consistent experience to your customers.

Beyond monitoring, Sprout’s s suite of social listening tools is equally powerful. You can track specific queries using boolean operators to zero in on conversations that matter most. We make it easier to detect call-outs and shout-outs as they happen.

Screenshot of the Sprout Social listening topic builder.

And with Sprout’s social analytics, you can report on all of the above to track the progress of your social presence.

Screenshot of the Sprout Social cross-network analytics dashboard.

Keep track of metrics including average response times and engagement volume to ensure that you’re consistently growing and improving. Consider that the best social media monitoring tools work across multiple platforms and encourage growth wherever your team is active. That’s exactly what Sprout does.

2. Agorapulse

Agorapulse’s platform lives up to its namesake with features to help brands keep a better pulse on their social mentions.

The platform’s monitoring and listening features are designed to help brands focus on “what counts.” With countless notifications and mentions for busy brands to sift through, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

To combat comment overload, Agorapulse allows users to set parameters to filter specific phrases and platforms out of their monitoring feeds. The platform also makes it a cinch to label and organize notable customer conversations and competitor activity. This activity includes negative competitor mentions and opportunities for your brand to intervene.

Animated GIF of Agorapulse's social mention labels in action.

These features highlight the fast-paced, high-stakes nature of social media monitoring and why tools matter so much.

3. RivalIQ

Perhaps not surprisingly, RivalIQ’s platform focuses on competitive analysis to help brands keep an eye on their business rivals.

Monitoring and benchmarking features allow brands to understand their share of voice and how they’re growing versus their competitors.

The most notable features of RivalIQ are the platform’s variety of real-time alerts. For example, the platform can identify when a competitor has changed their social media bio as soon as it happens. Recent features include the ability to also see when a competitor boosts an organic post as an ad.

Screenshot of RivalIQ's social media monitoring alerts on an Instagram bio.

These alerts can give you a head start on understanding your competitors’ positioning, promotions and campaigns.

4. Mention

Mention is yet another monitoring tool that lives up to its namesake as a powerful @mention tracker.

For brands and agencies alike, the platform claims to monitor over one billion sources for relevant mentions and comments. With so many conversations to sift through, the platform offers plenty of filtering options to help brands “eliminate noise.”

 

Screenshot of Mention's social media monitoring brand alert example.

Likewise, the platform’s alerts can keep brands in the loop. Additional features of the platform include identifying spikes in mention volume. These instances can help brands identify a potential social media crisis or PR opportunity sooner rather than later.

5. Keyhole

Keyhole’s monitoring abilities are primarily focused on helping brands find influencers to work with.

Automated keyword and hashtag searches uncover influencers posting about topics relevant to brands. The platform also uses hashtag analytics to highlight influential accounts, posts and conversations around any given topic.

Screenshot of Keyhole's brand monitoring dashboard.

6. HubSpot

If you’re already using HubSpot as your CRM, consider how the platform can double as your social media monitoring tool of choice.

HubSpot’s features aren’t radically different from most tools on our list. The platform tracks interactions, engagements and content performance.

Screenshot of HubSpot's social monitoring tool.

Coupled with HubSpot’s sales CRM, the tool highlights the correlation between top-performing content and social interactions with sales. For example, you can see if customers interacted with a certain piece of content or a team member via social. This goes hand in hand with understanding your social media ROI and the impact of your social team.

7. Brand24

Brand24’s media monitoring features include sentiment analysis and instant notifications for all of your social mentions. The platform can also detect trending hashtags that relate to your brand.

A notable feature of the platform is its mention feed that detects spikes in activity. The platform’s “summary” feed also makes it easy to track your brand’s PR efforts from week to week.

Screenshot of Brand24's monitoring dashboard.

8. Atribus

Atribus is a consumer intelligence tool with an emphasis on social media monitoring. Helping brands uncover “unmet needs,” the platform digs deep into customer conversations and data.

Screenshot of Atribus's social media monitoring tool.

Specifically, the platform highlights common complaints within any given industry through sentiment analysis. This provides opportunities for competing brands to identify pain points and intervene. Atribus is capable of automatically classifying mentions into complaints versus inquiries, too.

9. Zoho Social

If you’re using Zoho as a CRM, the platform’s complimentary social media monitoring features are incredibly useful.

Beyond the standard monitoring features we’ve talked about, the platform lets you build a custom listening dashboard. From hashtags to specific platforms or media outlets, this gives you a comprehensive understanding of your PR and social presence at a glance.

 

Screenshot of Zoho's social listening feed.

10. Awario

Awario’s monitoring features are also similar to many of the platforms mentioned above.

That said, Awario Leads is a noteworthy addition to the platform’s regular monitoring and listening capabilities.

In short, Awario can identify specific instances of people asking for recommendations for a particular industry. This again shows how monitoring is an active process that can help you win more business.

Screenshot of lead mentions in Awario's dashboard.

11. Cyfe

Cyfe is an analytics platform that lets you create custom dashboards to monitor key social media metrics from one centralized location.

Track followers, engagement, reach, top posts and more on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Cyfe is particularly helpful for observing trends and patterns across your social media KPIs over time.

Screenshot of analytics in Cyfe's dashboard

Using Cyfe’s dashboard also makes reporting a breeze. You can easily present all your social media metrics to team members, clients or managers.

Plus, most metrics are presented in the form of data visualizations like colorful charts. This helps you make sense of the data and understand the overall performance of your brand.

12. Sendible

Sendible is a powerful social media management tool that lets users track analytics, generate reports, and design, schedule and publish content across multiple social media networks without leaving the platform.

You can keep tabs on brand mentions and industry keywords, and even respond to comments on multiple platforms from within Sendible.

Screenshot of mentions in Sendible's dashboard

The tool is built with agencies in mind, so if you’re monitoring the social presence of multiple client accounts, you can create a separate dashboard for each one. They also offer white-label solutions for those looking for customized software aligned with their brand.

13. Brandwatch

Brandwatch is a social media analytics platform known for its advanced social monitoring capabilities, including sentiment analysis and trend tracking.

The tool integrates with all popular apps and networks, and can gather data from millions of sources. It can also perform deep, granular analyses of social conversations and create custom dashboards to help you measure performance.

Brandwatch image

You can also use Brandwatch’s AI smart alerts to take swift action in response to unusual trends, such as spikes or drops in brand mentions.

14. Meltwater

Meltwater provides a holistic approach to brand monitoring—it combines social media, news and blog tracking. In fact, it even uses AI to find brand mentions in podcasts.

The platform lets you search for unlimited keywords and queries, dig into industry trends, scour historical analytics and even generate reports to uncover the meaning behind all that data. You can also leverage sentiment analysis to understand how customers feel about your brand.

Screenshot of analytics in Meltwater's dashboard

Another cool feature Meltwater offers is visual analytics searching to analyze image/video content shared on platforms like Reddit, blogs, forums and news sites.

15. YouScan

YouScan specializes in visual content analysis—it uses AI to scan social media for images and videos that include brand mentions, logos and relevant scenes. This lets you uncover brand-related content that might be missed by traditional text-only social monitoring tools.

Screenshot of mention metrics in YouScan's dashboard

The platform also analyzes sentiment in visual content and puts it into context to help brands better understand how they’re perceived on social media. It’s a valuable tool for brands focused on visual branding and those interested in tapping into user-generated content.

4 tips for social media monitoring

Tracking metrics and mentions on social will only get you so far. The tools above offer plenty of other powerful features to help position your brand for success.

Follow the tips below to make the most of your social media monitoring efforts:

1. Monitor relevant keywords for your brand

Instead of just tracking brand mentions, keep tabs on specific keywords related to your brand and industry. This could include product names, features, popular hashtags, common industry phrases and even competitor names.

Screenshot of how to monitor keywords in Sprout Social

For example, a fitness app might monitor keywords like “workout”, “fitness tips” or “healthy living.” This could help them identify trends in the fitness sphere, such as a rising interest in at-home workouts. They could use that info to create more relevant content and features.

2. Monitor across different channels

Your audience is spread across various social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Reddit and others. And every channel has its unique dynamics.

You need to monitor your online reputation, customer sentiment and key metrics on every platform your audience is active on to create targeted strategies for each one.

For example, you might find engagement is low on Instagram but great on LinkedIn. Digging deeper might reveal you’re just posting at the wrong time on Instagram.

Luckily, most social media monitoring tools let you track insights across multiple channels from one dashboard. Sprout Social, for example, lets you create consolidated reports and get a birds-eye view of your overall social media performance.

Screenshot of group impressions in Sprout Social

3. Monitor customer sentiment

Understanding how people feel about your brand is just as important as knowing what they’re saying. Sentiment analysis involves studying the tone and emotions behind all the comments, reviews and mentions—so you know exactly what customers are thinking.

Customer sentiment can be positive, negative or neutral. Some tools like Sprout Social give you a sentiment score to help you quantify that metric. Use it to adjust your strategy to improve customer satisfaction and overall perception of your brand.

Screenshot of viewing sentiment in Sprout Social

4. Monitor your competitors

Don’t just monitor your own brand. Use these tools to keep an eye on your competitors and their strategies. What kind of content are they posting? Is their brand getting more mentions than yours? What’s the customer sentiment like?

Sprout gives you visual reports to help you monitor your competition and benchmark performance across various channels:

Tracking your competitors’ campaigns, publishing behavior, engagement rates, interactions, response timings and other strategies helps you learn from them, anticipate their moves and capitalize on any gaps in their strategy.

Competitive analysis also helps you differentiate yourself from the crowd. What unique value do you bring to the table? Is there anything that your product offers that theirs is missing? Focus your energy on highlighting those areas in your promotions and campaigns.

Use social media monitoring to build better campaigns

Stepping up your social monitoring should be a top priority regardless of your industry.

The closer you track what people are saying about your brand, the better you can serve your target audience.

Likewise, you can form more meaningful relationships with your followers and customers. That’s because you’re already clued into their wants, needs and pain points.

Doing so means having the right social media monitoring tools at your fingertips. Try a tool like Sprout Social to align your publishing and customer service strategy with your monitoring insights in one place.

The post 15 social media monitoring tools you need in 2024 appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Social media customer service statistics to know in 2024 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-customer-service-statistics/ Wed, 13 Dec 2023 13:00:02 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=156778/ What does it mean to have exceptional customer service? Automated phone systems? Chatbots? Help guides? These ease your customer support teams’ workload, but they Read more...

The post Social media customer service statistics to know in 2024 appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> What does it mean to have exceptional customer service? Automated phone systems? Chatbots? Help guides? These ease your customer support teams’ workload, but they don’t always cater to the needs of your customers—especially if they have a unique or urgent issue.

When they’re facing a problem, customers don’t want to click through a series of irrelevant options or dig through a list of FAQs, only to find none of them address their personalized needs. Tools like chatbots and help centers are helpful for basic knowledge, tips and reminders, but we still need humans to escalate complex support or questions. Today’s consumers want access to a human as soon as possible—and they often go to social media customer service to achieve this.

In The Sprout Social Index™, we found over half (53%) of consumers say their social media usage has been higher over the last two years than the previous two years. Our data also found 76% of consumers notice and appreciate when businesses prioritize customer support.

So brands—now’s the time to build a social customer care strategy (if you don’t already have one). Not sure where to start?

In this piece, we’ll explore what customers are looking for from brands and share leading social media customer care statistics so teams can build stronger relationships in 2024 onward.

Explore other latest social media stats that reflect the changing consumer behavior on social networks.

How do customers use social media for support?

Brands have several options for delivering customer support, but social media is a crowd favorite. But how are customers using social channels to receive support from brands?

“About 70% of my customers reached out to me through social media channels, the other 30% by email,” said Zoila Streich, Co-Founder of Independent Fashion Bloggers and former fashion business owner. “Most questions are about product availability and payment methods, but a few are feedback about the products or the buying process.”

You’ll also find customers using social to report service outages:

A message on X (formerly known as Twitter) from a customer flagging a power outage to Georgia Power. The brand account thanks the user for reporting and asks for a contact number.

Or to point out issues with shipments and deliveries:

A user on X asks UPS for help with a delivery. In their response to the customer, UPS instructs them to contact the brand via direct message with contact details.

It’s disheartening to get negative feedback, but being respectful and helpful to each customer’s request will help in the long run. Our Index data shows over half of consumers say the most memorable brands on social media respond to customers.

Combining a great product with quality service and excellent support sets you up for more positive remarks from customers. For example, a Telfar customer raved about the brand’s fast shipping.

A Telfar customer praises the luxury brand for fast shipping.

Another customer thanked the brand for rectifying an issue through quality customer service:

A Telfar customer thanks the brand for great customer service and rectifying an issue. The Telfar brand account responds with a black heart emoji.

How do customer care professionals use social media for support?

In our Q3 Pulse Survey, we surveyed 336 customer care professionals. Our data shows managing a high volume of requests is the top challenge for organizations, so scaling your social customer service strategy is a must.

While it’s great to have this two-way communication with customers, a customer service-filled feed can distract from other campaigns and promotions your brand is trying to highlight. This is why some brands have dedicated social media accounts solely for customer care.

“Businesses use social media for a variety of purposes, including marketing, engaging with customers, interacting with influencers and more,” said Keenan Beavis, founder of Longhouse Media. “That’s why having a distinct social media account dedicated to customer support inquiries is so important. You don’t want your advertising, likes and shares to bury client demands and questions.”

Make sure to prepare for the ebbs and flows of incoming customer support requests. New product launches or promotions lead to an influx of sales, which means more opportunities for inbound questions.

The volume of customers using our social media customer support fluctuates between 40% to 60%, depending on promotions,” said Yuvi Alpert, Founder, Creative Director and CEO of jewelry brand Noémie. “Because we drive people to our social media profiles through other channels, such as our newsletter, many of the questions we receive come through those platforms.”

Our data shows there are several strategies marketers plan to implement to scale social customer care. The top three include self-service tools/resources like chatbots and forums, social media management tools, and AI based automation.

Data visualization from The Sprout Social Index™ illustrating strategies marketers plan to employ to scale social customer care. Over half (54%) say they will use customer self-service tools and resources like FAQs, forms and chatbots. Other strategies include comprehensive training for team members (35%), artificial intelligence and automation to handle basic inquiries/tasks (47%), and advanced social media management tools to streamline workflows and increase efficiency (50%).

How quickly do brands need to reply to customer service messages on social?

Being present on social media is great. But having a fast response rate sets apart the “best in class” brands from the “I’m unfollowing you because your customer service is horrible” brands.

How fast is fast enough? In many cases, it depends on the industry and the situation.

For instance, Yuvi Alpert previously told us one day is fast enough during promotions. “It is critical that we answer those questions within 24 hours. We found that allowing more time to elapse lowers customer interest. By offering prompt responses, we see dramatic increases in sales of featured items.”

As customers continue to flock to social for their support needs, it takes more effort to maintain speedy response times.

But what is the response time sweet spot according to customers? Our Index data shows 76% of consumers value how quickly a brand can respond to their needs. Nearly 70% expect a response within 24 hours or less.

Data visualization from The Sprout Social Index™ illustrating how quickly consumers expect a response from brands on social in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, nearly 70% expect a response within 24 hours or less. In 2022, 77% of consumers expected a response within 24 hours or less.

At one time, taking a day or more to respond to a customer was acceptable. But now most consumers demand instant access and gratification. That’s why leading brands in social media customer service, like MeUndies, set goals for faster response times. When the underwear brand set a goal of replying to all messages within a 60-minute window, they needed an alternative to responding natively through social platforms.

They turned to Sprout’s Smart Inbox to get an all-encompassing view of their Instagram direct messages, mentions and comments in one stream.

Sprout's Smart Inbox tool, filtered to show Instagram direct messages.

Now, be mindful that a fast response isn’t the primary goal—it’s to resolve customers’ issues. Unfortunately, some brands are quick to reply but slow to resolve. When that happens, unhappy customers will let you (and all their followers) know. Customers want more than timeliness when it comes to quality customer care–they want a solution.

How important is social media customer service to consumers?

Along with timely responses, our Index data reveals 70% of consumers expect a company to provide personalized responses to customer service needs. Our data also found 63% of consumers agree their loyalty to a brand is significantly influenced by the quality of customer service they provide on social media.

With social media customer service statistics like these, there’s only one thing to do: Improve your social media A-game, so you don’t fall into the trenches of negative reviews.

Being consistent with your customer support builds trust and loyalty. Catering to the personalization consumers want can also inspire them to go out of their way to show praises in public (hello, social proof).

For example, as a part of their Telfar Gifted promotion, Telfar shared with participants personalized AI-generated videos featuring designer Telfar Clemens and customers raved about it:

A customer praises Telfar's creativity on social media, referring to the brand's personalized artificial intelligence-generated videos. She mentions she ordered a bag for her mother.

A Telfar customer praising the brand for its personalized AI-generated videos on social, a campaign for the Telfar Gifted sale. The customer says the brand earned a lifelong customer.

Social media has transformed the balance of power between brands and consumers. Only on social can people compare a brand’s support practices to its competitors in less than a few clicks. The public nature of social has influenced many brands to rethink customer care quality and the roster of standard support channels.

But manually responding to every message—especially when you have multiple social media accounts and thousands of customers—is not sustainable.

With a tool like Social Customer Care by Sprout Social, customer care teams can organize and filter incoming messages across platforms, triage responses to Cases and view critical customer information all in one place. And, with our advanced Salesforce Service Cloud integration, Salesforce customers can get a complete customer view infused with social data to further tailor responses with additional context.

Sprout Social's Smart Inbox feature filtered to show messages from X, Facebook and Instagram.

Start your free Sprout trial

Social media customer service statistics by network

Now that we’ve covered consumer behavior and their preferences, let’s cover some insightful social media customer service statistics by network.

Instagram customer service statistics

Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels for customer service. Our 2022 Sprout Social Index found that 35% of U.S. consumers use Instagram for customer service. This makes it the second most popular platform for customer service after Facebook. Instagram also has over one billion active users so it’s very likely your audience is on the platform, which means you’ll need to incorporate it into your social media customer care strategy.

Data visualization from the 2022 Sprout Social Index™ illustrating the platforms US consumers and brands use the most for customer service. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are the most popular platforms.

Facebook customer service statistics

Around 74% of online adults say they feel more connected with a business when they can message the business directly on Messenger, Facebook’s direct messaging platform. Meta also found that another 66% of consumers agree that messaging is their preferred way of communicating to a business.

The takeaway? If your customers are on Facebook, then you should be too.

OLIPOP, a tonic brand, uses Facebook to offer direct customer support. “I’d estimate at least 50% of our customers will message us questions or comment directly on our posts across Facebook and Instagram,” Melanie Bedwell, eCommerce Manager for OLIPOP previously told us. “Ideally, we try to reply instantly, but if that’s not possible, then at least during the same day.”

Here are examples of their engagement with happy customers:

Customer sharing positive feedback on OLIPOP's Facebook page, featuring a response from the brand.
Screenshot of thread on OLIPOP's Facebook page, directing a customer to their store locator tool.

They also use opportunities to promote their in-store options (and their tool to locate one near you).

Threads customer service statistics

Time will reveal what customer care looks like on Threads as an emerging platform, but our Q4 2023 Pulse survey illustrates some interesting stats for brands to consider:

  • 73% of consumers say they haven’t created a Threads account yet, compared to 27% of consumers who have created an account. Of the 27% of consumers who created a Threads account, roughly one-third use it weekly while another third use it daily.
  • The majority (75%) of consumers said they plan to use Threads daily or weekly.
  • While younger generations are more likely to have a Threads account than older generations, usage differs slightly for Millennials and Gen Z. Twice as many Millennials as Gen Z consumers say they use Threads daily. However, twice as many Gen Z consumers compared to Millennials say they have an account but don’t use it.

In other words, the platform is still growing, but this means there’s an opportunity to appeal to the customers who use Threads.

TikTok customer service statistics

Has TikTok ever made you buy something? Welcome to the club.

Our Q4 survey shows TikTok, Facebook and Instagram are the top three platforms consumers expect to use to contact brands during the holiday customer service season. The survey also shows that 56% of Gen Z and 42% of Millennials use newer platforms like TikTok to communicate with brands.

You can incorporate customer care on the platform in the TikTok comments section. Use video comments to respond to questions or implement an escalation protocol to address customer concerns on the platform.

X (formerly known as Twitter) customer service statistics

X is a popular channel people use to compliment or complain about a brand. Here’s a quick list of stats you should know:

  • About 64% of X users even say they’d rather send a message to a dedicated support handle than call a business.
  • Over half (53%) of users find it helpful to see how brands answer questions or solve issues publicly.
  • The most popular reasons for seeking out customer service on this platform include product defectiveness (37%), order issues (29%) and bad in-person experiences (29%), according to our data report, How to Use Twitter to Take Better Care of Your Customers.

Improve customer experiences with social media customer service

Your business profiles on social channels aren’t just about promoting products and services—they’re an essential place where today’s consumers seek out and expect quality customer support.

Ready to build relationships with your customers? Check out our interactive customer service data story to get started.

The post Social media customer service statistics to know in 2024 appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Social media target audience: How to find and engage yours https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-target-audience/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-target-audience/#comments Thu, 07 Dec 2023 14:51:10 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=106926/ Successful social media marketing starts with defining a target audience. Nothing good really comes out of just putting your content out there and hoping Read more...

The post Social media target audience: How to find and engage yours appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Successful social media marketing starts with defining a target audience. Nothing good really comes out of just putting your content out there and hoping for the best. When you have a clear idea of who your audience is, you’ll run more relevant campaigns that resonate.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on what a social media target audience is, and how to find and reach yours.

What is a social media target audience?

In simplest terms, a social media target audience is a group of people on social that’s most likely to be interested in your product or service. And members of this group usually share common traits. A brand can have several target audiences segmented based on shared characteristics.

Let’s look at a few target audience examples to better understand how it works.

Canva, the design tool, has an audience of designers and design enthusiasts, this audience can be further segmented by how they use the tool.

For example, one of Canva’s target audiences is teachers, who may use the tool to create worksheets, infographics or posters.

Another major target audience group for Canva is social media professionals. This group typically uses the tool to create captivating visuals for their brand’s social media and digital campaigns.

What types of social media target audiences are there?

There are several types of traits or characteristics that can tie a group of people together. These shared characteristics help you to segment your audience into highly relevant categories.

Demographics

You can group together your audience based on shared characteristics such as marital status and age. These demographic factors may influence people’s needs and pain points. For example, new parents may have different needs from child-free couples when buying or renting a new house.

Location

It’s also common to segment audiences based on where they’re located. This isn’t just limited to a country or a city but may include more specific location factors like neighborhoods and school zones.

Interest

You can segment your audience based on different interests, including activities and hobbies. This helps you deliver meaningful messages that your audience can relate to. For example, you may create separate messaging to resonate with a gamer audience and an audience that enjoys traveling as a hobby.

See how Coldwell Banker speaks to football fans in the following Instagram post. The real estate company makes a comparison between two cities with a caption that would resonate with people who follow football.

Instagram post from Coldwell Banker showing a comparison between Cincinnati and Baltimore and a caption that reads "Cincinnati and Baltimore have exciting football teams, but which city would you rather move to?"

Image Source: Instagram

Purchase intent

An intention to buy a specific product is another common way to segment your target audience. Someone looking to buy a car may have different priorities than someone who’s shopping for a laptop. As such, you’ll want to tailor your messaging to better address each of their unique needs and priorities.

Subculture

A subculture is a group of people with a shared experience such as a genre of music or an entertainment fandom. Think Whovians or punk rock fans who may each have different motivations for relating to your brand.

Check out how Dick’s Sporting Goods expertly targets the Taylor Swift fandom in the Instagram post below. The comments section alone gives you an idea of how effective subculture-based targeting is.

Instagram post by Dick's Sporting Goods showing Travis Kelce's 87 Jersey with text that reads "In case you're also in your 87 era."

Image Source: Instagram

Existing customers

You may even need to create targeted segments of existing customers. For example, you may have a group of inactive customers you want to reengage. At the same time, you may also have a group of long-term and high-paying customers you want to reward.

Why should you define your social media target audience?

Wondering why you should put so much effort into your target audience definition? Here are some ways you can benefit from marketing to a targeted audience:

  • You can spend your advertising budget more effectively.
  • You know which social media platforms to focus on.
  • You can develop messaging that truly resonates with current and potential customers. This makes it easier to connect with them and earn their loyalty.

Now that you know why you should define your target audience, let’s find out who your target audience is.

Start by taking a closer look at your social media target audience

To understand your target audience on social media, start by taking a closer look at who’s already following you or buying from you. This will help you identify patterns and trends to segment your existing audience into sub-groups.

Here are a few questions that’ll help you with this step:

1.     Who is your current audience?

Monitor who follows you on social media and interacts with your posts. Who likes, shares and comments on your content? Look for common characteristics such as age, location, language and interests.

Then you can use that demographic information to understand the people who make up your existing audience.

2.     What kind of information are they looking for and why?

Knowing the kind of information your followers look for and interact with will help you understand your audience. And you’ll identify their needs and how to approach them on social media.

People will have different reasons why they follow brands on social media. And you’ll have to adapt your social media content strategy accordingly.

According to the 2023 Sprout Social Index™, the top reasons consumers follow brands on social are:

  • To stay informed about new products or services (68%)
  • To have access to exclusive deals or promotions (46%)
  • They find the brand’s content enjoyable and entertaining (45%)
chart comparing consumers' primary reasons for following a brand on social

3.     Where do they go for this information?

Which social media platforms does your target audience frequent the most? The answer to that question will help you know where to focus your marketing efforts.

For instance, launching an X (formally known as Twitter) campaign doesn’t make sense if your target demographic mostly uses Instagram. Understanding what your target audience wants and on which platform will define your content strategy.

4.     What are they talking about?

Make use of social listening to analyze social media conversations that your audience is participating in. This step will help you understand their biggest pain points and desires.

What are their likes and dislikes? What challenges do they have and what solutions are they looking for? What are they saying about your brand or products?

Sprout Social makes distilling online conversations easy with its social media listening tool. This tool tracks conversations around your brand and identifies trending topics. These insights then help you discover your target audience’s interests, preferences and pain points.

Sprout Social Listening Performance Topic Summary dashboard showing data on conversation volume changes and other metrics for Sprout Coffee

5.     Who do they trust?

Having a good idea of who your audience trusts can inform different aspects of your marketing strategy. For instance, knowing their favorite influencers will help you develop relevant influencer partnerships.

Look into your target demographic’s social habits: Which brands do they engage with? Are there any common influencers they seem to love? What is their go-to content source? Do they read online reviews or ask other consumers for opinions to make their purchase decisions?

These insights can inform how to strengthen your brand reputation and establish trust with them.

How to define a new social media target audience

When defining a social media target audience, you need to look into data from multiple sources. This includes buying trends, consumer engagements and social media behavior. Here are four main ways to define your new target audience.

Market research

Start by looking at your current market to identify any gaps that your product can fill. Are there any unmet needs experienced by consumers in the market? What unique value can you present to set yourself apart? This is an important step to identifying the types of people who will find value in your offering.

Industry trends

Similarly, the same market research can reveal trends shaping the industry. Look at changes in regulations and consumer behavior. Then try to analyze how these changes could lead to the rise of new trends influencing your target audience definition.

Social media data

Social media has a wealth of information on consumer behavior and preferences. Look into this data to understand what people are talking about and how they’re engaging with content.

Make use of Sprout’s analytics tools to centralize your social media data collection. This makes it easier to analyze how people are responding to your posts across multiple channels. That way, you can understand content preferences and define your target audience accordingly.

Sprout Social post performance overview dashboard showing post metrics like impressions, potential reach, engagements, and engagements per impression

Analytics data

Your website analytics data can also provide you with valuable insights into your visitors. You can define a target audience based on where they’re coming from, which pages they visit and more.

Conduct social media competitor analysis

A social media competitive analysis is a vital step for defining your target audience. Take a closer look at your competitors’ social media strategy and ask the following questions:

  • What types of people are your competitors targeting?
  • How are they reaching out to their target audience?
  • What are they doing right?
  • What’s missing from their strategy?
  • What key benefits are they emphasizing in their marketing?
  • How often are they posting?
  • Which content formats seem to work the best for them?
  • What tone are they using?

Once you understand your competitors, you’ll be able to identify your key competitive advantages.

For example, Netflix’s original shows give the platform leverage over its competition. To make the most of this unique selling point, the company builds a loyal community around those shows. It targets different fandoms by starting conversations related to their favorite shows such as “The Crown.”

Twitter post from Netflix showing a still from the show "The Crown" and a caption that reads "when Charles says to Diana 'I'm proud of you'...I needed that"

Image Source: X

Define the key benefits of your products or services

With a better understanding of your target audience, you can now explain how your products or services solve their problems. What value does your business offer? Think about how their pain points align with your key benefits. This will help you position your business in a way that resonates with your target audience.

Create content for your social media target audience

Once you have all this insight about your target audience, it’s time to start creating content that resonates with them.

Here are a few best practices to guide you:

  • A/B test different content elements, formats and publishing times. Fine-tune your content strategy based on the types of posts your target audience tends to engage with. Monitor what kind of captions they like and which timing works best to engage them.
  • Create content for different stages of the marketing funnel. Entertaining content may be great for capturing attention at the awareness stage, for example. But those at the consideration stage are likely to find more value in informative and instructional pieces.
  • Be more direct with your audience research. Instead of relying on analytics data alone, get straight to the source and put those insights into context. Conduct polls and ask them questions so you can engage them better. And create customer personas to ensure your content is highly relevant for all members of your target audience.

Ready to connect with your social media target audience?

Now that you’re armed with the knowledge to identify and engage with your target audience, you can create a strategy to connect with them. To take it one step further, use our free worksheet on how to create authentic connections with your audience.

The post Social media target audience: How to find and engage yours appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-target-audience/feed/ 1 Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Video Specs https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-video-specs-guide/ https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-video-specs-guide/#comments Tue, 21 Nov 2023 19:44:41 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?p=105118/ Last Updated: January 4, 2024 Staying relevant and capturing your audience’s attention is a constant challenge for marketers. And now that brands rely on Read more...

The post Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Video Specs appeared first on Sprout Social.

]]> Last Updated: January 4, 2024

Staying relevant and capturing your audience’s attention is a constant challenge for marketers. And now that brands rely on video content more than ever, it’s critical to use the correct social media video specs and advertising video sizes.

To simplify marketers’ efforts, we created a complete guide of every single social media video spec and advertising video dimension.

Before we start, here are some additional resources that keep the information in one place:

Social Media Video Specs & Ad Sizes By Network

We’ve gathered data on each social network’s specific video sizes and specs. Simply click the links below to jump to your desired network:

Start your free trial

Facebook Video Specs

Facebook video is consumed at higher rates each year, so it’s no wonder why so many marketers search for the correct Facebook video specs.

There are simply so many types of videos you can share on Facebook and the platform updates its design frequently. Each video format has different dimensions and specs, which can make it confusing to know whether or not you’re uploading the correct format for organic or paid posts. Follow the specs below to optimize your posts.

In-Feed Shared Post Video (Landscape & Portrait)

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook in-feed video

The most common type of video on Facebook comes from shared posts. This type of video lives in your Facebook Feed, and can be shared by brands or your friends. While it’s not as easy to get organic reach on Facebook, it’s still a viable way to share video.

You can choose between two video orientations: Landscape and Portrait. Here’s a look at the video specs for both.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1280×720, 720×1280
  • Minimum width: 1200 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9, 9:16
  • Max file size: 10GB (3GB max in Sprout)
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Video length: 1 second to 240 minutes (45 minutes max, if uploading in Sprout)
  • Bitrate: 256kbps
  • Frame rate: 30fps

360 Video

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook 360 video

Facebook’s 360 Video allows users to get a complete 360-degree view by scrolling with a cursor on the web, by touch or turning the device on mobile.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution depends on the type of content:
    • Monoscopic: 5120×2560 maximum
    • Stereoscopic: 5120×5120 maximum
  • Aspect ratio depends on the type of content:
    • Monoscopic: 2:1
    • Stereoscopic: 1:1
  • Max file size: 10GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Video length: 1 second to 30 minutes
  • Frame rate: 30fp

Facebook Reels

illustration showing the placement of an Facebook Reel video

The convenience of cross-posting your Instagram Reels to Facebook expands the reach of your videos. This format appears organically in feeds but often gets priority on Facebook feeds.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: No file size limit
  • Recommended video formats: MP4
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 90 seconds
  • Frame rate: 24fps – 60fps (30fp recommended in Sprout)

Facebook Stories

illustration showing the view of a Facebook Story

Similar to Instagram Stories, you can post Facebook Stories to extend the reach of your posts. Users who may not follow you on Instagram will be able to view and interact with your Stories.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16 and 4:5 to 1.91:1
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
  • Video length: 1 second to 60 seconds

Facebook Video Ad Specs

There are more than 10 million advertisers now on Facebook and having the right specs for your ads can be tricky. Each type of Facebook video ad is different, so let’s break down the specs for each type of video you can produce.

In-Feed Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook in-feed video ad

These Facebook video ads are the sponsored equivalent of in-feed posts, and they follow similar guidelines to in-feed video posts.

Video guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080 minimum
  • Minimum width: 120 pixels
  • Minimum height: 120 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1 (for desktop or mobile) or 4:5 (for mobile only)
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Video length: 1 seconds to 240 minutes
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Character limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Headline: 27 characters
  • Description: 27 characters

Carousel Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook carousel video.

Facebook Carousel Video ads allow brands to showcase multiple videos (or images) and a landing page link within a user’s Facebook feed. It has grown in popularity because its unique scrolling feature allows users to see more content before clicking. In fact, Digiday estimated Carousel Ads to be 10x more effective than standard social media ads.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080 minimum
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Video length: 1 seconds to 240 minutes
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Character limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Headline: 32 characters
  • Description: 18 characters
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Collection Video Ads (Mobile)

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook video ads collection.

The Facebook Collection ads showcase multiple images and a main video above it. This is perfect for displaying multiple products (or various colors of a single product) plus a video. The ad type has been popular so far with retailers and clothing companies as an instant storefront or lookbook.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080 minimum
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Video length: 1 seconds to 240 minutes
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Character Limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Headline max: 40 characters
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Instant Experience Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook Instant Experience video ad.

Facebook Instant Experience ads open up a full-screen experience after the first click, which can be further customized with a variety of interactive features. This can include multiple video experiences, including features to auto-play on loop.

Video Guidelines

  • Minimum width: 720 pixels
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Video length: Up to 2 minutes
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Slideshow Video Ad

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook slideshow video ad.

Facebook’s Slideshow videos were built for advertisers wanting to reach audiences with slower internet connections. Instead of a regular video, slideshows are just that–a slideshow of images or video in an ad display.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 1:1
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MPV
  • Slideshow duration length: 15 seconds

Facebook Stories Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Facebook Story video ad

Facebook added the Stories feature – photo or short video posts that are only available for 24 hours. In addition to user-generated organic posts, Stories ads are available to run between sets of posted Stories. While most users will be sharing immediate and organic updates from their phone’s camera, the guidelines for this format are similar for both paid and organic ad posts.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MPV and GIF
  • Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Character Limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters
  • Headline: 40 characters

For more information on the video specs for Facebook, visit the Facebook Help Center.

Instagram Video Specs

Instagram launched video capabilities in 2013 and quickly saw enough success to start advertising on the platform in 2015. Since then, video only continues to grow as an engaging social format. Needless to say, Instagram videos are absolutely worth the investment.

Carousel Video

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram carousel video.

Since 2015, Instagram crafted its video formats to allow three different styles: landscape, square and vertical. However, like the app, Instagram and how video is presented has evolve. Gone are the days of IGTV and Instagram Video. Video can be natively included as a post or carousel post, or they can be uploaded as Reels, but more on Reels later.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080, 1080×1350
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 60 minutes
  • Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Instagram Reels

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram Reel video

Introduced in 2020, Instagram Reels are another option for your video strategy on Instagram. These short-form, easily digestible videos are becoming the preferred type of content in Instagram feeds.

Fortunately for social content creators looking to easily generate a lot of content for Instagram, most of the video specs for Instagram Reels are fairly similar to other formats on the platform.

As Instagram has started to add separate tabs for different content types, thumbnails will be cropped differently on each view. If the viewer is on the first tab that has all content types, the thumbnail will be cropped to the traditional square post size of 1:1–center your subjects and plan to avoid undesirable vertical cropping.

Video Guidelines:

  • Resolution: 720p minimum
  • Aspect ratio: 0.01:1 to 10:1; 9:16 recommended
  • Max file size: 4GB max (1GB in Sprout)
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 15 minutes
    • Recording in-app is limited to 90 seconds; users can upload videos up to 15 minutes
  • Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Cover Photo Size:

  • Size: 420p x 654p
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1.55

Instagram Stories

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram Story video.

Instagram Stories are short-form videos that display for 24-hours on your profile. Followers and users can access your Stories directly from your profile; followers have the luxury of accessing your Stories directly from their feed, where Stories for accounts they follow display directly at the top of their screen.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Video length: 1 second to 90 seconds
  • Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Character Limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters

Consider leaving roughly 250 pixels of the top of the video free from text to avoid covering them with the profile icon.

Instagram Video Ad Specs

Instagram’s advertising revenue has significantly increased over the last year. In fact, Instagram reportedly earned $43.2 billion in ad revenue in 2022. The push for Instagram advertising is real and marketers have to be ready to take advantage with engaging videos.

Carousel Video Ad

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram carousel video ad

Much like Facebook’s Carousel Ads, Instagram offers a similar feature. Carousel ads allow users to see more of a product or feature than a single image or video. With Instagram, your carousel video ads can have 2-10 cards with a full-width call to action below the ad.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1
  • Max file size: 4GB (video) 30MB (image)
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
  • Number of Carousel cards: 2 (minimum) to 10 (maximum)
  • Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Instagram Stories Ads

illustration showing the placement of an Instagram Stories ad

It didn’t take long for Instagram Stories to feature ads within users’ story feeds. Brands can seamlessly integrate their video content between other Instagram users’ Stories.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1080
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 4GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Video length: 1 second to 60 minutes
  • Frame rate: 23-60 fps

Character Limits

  • Primary text: 125 characters

Consider leaving roughly 250 pixels of the top of the video free from text to avoid covering them with the profile icon

If you’re looking for further information including images, check out our complete guide to all the Instagram ad sizes.

For more information on the video specs for Instagram, visit the Facebook Help Center.

TikTok Video Specs

TikTok has quickly gained attention in the social space. Fortunately, TikTok’s focus on easy to create and share videos means it’s not hard to start producing video content for the platform, and there are plenty of trends to inspire TikTok content creation.

TikTok In-Feed Videos

illustration showing the placement of a TikTok in-feed video.

TikTok videos are all about the ease of creation, editing and sharing, so it makes sense that specs are more or less oriented around typical mobile phone dimensions. One key trait to keep in mind if you’re trying to repurpose video content across platforms is that videos uploaded from another file source, rather than recorded on the app, can be longer than 60 seconds.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1920
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 72MB (Android users) and 278.6MB (iOS users)
    • 1GB maximum in Sprout
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
  • Video length: Up to 3 minutes recorded in-app or 10 minutes when uploaded from another source
  • Frame rate: 23-60fps

TikTok Feed Ads

illustration showing the placement of a TikTok in-feed video ad.

TikTok ads are a rapidly evolving opportunity for brands. The in-feed option for paid TikTok content is fairly similar to the formatting for existing organic content. To fine-tune paid content for the best performance, be sure to consult TikTok’s business center for the latest tips.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 540×960, 640×640 or 960×540
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9
  • Max file size: Up to 500MB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3PG or AVI
  • Video length: 5 seconds to 60 seconds
  • Bitrate: 516 kbps minimum
  • Frame rate: 23-60fps

Character Limits

  • Ad description: 1-100 Latin alphabet letters and 1-50 Asian characters

Twitter Video Specs

X (formerly Twitter) is a popular space to share and interact with different social media videos. For marketers, it’s all about keeping a user’s attention with enthralling and click-worthy video content. In the sports and entertainment industry, Twitter is often the go-to for sharing video content, so it’s critical to learn the correct Twitter video specs.

Twitter Landscape & Portrait Videos

illustration showing the placement of a Twitter in-feed video.

Twitter provides two formats of in-feed video content to share with your followers: landscape and portrait. These specific formats are only available for uploading video directly to Twitter, rather than sharing YouTube or other links.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1280×720 (landscape), 720×1280 (portrait), 720×720 (square)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square)
  • Max file size: 512MB*
  • Video length: 0.5 seconds to 140 seconds*
  • Frame rate: 30fps or 60fps

*Twitter Pro Media users can upload files up to 1GB and videos up to 10 minutes.

Character Limits

  • Maximum count: 280 characters.

Twitter Videos Ad Specs

illustration showing the placement of a Twitter in-feed video ad.

Looking to promote your video through paid ads on Twitter? Luckily, you can use the same exact formats from Twitter organic videos. Stick to the same specs for both organic and paid video to ensure maximum visibility.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1280×720 (landscape), 720×1280 (portrait), 720×720 (square)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 (landscape or portrait), 1:1 (square)
  • Max file size: 512MB
  • Video length: 0.5 seconds to 140 seconds
  • Frame rate: 30fps or 60fps

Character Limits

  • Maximum count: 280 characters.

For more information on the video specs for Twitter, visit the Twitter Help Center.

YouTube Video Specs

As the second-largest search engine behind Google, YouTube is an essential network for video content. For marketers, YouTube is a great space to promote, educate and share video content around your brand.

As YouTube continues to grow as a destination for video content, it hosts everything from short-form promotional videos to full-length movies and TV. This means users are streaming content on all sorts of devices, which could have different levels of zoom or overscan.

While there’s no hard and fast rules from the platform on how to approach the video editing concept of “title safe” areas where text like titles and subtitles aren’t cut off, you do want to avoid placing these types of visual elements right at the edges of your video area. Read on for more specifics on each format available on YouTube.

Video Player (Standard YouTube Video)

illustration showing the placement of a YouTube standard player video.

While YouTube allows users to upload various types of media formats and use plenty of different dimensions, organically, there’s truly only one format for the video player. Organic videos should all follow a 16:9 ratio, but can be uploaded 4:3. However, the smaller ratio will automatically pillarbox the sides to still make it fit in the player.

YouTube has seven recommended dimensions and ratios for standard YouTube videos:

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution:
    • 4320p (8k): 7680×4320
    • 2160p (4K): 3840×2160
    • 1440p (2k): 2560×1440
    • 1080p (HD): 1920×1080
    • 720p (HD): 1280×720
    • 480p (SD): 854×480
    • 360p (SD): 640×360
    • 240p (SD): 426×240
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 default
  • Max file size: 256GB or 12 hours, whichever is less (5GB max in Sprout)
  • Recommended video formats: MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MP4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
  • Video length: Up to 12 hours, dependent on file size
  • Frame rate: 24, 25 or 30fps

YouTube Shorts

illustration showing the placement of a YouTube Short video.

Introduced late 2020, YouTube Shorts have recently made its debut as another short-form video feature. These videos are a new way to watch, create and discover short-form content. Because people are watching more short-form videos globally, using Shorts is a new way to reach wider audiences to entertain or educate.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution:
    • 4320p (8k): 4320×7680
    • 2160p (4K): 2160×3840
    • 1440p (2k): 1440×2560
    • 1080p (HD): 1080×1920
    • 720p (HD): 720×1280
    • 480p (SD): 480×854
    • 360p (SD): 360×640
    • 240p (SD): 240×426
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16 or 1:1
  • Recommended video formats: MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4, MP4, MPG, AVI, WMV, MPEGPS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
  • Video length: Up to 60 seconds

For more information on the video specs for YouTube, visit the Google Help Center.

YouTube Video Ad Specs

Standard YouTube videos are pretty straightforward, but there are a few video ad formats to learn if you want to advertise on the network. According to data from Google, brands advertising on YouTube with Discovery ads see incremental conversions.

Skippable, Non-Skippable, Mid-Roll, Bumper Video, In-Feed Display Ads

illustration showing the placement of a YouTube skippable bumper video.

We’ve put these five YouTube video ads specs together because in the end, they all play through the standard YouTube video player. That means all of these ad types follow the same dimensions as the non-ad videos, but only differ in video length. Let’s look at each ad type:

  • Skippable Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played before, during or after the content and becomes skippable after 5 seconds. This ad format is the only one allowing advertisers to monetize views from any viewing device.
  • Non-Skippable Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played before the content and users must watch the full 15 seconds maximum ad (can also be added during or after video).
  • Mid-roll Video Ad: This YouTube ad type is played mid-view (like TV commercials) and is only available for videos 8 minutes or longer. Ads are added either manually or automatically. Mid-rolls can be skippable, but users must watch 30 seconds or the entire ad (whichever is shorter).
  • Bumper Video Ads: This YouTube ad type is played before the content. This short 6-second max video cannot be skipped and is usually optimized for mobile views.
  • Display Ads: These ads are shown in users’ search queries and sometimes appear in the right video column when watching a video. These ads are static, which means they don’t automatically play. However, once the video is clicked, the type of content displayed can simply follow the standard video player guidelines.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (horizontal), 1080 x 1920 (vertical), 1080 x 1080 (square)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 (horizontal), 9:16 (vertical), 1:1 (square)
  • Max file size: 256GB
  • Recommended video formats: MPG
  • Video length:
    • Skippable Video Ad: No maximum, but recommended 15 – 20 seconds for awareness, 2 – 3 minutes for consideration, and 15 – 20 seconds for action.
    • Non-Skippable Video Ad: 15 or 20 seconds, depending on marketing
    • Mid-roll Video Ad: 30 seconds minimum
    • Bumper Video Ad: 6 seconds maximum
    • In-Feed (Display) Video Ad: 15-20 seconds for awareness, 2-3 minutes for consideration

For more information on the video specs for YouTube, visit the Google Help Center.

LinkedIn Video Specs

With 66% of consumers finding short-form video the most engaging type of in-feed social content, LinkedIn adopted the use of video on the platform. If you’re looking to incorporate video into your LinkedIn marketing strategy, then it’s important to do it with the right specs. While some technical requirements may match other networks, there are some specs that are specific to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn In-Feed Video

illustration showing the placement of a LinkedIn in-feed video.

While before the only video format you were able to upload was a shared video, LinkedIn has expanded its capabilities to upload your own videos into the platform.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 256×144 (min) and 4096×2304 (max)
  • Aspect ratio: 1:2.4, 2.4:1
  • Max file size: 5GB (5GB max in Sprout for Company and Personal Pages)
  • Recommended video formats: AAC, ASF, FLV, MP3, MP4, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MKV, WebM, H264/AVC, Vorbis, VP8, VP9, WMV2, WMV3
  • Video length: Up to 10 minutes
  • Frame rate: 60fps
  • Bitrate: Up to 30mbps

For more information on the video specs for LinkedIn, visit the LinkedIn Help Center.

LinkedIn Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a LinkedIn in-feed sponsored or ad video.

As of 2018, LinkedIn now offers video ads. The requirements are a little bit different than in-feed video, so be sure to consider them when developing ads for your paid campaign.

Video Guidelines

  • Recommended dimensions and resolutions:
    • Vertical (4:5): Min 360 x 450 pixels, Max 1536 x 1920 pixels
    • Vertical (9:16): Min 360 x 640 pixels, Max 1080 x 1920 pixels
    • Landscape (16:9): Min 640 x 360 pixels, Max 1920 x 1080 pixels
    • Square (1:1): Min 360 x 360 pixels, Max 1920 x 1920 pixels
  • Aspect ratio:
    • Vertical: 4:5, 9:16
    • Landscape: 16:9
    • Square: 1:1
  • Max file size: 200MB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 30 minutes
  • Frame rate: 30fps

Character Limits

  • Ad name: 255 characters
  • Headline: 70 characters recommended; 200 characters maximum
  • Introductory text: 150 characters recommended; 600 characters maximum

For more information on the video specs for LinkedIn ads, visit LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Help.

Pinterest Promoted Video Specs

Pinterest allows video upload for business accounts only, so they have specs designed for brands to get the most out of the highly visual and inspirational lifestyle content frequently shared on the platform.

Shared Video Pins and Standard Width Video Ads

illustration showing the placement of a Pinterest Pin video.

In addition to ads, Pinterest Business Accounts can upload organic video content. There are two formats: standard and max width video. Below are the dimensions for standard width video ads and standard Pins.

Video Guidelines

  • Aspect ratio: 1:1, 2:3, 4:5, 9:16
  • Max file size: 2GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or M4V
  • Video length: 4 seconds to 15 minutes

Character Limits

  • Title: Up to 100 characters
  • Description: Up to 500 characters

Max Width Video Ads

Pinterest allows you to publish standard width and maximum width video ads. Maximum width videos expand across mobile users’ entire screens. These specs apply only to maximum width video ads; standard video ad specs can be found above. Note that maximum width video ads are only paid ads.

Video Guidelines

  • Aspect ratio: 1:1
  • Max file size: 2GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV or M4V
  • Video length: 4 seconds to 15 minutes

Character Limits

  • Title: Up to 100 characters
  • Description: Up to 500 characters

For more information on the video specs for Pinterest ads, visit Pinterest Business Help.

Snapchat Video Specs

Snapchat is still an active network for younger generations to share video content. Whether it’s through FOMO-inducing filters, Snapchat is a hotbed for video sharing.

Single Videos and Single Video Ad

illustration showing the placement of a Snapchat video.

This video format is the most common across the channel and is the main way users communicate back and forth through the app. However, your business can post videos to its story so others can see what your business is up to. Just follow these specs:

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1920
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 1GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 180 seconds

Character Limits

  • Brand: 25 characters
  • Headline: 34 characters

Long-Form Story Video Ad

illustration showing the placement of a Snapcaht video ad.

Snapchat currently offers one main video format for ads, which is known as the Story Ad. However, the Snapchat Story Video Ad is what users see in between viewing users’ Stories.

Video Guidelines

  • Resolution: 1080×1920
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 1GB
  • Recommended video formats: MP4 or MOV
  • Video length: 3 seconds to 180 seconds

Character Limits

  • Brand: 25 characters
  • Headline: 34 characters

For more information on the video specs for Snapchat, visit the Snapchat Ads Help Center.

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]]> https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-video-specs-guide/feed/ 4 Making Dollars and Sense out of the Creator Economy with Lia Haberman https://sproutsocial.com/insights/webinars/making-dollars-and-sense-out-of-the-creator-economy/ Tue, 14 Nov 2023 21:45:50 +0000 https://sproutsocial.com/insights/?post_type=webinars&p=179433 Lia Haberman, Insider’s “Top Creator Economy Expert,” will delve into the dynamic world of influencer marketing and its evolving digital terrain. You’ll walk away Read more...

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]]> Lia Haberman, Insider’s “Top Creator Economy Expert,” will delve into the dynamic world of influencer marketing and its evolving digital terrain. You’ll walk away from this event with a powerful understanding of the influencer landscape, where it’s headed and questions your brand should consider as it begins or scales its influencer strategy.

Your Speakers:

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