Images (69%) are the most popular content type that people post on social media, followed by life updates/announcements (47%) and videos (46%), according to new US-based research.
This data comes from a survey published today on Clutch’s sister website, The Manifest: How People Interact on Social Media.
The firm surveyed 627 people from across the U.S. about their interactions on social media and found that:
- Nearly one-third (30%) of people interact on social media more than 10 times per day by liking, posting, or sharing content.
- Nearly all social media users (94%) post content/updates on social media, and 42% of the people who post content do so at least once per day.
- More than half of social media users (52%) most frequently access Facebook, but people may be spending more total time on other channels such as YouTube and Instagram.
- Facebook is also the most popular channel for people to both share their own content (52%) and like/share someone else’s content (54%).
- Nearly half of social media users (48%) are more likely to like/share someone else’s content than share their own content (24%).
- Social media is part of people’s everyday routines because it helps people build a community with others around the world.
“Social media has become ingrained in our day-to-day lives,” said Charlotte Chipperfield, founder and CEO of Chipperfield Media. “We use it for more than just sharing personal updates. It’s a way of building a community around our shared interests.”
People Prefer to Post Images on Social Media
People clearly want others to see their photos and memes – images are the only content type that more than half of social media users regularly post.
Nearly 70% of users post images, compared to 47% who post updates/announcements, 46% who post videos, and 42% who post opinions.
Images are popular because they are the most likely to capture people’s attention.
“Nowadays, people are in a very fast-paced environment [and] want to consume the most amount of information as quickly as possible, so photography can help that,” photographer Pedro Kin said. “Not many people will stop and read a post.”
Nearly Half of Social Media Users Post Content Daily
Although interacting with other people’s content is important to most social media users, nearly all (94%) post their own content, including 42% who do so at least once a day.
Social media lets people interact beyond their immediate surroundings.
“The average person living in a suburb could live on a little street with very little exposure to the outside world but have a community of thousands of people on social media who are engaged with their posts,” said Joseph Rothstein, account manager at Social Media 55.
Facebook Remains Popular
Reports that people have stopped using Facebook are premature – Facebook is still the most-used social media channel.
More than half (52%) of people use Facebook the most often among social media platforms, more than three times the number of people who most often use YouTube (16%) and Instagram (14%).
Even the most ardent Facebook fans, however, may be spending less time per visit on Facebook because they are visiting other channels.
“Even if people are still clicking on the app or going to Facebook.com on their browser the most, the amount of time they spend on the platform has decreased,” said Andrew Selepak, graduate director of the social media department at the University of Florida. “If I watch a 20-minute YouTube video, I’m probably not spending a 20-minute block on Facebook.”
The Manifest’s 2019 Consumer Social Media Survey included 627 people in the U.S. who use social media at least once per week.
Read the full report here
