Reddit just made it a whole lot easier for users to search comments on posts.
A few months ago, Redditannounced the ability for users to search comments across Reddit on all platforms — but it was clunky. Users were only to search comments across the platform by using the comments tab in the search bar; they still couldn't search comments within a post. That process has gotten an upgrade. On Monday, Reddit announced that users can now search comments within posts on desktop, iOS, and Android.
"You don’t have to 'cmd-f' on the post page anymore and you can search comment threads without expanding them," one of the site’s mods, u/anon-axoltl, wrote in a post. Using "cmd-f" or "ctrl-f" doesn't work particularly well if a post has a large number of comments if those comments are collapsed. "No more long scrolling sessions — quickly get to the parts of the conversation you’re looking for and jump in where you want."
It works pretty much exactly how you'd think it would. On your computer, next to the "Sort By" drop down below the comment box, you'll see the search bar that reads "Search comments." Mobile is a bit different: When you're on a post, click the magnifying glass icon in the top bar and search there.
Meta might be home to the biggest social networks in the world but when it comes to professionals and business marketing LinkedIn is the place to be.
These LinkedIn Statistics will show you why it is the network for professionals, especially B2B marketers, to target motivated audiences in 2023.
These LinkedIn stats will bring you up to date on the value of LinkedIn as a network, and provide insight into how to expand your reach. We will provide statistics and data from trusted sources, including the Sprout Social Index™, Social Media Trends for 2022 & Beyond. The demographic data alone could be the key to planning your LinkedIn marketing strategy for 2023.
Worldwide, men tend to use LinkedIn more than women. As of January 2022, 57.2% of users were male and 42.8% were female. The numbers of users are skewed slightly higher to male in the United States, at 58%.
Note: Sprout Social acknowledges gender beyond male and female; we are presenting the stats as reported by the source. Statista limits its gender reporting to male and female.
2. Members in the US are generally older than global users.
LinkedIn usage statistics on age of users vary globally. As of January 2023, 60% of global users were aged 25–34, representing younger millennials. Those between the ages of 18–24, mid-range Gen Z, made up 20.4% of LinkedIn users while only 2.9% of people over 55 were using the platform. No statistics were provided for users aged 35–54.
In the US, as of December 2022, 31% of users were older millennials between the ages of 30 and 39. Those aged 40–49 made up 23% of the user base, while almost 20% were primarily within the Gen Z cohort at 18–29 years old. No statistics were provided for users aged 50 and over.
So although the Gen Z user cohort appears consistent both globally and in the US, users in the United States alone tend to be a bit older.
3. At least half of LinkedIn’s members’ households earn more than $75,000
LinkedIn demographics indicate that more than half of users have higher incomes. A December 2022 survey indicated that 53% of LinkedIn users in the United States had a high monthly household income. The year before, Pew research showed that 50% of LinkedIn users had a household income of more than $75,000. That 2022 survey found that 29% of user’s households would be considered middle-income, while only 17% would be considered low-income.
This correlates with the Pew study which found that 21% of US users’ income was between $50,000 and $74,999, 21% was between $30,000 and $49,000. Only 12% of LinkedIn users had an income less than $30,000.
4. More than half of LinkedIn’s members have at least a bachelor’s degree
These LinkedIn numbers are not surprising when we consider the LinkedIn members’ education statistics. In December 2022, one third of LinkedIn members had a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and another 23% held a master’s degree or its equivalent. Just 2% had a secondary level education. This is an 8% decline in high school users from February of 2021.
5. LinkedIn is favored by suburban and urban dwellers
A Pew research study determined that 30% of LinkedIn users lived in urban centers, 33% lived in the suburbs and only 15% lived in rural areas.
6. LinkedIn has more than 900 million member in 200 countries and regions
The question ofLinkedIn usage statisticshow many users are on LinkedIn worldwidewas answered in LinkedIn’s second quarter of fiscal year 2022 update. The number of current members is in excess of900 million. And3 new memberssign up every second!
At this time, there are over61 millioncompanies listed on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn usage statistics
7. There are more than 199 million members in the US alone
As a country, the United States clearly represents the most members on LinkedIn. However, as a region, Asia Pacific (APAC) has the most members at 227 million. North America, or NAM, is next with 220 million members, then EMEA, Europe, the Middle East and Africa is next with 210 million. Latin America (LATAM) is last on this list with 109 million members.
LinkedIn is available in 26 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Turkish.
8. Most desktop traffic to LinkedIn comes from the US
With these LinkedIn numbers, it’s no surprise that the largest share of desktop traffic to LinkedIn comes from the US. As of May 2022, 31.28% of this traffic came from the United States, 7.08% came from India and 5.99% came from the United Kingdom. Brazil and Canada rounded out the top 5 with 4.39% and 4.11% respectively.
9. More than 137 million US LinkedIn members use the platform daily
In December of 2022, data indicated that 69% of US users were on LinkedIn daily, 15% used it several times a week and another 5% used it once a week. LinkedIn’s most up-to-date statistics do not contain data on the number of monthly average users (MAU). But, it was projected that in 2022 MAU in the US alone would reach 66.8 million, a 2.1 million gain over 2021.
Also, App Ape reported that 48.5% of US LinkedIn app audiences were monthly average users in 2021. In that same year, 17.1% of US Android LinkedIn app owners used the app daily.
10. The average visit to LinkedIn is just over 7 minutes long
There were 1.7 billion visits to LinkedIn in December 2022 , a 16.86% increase over November. The average visit lasted 7.27 minutes and, on average, 7.66 pages were visited. These LinkedIn stats refer only to desktop traffic.
LinkedIn advertising and marketing statistics
11. The #1 platform for B2B marketers
According to a study by LinkedIn, it’s the leading platform for lead generation. And, 4 out of 5 of its 900 million members drive business decisions. That’s over 720 million members! Even when membership was only 850 million plus, LinkedIn reached 180 million senior level influencers. And, a LinkedIn audience has twice the buying power of the average online audience.
Compared to other social channels, 82% of B2B marketers obtain their greatest success with LinkedIn. A staggering 93% of B2B marketers used LinkedIn for organic social marketing in the 12 months preceding October 2021. And 77% said they saw their best organic results from LinkedIn. Of the 77% of B2B respondents who used paid social media platforms, 75% chose LinkedIn in that same time period, saying it produced the best results. So, it’s not surprising LinkedIn generated 3.8 billion in ad revenue in 2021, which revenue is expected to increase to 7.7 billion by 2026.
12. Ads on LinkedIn do especially well
Ads on LinkedIn garner a 33% increase in purchase intent for brands. When they advertise on LinkedIn, brands can see a 2–3x lift in their brand attributes. Marketers experience a conversion rate up to 2x higher on LinkedIn. And audiences that have been exposed to brand and acquisition messages on the platform are 6x more likely to convert.
13. Highly effective channel for lead generation
LinkedIn is rated as the most effective channel for driving high-quality leads by 40% of B2B marketers. In fact, 89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation and 62% say it produces leads for them. It only makes matters better that LinkedIn’s cost per lead is 28% lower than Google AdWords.
And, 35% of B2B marketers ranked LinkedIn as the most important social media network overall in 2021. With all that LinkedIn has to offer marketers, it’s no surprise that 97% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for content marketing.
According to the latest LinkedIn statistics, the platform has an audience reach of 199 million users in the US alone.
LinkedIn Engagement Statistics
14. Complete your LinkedIn page
Pages with complete information get 30% more weekly views. LinkedIn best practice is to fill in all the information including your logo, overview, organization information and so forth. Don’t forget, members can search you by keywords, so the more complete and relevant your page is, the better. Companies that have done this and are active on their pages see a 5x lift in page views, a 7x lift in average impressions per follower and an 11x lift in clicks per follower. And, companies that post on LinkedIn weekly will see a 2x higher engagement rate.
15. Listicles and LinkedIn Polls seem to do best on LinkedIn
Text only posts should not be ignored. They are still quite common on LinkedIn and can do a lot to engage your target audience when employed strategically. The character limit for posts has changed to 3000 in 2023 which can be anywhere between 500 and 1000 words. Use hashtags. They can be searched in LinkedIn, bringing users straight to your content.
An independent study of 3000 posts on LinkedIn found long-form content of 1900-2000 words seemed to get a the most views, likes, comments and shares on LinkedIn. And if those posts were broken up by 5, 7 or 9 headings they gained 50%, 33% and 47% more views than a single heading post, respectively.
Listicles, especially “how-to’s” do very well on LinkedIn. In fact, the independent study found that a “how-to” post performs 31.5% better in terms of LinkedIn analytics than all other types of posts.
LinkedIn Polls help you engage with your audience because they get to give their opinions about the questions you pose. Use them to learn about pain points, what they’re looking for from your brand and more. Your question should be engaging and relevant. You can give up to four answer choices. Use the number that will best allow your ideal audience members to share their opinions. Not only do these polls engage your audience, but you can learn a great deal about them to help you in your future marketing efforts.
This LinkedIn Poll by Sarah Johnston got 6,290 votes and 160 comments.
Imagine what you could do with the right question.
17. Images have a marked effect on engagement
Using images in your posts results in a 98% higher comment rate compared to text only posts. And for ads with a single image, larger images of 1200 x 627 pixels garner up to a 38% higher click-through rate. In the case of images, sometimes more is better. Custom collages of 3–4 images in a post perform particularly well for companies. And the independent study mentioned above indicated that posts with a single image are over 2x as engaging as a text only post. Posts with 4 images are almost 4x as engaging and those with 8 images are almost 10x as engaging. Further, having 8 images is nearly 4x as engaging as a single image post.
18. Video is becoming more impactful on LinkedIn
Video gets 5x more engagement on LinkedIn. Users will engage with video ads nearly 3x longer than other types of ads. Since videos are often watched without sound, it’s a good idea to add captions to attract and engage your audience. And, show them what you want them to see within the first 10 seconds before you lose their attention. LinkedIn’s research shows that members are 20x more likely to share a video on LinkedIn than any other type of post. Plus, 73% of B2B marketers say that video positively impacts their marketing return on investment.
According to LinkedIn, you can use YouTube videos too, and they will play directly in your feed, generally resulting in a share rate of 75%.
Video is so versatile. You can share just about anything. It doesn’t only have to be ads. You can share your brand values, news, and information on upcoming events or opinions on social issues that matter. In fact, data from the Index indicate that 71% of consumers think it’s important for brands to raise awareness and take a stand on sensitive issues. This is a great way to engage with and grow your audience, especially if you take advantage of the many tools available to you on LinkedIn.
People tend to favor short-form videos, which they find 2x more engaging than long-form videos. And, according to the Index, 34% of consumers want to see authentic, less produced videos. Only 26% would like to see polished, highly produced video.
LinkedIn Live videos get 24x more engagement than static posts. Live stream also gets 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than other videos.
You can keep up with this influx of comments from LinkedIn Live with Sprout Social’s Smart Inbox, one of its social media management tools. The Smart Inbox consolidates all of your incoming messages in one place so you don’t have to go from platform to platform to engage with your audience.
LinkedIn recommends that you have a moderator for your live streams and plan to stream for at least 15 minutes to allow your followers time to join. Your audience will keep building as you stream. Use #LinkedInLive in your stream description as well as any other relevant hashtags. This will help you grow your audience beyond your followers.
18. LinkedIn features help you extend your reach
The minimum audience size to run an advertising campaign on LinkedIn is 300 members, but you should shoot for 50,000 or more for text or single image ads. You can increase your reach by using LinkedIn’s “lookalike audience” feature. This targets people or companies with similar characteristics to your matched audience segment. Using this feature can increase the size of your original audience by up to 15x, not including your original matched audience.
And, you can extend your reach further with the LinkedIn Audience Network feature. It delivers your single image, carousel and video ads beyond your LinkedIn feed to users on third-party apps and sites.
Over 9 million users have turned on LinkedIn Creator Mode since it was launched at the beginning of 2021. Using Creator Mode allows you to grow your reach and influence by helping you establish thought leadership through the content you create and share.
To learn more about the tools you can get access to through creator mode, including LinkedIn Live, visit LinkedIn Creator Mode Help/Answer.
Creator Mode can have a profound impact for marketers. Thought leadership is critical to 79% of potential buyers in determining which providers they want to learn more about. And 70% of potential B2B buyers say LinkedIn is one of the most trusted sources of that information. Another 75% say thought leadership helps them determine which vendors to choose.
Thought leadership important to 90% of B2B decision makers. Almost half of all C-suite executives will spend at least one hour per week engaged with this type of content.
Improve your LinkedIn marketing strategy in 2023
In 2022, LinkedIn was ranked number 7 in the top ten fastest growing brands worldwide, based on brand value growth (68%). It was one of only two social media networks in the rankings; YouTube was the other. And LinkedIn’s tools, such as Creator Mode and Audience Network, help you to extend your reach and engage new audiences. As these LinkedIn statistics and data have shown, executives, decision makers, buyers and marketers are all networking and growing their business on LinkedIn. Isn’t it time you used LinkedIn for business? Sprout has all the tools you need to do so effortlessly, including the Smart Inbox to help you keep the conversation going smoothly across social platforms.
It’s difficult to overstate YouTube’s role in our cultural ecosystem. More than 500 hours of content are uploaded onto the platform every minute, meaning there truly is something for everyone. And if that number made your eyes pop, there are more YouTube stats where that came from.
We gathered 30 statistics to help you understand YouTube’s place in your video marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking for user insights, YouTube search trends or historical facts and figures, we’ve got you covered.
Before getting into general YouTube stats, let’s get personal. If you currently manage a presence on the platform, you can check your channel statistics using YouTube analytics. (Also, if you don’t have a brand account on YouTube, now’s a great time to create a channel.)
Access the YouTube analytics tool by going to studio.youtube.com or by clicking your profile icon and selecting “YouTube Studio.”
Once you’re in YouTube Studio, you can click on “Analytics” in the left hand panel to access your YouTube performance analytics. There are several reports available but if you’re just looking for a general overview of channel performance, check out the Channel Overview Report.
The Channel Overview Report will provide you with a graph measuring how your views, watch time and subscriber count are trending over time. On social media, consistency is key. If you’re updating your channel at a regular cadence, you should see gains in channel growth over time.
When launching a video marketing strategy, you need to know if the platform’s demographics match your target audience. Let’s cover some of YouTube’s main demographics.
1. YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users
YouTube is visited by nearly a quarter of the world’s population, boasting two billion monthly active users. It’s fair to assume that YouTube has a diverse user base and your business can likely connect to your target audiences.
2. India has the largest YouTube audience, followed by the United States and Brazil
High-speed internet became widely available in India in 2016, and internet usage has flourished there ever since. This speedy adoption has contributed to the rise of Indian YouTube stars like T-Series, who is one of the most subscribed YouTubers on the platform.
3. English and Spanish are amongst the most popular languages used on YouTube
More than half (66%) of the content from YouTube’s top 250 channels is produced in English, followed by Spanish (15%) and Portuguese (7%).
4. The largest age group using YouTube is between ages 15-35
About 77% of internet users between ages 15-35 are on YouTube, along with 73% of users aged 36-45, 70% of users aged 46-55 and 67% of users aged 56+.
YouTube’s popularity with Gen Z makes sense; they came of age alongside the network and its top creators, like Emma Chamberlain and David Dobrik. Aside from entertainment, research shows that Gen Z also turns to YouTube as an educational tool.
5. YouTube users skew male
Roughly 53.9% of YouTube users are men and 46.1% are women. (There’s no data on other genders available at this time.)
6. YouTube users are more likely to have a college education
YouTube ad campaigns pack a visual punch that generate responses from consumers of all ages. If you’re wondering whether they’re worth the investment, let’s dig into some YouTube ad stats.
7. YouTube generated $7.9 billion in ad revenue in Q4 2021
8. Consumers find YouTube ads to be more relevant than linear TV advertising
YouTube ad targeting capabilities create a highly tailored experience for the end user. According to a 2022 study, 59% of respondents agree that YouTube ads are more relevant than ads on linear TV or other streaming apps.
9. Vertical video can increase conversions per dollar
Vertical video—meaning video filmed and viewed in portrait mode, rather than landscape—has exploded in popularity on the platform since the launch of YouTube Shorts. People have been watching YouTube on a variety of screen sizes for quite some time. Now, marketers have the tools they need to optimize for mobile viewing.
Tailoring YouTube ads to adhere to content consumption preferences can drive a noticeable lift in ROI. Vertical creative assets delivered 10% to 20% more conversions per dollar on YouTube Shorts when compared to landscape assets.
10. The most viewed ad of 2022 is a promotion for Amazon’s Alexa home speaker
YouTube has its own algorithm and search engine optimization rules to get your content seen. Let’s get into a few stats related to YouTube search.
11. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world
Alphabet, Inc. has cornered the market on search. YouTube follows Google as the second-largest search engine in the world, generating more search queries than Bing, Yahoo, AOL and Ask combined.
This shows how important YouTube SEO is because the platform is also a video and information search tool.
12. 35% of the top global YouTube searches in 2022 are TV related
The top five global YouTube searches of all time are “minecraft”, “TikTok”, “comedy”, “tik tok” and “ASMR.” Two out of these five searches are related to the short-form video giant, TikTok.
14. Gen Z turns to YouTube to dive deeper into their favorite TV shows
Thanks to connected smart home devices, viewers are enjoying YouTube content beyond the confines of a laptop. Viewers watch more than 700 million hours of YouTube content on TV daily, making it the fastest-growing screen size for content consumption.
17. People watch over 1 billion hours of YouTube video content each day
Not only does YouTube have a large user base, but they also have a highly engaged one with over 1 billion hours of video content being viewed each day.
With the right video content strategy and optimizations like YouTube descriptions, any brand can find an audience for their videos.
18. The most popular YouTube channel has over 200 million subscribers
The most popular YouTube channel is T-Series, with over 230 million subscribers. The next most popular YouTube channels are YouTube Movies, Cocomelon – Nursery Rhymes, SET India and Music.
19. The most viewed YouTube video of all time is “Baby Shark Dance”
Parents, this one is probably more than familiar. The viral hit took off in 2016 and shot to the top of the list of most viewed YouTube videos of all time. The video has more than 12 billion views, as of February 2023.
YouTube growth
YouTube has grown quickly since its inception in 2005. Considering the video platform was initially meant to be a niche dating site, its wide appeal use as a video juggernaut is nothing short of remarkable. Let’s look at a few stats to see just how much growth it’s achieved over the past 17 years.
19. The first YouTube video was uploaded on April 23, 2005
YouTube founder Jawed Karim uploaded the very first video to the platform. It was called “Me at the zoo,” and was a 19-second video that has now generated over 221 million views.
20. In 2006, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion
Just a year and a half after the youtube.com domain was bought, Google acquired the video-sharing platform for $1.65 billion. At the time, Google believed they overpaid to acquire the platform. But considering YouTube ad revenue was $8.6 billion in just the last quarter, we know now that Google got a steal.
21. YouTube rolled out video ads in August 2007
YouTube ads have been around almost the entire lifespan of the company. Ads rolled out in August 2007, just 10 months after Google’s acquisition.
22. YouTube is the second most visited website in the world
YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, behind only Google. This means that audiences are frequently referencing YouTube for everything from entertainment to how-to videos.
23. YouTube is available in over 100 countries and 80 languages
Another great statistic showcasing the wide range of users is that YouTube’s video platform is available in over 100 countries and is localized into 80 different languages.
You can reach a wide variety of demographics and even publish video content in various languages to bolster an international marketing strategy.
24. Over 500 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every minute
Don’t get lost in the noise. Over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, so you need a strategy to ensure your video gets seen.
Plan a focus keyword, strategically craft your video title and description and don’t forget about search optimization. You can even incorporate hashtags into your YouTube video content to signal what topics your video is related to.
25. There are more than 51 million YouTube channels
Out of those 51 million+ channels, 306,000 YouTube channels have more than 100,000 subscribers, 29,000 YouTube channels have more than 1 million subscribers and 700 YouTube channels have more than 10 million subscribers.
YouTube marketing statistics
Let’s take a look at how marketers view YouTube. Knowing how other companies are positioning their strategies can help decide your team’s next steps.
26. There’s a prioritization disconnect between marketers and consumers
According to The Sprout Social Index™ 2022, half of consumers (51%) plan on spending more time on YouTube over the next 12 months. In terms of popularity, it’s second only to Facebook.
On the other hand, only 35% of marketers anticipate leveraging the platform over the next year. This disconnect creates a clear opportunity for savvy brands looking to gain a competitive advantage.
27. 22% of marketers are using YouTube Stories
YouTube Stories, the platform’s answer to ephemeral content, came out in November 2017. As of now, 22% of marketers have incorporated YouTube Stories into their strategy.
Unlike Instagram or Facebook Stories, YouTube Stories expire after seven days, as opposed to 24 hours. If you want to test out the feature, we recommend using them as a promotional tool for recently added content. Give your followers a peek at what to expect from your latest video so they can decide whether they’d like to see more.
YouTube influencers with between 100,000 and 1,000,000 followers had the highest engagement rates, amounting to just over 4%. YouTubers with between 1,000 and 5,000 followers had the lowest engagement rate on average, at 2.05%.
These averages are good to keep in mind, but they shouldn’t be the end all and be all of your YouTube influencer marketing strategy. Remember: Micro-influencers can speak more effectively to a niche target audience than some of the biggest names on the platform.
29. YouTube is the first stop in the social shopping journey
YouTube has some serious sway when it comes to social commerce. According to research from Google and Ipsos, 80% of shoppers who watched a video related to a planned purchase said they watched it at the beginning of their shopping process.
YouTube is home to several content formats that allow consumers to research interests alongside their favorite creators. Whether it’s a haul video, a “shop with me” vlog or something else entirely, these videos provide consumers with a more authentic look at the value they can get from a purchase.
30. There are penalties for over-tagging
According to Google’s Help Center, if a YouTube video or playlist has more than 60 tags, all of the hashtags on that content will be ignored.
A little bit goes a long way when it comes to YouTube hashtags. We recommend using one to two hashtags in your video title and three to five hashtags in your description. Anything more can appear spammy, turning away potential viewers.
Ramp up your YouTube marketing strategy
Demographic data and usage trends are the foundation of any network-specific social media marketing strategy. Combine these YouTube stats with your channel-specific metrics to create a blueprint for success in 2023.
Keep building on your strategy with our complete guide to YouTube marketing. It’ll give you all the strategic tips you need to take full advantage of this social media powerhouse.
March represents a lot of things. For some, it’s time to shake off the last bit of winter and welcome spring into their lives. For others, it’s all about the green top hats and Irish jigs of Saint Patrick’s Day. But for half the population, March—or Women’s History Month—is a time for celebrating just how far women have come, and thinking about how far there is to go.
According to a Q1 2023 Sprout pulse survey, 74% of consumers believe that social media has increased accountability for brands. With those numbers in mind, hitting the right notes for Women’s History Month is imperative. But how do you create content around diversity that resonates and feels authentic?
We spoke to marketers across industries to see what their brands are planning and what they’d like to see from their peers this Women’s History Month. We’re discussing both the icks and ideals for Women’s History Month social media ideas.
Why Women’s History Month Matters
In 1980, then-President Jimmy Carter declared March 2-8 as National Women’s History Week. After realizing there’s entirely too much women’s history to squeeze into seven days, Congress passed Public Law 100-9 in 1987, proclaiming March as Women’s History Month.
The month has deep importance for women, but there’s no monolithic way to celebrate. For some women, like Alexa Heinrich, Social Media Manager at St. Petersburg College, Women’s History Month is a source of energy and pride. The collective excitement makes her feel like she can do anything. As she says, “The whole month screams, “I am woman, hear me roar,” and I love it.”
Other women use Women’s History Month as a chance to slow down.
Women’s History Month makes me stop and think. Sometimes life moves fast and you don’t stop and smell the roses. For me, those roses are recognizing the hard work and sacrifice of generations of women before me, right now and after me.
Steph Hermanson Strategic Services Consultant, Sprout Social
Women’s History Month is especially important for women holding positions that simply wouldn’t have been possible even 60 years ago, such as CEO at legacy companies like Carol B. Tome of UPS or Michele Buck of The Hershey Company. March is a time to thank trailblazers for giving women everywhere access to new opportunities. Lisa Richards, CEO and Creator of the Candida Diet, echoes this sentiment, saying, “Women’s History Month is a reminder that women have always been a force for change and that we have the power to shape the future. It’s also a time to celebrate our collective strength, resilience, and determination.”
Avoiding Women’s History Month marketing mishaps
Consumers increasingly decide who to buy from based on how a brand’s values align with their own. According to the 2022 Sprout Social Index™, company alignment with personal values is 74% more important than it was in 2021.
But it’s not enough to say you’re aligned. In an era of increased accountability, consumers want proof that businesses actually care about key issues and they don’t take kindly to lip service. Here are some tips to show your audience that you’re serious about women’s issues all year round—not just in March.
Take a look in the mirror
Have you heard of gender washing? It’s the practice of marketing your product or business as women-friendly while supporting patriarchal norms behind the scenes. Gender washing is along the same lines as “greenwashing,” or pretending your product is environmentally friendly when it really isn’t, or “pinkwashing,” which is marketing towards LGBTQIA+ folks without doing any work to stop their oppression.
Today’s savvy consumers can spot any type of “washing” from a mile away. The negative brand impact of coming across as a panderer far outweighs any benefits you may receive from making a post that acknowledges the month. As Dana Cass, the Founder of Cass Content Studios says, “Many brands would be better off not posting about identity-based celebrations if they don’t have meaningful support for that identity group.”
Before you start planning your Women’s History Month marketing, take a long look at your business. Have you taken steps to address the gender pay gap? Is your executive team and board of directors almost entirely made up of men? Do you have a solid DEI plan in place to recruit more women into positions of authority? Do you have employee resource groups (ERGs) dedicated to women in the workforce? If the answer to most of those questions is no, you might be better off sitting this month out.
If you’re in a good position to put out a message, start measuring your success. It’s not enough to say that your organization supports women in leadership. Your consumers want to know what percentage of your leadership team is made up of women, what programs you have in place to mentor early-career women and metrics for your DEI initiatives.
I want less talk and more action from brands during Women’s History Month. Don’t tell me how you’re going to support women, show me how you’re already doing that. I don’t want lip service, I want action.
Alexa Heinrich Social Media Manager, St. Petersburg College
If you can’t back up your commitment, you’re better off not speaking to it. Gone are the days of posting a picture of Susan B. Anthony on Instagram and calling it a day. After years of lackluster appeals to underrepresented communities, audiences are tired of generic celebration posts.
Make meaningful connections with women
Tokenization, or using someone for their membership in an underrepresented community, is easy to spot in today’s landscape. And consumers see right through it. More than two-thirds of brands rate their external DEI leadership communication, hiring practices or growing diverse talent as good or very good.
Over half (54%) of marketers report seeing more internal and external communications about DEI programs. But only 21% of marketers report that their company has an established DEI team or program. Something isn’t adding up.
To make content that appeals to marginalized groups, you have to communicate with those marginalized groups. That means going to the women in your workplace and customer or brand advocate base and finding out what they’d like to see—not just for Women’s History Month marketing, but year-round. Your women and women-identifying employees aren’t props to be used one month out of the year. They’re valuable members of your team with insight that will make your marketing, and your company, stronger.
Reaching out to underrepresented groups can’t just be about hitting a quota or the visibility of doing something “right.” It has to be real and genuine to your brand. Do your homework, make a connection, and follow up. I see groups being used for reach and engagement, but then dropped off the face of the earth far too often. Make a long-term relationship.
Steph Hermanson Strategic Services Consultant, Sprout Social
Women’s History Month social media ideas that actually work
We’ve talked about potential pitfalls for Women’s History Month but there are just as many opportunities to celebrate. This month isn’t just about women’s struggles, it’s about our accomplishments as well. We’ve established that going generic won’t pay off, so here are some ideas to get your Women’s History Month marketing plan and social media activism started.
Show your work
If you’ve taken our advice and examined your commitment to and success with DEI initiatives, you probably have some data on hand. That data can be invaluable for your Women’s History Month content strategy.
For instance, Sprout Social’s 2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report shows breakdowns of the team and leadership by gender and highlights strategy and operations infrastructure efforts to move the needle. This kind of concrete content shows your commitment to women and gives a glimpse into your company culture. And keeping your customers engaged with your culture can have a big impact. Two-thirds (66%) of consumers agree that posting about company culture impacts their connectedness with the company. That connectedness directly impacts your bottom line, with 77% of consumers ready to increase their spending with brands they feel connected with.
Content about Women’s History Month — or any celebration of identity — resonates most when it comes from a company that is actually doing something to promote the well-being of that identity group. Tell me about your women in leadership or your top-tier benefits for moms.
Dana Cass Founder, Cass Content Studios
Teach your audience something new
People love fun facts. Women’s History Month is a great opportunity to show off your knowledge and teach your customers something new in the process.
Over half (54%) of social media users who spend an hour or more online find educational content engaging, and a comparable amount (49%) are likely to share it with their networks. There’s one caveat though. The content has to be relevant to your brand and your audience. Nellie Bly was a fascinating historical figure and an advocate for women’s rights, but unless your product caters to undercover journalism, the content will just seem generic.
Reading with RIK is a kid’s reading incentive subscription box with the goal of motivating children to read more. For Women’s History Month, they’re planning on sending out books by and about women–and sharing some of those stories on their social media accounts. Ashley R. Cummings, the CMO of Reading with RIK, thinks it’s important to educate both children and families with their product and their social media presence reflects that. Their educational content doesn’t feel forced or generic since it’s seamlessly tied with their product offering.
Express your team spirit
They say charity begins at home. If that’s true, then recognizing the power of women should begin with your team. You could spend hours researching famous women who’ve had an impact on your industry. Alternatively, you could just talk to the women who make an impact on your team every day.
Over two-thirds of marketers (81%) and over half of consumers (66%) agree that brands posting about their employees positively impacts customers’ view of their company. Posting about the incredible women on your team is not only a great Women’s History Month social media idea, but it’s also data-driven. Creating profiles of your teammates’ accomplishments, strengths, goals and stories is an excellent start for your content strategy.
It’s who you know
Your internal team isn’t the only inspiration source for your Women’s History Month social media ideas. It’s a great opportunity to highlight other women in your network, whether they’re vendors, customers or partners.
Tom Leighton, COO of Sofary, a lighting business, will be featuring women who’ve broken barriers in the male-dominated industry. Their list includes manufacturers, retailers, suppliers and distributors. His hope is that seeing these stories will inspire the next generation of women and help create a more inclusive environment across the industry.
Libby Diament, Founder and Designer of Diament Boutiques in Washington D.C., highlights strong women and women’s issues on her business’s social media pages on a regular basis. But for Women’s History Month, she’s taking it a step further by highlighting women-owned businesses in her supply chain.
But you don’t have to stop at the stories of others. If you’re a woman in business, you definitely have one too. Posting about your own journey, obstacles and achievements can be just as inspiring as reading another story from the history books. You can even take it a step further by offering your time, advice and support to women who are trying to break into your industry.
I think using your own story can be extremely effective in providing inspiration. I make sure to mention that followers can reach out to me if they have questions on how to grow a business.
Libby Diament Founder and Designer, Diament Boutiques
Reaching every woman
Women’s History Month is an opportunity to learn, reflect and celebrate. But just like any outreach attempt, it has to be authentic to your business and your audience. Women’s History Month represents a rich opportunity to connect with your customers and prospects. With a thoughtful approach, you can deepen your relationships with women across your network.
Want to check the score of the game? The latest election updates? If a certain singer-turned-mogul is expecting their second child? There’s only one place to go: Twitter.
Despite a year of significant change, Twitter is still the first platform people turn to for breaking news in 2023. To tap into the hub of current events and trending conversations, you have to dig into Twitter analytics to understand how people use the platform. This includes staying up-to-date on the latest Twitter statistics that can shape your approach.
Doing so will help you better understand your target audience. According to The 2022 Sprout Social Index™, 36% of consumers will pick a brand over a competitor if they feel understood, up from 21% in 2021.
While platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram might have more users, Twitter’s audience is active, engaged and plugged-in, and brands should consider it a valuable channel to connect with their audience.
Check out these 23 Twitter statistics to inspire and guide your social media strategy this year.
2. Worldwide usage ranking: 14th most popular social media network
3. Revenue: $5.08 billion
4. Ownership: Privately held
Twitter is at a unique crossroads. For one thing, new ownership has spurred renewed interest in the platform and increased user activity. As of January 2023, Twitter has 436 million monthly active users (MAU), up from 366 million in December 2022. Despite still trailing other networks like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok, this growth indicates rapid and notable increases in user activity. (Pro tip: Use Twitter analytics tools to measure your brand’s unique audience performance.)
On the other hand, uncertainty over the platform’s financial health looms. In its last yearly earnings report in Q4 2021, Twitter reported earning $5.08 billion in annual revenue, up 37% from the previous year. By Q2 2022, Twitter earned $1.18 billion in quarterly revenue—a decrease of 1% year over year—and reported total quarterly costs and expenses equal to $1.52 billion, according to the company’s final earnings release. No updated revenue data has been reported since Twitter was privately acquired.
But don’t count Twitter out during this time of transition. As the 14th most popular social media network in the world, it remains a major player in the social media game.
Twitter usage statistics that prove the platform’s impact
5. Monetizable daily active users: 237.8 million (55% of total users)
6. Average daily usage: 34.8 minutes/day
7. Worldwide daily engagement ranking: Third most-used social network
According to Twitter’s final earnings release, each day 237.8 million monetizable users log into the app, which is 55% of all Twitter users. On average, these users spend 34.8 minutes on the platform. For perspective, users only spend 30.1 minutes per day on Facebook, the platform consumers anticipated they would use most, according to our Index data. Twitter still trails TikTok and YouTube, but as the third most popular app for daily use, there’s no denying Twitter has the potential to help brands grow their communities by gaining new, highly-engaged followers.
Twitter user statistics to help reach your audience
8. Gender: 56.4% male, 43.6% female (Note: Sprout Social acknowledges gender isn’t binary, but our data sources limit their reporting to male and female)
9. Age: 38.5% between 25–34 years old
10. Location: US, Japan and India
11. Cross-platform usage: Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook
12. Education level and income: One-third are college educated and make more than $75,000 annually
13. Sentiment trends: Negative sentiment toward glitches, some new features, user privacy and proposed paywall, but positive overall toward Twitter’s legacy
To maximize your chance of reaching your target audience on Twitter, you need to understand the demographic breakdown of its user base. The platform tends to sway male, with 56.4% of users identifying as such. It’s most popular with people between the ages of 25 and 34 years old, and least popular with teens. Users within this age range are also most active on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Twitter’s core users loudly express their feelings about the platform. In recent months, they have raised concerns about platform glitches, new features, privacy and proposed paywalls. While sentiment has ebbed and flowed, most users are pulling for the platform to regain its wings—like this Tweet from a Twitter fan showcases.
15. Cost per engagement: Increased 39% from 2020 to 2021
16. Ad engagement: Decreased 12% from 2020 to 2021
17. Ad view time: 26% higher than other leading platforms
18. Industry inclusivity: Only major social platform to allow cannabis advertising
Advertising on Twitter takes multiple forms—including promoted Tweets, accounts and trending topics (as this example demonstrates). The platform strives to continuously roll out new high-impact ad types to meet evolving consumer expectations and preferences.
Despite these efforts, ROI for advertisers has significantly fallen since 2020. According to the 2021 annual earnings report, Twitter earns $1.41 billion in yearly ad revenue (up 24% year over year). Yet, ad engagement rates fell by 12% while cost per engagement increased by 39%.
In late 2022 and early 2023, Twitter’s ad revenue took a hit as major brands paused advertising efforts on the platform. Ultimately, it’s too early to tell how this will impact advertising on Twitter long term, but it does create opportunity for brands to breakthrough and experiment in the interim. Twitter reports that ad view time on the platform is 26% higher than other leading platforms.
Twitter stats businesses need to inform their strategy
19. Best time to post: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 9 a.m.
20. Average brand engagement rate: 0.04%
21. Discoverability: #1 platform
22. 53% of people on Twitter are more likely to be the first to buy new products
23. 15% of users and 32% of brands use Twitter for customer service
When you build your Twitter marketing strategy, it’s imperative to align your content with the style of the network. For example, Twitter is a fast-moving platform, and your Tweets will be missed if you post at the wrong time. Overall, the best times to post are Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 9 a.m., but you should find the best time to post on Twitter for your industry and audience.
The average brand engagement rate on Twitter is 0.04%. While that figure might seem low compared to other platforms, remember that Tweets often require less effort which allows brands to post more often, creating more opportunity for engagement.
Despite a low brand engagement rate, Twitter is the number one platform for discoverability, and its superpower is helping brands gain exposure to an audience eager to try something new. According to Twitter, 53% of people on the platform are more likely to be the first to buy new products.
Consumers aren’t just on the platform for Twitter ecommerce, though. According to our Index data, 15% of users and 32% of brands use Twitter for customer service and care—making it a key destination at every stage in the marketing funnel.
Use these Twitter statistics to help your brand soar
These key Twitter statistics prove the platform could still play a vital role in your brand’s social media strategy. But like all social media platforms, your brand’s performance on Twitter is what you make it. Even in the midst of Twitter’s evolution, you can find stability and success if you ground your strategy in data. Empowered with the 23 Twitter stats we shared in this article, evaluate your approach to the platform and refine your tactics to ensure you resonate with your target audience.
Start asking yourself questions like:
Is my target audience using Twitter more or less than I anticipated?
What does my target audience use Twitter for?
What is my brand’s return on paid investment on the platform?
Am I reaching my audience at the best time?
Is my company’s Twitter customer service workflow meeting expectations?
Use your answers to guide your company’s approach to Twitter in 2023, and watch your presence take off. Keep iterating on your Twitter strategy by learning how to use Twitter effectively to grow your brand.
Over the past few years, corporate communications has undergone quite the makeover. Today’s always-on digital world has drastically increased the work it takes to craft a memorable brand narrative. When it comes to standing out, social media for strategic communications isn’t just helpful—it’s necessary.
This advice isn’t limited to promotional efforts, either. Integrating social into every aspect of your strategy drives more compelling, authentic messaging from the ground up.
Communications and social media are a match made in heaven. Keep reading to learn how social medIa can take your strategic communications strategy to the next level.
How to use social media for strategic communications
Social is the perfect vehicle for connecting with your most valuable stakeholders. Consumers, investors, employees—they’re all there waiting for you. If you want to capitalize on the opportunity, here are four ways to elevate social’s role in your corporate communications toolkit.
1. Power up public relations efforts
Once upon a time, “marketing” and “public relations” existed in their own respective lanes.
Now, social media has blurred the boundaries between the two, driving even closer collaboration between the functions. It’s no wonder almost three-quarters (73%) of PR professionals don’t think the term “public relations” as it’s defined today will describe the work they’re doing in five years.
Forward-thinking strategic communications professionals are partnering with social teams to pressure test media pitches, messaging and more. These efforts support a more cohesive brand experience that spans beyond a single channel.
To explain how communications and social media teams might work together, let’s look at a practical example. Say you’re preparing to write a press release on an upcoming campaign launching in partnership with a high-profile spokesperson.
Before starting your draft, you could use a tool like Sprout Social to run two Social Listening Topics: one to assess your current brand health and another to determine the cultural conversation surrounding your spokesperson.
Your Listening Topics will track and analyze the conversations around relevant topics to understand consumer sentiment. Review dynamic word clouds, related keywords and hashtags, sentiment data and more for information that can guide your draft.
Some key questions to ask while digging could be:
How are people currently talking about your brand? Has sentiment been trending up or down in recent months? What can you gather about your content or customers from these results? How can you use that information to create an exciting, highly-tailored press release?
How are people talking about your spokesperson? How is consumer sentiment around them trending? Is there anything that could be cause for concern? What terms and phrases are frequently coming up in these conversations?
Share these findings with your social media team to get more bang for your buck. From there, you can tailor the social arm of the campaign strategy to complement press initiatives for maximum impact.
2. Mitigate employer brand risk
An employer brand is made up of more than just approved messaging grids. It’s a combination of all the macro and micro customer, employee and candidate interactions that happen every single day. When these conversations happen online, they’re out there for everyone to see.
Authentic social conversations can’t be restrained by a multi-step approval process, but that doesn’t mean you need to accept any and all risk. The right toolkit can empower your team to strive for cohesion and accuracy when discussing your company with their extended network.
More than half of engaged social users would post about their company if somebody wrote the content for them. Tapping into this opportunity can elevate your brand message in a way that feels authentic to potential hires, consumers and other stakeholders.
Brands using Employee Advocacy by Sprout Social curate pre-approved employee advocacy content right alongside their brand social media posts. Brands navigating social in highly regulated industries can even require the use of pre-approved messaging on specific posts, so compliance is never left up to chance.
Advocacy content populates in a centralized feed where employees can pick and choose what they’d like to share with their personal networks.
These curated content round-ups benefit both communications teams and their cross-functional colleagues. They keep people up to date on need-to-know announcements and content offerings, empowering colleagues to advance their social presence in a brand-friendly way.
3. Empower your executive team
Delivering on a strong executive brand presence is a unique challenge for strategic communications teams. You want your C-suite to share sharp, incisive thought leadership, but that can often fall to the wayside in favor of running a company.
That said, executive communications is too important to slip through the cracks. According to a recent report from FTI Consulting, 82% of business leaders agree that there is a wider reward for the company if they have an active leader on social media.
Don’t just meet executives in the middle on drafting or brainstorming, meet them at 80% and give them something to react to. Time is an exec’s most valuable resource, so if they’re investing it in comms, you need to maximize the ROI.
Hannah Fleishman Director of Executive Communications, HubSpot
Efficient workflows are at the core of executing an executive communications strategy. Members of your C-suite should be able to review content, provide feedback and approve messaging in just a few clicks.
Sprout’s External Approvers workflow supports this process by allowing collaborators who do not have a seat in the platform to review, approve and reject content.
Getting sign-off for social content shouldn't be a workflow headache.
This type of teamwork can have a lasting impact on everything from marketing and sales to investor relations. It’s a great way to support your C-suite as they step into their role as a face of the brand.
4. Control the narrative around potential crises
There’s nothing more anxiety-inducing than a potential brand crisis. The first bits of chatter on a defective product or out-of-touch statement can kick off a snowball effect that feels impossible to stop.
That’s where social media comes in. Social plays two significant roles in any successful crisis communication plan. It’s both a proactive monitoring tool and a reactive engagement tool.
Social media is a consumer go-to for voicing concerns when a brand crisis strikes. A social media listening strategy can help your brand stay on top of messages across networks to ensure you don’t miss any red flags.
Sprout helps both communications and social media professionals keep tabs on brand health with a sentiment analysis tool that provides immediate context around the conversations surrounding your brand and industry.
In the event of a crisis, brands can use those insights to inform their response to the situation. Sharing a public apology from the brand account may seem straightforward, but an insensitive response can land your brand in even more hot water.
Hopefully, you’ll only ever need to use social media’s proactive crisis management benefits. Still, it never hurts to be prepared.
Harness the power of social media for strategic communications
A social-first approach to strategic communications has the power to reinvent a brand in the eyes of the people who matter most. Ground your strategy in real-time social insights to ground your strategy in the voice of your ideal customer.
Sprout Social offers a suite of tools designed to help brands strengthen their market position with actionable insights. Sign up for a free trial today and future-proof your brand for tomorrow.
