How Much Has Social Media Usage Changed in 2020?
It’s hard to comprehend the sheer breadth of data that is consumed online every single minute, from Facebook posts to YouTube views to video calls. The fundamental changes that 2020 brought have also brought changes to how we consume media, connect with people, and entertain ourselves.
Our work, social lives and hobbies were all forced online, creating a huge shift in online data, whether that is via apps or the internet. And as the world changes, businesses need to change with it. We’re going to delve into the data and analyse how much has changed and what that means for brands.
How much data is being consumed every minute?
Recently, Domo published its 8th edition of Data Never Sleeps, an infographic collating the latest statistics of how much data is being created and consumed every minute.
While fascinating, we struggled to line Domo’s data up with previous years’ statistics to see just how much has changed in the last 12 months. So, we’ve done a bit of our own research to show you the true comparison.
| Platform | Current | Previous |
| 42 million messages sent per minute in 2020 | 29 million messages sent per minute in 2019 | |
| 347,222 stories uploaded per minute in 2020 | 277,777 stories uploaded per minute in 2019 | |
| Netflix | 404,444 hours of video watched per minute in 2020 | 694,444 hours of video watched per minute in 2019 |
| Zoom | Peak daily meeting participants April 2020: 300 million+ | Peak daily meeting participants December 2019: 10 million |
| Microsoft Teams | 75 million daily active users in April 2020 | 32 million daily active users in March 2019 |
| Twitch | 74,670,816 hours streamed per month May 2020 | 35,930,736 hours streamed per month May 2019 |
As you can see from our data comparison, online usage of almost all platforms has dramatically increased this year. What may come as surprising is the drop in Netflix consumption, especially considering the hours we all poured over programmes such as The Tiger King, what felt like years ago.
What we can assume from the data is that people have been finding more ways to be sociable and stay connected, whether that is by sending Whatsapp messages or arranging video calls via platforms such as Zoom.
What we can also determine is the number of people who are turning to social media. Domo’s statistics show that, on average, per minute:
- 2,704 people install the TikTok app
- 319 new users sign up for Twitter
- 347,222 Instagram stories are uploaded
- 138,889 Instagram business profile ads are clicked on
What does this mean for brands’ social strategies?
At the beginning of lockdown, we gave our guidance on how to adjust your social media strategy for COVID-19. Some of the points we made included spikes in social media usage, drops in brand engagement, and this need for more of a connection. Our advice was to listen to your audience, pull back on-brand messaging, and post content with real value.
The combination of coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter movement this year has seen a real shift towards connections, empathy, and brands with real values. This huge increase in messaging and video platforms alongside more visual social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram goes some way towards confirming how peoples’ social media usage has dramatically changed this year and how people are communicating and connecting.
Need some help with your social media strategy for the rest of 2020 and beyond? Contact our team.
