Tests were carried out according to 68 criteria. Each of them received its own “weight” in the total score, which made it possible to form the most objective assessment. The results of the study will help the consumer get a complete picture of the quality of applications and will facilitate the process of choosing the right program.
FUNCTIONALITY
One of the most important consumer characteristics of any mobile application is functionality. In the case of instant messengers, there is a small segment of users who choose applications specifically for reasons of security, but there are significantly fewer of them compared to ordinary users who are primarily focused on the functionality of the programs. In this study, as in previous ones, the corresponding group of test parameters (29 criteria) received the highest value - 32% of the final assessment.
The main task that the messenger is designed to solve is the user’s exchange of messages with other participants in the conversation.
Correspondence
Roskachestvo assessed the possibilities of correspondence according to the following criteria:
- The ability to respond to a specific message within one chat. Available in 73% of tested applications.
- Forwarding messages(according to this criterion, the application must forward the message to another user with information about the author and the date the original was sent). The stated requirements were fully implemented in only 20% of the applications studied. Completely absent this function apps like Kik, Wickr Me, Instagram, Snapchat and Discord.
- File transfer. The maximum score was given if the application allows you to transfer documents (in this case, adding is done from the application itself, and not through file storage), audio and video files, as well as images. At the same time, it was checked that it was possible to send more than 10 graphic files at a time (in one message) and edit graphic files before sending. 49% of the studied applications fully complied with the stated requirements. The lowest score (1 point) was received only by Instagram app, the rest had scores above 3 points.
- Delivery status information. The essence of the criterion is to display the “Delivered” and “Read” statuses with a time indication for messages sent by the author. In 43% of the evaluated applications, this function is fully implemented, in the WeChat and Snapchat applications it is completely absent.
- Audio messages. The only apps that do not allow them to be exchanged are Hangouts, Kik and Discord. The rest support this function, but do not allow either converting received audio messages into text (implemented in Mail.ru Agent and ICQ for Android), or speeding up playback (implemented in WhatsApp, Signal, Threema, Wire, BiP, VKontakte, " Odnoklassniki" and Instagram).
- Sending geolocation. Implemented in 67% of messengers.
- Stickers and animation. They are fully present in 55% of the applications studied; they are absent in Threema and Wickr Me.
- Editing messages after sending. The function is available in 45% of messengers, but only 20% received the maximum score. It was set if editing messages was possible only within 48 hours after they were sent to the interlocutor, with an indication in the chat that the message had been changed. A similar assessment was made for the criterion “Deleting messages” (for all participants). This function is best implemented in WhatsApp - the time for deleting is limited (you cannot delete a message after many days), there is a deletion mark, the message can be deleted for all chat users. You can't delete any messages in Google's Hangouts app.
- Group chats. According to this criterion, the application must have the ability to create and join chats with 3 or more participants, the ability to pin messages and manage the community. Also, upon launch, the chat should open in place unread messages, not the last ones received. In fact, complete functionality is implemented only in Mail.ru products - ICQ, TamTam and Agent. Not a single verified application received zero points.
- Favorite or pin a chat to the top of the list, or add messages to favorites Available only on WhatsApp, WeChat and Snapchat. 21 out of 49 applications received zero points.
- Search by correspondence history implemented in 80% of messengers, absent in Hangouts, Kik, imo, Instagram and Snapchat.
Audio and video calls
Since users are increasingly using Internet telephony instead of traditional calls, the Center for Digital Expertise of Roskachestvo has also assessed the possibilities of making audio and video calls.
Other criteria
In addition to the criteria listed above, experts also assessed the applications according to the following indicators:
Most functional applications(for Android and iOS): “TamTam” (4.51), ICQ (4.38) and “Mail.ru Agent” (4.38).
EASY TO USE
In addition to the functionality of the application, ease of use is also important. This group of criteria was assessed by experts according to seven parameters, the most important of which were “Ease and quality of navigation”, “Help in the application” and “Adaptation for people with disabilities”.
Based on the results of the inspection, we received the maximum score: Viber applications, Messenger (Facebook), WeChat, Threema, Skype, iMessage and Instagram for iOS. Android applications did not reach the maximum score. WhatsApp and Wickr Me for iOS and WhatsApp, Hangouts, Threema and Skype for Android also have high scores (4.5 out of 5). ICQ, Agent Mail.ru, SOMA and VIPole applications for iOS are not suitable for use by people with disabilities. On average, messengers for Android are better adapted than for iOS: the average score for Android is 3.2, for iOS - 2.9.
The most convenient applications for iOS are Messenger (Facebook) (4.85), Threema (4.85) and Skype (4.7). For Android – Threema (4.79), VKontakte (4.68) and Skype (4.64).
SAFETY
A very important group of criteria, especially when it comes to personal correspondence, is “Security”. The key criterion here was the use of end-to-end encryption by messengers. End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient have access to the original text of the message, while it is not accessible even to the servers transmitting the data. Encryption and decryption occur on users' end devices. This significantly increases the confidentiality of correspondence.
Daniil Chernov
Head of Solar appScreener at Rostelecom-Solar
– Encryption is the most reliable way to protect the confidentiality of correspondence. The question, as always, is how well it is implemented. First, the encryption algorithms used must be strong. Secondly, you need to be confident in the “honesty” of the encryption implementation, and this is a matter of trust in the messenger vendor. Are there really no loopholes in the application that allow you to access the contents of the correspondence?
Viber, WhatsApp, Signal, Threema, Wire, Zangi, SOMA, Wickr Me and VIPole use end-to-end encryption by default (for all chats). Some messengers have this option, but it is not used by default - for example, Messenger (Facebook) and Skype (you need to create secret chats). IN ICQ messengers and Mail.ru Agent, end-to-end encryption is not applied to text chats, but is used for audio and video calls. As for iMessage (pre-installed on everything iPhone app“Message”), then only messages in blue “bubbles” are end-to-end encrypted - they are the ones that belong to the iMessage messenger. Messages in green bubbles are regular SMS messages that are sent without any encryption.
The rest of the tested applications do not provide end-to-end encryption, which makes correspondence significantly more vulnerable compared to the above-mentioned applications. In particular, the services themselves have encryption keys and hypothetically have access to correspondence data.
However, end-to-end encryption does not guarantee complete confidentiality and security, but only reduces risks. For example, the victim's device may have Trojan horses or third-party applications installed that request excessive access and permissions. Push notifications with a fragment of correspondence shown are also vulnerable. In order for them to work, iMessage, for example, sends encryption keys to the server, which are necessary to decrypt messages. In addition, most instant messengers allow you to create backups correspondence that is stored in cloud storage or locally on the device, which also creates additional sources of data leakage. Attackers can also gain access to correspondence by reissuing a SIM card using a fictitious power of attorney. In this case, confirmation codes will be sent to the new SIM card, which will allow you to easily log into your account and even download your correspondence history (backup copy).
Therefore, it is extremely important to use two-factor authentication - in the case of instant messengers, log in using a code from SMS and a password (code word). This will make it much more difficult for attackers. This feature is implemented in the WhatsApp, Signal, Odnoklassniki, Instagram, Snapchat, Discord and VIPole applications. IN Messenger apps(Facebook), Hangouts, Skype, VKontakte and iMessage do not have the ability to activate/disable two-factor authentication, but this can be done in the web version or in a separate form (as is the case with iMessage). In other services two-factor authentication absent.
Experts also checked the ability to set a password to enter an application or a specific chat, as well as support for access using biometric data (Touch ID/Face ID, etc.). Received the maximum score for the “Authentication” criterion whatsapp apps(iOS only) and Signal.
In addition to determining the fact of use end-to-end encryption for correspondence and calls, applications have been checked to ensure transport level encryption of all transmitted data. Using specialized software (Wireshark), experts captured all traffic sent by the application under test and then analyzed it for the presence of unencrypted data. In instant messenger applications, all data is transmitted via encrypted channels.
Another important criterion is privacy settings. The top scores for this were WhatsApp, iMessage (iOS 12) and Threema, which allow you to control the visibility of your phone number and profile photo (or not display them at all) for other users. The remaining applications (except for ICQ, Zangi, Signal, BiP and Mail.ru Agent) allow you to do only one of the above. To ensure a greater degree of confidentiality, Roskachestvo recommends using these functionality, and also disable the display of “online”/”offline” statuses and automatic download received photos to a public phone album.
Self-deleting text messages are implemented in Viber, Signal, Wire, BiP, Wickr Me, Snapchat and VIPole.
Viber, Wickr Me, Snapchat, Signal (Android only), Threema (Android only), and VIPole (Android only) offer screenshot protection or notifications.
Applications were also checked for the absence malware(all received 5 points), the redundancy of the requested permissions was assessed (no redundant permissions were identified), the possibility of deleting an account (implemented in 49% of applications) and the informativeness of the legal documentation (the purposes for collecting personal data, their list, deadlines, etc. - indicated for all except BiP; SOMA has no privacy policy).
Consent to the processing of personal data is requested in all applications except Zangi, while in 53% of instant messengers it is active (requires additional actions from the user, for example, checking a box).
When conducting testing, Roskachestvo did not take into account the attitude of development companies to requests from authorities or law enforcement agencies to disclose user information, as well as the anonymity of messengers.
The most secure applications: for iOS – Wickr Me (4.73), Viber (4.57), WhatsApp (4.40) and Wire (4.31); for Android - Wickr Me (4.73), Viber (4.57), Threema (4.57) and Signal (4.35). It is worth noting that instant messengers that position themselves as private and with an emphasis on security have performed really well from this point of view: the applications Signal, Threema, Wire, Wickr Me and VIPole have scores above 4 on this criterion.
What is the safest way to use instant messengers? Recommendations are given by Roskachestvo experts.
Vladimir Zykov
Director of the Association of Professional Users of Social Networks and Messengers
Many began to transfer all communications and agreements to instant messengers, which is extremely unsafe to do. Most instant messengers allow you to edit and delete messages, which deprives you of evidence if you decide to remind your interlocutor about your agreements. It is better to give preference to those instant messengers that allow you to hide your phone number in the privacy settings. In this case, if someone reposts your messages, others will not see your number. Please be aware of these risks and set your privacy settings accordingly. Remember that anonymity in instant messengers is a myth. There are no absolutely safe messengers. Most of them have access to the camera, microphone, photos and contacts on the device, which in itself is insecure.
Ilya Loevsky
Deputy Head of Roskachestvo
Any methods of exchanging information on the Internet cannot be called secure or completely confidential; this must be taken into account. Both IT corporations and law enforcement agencies can access correspondence and metadata. If you want absolute privacy, communicate in person, but even here IT giants can eavesdrop on you in order to offer you targeted advertising.
PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY
In addition to functionality, ease of use and safety, Roskachestvo experts assessed performance and reliability mobile applications.
Resistance to external interruptions was determined (for example, you are typing a message and at that moment an incoming call arrives - part of the typed message should not disappear anywhere), the stability of the application, the correctness of the application and the display of interface elements, the size of the application.
The largest amount of memory occupied by an application is WeChat for Android (more than 300 MB). Threema, imo and VIPole for iOS and Threema and “TamTam” for Android weigh less than the others (score – 5 out of 5, weight – less than 50 MB).
All applications showed correct and stable operation. However, when choosing the Chinese WeChat messenger, you should take into account the difficulties with registering in the service: it is necessary to verify the account with the participation of a user who already has WeChat installed, and it must satisfy a number of conditions.
The highest performance scores were received by applications for iOS Threema, imo, iMessage and VIPole (5 points), for Android - Threema and TamTam.
PORTABILITY
The possibility of transferring chats to another device, the availability of a desktop/web version, and a version for smart watch and other mobile operating system(iOS/Android). All the applications studied allow you to transfer correspondence to other devices; all instant messengers have a desktop/web version except Kik, Zangi, SOMA and Instagram. The latter has a web version, but it does not allow messaging. The smartwatch version is only available for Viber, Messenger (Facebook), WeChat for both platforms, iMessage for iOS and Threema for Android.
APP INFORMATION
Experts also paid attention to the information characteristics of the applications, such as the informativeness of the description, the absence of reviews in the description, screenshots and videos, compliance with the declared functionality, as well as other criteria. A potential user should be able to familiarize themselves with the functionality provided and see what the application looks like in screenshots and videos, without having to install it. Also, the description should contain information only about the implemented functionality, contain a link to the privacy policy, and the application itself should be updated regularly. The TamTam messenger has the highest score in the “Application information” group of criteria (4.97 for iOS and 4.96 for Android).
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the totality of all criteria, the following were recognized as the best:
- WhatsApp (4.50)
- Viber (4.42)
- Skype (4.18)
- WhatsApp (4.41)
- Viber (4.36)
- Threema (4.28)
The study was conducted in accordance with the test methodology based on the preliminary national standard for comparative testing of mobile applications PNST 277-2018.
Thanks to research by Roskachestvo, if it is necessary to select an application that supports a specific functionality, the consumer has the opportunity to filter software products based on its availability and make a choice taking into account the rating compiled by experts from the Center for Digital Expertise of Roskachestvo.
And the purposes of their use.
The functionality of instant messengers is evolving, turning them from simple programs for exchanging messages into a serious communication tool. Analytical company App Annie prepared statistics demonstrating the popularity of certain instant messengers among users different countries. The picture is complemented by information about the main sources of income of the main players in this market. Most of those noted in the statistics are familiar to many active users of instant messengers, but there are also representatives present primarily in China.
Market leaders
The first place is held by Facebook, which owns two messengers: its own Facebook Messenger and acquired WhatsApp Messenger. It must be said that they are among the TOP 10 non-gaming applications in terms of the number of worldwide downloads for their entire existence App Store for iOS. They are ranked 2nd and 6th on the list, respectively. The fifth position of the TOP-10 is occupied by Skype. In the third quarter of this year, Facebook and WhatsApp became the most popular among iOS and Android users.
As you can see from the statistics, Facebook Messenger is in high demand in North America, while WhatsApp Messenger is popular in Latin America and Europe. The remaining positions were taken by Asian KakaoTalk (South Korea), WeChat (China) and LINE (Japan). The income statistics of instant messengers look different. Everything is still good here for the leading and actively developing Skype And Viber. The information is objective, but it is worth remembering that Facebook Messenger is free to use, and for WhatsApp Messenger they ask for only $0.99 per year, and then only for new users.
Sources of income
Chinese developers are developing the capabilities of their messengers. Thus, KakaoTalk, WeChat and LINE already allow video calls in addition to standard text and multimedia messages. In addition, all of the above received support third party applications. Due to this, you can not only use them for games, but also call a taxi and even pay for various services. Thus, once ordinary messengers have turned into full-fledged multifunctional platforms.
As for the main sources of income, the majority of the revenue comes from sticker sales. Developers of Asian instant messengers KakaoTalk, WeChat and LINE also receive additional amounts thanks to built-in games. Additional services such as payment for utilities and municipal services are also of interest.
Advertising in applications plays a significant role, but its monetization, despite all the efforts of the creators, leaves much to be desired. At further development messenger developers Viber, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp Messenger may follow the example of their Asian colleagues, which will certainly affect the popularity of their products among users around the world.
Please rate:
They are the main means of communication among users mobile devices and computers. SMS, MMS and even Email become outdated and less convenient than instant messaging applications, which often use your phone number as a login. This way, all your contacts automatically appear in instant messengers, which is very convenient.
In this article, we decided to collect the TOP 5 of the best and most popular messengers today in Russia, Ukraine and around the world.
#1
WhatsApp is the most popular instant messenger in the world, almost everyone who has a smartphone will definitely install it. This application is popular mainly because of its simplicity. All your contacts will be automatically added to WhatsApp.
Messages, group chats, sharing media content, stickers, emoticons, etc. - all this, of course, is there. Users can also make free calls to other users who have installed Whatsapp.
Most popular in countries such as Russia, China, Germany, Italy, Latin American countries.
Advantages:
- Free application;
- Works on all popular OS: mobile iOS (iPhone), Android, Windows Phone; Windows computers,MAC;
- Free audio and video calls to any country in the world (no additional fees), messages and group chats (up to 256 people);
- Uses any type of Internet connection (Wi-Fi, 4G, 3G, 2G or EDGE);
- Multimedia content (photos, videos, documents and voice messages);
- There is no need to remember logins and PIN codes for authorization, the application only uses your phone number and address book contacts.
Flaws:
- Sending files with a maximum size of 100 MB;
- They note the energy consumption of the iPhone;
- Not best system encryption;
- Requires iOS 8.0 or Android 4.0.3 or later.
#2
Viber is ideal for those who like to use as many stickers as possible. Although the instant messaging service is the main thing in this application, but it is well established in the sticker market. Viber has a beautiful, simple and user-friendly purple interface, voice messages, group chats and video calls also work great on Viber.
Most popular in countries such as: Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Advantages:
- Free application;
- The application is available for iOS 9 and higher, Android 4.0 and higher, Windows Phone, as well as on Windows, Mac OS and Linux;
- Free calls, messages and videos with other system users.
- Stickers, GIFs, animations, etc.
Flaws:
- Sometimes observed bad connection during audio or video calls (but this happens everywhere);
- The maximum length of a voice message is 30 seconds;
- Spam and advertisements;
- Weak data encryption;
- There is no possibility to export data.
#3
Telegram is quite new on the messenger market, but has already won the hearts of many users. It is considered one of the most secure and encrypted messengers. It is possible to create your own groups, store full story correspondence and communicate in group chats.
The leading place among instant messengers is occupied in the following countries: Iran, Uzbekistan and Ethiopia.
Advantages:
- Free application;
- Telegram is available for mobile iOS, Android, Windows Phone and computers running Windows, Mac OS and Linux;
- Open source, allowing each person to make their own edits to their application: make stickers or something cooler;
- Convenient group chat and text editor: special bots will help;
- Smart bots. They will help you format your text for Instagram and other applications, determine a winner at random, etc.
- Unlimited voice messages;
- The application stores a complete history of all your correspondence (unless you want to delete it manually);
- Possibility of simultaneous work on several devices.
Flaws:
- Lack of voice and video calls;
- Secret chats are only available for phones.
#4
One of the most popular applications for exchange instant messages, but is gradually losing its popularity. Video calling is the main feature of this app, but there is also a chat feature that allows you to communicate with others Skype users. It has group chat, emoticons, stickers, media sharing, etc.
But in order to add friends on Skype, you need to know their Skype ID. Plus, you can make cheap international calls by adding Skype credit.
Advantages:
Flaws:
- Messages that have already been sent cannot be edited;
- Weak confidentiality;
- No voice calls.
Statistics of installations and active users (for 28 days)
Russia (Android - Google Play)
The best instant messengers in Russia (Android) Russia (iPhone - AppStore)
The best instant messengers in Russia (iOS) Ukraine (Android - Google Play)
The best instant messengers in Ukraine (Android) Ukraine (iPhone - AppStore)
The best instant messengers in Ukraine (iOS) Infographics
The most popular free instant messengers in the world
The best instant messengers in the world 2019 (AppStore) , carried out mobile operator VimpelCom. According to statistics, at the end of 2016, each Beeline user used on average more than one messenger. This is due to the fact that instant messengers are very convenient: they allow you to quickly and freely exchange voice and text messages, emoticons, pictures, GIF animations and videos.
The high popularity of instant messengers has made them an attractive marketing channel. Many companies actively use instant messengers to attract and retain customers. For example, they offer website visitors correspondence in messenger instead of correspondence in online chat. This is convenient for customers because they do not need to remain in a specific browser tab and wait for a response from the operator.
TOP 5 most popular instant messengers in 2017
According to the study we mentioned above, WhatsApp is the most popular instant messenger in Russia. 68.7% of Beeline operator clients used it to correspond with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. The Megafon operator also confirmed its popularity - according to an internal study, the messenger is popular with 47.6% of subscribers who use messengers at least once a month. And in research , published on the website of the J’son & Partners Consulting agency, collected statistics from all over the world: at the end of 2016, the messenger had more than 1.2 billion registered users.
In the Google directory Play app installed by more than 61 million people. Over the past 2017, developers have implemented a lot good updates. For example, we launched the ability to search for GIF animation directly from the messenger. Users of the messenger can call, exchange files, communicate in group chats for free, linked to a phone number.
In marketing, WhatsApp is used primarily for communication with clients, consultations or newsletters.
Viber
Viber ranks second in popularity among instant messengers. Thus, it is used by 45.7% of users of the VimpelCom operator. It is also in demand among Megafon users - 39.7% of clients use it. In the Google Play catalog, the number of its installations exceeds 10,000,000. The description of the messenger in the catalog indicates that the number of users worldwide exceeds 800 million people.
In 2017, Viber developers also keep up with other application developers and offer interesting updates. For example, now the messenger has hints for stickers, the ability to send messages or respond to a specific message in a group chat. Messenger users can also make calls, including video calls, send text and voice messages, and communicate in group chats.
The main purpose of the Viber messenger in marketing is remote customer support and mailings.
Facebook Messenger
According to the J’son & Partners Consulting study, the link to which we provided above, Facebook Messenger ranks second in popularity in the world after WhatsApp. In mid-2016, the number of its users exceeded 1 billion. In the Google Play catalog, the number of installations exceeded 73 million.
Messenger allows you to communicate with friends on social media Facebook networks without going into the browser. It also includes the ability to share updates and receive notifications about likes and reposts.
Most often, the messenger is used to communicate with users on behalf of the company. Many advanced in the field digital companies create chatbots that answer typical, simple questions. This helps reduce the burden on operators.
Telegram
Telegram showed the most active growth - in December 2016, the average daily number of users increased by 60.5%. In the Google Play catalog, the number of its installations exceeded 2,000,000.
In the messenger you can create group chats and channels, make calls, including video calls, send text and voice messages, and communicate using stickers. Communication is free, convenient, fast.
Companies use Telegram to create their channels and remotely support users. You can also often find chatbots in this messenger.
Skype
This messenger entered the TOP 5 most popular applications around the world - in 2016, the number of its users exceeded 300 million. 38.3% of VimpelCom subscribers also have this messenger installed. In the Google Play catalog, the number of installations exceeds 10 million.
The first option that Skype entered the market with was free video calls. In 2017, the developers added emoji, reactions to messages, the ability to share content without leaving the messenger, and many other options.
Many companies use Skype for remote video support of clients and conducting remote training meetings.
Which messenger do you think is the future? Who will take the palm in popularity in 2018? Share your opinion in the comments.
Today, social networks are so firmly rooted in our lives that the composition of the top five most popular social platforms remains virtually unchanged from year to year. However, the penetration and use of these social networks varies depending on geography and demographic factors. Understanding these differences plays a big role when targeting specific audiences. When comparing the most popular social networks, it is important to pay attention not to the number of registered accounts, but to the number active users. From the review you will learn which social networks are growing faster than others, and which are currently in decline.
The most popular social platforms
The chart, produced by analytics agency Statista, gives a clear picture of the number of active users (in millions) on the world's most popular social networks. Topping the list is Facebook. This can hardly surprise anyone. Facebook holds the majority of the market share with over 2 billion active users. In January 2017, the giant's closest competitor was WhatsApp, which is also owned by Facebook. Then he was in second place. Today, YouTube is in second place with 1.5 billion active users. Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp take third and fourth place respectively.
They are followed by platforms, the majority of whose audience is located in the Asia-Pacific region. These are QQ, WeChat and Qzone (with more than 600 million active users). This shows that there are a number of popular social media in APAC countries. After them, we see a cluster of platforms popular mainly in the West - Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter.
What about in Russia?
In Russia, the penetration of social networks is estimated at 47%; 67.8 million Russians have accounts on them. According to Statista, YouTube is used most actively in the Russian Federation (63% of respondents), VKontakte takes second place - 61%. Global leader Facebook is only in fourth place with an indicator of 35%. Skype and WhatsApp dominate among instant messengers (38% each).
Social networks that are growing faster than others
Marketers usually don’t spend much time on SMM. Which social network should you concentrate your efforts on? Twitter, which amassed 313 million users between 2010 and 2017, has seen the slowest growth compared to its biggest competitors Facebook, WhatsApp and China's WeChat. Founded in 2013, Instagram had already surpassed Twitter in terms of audience size by 2014.
A new study from Statista shows that Twitter fell far behind its peers in 2017. It saw the lowest growth in monthly active audience, with only 23 million from Q3 2015 to Q3 2017. Facebook, meanwhile, grew by 461 million.
How users interact with brands on social networks
Knowing how to behave and what posts to make on social media is also important, since it shapes the image of your brand and, as a result, encourages users to buy your products or, conversely, unsubscribe from your groups. Social media is increasingly being used as customer engagement platforms where customers, existing and potential, want answers to their questions in real time. A chart taken from a Sprout Social report shows that 48% of users can be persuaded to buy by quickly answering questions in a group. 46% respond positively to promotions, and 42% may choose a brand's product if its page contains educational content. 27% of surveyed users admitted that they would be willing to make a purchase if they were shown materials that are usually left behind the scenes.
Half of Sprout Social survey respondents said they would unfollow a brand's community if I posted content that they found offensive, and 27% said they would mark a brand and its page as spam and block it. That is why, to reach and engage your potential clients it is so important to publish relevant and interesting materials that resonate with your target audience.
Social networks with the most active audience
An important factor that influences how much time we should devote to SMM on a particular social network is the level of audience engagement. Here again, Facebook dominates, and also has the highest engagement over time, according to data from analytics firm comScore's study of a panel of US consumers.
Facebook's success is amazing. In addition to the social network itself occupying the top spot, other corporate-owned platforms also took second and third place. Facebook Messenger has a 47% penetration rate, with Instagram right behind it.
From the latest data from Pew Internet, shown in the chart below, we can see that Facebook also leads in the number of active audiences per day. 76% of users log into the social network every day, on Instagram this figure is 51%. Only 42% of Twitter users check it daily, which is almost half that of Facebook.
The average daily duration of use of social networks in the United States is 2 hours 1 minute; in Russia, users spend a little more time on social platforms - 2 hours 19 minutes.
Engagement rates in different social networks
Marketing analytics company TrackMaven analyzed 51 million posts from companies across 130 industries to find out which social networks have the highest engagement rates. The results showed that the absolute leader in terms of engagement per 1000 subscribers is Instagram. This is so much higher than other social networks that we had to create a separate chart to illustrate the difference between Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
As you can see from the second graph, Facebook is significantly ahead of Twitter and LinkedIn. This is largely due to the fact that more people post on Twitter because there is no algorithm to show content to only a small portion of the audience. Because of this, brands have to flood their feeds with posts to break through the information noise. This, in turn, reduces the response rate to publications. Below is the average daily number of posts per account on three social networks.
General statistics on social media usage around the world
Every year, WeAreSocial updates its comprehensive Global Digital Report, which compiles actionable data on social media around the world. From it you can find out how differently social platforms are used in different parts of the world. It is surprising that Western countries are seriously lagging behind in the rate of penetration of social networks.
Below are the main conclusions of the studies.
- The number of Internet users in 2018 reached 4.021 billion people, which is 7 percent more than a year ago.
- Audience social networks in 2018 there are 3.196 billion people - 13% higher than last year's figure.
- Number of users mobile phones is 5.135 billion people, this means plus 4% compared to last year.
The numbers are growing rapidly, especially for active users of social networks on mobile devices - the penetration rate is 39%, which is 5% more than in 2017.
If we talk about the structure of web traffic depending on the type of device, then the most traffic is generated by mobile users (52%, which is 4% higher than last year). Only 43% of all web pages are visited from desktops, which is 3% lower than last year.
Northern, Western and Southern Europe, as well as North America, boast the most high level Internet penetration - 74%-94% of the total population uses the World Wide Web. In Russia, 110 million people use the Internet—76% of the total population.
The growth in the global audience of social networks since January 2017 was 13%. The fastest growth in the number of users is observed in Saudi Arabia. Since January 2017, their number has increased by 32%, the global average is 17%. Other countries with the highest growth rates include India, Indonesia and Ghana. The reason for the jump was the development of technology, which made it easier for the population to access social platforms. Social networks grew the slowest in the UAE, South Korea and the UK -<5%. В России пользователей соцсетей стало на 8 826 000 человек больше (+15% к прошлогоднему значению).
Since Facebook has the largest share of users, it would be useful to know how the content you post will perform on the social network and what features to use to increase its reach. According to social network statistics, the average reach of a publication is 10.7%, with organic posts having 8% (organic reach in Russia is 11.3%), and for paid posts this value is 26.8% (27.4% in Russia) . Organic and paid Facebook posts have enormous potential. It is important to target publications correctly in order to receive quality leads.
You can get a more complete picture of the state of the global digital market in 2018 by studying our review of the Internet 2017-2018 in the world and in Russia: statistics and trends, which we prepared based on the Global Digital 2018 study.
Popularity of social networks by country
The graph below from the GlobalWebIndex report, based on a survey of Internet users, perfectly reflects the popularity of various social networks by country. Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, India and Brazil are among the top ten most active audiences on each social network, significantly ahead of the US, UK and European countries.
Of the four social networks presented (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google+), Russians are the most active users of the video service. Twitter and Google+ are used relatively often by only 20% of our compatriots, and Facebook is regularly viewed by just over 40%.
Demographic statistics of social media use
As can be seen from the graph, different age groups have a similar pattern of social media use. This suggests that social networks have reached a stage of maturity where they can reach all demographic groups, regardless of age and gender. The exceptions are Instagram and Tumblr, which have younger audiences.
Strategies for interacting with social media audiences
According to The State of Social 2018 study, 96% of brands have a presence on Facebook.
Moreover, only half of the respondents have a documented SMM strategy. Large businesses are a little more responsible about this issue than small companies (60% said they have such a document).
When it comes to the types of content brands publish, images, links, and text lead the way. Even though video posts tend to get the most engagement, video content only comes in fourth. This is primarily due to the complexity of creating such materials.
At the end of 2017, Smart Insights, together with Clutch, conducted a survey among business representatives, in which they asked which social networks were of the greatest value to them. It turned out that among B2C companies Facebook is considered the most effective (93% of respondents), and most B2B companies prefer LinkedIn (93%).
The Value of Social Media for Brands in 2018
- If you think that your target audience is not on social networks, you are mistaken.
Through social networks you can reach any audience, regardless of gender, age, social status. 98% of online consumers are registered on social networks, a fairly large part of them are adults 55-64 years old.
- People devote a third of their time on the Internet to social networks.
The average user spends 2 hours 15 minutes a day scrolling through their feed and communicating on social platforms, and young people aged 16-24 spend almost three hours. If you do not consider SMM as a channel for attracting customers, then you are voluntarily giving up the attention of your target audience to your competitors.
- Half of all social media users follow brand pages.
4 out of 10 internet users follow their favorite companies on social media, and a quarter follow brands when planning to buy something. People respond positively to such content, so an active presence on social media is of great value to companies.
- Social networks are the main source of information for consumers.
People aged 16-24 prefer to look for information about brands on social networks rather than on search engines. A quarter of users in this age group admit that a large number of likes on a brand’s page can persuade them to make a purchase. In the group of 35-44 years old, 20% of respondents said the same. Social commerce can be considered one of the main channels for generating profit, which means it is important to diversify your efforts and not rely only on advertising.
- Watching videos is a favorite pastime on social media.
Facebook is the largest social network in terms of number of users, but YouTube takes first place in terms of traffic and the reason is because of the video. Video posts receive the most active response, and that is why leading brands constantly publish videos on their pages.
The following materials were used in preparing the article:
- Global Social Media Research Summary 2018 by Smart Insights
- The State of Social 2018 report by Social Media Week
- The Biggest Social Media Trends Shaping 2018 article published on the GlobalWebIndex blog
- Social Networks Study: How social networks were used in 2017 by analytical agency Metricool
- Global Digital 2018 report package compiled by WeAreSocial analytical agency
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