Seventy-six percent of UK social media users are active on Facebook, according to YouGov, which makes it the most popular platform in the UK, followed by YouTube (65%) and Instagram (55%).
Facebook’s reach may come as a surprise, given the platform’s association with older demographics. But while it is true that Facebook attracts 83% of Baby Boomers and 78% of Gen Xers who are social media users, the platform is still popular with younger audiences.
In a report published on 14 August, YouGov stated that 75% of millennials and 59% of Gen Zers who are active on social media continue to use Facebook. In comparison, only 33% of millennial and 56% of Gen Z social media users say they’re on TikTok.
Aengus Boyle, vice president at VaynerMedia, spoke about Facebook in an interview last week, arguing that the platform has been ‘forgotten’ and that marketers are ‘sleeping on it’. According to him, Facebook does have potential and it ‘skews less old than people think’. But even if Gen Z didn’t use the platform, Boyle says, there are still opportunities for brands as ‘that older skew tends to be towards higher value consumers, given the nature of how age and life progression works.’
NielsenIQ predicted last month that Gen X will be the highest-spending generation in 2025, contributing $15.2 trillion to the economy.
After Facebook, YouTube is the second most popular social media platform in the UK, reaching 65% of British social media users. More than one in four (28%) social media users told YouGov they use YouTube more now than they did in the previous year, and this percentage goes up to 38% when looking at Gen Z alone. The increasing use of YouTube could be attributed to changes in consumption habits, as more people now screencast or watch YouTube on their TV.
YouGov’s report also looked at multi-screen viewing. According to the study, 70% of social media users in the UK scroll social platforms while consuming other media at the same time. This could be good news for advertisers since research from earlier this year found that this type of ‘distracted’ consumer is actually ‘ideal’ for pop-up ads.
The report also brought some more encouragement for marketers, as 42% of social media users in the UK said that they have purchased something they’ve seen advertised on their feed; this percentage goes up to 52% for both millennials and Gen Zers.
Social media leads in media consumption this year, with 70% of Brits scrolling through the platforms. Sixty-three percent use streaming services, such as Netflix, and 59% watch live television.
Audio is also performing well, with 53% listening to the radio and 45% using streaming services for music.
However, just 20% of respondents say they read print newspapers, while 16% buy print magazines, and 11% engage with digital magazines.
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