Social Media? Everyone knows what that is now. But two decades ago, someone might have given you a confused look if you used the term “social media.” How quickly things change and become part of our everyday life! In this article, I’ll cover all the popular social media platforms and explain what they do and who they’re for.
Almost everyone uses social media – whether it’s for personal or business, or both. It’s a communication tool for individuals, businesses, schools, non-profits, and government entities. Most organized groups have some social media presence.
Why I use Social Media with WordPress
In this video, I explain why social media is important to your business and the pros and cons of a few popular platforms.
The Most Popular U.S. Platforms
According to statistics from the Pew Research Center, at the time of this writing, here are the biggest social media platforms in the United States:
YouTube – 224 million users
Facebook – 186 million users
Instagram – 136 million users
TikTok – 99 million users
WhatsApp – 88 million users
LinkedIn – 83 million users
Snapchat – 69 million users
Reddit – 67 million users
X (Twitter) – 48 million users
Nextdoor – 48 million users
What’s the Difference Between All the Platforms?
Social media has been around since the early 2000s. MySpace was the first social media site to reach 1 million users. However, social media platforms rise and fall. Two original social networking platforms – MySpace and Friendster – no longer exist. They were gobbled up by the giants that have survived – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
On average, people spend about 2 hours and 21 minutes a day on social media. As a business owner, you can gain many benefits from using social media. Social media can help drive traffic to your website, build your brand, and expand your audience.
With so many options, it can be challenging to understand the differences between platforms. Today, I’ll explain 22 top social media platforms (from most users to least) and who primarily uses each.
Top 10 U.S. Platforms
1) YouTube
Description: YouTube is a free video-sharing website. It’s useful for creators and consumers. For creators, YouTube makes it easy to share content and possibly monetize it. YouTube is also a valuable learning tool since you can find videos on almost every topic imaginable. Plus, it’s entertaining!
Who uses it: the entertainment industry, “how-to” businesses, YouTubers, people with family-friendly content to share, educators, etc.
You can find me on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/websitecreationworkshop
2) Facebook
Description: Facebook is one of the world’s most recognized social networking services. This platform lets you post comments, share photographs and links, create groups, and more. It is user-friendly and makes it easy to find and stay connected with others. It’s also attractive to businesses that want to run ads and reach specific demographics using Facebook’s sophisticated tools.
Who uses it: Everybody, but it doesn’t seem to be popular among the younger generation
You can find me on Facebook here: https://business.facebook.com/christinahillsbiz
3) Instagram
Description: Instagram has traditionally focused on images. It allows you to share your family or lifestyle images with close friends (“followers “). It also gives celebrities with millions of followers a platform to communicate with their fans. Furthermore, it creates a specific page for every user that provides content related to their interests, keeping them updated on the latest news and innovations.
Who uses it: visually oriented people, business owners, celebrities, young people
You can find me on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/christinahills/
4) TikTok
Description: TikTok is a social media video-sharing platform that lets users showcase their talent, wit, and stories. With a time restraint of one minute, users create and share videos that can appear on other people’s “for you page, ” a collection of specific content that caters to an individual’s interests. Some creators have gained massive audiences, surpassing 10 million followers, reflecting the platform’s widespread use.
Who uses it: Teenagers and now adults, too
5) WhatsApp
Description: WhatsApp is a free app that lets you send messages, photos, and videos to friends and family using the internet instead of text messages. You can also make voice and video calls, even if the person is in another country. It works on both phones and computers, so your chats stay connected everywhere. I use WhatsApp with my team to send voice or text messages to one person or a group of people.
Who uses it: It’s used by people all around the world, but it’s especially popular in countries outside the United States – like India, Brazil, Mexico, and parts of Europe and Africa.
6) LinkedIn
Description: Considered a professional social networking site, LinkedIn is especially popular among those in the corporate world. When strategically used, LinkedIn can help you advance your career, expand your professional network, connect with the right people in a company, and get in front of corporate recruiters.
Who uses it: Corporate networkers, recruiters, B2B businesses
You can find me on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinahills/
7) Snapchat
7) SnapchatDescription: On Snapchat, friends interact and communicate through a direct messaging system. Features like “streaks” (daily contacts with a particular friend) motivate users to use the app repeatedly. Snapchat offers a temporary message system, meaning messages are usually deleted automatically after a set time frame. It also has other features, such as stories and “snapmaps,” which allow you to interact with one another continuously.
Who uses it: teenagers, young adults
8) Reddit
Description: Reddit is a media platform that allows anyone to share ideas about anything they want to. The Reddit website is split up into smaller sections called subreddits. These subreddits are like a forum for individuals with similar passions to interact through posts on a particular subject. There are subreddit communities on virtually every topic imaginable.
Who uses it: Everyone
9) X (formerly called Twitter):
9) X (formerly called Twitter):Description: While many people didn’t ‘get’ it when it first came out with its original name “Twitter,” X has become a popular place to share short messages, find real-time information, and get support. It allows you to post messages (“tweets”) with up to 280 characters, images, links, and short videos. (Twitter changed its name to X in July 2023.)
Who uses it: Some business customer service centers, news media, celebrities, and other individuals with a large audience
You can find me on X here: https://x.com/christinahills
10) Nextdoor
10) NextdoorDescription: Nextdoor is a social networking platform that connects people with others in their local neighborhoods and communities. Members can share recommendations, ask questions, post local news and announcements, buy and sell items, and find local businesses and services. It is a great way to stay informed about what is happening nearby and connect with people who live in your area.
Who uses it: Homeowners, neighbors, local businesses, community organizations, and people looking for local recommendations and services.
Other Popular Social Media Platforms:
While I can’t possibly list ALL the social media platforms available, here are some additional platforms worth knowing about, especially if you’re a business owner or entrepreneur.
Substack
SubstackDescription: Although you won’t find this one on the top of the charts for social media platforms, Substack is gaining in popularity! Substack is a publishing platform that lets writers, creators, and businesses share newsletters, articles, podcasts, and videos with their audience. Readers can subscribe to publications for free or pay for premium content. Substack also offers social features, such as Notes, which lets users share short posts, discover new writers, and interact with other readers. It’s a popular way for creators to build an audience and connect directly with their subscribers.
Who uses it: Writers, journalists, bloggers, content creators, businesses, and readers interested in newsletters and independent publications.
You can find me on Substack here: https://substack.com/@christinahills
Pinterest
PinterestDescription: Pinterest is a social media service that focuses on visuals. People can post images/videos (called “Pins”) to different “boards.” It is an organizational tool to help you group ideas in one place. You can also view other people’s “boards” to get inspiration on a particular topic.
Who uses it: Visually-oriented people, people interested in crafts, photographs, food, fashion, fitness, and beauty
You can find me on Pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/christinabiz
Threads
ThreadsDescription: Threads is an Instagram companion app that enhances the social media experience by enabling users to maintain private, exclusive communication with close friends and followers. It lets individuals create and share a “Close Friends” list within Instagram, enabling more personalized conversations while also offering enhanced privacy settings. Threads also offers seamless photo and video sharing, status updates, and quick access to your Instagram camera, making it a streamlined, user-friendly tool for connecting with your Instagram followers.
Who uses it: Instagram users, especially among younger demographics.
You can find me on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@christinahills
BlueSky
BlueSkyDescription: BlueSky is a social media platform similar to Twitter (now X), where users share short posts, photos, links, and conversations. Originally developed as a Twitter project in 2019, it grew in popularity after Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022, as people looked for an alternative. Compared to Facebook or Instagram, Bluesky focuses more on conversations and information sharing (rather than personal photos, videos, or shopping), and it gives users more control over their feeds and overall social media experience.
Who uses it: Bluesky is popular among journalists, writers, artists, academics, technology enthusiasts, and people interested in news, politics, and exchanging ideas.
You can find me on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/christinahills.bsky.social
Meetup:
Description: Meetup bridges the gap between online networking and in-person networking. You can find groups of people with similar interests in your area and join their local meetings (called “meetups”). Meetup has groups for various hobbies, professional interests, academic interests, and more. It’s a great place to network and meet new people.
Who uses it: In-person networkers, hobbyists, people looking for friends
You can find me on Meetup here: https://www.meetup.com/members/13881451/
Messenger
MessengerDescription: Messenger is a messaging platform from Meta that allows people to send text messages, make voice and video calls, and share photos, videos, and other files with friends and family. It also supports group chats, making it easy to connect with multiple people at once. Messenger is closely connected to Facebook, letting users communicate with their Facebook friends without posting publicly.
Who uses it: Facebook users, friends and family, businesses, and people who want to communicate privately.
You can find me on Messenger here: https://www.facebook.com/christinahills
Quora
Description: A question popped into your head, but you can’t find any answer online. Quora is a platform where you can post your questions and get answers from other users. People post all types of serious, random, or silly questions, and you’ll be surprised how other users chime in to help.
Who uses it: Young adults (https://foundationinc.co/lab/quora-statistics/)
Vimeo
Description: While mostly known as a video hosting service, Vimeo also offers social media features like YouTube. You can grow your following by letting people like, share, and comment on your videos. Its video editing and control tools are very robust, allowing you to easily showcase your videos with a professional look.
Who uses it: marketers, video content creators, “how-to” businesses, educators, etc.
Telegram
Description: Telegram is a messaging app that allows people to send text messages, make voice and video calls, and share media like photos and videos with friends and groups. It’s known for its strong focus on privacy and security, with features like end-to-end encryption and self-destructing messages. Telegram also supports large group chats and channels, making it popular for personal and group communication.
Who uses it: Over 75% of Telegram users are over the age of 25
You can find me on Telegram here: https://t.me/christinahills
Discord
Description: Discord describes itself as “a place to hang out with others virtually.” You can talk with friends, strangers, and your favorite content creators. An interesting fact: Discord started as an online call and message system for video gamers. Now, it’s a place where anyone can easily find others with similar interests. Servers with thousands of users act as virtual hubs where people passionate about activities such as video games, sports, art, etc., can interact to ask questions, share ideas, or talk about why they love what they do.
Who uses it: Everyone, Gamers, artists, musicians, etc. Also, people who hate Facebook want their groups on another platform.
Clubhouse
Description: Clubhouse is an audio-based social media platform that became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike platforms focused on photos, videos, and written posts, Clubhouse lets users join virtual rooms to listen to or join live conversations about topics such as business, technology, spirituality, and personal development. Its invitation-only membership and participation by celebrities and entrepreneurs helped fuel its rapid growth in 2020 and 2021. However, its popularity declined significantly as pandemic restrictions ended and people returned to in-person activities. Click here to read more about Clubhouse
Who uses it: The platform was especially popular with younger adults during the pandemic, particularly Millennials and Gen Z. However, its audience has become smaller and more specialized since its peak in 2021.
Although I rarely use it anymore, you can find my Clubhouse link here: https://www.clubhouse.com/@christinahills
Tumblr
Description: Tumblr is a microblogging social media service. This means the content shared is short (like Twitter). You can post short sentences, individual images, or video links. From the dashboard, you can easily read and comment on other blogs. It’s now owned by Automattic, the organization that runs WordPress.
Who uses it: primarily teenagers, young adults, and some businesses
Description: WeChat is a popular social media and messaging platform in China that allows users to send messages, share photos and videos, make voice and video calls, and connect with friends and family. In addition to messaging, users can follow public accounts, share updates on their personal feeds, and access a variety of services, including mobile payments and online shopping. WeChat combines several digital features into one app, making it an important part of everyday life for millions of people worldwide.
Who uses it: Primarily people in China, but also international users, businesses, and people who want to stay connected with friends and family in China.
Twitch
Description: Twitch is an online streaming service that gives creators a real-time platform to display their personalities, talents, and lives to a large audience. Unlike most other social media platforms, many streamers can make a living on Twitch through audience donations or by running advertisements during their live streams.
The content found on this website focuses primarily on video games. However, many creators also stream simple real-life activities such as cooking, exercising, etc. Twitch’s strength lies in streamers’ ability to interact with their audience.
Who uses it: Gamers and musicians, ranging from teens to adults.
Final Thoughts on Social Media…
I’ve found social media to be a great way to connect with people through the channels they’re most comfortable using. It has a place in our lives and can strengthen in-person relationships and networking. Social media is a valuable tool to add to your business-building arsenal.
So, which social media platform is right for your business? If you’re not currently on social media, I suggest starting with one platform. Where does your target audience spend their time? That can help you decide where to begin and how to connect with the people you can serve.
(Originally Published May 2022; Updated Nov 2026)
Thank you for this information about social media and all the platforms that are available. I have accounts with almost all of those platforms. I don’t post on them all but claimed the platform with my website name so nobody else could get the name. Right now I post on Facebook and looking at clubhouse for my next platform. I really enjoy connecting with people. I help women heal from narcissistic abuse so I feel that is on many different platforms. Facebook and Instagram seem to be the best ones.