Here are the latest global platform statistics (mid-2026) that marketers are using. We’ve included here the most reliable numbers available and noted where a figure represents Monthly Active Users (MAU) versus Advertising Reach or Registered Members, because not every platform reports users in the same way. It’s a very interesting read nevertheless.
| Platform | Latest Users | Growth | Marketing Insight |
| ≈3.07 billion MAU | Steady | Still the world’s largest social platform and strongest for community building and local businesses. (Quantumrun) | |
| YouTube | ≈2.6–2.7 billion monthly users (ad reach) | Growing | The world’s second-largest search engine after Google and the largest video platform. (DataReportal – Global Digital Insights) |
| ≈3.0 billion MAU | Strong growth | One of the fastest-growing Meta platforms, driven by Reels, shopping and creators. (The Times of India) | |
| TikTok | ≈1.8–2.2 billion users (ad reach) | Fastest-growing major platform | Continues to dominate short-form video and product discovery. (DataReportal – Global Digital Insights) |
| ≈1.4 billion registered members | Growing | The world’s largest professional network. Note this is members, not monthly active users. (DataReportal – Global Digital Insights) | |
| X (Twitter) | ≈550–600 million monthly users (estimated) | Flat to declining | Still influential for news, politics and real-time conversations, though growth has slowed. (Quantumrun) |
| Bluesky | ≈40–45 million registered users | Very fast growth | Growing quickly among journalists, academics and technology communities, but still comparatively small. (Social Media Dashboard) |
- Still has the largest audience globally.
- Excellent for local businesses, community engagement and remarketing.
- Organic reach remains limited, so paid advertising is often needed. (Quantumrun)
YouTube
YouTube is now much more than a video platform.
It is:
- the second-largest search engine in the world,
- increasingly surfaced in Google Search,
- a major source for AI-generated summaries and recommendations.
Long-form educational videos continue to perform exceptionally well. (Social Media Dashboard)
Instagram has reached approximately 3 billion monthly active users, making it one of the largest social platforms globally.
The biggest growth areas continue to be:
- Reels
- AI recommendations
- Shopping
- Creator content
TikTok
TikTok is no longer just an entertainment platform.
Many Gen Z and Millennials now use TikTok as a search engine for:
- restaurants
- travel
- recipes
- product reviews
- “how-to” information
This behavioural shift is one reason marketers now talk about Search Everywhere Optimisation. (Quantumrun)
LinkedIn now reports around 1.4 billion members worldwide.
It has become one of the most effective B2B marketing platforms because:
- AI is surfacing LinkedIn content more frequently,
- thought leadership performs exceptionally well,
- decision-makers actively consume business content there. (DataReportal – Global Digital Insights)
X (formerly Twitter)
X remains influential for:
- breaking news,
- politics,
- finance,
- sport,
- technology.
While its overall growth has slowed, it still reaches hundreds of millions of users worldwide. (Quantumrun)
Bluesky
Bluesky has experienced rapid growth, particularly among:
- journalists,
- academics,
- researchers,
- technology professionals,
- early adopters.
Although much smaller than Meta’s platforms or X, it is becoming an increasingly important channel for niche communities and thought leadership. (Social Media Dashboard)
The big marketing takeaway
The data reinforces the importance of Search Everywhere Optimisation.
People no longer discover businesses in one place. They search across:
- Google AI Overviews
- Bing
- ChatGPT
- Microsoft Copilot
- YouTube
- TikTok
- X
- Bluesky
- Maps
- Review sites
- Industry directories
For businesses, success is no longer about ranking #1 on Google – it’s about being discoverable wherever your customers are looking. That’s the core idea behind Search Everywhere Optimisation, and it’s becoming an increasingly important strategy as search, AI and social discovery continue to converge.
Contact the Reach Marketing Team if you’re not sure what platforms you should be on for your business, groups, etc and let’s chat about the importance of a full digital audit.