Social Media in Business: Global State and Outlook Through 2026

Global Social Media Usage Trends (B2C and B2B)

As of October 2025, an estimated 5.66 billion social media user identities exist worldwide, equal to 68.7% of the global population. Social media adoption has effectively reached a “supermajority” of humanity, with twice as many people using social platforms as not. Growth remains robust even in the face of saturation: the worldwide user base grew about 4.8% year-on-year, adding 259 million new users between Oct 2024 and Oct 2025. The average person now uses 6–7 different social platforms per month and spends roughly 2.5–3 hours per day on social media. In total, users globally log over 18 hours per week on social apps – a testament to social media’s deep integration into daily life.

B2C Landscape

For consumer-facing businesses, social media is an essential channel for marketing, commerce, and customer engagement. More than 63% of the world’s population uses social media (over 5.4 billion people in 2025) and the penetration is even higher among adults with internet access. This broad reach has translated into social platforms becoming a dominant venue for consumer influence and shopping. In fact, social commerce (purchases made directly within social apps) is booming – the global social commerce market is projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2025. In China, apps like TikTok’s sister Douyin pioneered in-app shopping and live-stream sales, and now Western platforms are following suit. U.S. social commerce sales, for example, are on track to double from $37 billion in 2021 to nearly $80 billion by 2025. This reflects consumers’ growing comfort with buying products discovered via feeds or influencer content. Moreover, social media greatly influences purchase decisions even outside of direct “buy” buttons – one McKinsey study found a 10% jump in purchases attributable to social media recommendations in just one year. For consumer brands, social channels now span the entire customer journey, from awareness (viral content, trending hashtags) and consideration (reviews, influencer demos) to conversion (social storefronts) and loyalty (community groups, customer service chats).

B2B Landscape

While reaching a smaller audience, social media is equally transformative for B2B companies. Approximately 84% of B2B buyers use social media at some stage of purchasing decisions, whether to research vendors, read expert content, or seek peer recommendations. LinkedIn has emerged as the powerhouse platform for B2B marketing and networking – by early 2025 it surpassed 1.2 billion members worldwide, and an overwhelming 96% of B2B content marketers rank LinkedIn as the most effective social platform for their efforts. B2B marketers primarily leverage social networks to distribute content (89% do so), build thought leadership, and generate leads through targeted advertising and prospect outreach. Twitter (now X) and niche forums (like Reddit or industry-specific communities) also play roles in B2B for real-time conversation and Q&A. The social approach in B2B tends to prioritize quality over virality – successful firms use social channels to establish trust, showcase expertise (through whitepapers, webinars, LinkedIn articles), and engage decision-makers with personalized interactions (often via sales professionals’ social selling). Notably, social selling is rising: sales reps tap social networks to identify and directly connect with prospects; as many as 80% of B2B leads sourced via social media can be through LinkedIn. Overall, social media has blurred the lines between marketing, sales, and customer service in B2B, creating an always-on ecosystem where relationships are built long before formal sales calls.

Regional Variations & Ad Spend

Social media’s growth is global, but usage patterns vary. Emerging markets in Asia-Pacific lead in user numbers and innovation. Penetration is highest in regions like Northern Europe (over 80%) while parts of Africa and South Asia show lower rates, indicating room for expansion. Culturally, platforms differ: WhatsApp dominates customer communication in markets like India and Brazil, whereas image-heavy networks set trends in North America and Europe. This requires tailored strategies. Social media is now a core advertising medium, attracting over half of U.S. ad spend in media and entertainment in 2024. While measuring ROI remains a challenge, advanced analytics now allow marketers to link social engagement to concrete business outcomes like sales leads and revenue, maturing social media into a performance marketing channel.

Platform Evolution: Trajectories of Major Networks

The social platform landscape is dynamic, with each major network adapting to user trends and competitive pressures. Here’s where they are headed through 2026:

• TikTok: Evolving from viral videos to a retail powerhouse, integrating TikTok Shop and live-stream sales. Expect diversification into longer videos and original programming, though regulatory scrutiny remains a headwind.
• LinkedIn: Transforming into a vibrant professional community and content hub, with over 1.2 billion members. The platform is weaving in AI for personalized feeds and suggestions, making it indispensable for B2B marketing, sales, and corporate branding.
• Threads: Meta’s bet on text-conversations, offering a more brand-safe environment than X. Its future depends on user retention and deeper integration with Instagram.
• Reddit: Focused on modernization and monetization, improving its ad platform and video features while nurturing its unique ecosystem of niche communities.
• Instagram & Facebook: Adapting to stay relevant. Instagram is pivoting to Reels to counter TikTok, while Facebook leans into community Groups and local content. Both are building bridges to future AR/VR social experiences.

Enterprise Adoption: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities

Companies are scaling up investments to embed social media across marketing, sales, and customer support. Leading "social-first" brands allocate up to 24% of their marketing budget to social tools and technology. However, many still struggle to meet objectives, highlighting a strategy-execution gap. Key trends include:

• Content Systems & Creator Collaboration: A shift from one-off sponsorships to co-creating content with micro- and mid-tier influencers who have engaged, niche audiences.
• AI Automation and Personalization: Using AI to draft copy, generate ideas, and analyze performance, allowing for hyper-personalization at scale.
• Unified Measurement: Deploying social listening and analytics tools to get a holistic view of brand mentions, sentiment, and campaign ROI across all channels.

Critical Threats: AI-Generated Content, Authenticity & the “Dead Internet” Theory

The rise of generative AI presents significant risks. The flood of synthetic content makes it harder for users to distinguish fact from fiction, eroding trust. The "Dead Internet Theory," which suggests a large portion of online activity is bot-driven, is supported by data showing bots now account for over 51% of all internet traffic. For businesses, this means engagement metrics can be misleading and brand reputation can be attacked by bot-driven campaigns. The strategic implication is a greater need for transparency, content provenance tools, and a focus on building genuine community.

Case Studies: Social-First Successes and Failures

• Success - Wendy’s: Transformed its brand with an edgy, humorous voice on Twitter, leading to viral engagement and increased brand loyalty among younger consumers.
• Success - Gymshark: Grew into a billion-dollar brand by building a community around fitness influencers and user-generated content, proving the power of authentic engagement.
• Failure - Bud Light: Faced a severe backlash after a partnership with a transgender influencer, highlighting the importance of understanding your core audience and being prepared to defend marketing choices.
• Failure - Balenciaga: An ad campaign featuring children with teddy bears in BDSM-like gear caused a massive outrage, demonstrating the risks of shock value and the need for rigorous internal review processes.

Forward-Looking Forecasts and Strategic Implications for Leaders

Looking to 2026 and beyond, leaders should anticipate:

• Social Media as Commerce Media: The line between social and e-commerce will continue to blur, making in-app purchasing seamless.
• AI Everywhere: AI will orchestrate hyper-personalized user experiences, and conversational AI will become more integrated.
• Increased Regulation: Governments will impose stricter rules on data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and online harms.

The key takeaway for business leaders is to embed social media into core strategy, invest in talent, prioritize authenticity, and build resilient, agile systems. The businesses that thrive will be those that use technology to enhance human connection, not replace it.

Authored by Jason Barrett, Founder of GrowthStack.club.

Sources: DataReportal, Deloitte Digital, McKinsey, UserGuiding, The Social Shepherd, SecurityWeek, OpenExO, Adobe, Talkwalker, Rival IQ, and others.