Singapore – We Are Social and Meltwater has recently released their annual report on social media usage globally, and has noted that amidst a 5-billion strong global users base, users in Southeast Asia proved to one of most active user base, from gaming to social media usage.
According to the report, the average time spent on social media in the Philippines (3 hours, 34 minutes), Indonesia (3 hours, 11 minutes), Malaysia (2 hours, 48 minutes), Thailand (2 hours, 31 minutes) and Vietnam (2 hours, 25 minutes) is above the global average of 2 hours, 23 minutes. Singapore spends 2 hours, 14 minutes on social media.
It is also worth noting that Singapore ranks 10th globally for social media adoption versus total population. The total number of social media identities as a percentage of Singapore’s population is 85%.
Meanwhile, the average number of social media platforms used in the Philippines (8.0), Malaysia (7.9) and Indonesia (7.8) see these nations rank second, third and fourth respectively worldwide. The average in Singapore (6.9) also ranks higher than the worldwide average (6.7). Moreover, the Philippines topped the list globally for the highest percentage of social media users (43.9%) who say they follow influencers or other experts on social media.
Additionally, Indonesia (62.8%), Malaysia (61.5%) and the Philippines (60.0%) ranked second, third and fourth respectively up against other nations globally for the percentage of social media users who visit social media in order to learn about brands and see their content. Thailand (53.7%) and Vietnam (52.5%) were also above the global average (48.9%).
The percentage of internet users from Vietnam (81.2%), Indonesia (80.9%), the Philippines (79.2%) and Malaysia (76.8%) who use social media to research brands and products they’re considering buying is also above the worldwide average (73.9%).
Lastly, Southeast Asians are amongst the top gamers. Indonesia (96.5%) and the Philippines (95.5%) top the list globally of internet users in playing video games on any device. Thailand and Vietnam follow closely behind in the fourth spot globally with 93.2% of internet users playing video games.
From a global perspective, Facebook–which celebrates its 20th birthday on February 4–grew its global ad reach by more than 200 million over the past 12 months, delivering year-on-year growth of 10.5%. LinkedIn, Snapchat, WeChat and Pinterest also have all reported strong user growth year-on-year.
Meanwhile, digital ad spend grew by 10 percent year-on-year, with almost $720 billion spent on digital ads in 2023. Social ad spend increased by 9.3% to USD $207 billion, and investment in influencer activities increased by 17%.
Nathan McDonald, co-founder and group chief executive at We Are Social commented: “Social media continues to be a vital part of the way we connect with one another, from building communities to researching purchases and everything in between. TikTok’s continued popularity has changed the way that people behave online – social is not somewhere where a broadcast approach works for brands, and the importance of thinking social first has never been more important.”
He added, “It’s encouraging to see strong growth across multiple social platforms, each offering something different, whether that’s Pinterest for social commerce or Facebook for connecting with communities. For marketers, understanding platform nuances – and how to use social media to connect in culturally relevant ways – will be more crucial than ever.”
Meanwhile, Alexandra Saab Bjertnæs, chief strategy officer at Meltwater, said: “As social media enters its next chapter with five billion-plus users, understanding usage patterns, engagement, and emerging trends is crucial to helping brands find their unique voice amidst all the online chatter.”
She added, “The rise of TikTok, coupled with Instagram’s ‘favorite’ status and the growth of professional networking platforms like LinkedIn, paints a picture of evolving preferences. With so many platform choices, brands need to really understand where their target audience is going for information—and shape compelling narratives that engage them with unparalleled precision and authenticity.”
