Facebook Still Dominates in Social Media User Engagement [Study]

As social media users are diversifying their online networking platforms, Facebook remains the dominant player, according to Pew’s Social Media Update 2013.

Pew’s new study reveals that more that 7 in 10 online adults had Facebook accounts in 2013, up four percent from 2012. By contrast, around 20 percent visited LinkedIn and Pinterest, respectively.

Meanwhile, 42 percent of online adults used two or more social networks in the past year. Among the 36 percent who used only one major social networking site, more than four-fifths said that they frequented Facebook. In comparison, eight percent used LinkedIn, four percent constantly visited Pinterest, and a mere two percent went to Instagram or Twitter.

In addition to its large user base, Facebook is the most effective platform in terms of user engagement. More than two-thirds of Facebook users visited the site at least once a day, with 40 percent doing so multiple times throughout the day, the study says.

Instagram, a photo-sharing application purchased by Facebook in 2012, exhibits a high level of user engagement as well. Close to 60 percent of its users visited the site at least once a day, with 35 percent visiting multiple times per day. Twitter attracted 46 percent daily users in 2013, with 29 percent visiting multiple times a day.

Pew also points out that while Facebook dominates the online social networking scene, other social media platforms have developed their own unique demographic user profiles. Pinterest appeals to females; LinkedIn is frequented by college graduates and users with higher income; Twitter and Instagram are popular with younger adults, urban dwellers, and non-whites.

Data in this report came from telephone interviews with 1,801 adults. Download the full version from Pew Research Center.