Top 5 Social Media Apps to Grow Your Brand in 2025

Think back to the last piece of content you shared. What made you hit that share button? Maybe it made you laugh, sparked joy, or delivered a helpful tip just when you—or someone you care about—needed it. Sharing is second nature to us. We’re social by design: we live in communities, collaborate in teams, and build relationships through shared experiences.

It’s no wonder, then, that social media has become such a powerful part of our daily lives. With over five billion users worldwide as of 2025, social media isn't just a trend—it's a cornerstone of modern connection, culture, and communication.

In this article, we’ll take a high-level look at how social media can support your brand’s growth, explore the top-ranking platforms in 2025, and highlight a few emerging apps worth keeping on your radar as you shape your social media strategy.

How Can Social Media Apps Support Your Brand?

In 2025, the average active social media user spends around 147 minutes per day scrolling, liking, sharing, and engaging across platforms. That’s over two hours of daily opportunity for your brand to connect, communicate, and convert.

A well-crafted social media presence isn’t just about showing up—it’s about showing up with purpose. When used strategically, social media apps can offer your brand a range of powerful benefits, including:

• Building genuine relationships with both loyal customers and new audiences
• Boosting brand visibility and keeping your business top of mind
• Driving quality traffic to your website, blog, or online store
• Increasing sales through targeted campaigns and social commerce features

Of course, tapping into these benefits starts with one key step: understanding the social media landscape. The more familiar you are with each platform's strengths, audience, and trends, the better positioned you'll be to build a strategy that works for your brand.

5 Top Social Media Platforms for Brands in 2025

When it comes to choosing the right social media platforms for your brand, one of the most telling indicators is monthly active users (MAU)—a metric that highlights where people are spending their time online.

Below are five of the highest-ranking social media platforms in 2025, based on MAU. But remember: the best platform for your business isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about where your audience is most active and engaged. By combining MAU data with insights from your own customer base, you can craft a social media marketing strategy that connects with your target audience—right where they are.

1. Facebook

2025 Stats

• Monthly active users: 3.1 billion
• Demographics: Largest audience is 25- to 34-year-olds (24.2%), followed by 18- to 24-year-olds (18.6%).

Key Features for Brands

Facebook continues to be a powerhouse for businesses, offering a wide range of tools to connect with customers, promote products, and drive sales. Here are some standout features that make Facebook a smart choice for brands in 2025:

• Facebook Messenger Built right into the platform, Messenger allows brands to have real-time, one-on-one conversations with customers—perfect for support, engagement, or even personalized marketing.

• Meta Ads Manager Whether you're new to paid advertising or a seasoned pro, Meta Ads Manager gives you the tools to create, launch, and manage targeted ad campaigns across Facebook and beyond—from desktop or mobile.

• Facebook Shop Turn your Facebook Page into a shoppable storefront. With Facebook Shop, you can showcase products and make sales directly through the app, streamlining the customer journey.

• Meta Business Suite This all-in-one dashboard lets you manage your brand’s activity across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger—from scheduling posts to reviewing insights—all in one convenient place.

• Sales Integrations Selling on Facebook is even easier with integrations like Shopify, which syncs your ecommerce store with your Facebook and Instagram profiles, making it seamless to sell where your audience shops.

As one of the original giants of the social media world, Facebook still holds the crown in 2025, boasting the highest number of monthly active users across any platform. Its longevity isn’t just about legacy—it’s about staying power and innovation.

Facebook offers a robust suite of tools that make it easy for brands to create content, spark conversations, and build lasting connections with their audience. From likes and comments to shares and real-time chats via Messenger, engaging with your community is simple and seamless.

And if you’re also using Instagram, Facebook’s sibling platform under the Meta umbrella, the Meta Business Suite ties it all together—giving you a centralized place to manage posts, messages, and insights across both channels. It’s a time-saver and a strategy booster all in one.

2. YouTube

2025 Stats

• Monthly active users: 2.5 billion
• Demographics:
  • 20.7% of YouTube’s total ad audience falls between the ages of 25 and 34
  • Globally, 45.6% of users are female and 54.4% are male

Key Features for Brands

YouTube is more than just a video-sharing platform—it’s a dynamic space for brands to educate, entertain, and engage with a global audience. Whether you’re aiming to build trust, showcase products, or drive traffic, here are a few standout tools to help you make the most of your YouTube presence:

• YouTube Analytics Dive into the data that matters. With YouTube Analytics, you can track key performance metrics like views, watch time, audience retention, engagement levels, and even revenue—giving you the insights needed to fine-tune your content strategy.

• YouTube Ads Want to get your brand in front of the right eyes? YouTube Ads lets you run everything from skippable in-stream ads to overlay and banner ads, helping you reach users while they're actively watching content that aligns with your niche.

• Sales Integrations With Shopify’s YouTube integration, you can pin products directly to your videos, making it easier than ever for viewers to discover—and buy—the items you feature. It's a seamless way to turn interest into action.

More than 77% of Americans aged 15 to 25 are active on YouTube—and globally, billions tune in each month. It's no surprise, then, that YouTube has become one of the top platforms for influencer marketing.

From unboxings and haul videos to “shop with me” vlogs, creators—aka influencers—bring products to life in a way that feels authentic and relatable. Their video content not only entertains, but also helps potential customers learn about your products, see them in action, and understand the real-world value they offer. It's storytelling with a sales edge—and it works.

3. Instagram

2025 Stats

• Monthly active users: 2 billion
• Demographics: 61% of U.S. users are between the ages of 18 and 34

Key Features for Brands

Instagram isn’t just a place for stunning visuals—it’s also a powerful tool for turning inspiration into action. With a suite of built-in shopping features, the platform makes it easy for brands to connect with customers right at the moment of discovery. Here are two standout tools to know:

• Instagram Shopping Create immersive storefronts right inside the app. With Instagram Shopping, you can build product catalogs, design detailed product pages, and tag items directly in your posts and Stories—making it easier for followers to browse and buy without ever leaving the platform.

• Shopping for Creators Want to supercharge your reach? This feature allows influencers and creators to tag your products in their content, helping their audiences discover your brand in a natural, engaging way. It's word-of-mouth marketing, reimagined for the digital age.

With 70% of shoppers turning to Instagram for their next purchase and over 200 million business accounts visited daily, Instagram continues to be a top social media app for brands in 2025.

The platform offers an ever-expanding suite of digital marketing, advertising, and ecommerce tools—constantly rolling out new features to help businesses connect with customers and drive sales. By tagging shoppable products in your feed posts and Stories (which last for 24 hours), you make it effortless for your audience to discover and buy what they love—all without leaving Instagram. It’s ecommerce made simple, stylish, and seamless.

4. TikTok

2025 Stats

• Monthly active users: 1.6 billion
• Demographics: 38.5% of TikTok users worldwide are between the ages of 18 and 24

Key Features for Brands

TikTok isn’t just about viral dances and trends—it’s a vibrant platform where brands can get creative, connect with younger audiences, and drive real sales. Here are some of the key tools that make TikTok a must-have for marketers in 2025:

• Creative Center Need inspiration? The Creative Center offers a treasure trove of high-performing ad examples, trend insights, and competitor analytics to help you craft content that resonates.

• TikTok Ads Manager From creation to launch and tracking, TikTok Ads Manager puts all the tools you need to run effective ad campaigns right at your fingertips—directly within the app.

• TikTok Shop Bring shopping into the TikTok experience with TikTok Shop, an integration that lets you promote and sell products seamlessly without users ever leaving the platform.

• Sales Integrations If you’re running an ecommerce store, selling on TikTok is easier than ever with Shopify’s integration, allowing you to manage product sales directly through the app.

Launched internationally in 2017 as the counterpart to China’s Douyin, TikTok has quickly become one of the most downloaded apps in the U.S. in 2025. It’s a go-to platform for reaching millennials and Gen Z—especially women under 35—making it a must-have in any modern marketing mix.

What sets TikTok apart is its powerful algorithm, which effortlessly connects niche audiences with content that feels relevant, authentic, and engaging. This makes TikTok a standout platform for influencer marketing and user-generated content, helping brands spark genuine conversations and build community in creative new ways.

5. Snapchat

2025 Stats

• Monthly active users: 850 million
• Demographics:
  • 38% of Snapchat users are 18 to 24 years old
  • 20% of users are between the ages of 13 and 17

Key Features for Brands

Snapchat continues to be a favorite among younger audiences, offering brands unique ways to engage with users through creative and interactive content. Here are some of the standout tools that make Snapchat a valuable part of your marketing toolkit in 2025:

• Snapchat Business Manager Dive deep into your audience with detailed analytics and get creative by designing custom, branded filters and lenses that bring your brand to life in fun, memorable ways.

• Creator Marketplace Connect directly with Snapchat’s vibrant community of creators to build authentic influencer marketing campaigns that resonate with your target audience.

• Sales Integrations Through the Snapchat Ads app, you can create compelling ads that link straight to your Shopify store, making it easy for users to discover and purchase your products without missing a beat.

Since launching in 2011, Snapchat has carved out a unique space for connecting with younger audiences through its fun, fast-paced approach to short videos and photos. While it’s best known for its disappearing content, Snapchat also offers a rich array of filters, effects, and augmented reality lenses that bring everyday moments—and your brand—to life in creative ways.

If your target audience skews youthful, engaging with Snapchat’s community—where the majority of users are under 34—can be a smart move to build authentic connections and stand out in a crowded social landscape.

2 Growing Social Media Platforms to Watch in 2025

The social media landscape is constantly shifting, with fresh platforms emerging all the time. Keeping an eye on new and rising apps can give your brand an edge and open up exciting opportunities. Here are two up-and-coming social media platforms worth considering as you expand your social strategy this year:

1. Twitch

You might know Twitch as the go-to livestream platform for gamers—and while gaming still plays a big role, Twitch has broadened its horizons to include lifestyle content ranging from makeup tutorials to cooking demos. With 240 million monthly active users, mostly males under 30, Twitch is all about connection and community.

For brands, this makes Twitch an exciting space to explore influencer marketing and build genuine relationships with engaged audiences who love tuning in and interacting in real time.

2. Discord

Much like Twitch, Discord started out as a favorite among gamers but has since grown into a versatile chat-based platform that supports text, audio, and video conversations. While paid advertising isn’t part of the mix, brands have plenty of room to build their own communities by creating channels, servers, and dedicated forums.

With 154 million monthly active users as of 2025, Discord offers a unique opportunity to foster meaningful, ongoing conversations with your audience in a more personal and interactive way.

Social Media Platforms FAQ

How can you measure the success of social media app marketing campaigns?
Measuring success starts with a clear social media strategy—whether it’s a broad approach or campaign-specific goals. Some of the key metrics to keep an eye on include:

• Reach: How many unique users saw your content.
• Impressions: The total number of times your content was viewed, including repeat views by the same user.
• Engagement: Interactions such as likes, comments, shares, and clicks.
• Shares: How often your content was shared across networks.
• Referrals: The number of visitors who landed on your website through a social media channel.
• Conversions: How many purchases or desired actions came from social referrals.
• Audience Growth Rate: The pace at which your social following grows over time.
• Share of Social Voice (SSoV): How much people are talking about your brand compared to competitors.

Can you use influencer marketing on social media apps?
Absolutely! Platforms like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch offer fantastic opportunities for influencer marketing. Collaborating with creators is a powerful way to reach your target audience authentically and effectively.

Should your brand create content specifically for each social media app?
While repurposing content across platforms—also known as “cross-posting”—can save time, tailoring your content for each social media app often leads to better results. Many users are active on multiple platforms and may tune out repetitive content. Plus, each platform has its own vibe, features, and content formats that help you connect with audiences in the most engaging way possible. Crafting platform-specific content shows you understand and respect the unique culture of each social space.