Top Insights from Hootsuite’s July Q3 2022 Statshot Report

Last week on Linkedin Live, I had the pleasure of diving deeper into the findings from Hootsuite and We are Social’s Digital 2022 July Statshot Report with analyst and Kepios founder Simon Kemp. We shared the report’s newest insights and some surprising takeaways, as well as fresh stats that will help to keep your social media strategy on track this quarter. I’ll dive into all of this and more below — keep reading to find out why the digital and social space continues to be full of surprises.?

Social media changes the way we consume —and trust — digital news?

Fun fact: Before my career in corporate communications, I was a reporter for three years. At the risk of (seriously) aging myself, the way we consume news now, compared to when I was a fresh-faced reporter, has changed dramatically. During my time in this role, it was rare that we reported live and, when we did, it was to radio or directly to a television newscast — but never to social.??

Today, that has drastically changed; according to our Q3 Statshot Report, people are now 2.5 times more likely to turn to social media as their primary source of news than physical newspapers and magazines. Now, 57% of adults get their news from social channels, compared to the 23% who read print media — a trend that becomes even more prevalent among younger generations, with almost two-thirds of survey respondents aged 18-24 using social channels as a source of news.

Increased connectivity around the globe has also led to people in developing economies becoming much more likely to turn to social platforms for news, with more than 8 in 10 adults in Kenya saying they consume news within their social feeds. While this may not be a surprise in our increasingly digitized world, it’s interesting to see how social media has transformed the way we find and consume news in such a short time.

This shift in preferred news sources is a trend that marketers need to take note of, as it will change the way we market to our audiences. As Simon noted in our chat, the context in which we consume media and news has changed. Where previously, we would sit down and go through a newspaper front-to-back to consume the gamut of news stories,? now, media is delivered in shorter snippets and embedded within other personal content or unrelated content on our social feeds.?

It will be interesting to see how reporters and marketers adjust their behaviours to meet this change in consumption. Early in my journalism career, we were used to seeing “packaged” content as news — with an army of editors, reporters, fact checkers and producers working together to create a story or segment. Today, we’re seeing more raw content. We’re moving away from anchors counting down on camera and reading off a teleprompter towards a live, in-the-moment experience, with journalists often bridging a story with user-generated content shot on witnesses’ phone cameras. On one hand, it’s great to see these candid, live stories, but on the other, the need for immediacy and fast production increases the risk of issues such as bias and a lack of fact checking.?

This shift raises the question of overall trust in media across the globe, which is another interesting piece that emerged from the research. In recent months and years, we’ve seen an increase in consumers’ distrust in media, as well as increased skepticism around misinformation on social channels. The report shows that, according to Reuters Institute, less than half (42%) of the? global average of survey respondents believe they can trust news most of the time, regardless of medium or channel. As a former reporter and forever journalist, I’m very interested to see if this number changes over the coming months, especially as more political events have been gripping the media landscape and news cycles. Will journalists be able to seize the opportunity that social can provide to build trust with their audience (not unlike the way newscasters have done for decades?

The platforms to watch right now are (surprise!) Snapchat and Telegram

Snapchat's ad audience has increased by over 100 million users over the past year, growing at an annualized rate of 20% to reach 616 million users by July 2022 — no small feat for a platform that just passed its eleventh birthday. I encourage you to dig into the ad audience demographics in our report to learn more about who is on this platform; it’s definitely one to watch out for!

Instant messaging app Telegram is growing at an even faster rate. The data shows us that Telegram now has 700 million global monthly active users, up from 500 million users just 18 months ago. This suggests that Telegram is growing at roughly 25% per year — a growth rate surpassing even TikTok.

All eyes on TikTok means it’s time for marketers to jump on short video formats

If you haven’t incorporated TikTok or other short-form video formats into your social media strategy, this is your sign.?

This quarter’s data reveals that TikTok now has the highest average time spent per user across any social media platform. TikTok users spent close to a full day each month using TikTok in Q1, with users spending even more time on the platform in Q2, at an average of more than 1.5 hours per day. The platform's ad audience has also grown by 5.4% in the past 90 days alone, with 52 million new users over the age of 18 — taking the platform's global reach to 1.02 billion in July 2022. That is a whopping number and opens a golden opportunity for brands to connect with their audiences in creative ways.?

?Pro tip: Here at Hootsuite, we recently launched our TikTok integration within our platform. Now, you can manage content, engage in conversations and gain insights on your audience’s motivations to inform your TikTok strategy. If you’re interested in learning more about TikTok as a platform and how to get involved, we’ve created a Culture Guide to help you get started.

While the number of TikTok users is skyrocketing — which is no surprise — the latest data reveals that Facebook Reels ads now reach more than 473.5 million users (up 279% from the figures in April). Instagram Reels reached an even bigger audience, with Meta's data reporting a worldwide audience of 754.8 million users in July 2022. While it’s not quite as impressive as the Facebook Reels growth, the Instagram Reels audience has still grown by roughly 10% over the past 3 months, now reaching 68 million more users than it did last quarter.?

This latest surge in audience growth and spending on TikTok and Reels is a promising signal of a booming creator economy — a continued trend that all marketers should be exploring, if you aren’t already. By starting these conversations and leaning into the creator economy, you might be surprised by the different ways you can amplify your message.?

1:1 messaging with businesses goes mainstream?

I’ve talked before about the rise of social commerce in the messaging space? and the importance of building it into social strategies. This quarter, we’re seeing companies start to take 1:1 messaging platforms more seriously. Our report findings reveal that WhatsApp Business was the tenth most downloaded mobile app over the past three months, suggesting that companies around the world are finally starting to look at messaging as an effective tool to build stronger relationships with their customers.?

Meanwhile, Meta spokesperson Matthew Idema recently revealed that more than one billion people message with a business each week on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram Direct Messaging. Whether it's communicating with brands through direct messaging, browsing product catalogs, asking for support, or interacting with stories, it's clear that audiences are embracing these messaging apps.

This rising tide continues to create a unique opportunity for brands to double down on customer care and social commerce, providing a seamless experience for their audience via social messaging channels.?

And finally… a few fun facts for good measure

• On Spotify this quarter, ‘As it Was’ by Harry Styles topped the charts as the most streamed song from June 24 toJuly 30, 2022, followed by Joji’s ‘Glimpse of Us’.?
• Obi-Wan Kenobi takes the top spot in the Disney+? rankings, followed by Ms. Marvel and The Simpsons, as the most popular TV shows between June 27 andJuly 3, 2022. In the movie category, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ranked number one, followed by Encanto and Turning Red.
• In the Netflix charts, The Umbrella Academy took the top spot as the most popular TV show this quarter, followed by Stranger Things. The Man from Toronto was the most popular movie on the platform in Q2.?

I hope you found these insights helpful. If you’re interested in learning more, check out our full July Q3 Statshot Report.? I’d also love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment with the stat that resonated most with you!