The social media marketing platform Emplifi has released a report titled “2024 Social Media Benchmarks,” covering over 325,000 brand profiles across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (now X), and TikTok between January 2022 and December 2023.
A key takeaway shows that Instagram has been leading the category in brand post interactions per 1,000 impressions every quarter for the past two years. Its advantage over rivals widens in the final two quarters of 2023, with a 9% surge in this engagement metric.
“Instagram enjoyed its best numbers in more than two years, improving 9% in brand post interactions per 1,000 impressions in the final two quarters of 2023,” states the Emplifi report.
By contrast, TikTok experienced declines in brand content publishing and interactions during this period. The report suggests that the platform’s focus on individual creators over brands may be a factor.
“TikTok’s decline in brand post activations and interactions could be viewed as a byproduct of the app’s particular vibe, which tends to support creators, influencers, and everyday people over brand content,” Emplifi’s analysis reads.
Visual and Video Content Dominate
The research highlights the increasing importance of engaging photos, videos, and other multimedia for branded social success. Visually-driven formats like Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and Facebook Live videos generate far more interactions than static text and link posts.
The report warns that “visual storytelling is only going to increase in importance for brand content activations. Audiences want visually engaging content”.
However, length matters less than expected. The analysis reveals that “medium-to-long videos” from 13 to over 26 seconds “performed well” on Instagram and TikTok in 2023, countering assumptions about short attention spans.
Best Time to Post? Friday Afternoon
Instagram and TikTok see their highest average impressions on Fridays, particularly the 4-5 pm ET window. Over 50% of average daily impressions occur during afternoon hours.
“Fridays mark the beginning of the weekend, a time when consumers are planning their free time, looking for entertainment options, or considering purchases,” explains the report. “By aligning content publication with this timing, brands position themselves at the forefront of consumer minds.”
Brands Flock to Paid Social Ads
Paid social ad spending across Instagram, Facebook, and X hits two-year highs in Q4 2023, according to Emplifi’s data. While overall ad costs on Instagram remain the highest, the platform saw strong click-through rate momentum that quarter.
The report also finds Facebook offering a “good combination” of very low ad costs yet high click-through rates for certain ad types. X emerges as a potential “value” channel with lower overall costs.
Emplifi’s research provides an in-depth look at the latest engagement trends and paid/unpaid benchmarks as brands navigated major social platform changes in 2022 and 2023. The full report is available here.
Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.
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The social media marketing platform Emplifi has released a report titled “2024 Social Media Benchmarks,” covering over 325,000 brand profiles across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (now X), and TikTok between January 2022 and December 2023.
A key takeaway shows that Instagram has been leading the category in brand post interactions per 1,000 impressions every quarter for the past two years. Its advantage over rivals widens in the final two quarters of 2023, with a 9% surge in this engagement metric.
“Instagram enjoyed its best numbers in more than two years, improving 9% in brand post interactions per 1,000 impressions in the final two quarters of 2023,” states the Emplifi report.
By contrast, TikTok experienced declines in brand content publishing and interactions during this period. The report suggests that the platform’s focus on individual creators over brands may be a factor.
“TikTok’s decline in brand post activations and interactions could be viewed as a byproduct of the app’s particular vibe, which tends to support creators, influencers, and everyday people over brand content,” Emplifi’s analysis reads.
Visual and Video Content Dominate
The research highlights the increasing importance of engaging photos, videos, and other multimedia for branded social success. Visually-driven formats like Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and Facebook Live videos generate far more interactions than static text and link posts.
The report warns that “visual storytelling is only going to increase in importance for brand content activations. Audiences want visually engaging content”.
However, length matters less than expected. The analysis reveals that “medium-to-long videos” from 13 to over 26 seconds “performed well” on Instagram and TikTok in 2023, countering assumptions about short attention spans.
Best Time to Post? Friday Afternoon
Instagram and TikTok see their highest average impressions on Fridays, particularly the 4-5 pm ET window. Over 50% of average daily impressions occur during afternoon hours.
“Fridays mark the beginning of the weekend, a time when consumers are planning their free time, looking for entertainment options, or considering purchases,” explains the report. “By aligning content publication with this timing, brands position themselves at the forefront of consumer minds.”
Brands Flock to Paid Social Ads
Paid social ad spending across Instagram, Facebook, and X hits two-year highs in Q4 2023, according to Emplifi’s data. While overall ad costs on Instagram remain the highest, the platform saw strong click-through rate momentum that quarter.
The report also finds Facebook offering a “good combination” of very low ad costs yet high click-through rates for certain ad types. X emerges as a potential “value” channel with lower overall costs.
Emplifi’s research provides an in-depth look at the latest engagement trends and paid/unpaid benchmarks as brands navigated major social platform changes in 2022 and 2023. The full report is available here.