In the ever-evolving social media landscape of the Philippines, Facebook, now known as Meta, appears to still hold the crown as the most popular social media platform in the country; a recent study suggests.
The Digital 2024 report, a collaborative effort by DataReportal, Meltwater, and We Are Social, highlights Meta’s substantial user base in the Philippines, which boasts 86.75 million active users as of January 2024.
The study also stressed the significant increase in Facebook’s advertising reach within the country, which grew by 6.5 million, or 8%, from January 2023 to January 2024.
Despite this growth, it’s important to note that the giant social media platform reported a decline in ad reach by 7.9 million, or 8.3%, in the last quarter of 2023.
In addition, we can remember that in 2023, DataReportal also reported a Meta ads’ “sizeable decline” in terms of reach in every nation of the world, except for six countries.
Meta clarified, however, that the advertising reach doesn’t reflect Facebook’s monthly active users. Their page Estimated Audience Size clearly stated that advertising tool estimates are not intended to align with population data or census figures and may vary based on multiple factors.
It is written as follows:
“Estimates aren’t designed to match the population, census estimates or other sources and may differ depending on factors, such as Ad targeting criteria and placement locations; How many Accounts Center accounts were shown ads across Meta technologies and services in the past 30 days; What content people interact with across Meta technologies and services; Self-reported demographics like age and gender; and Where people see ads.”
Furthermore, a separate study by Statista confirms the prominence of Facebook in the Philippines, ranking it as the sixth-largest user base globally, with 86.75 million users in January 2024.
Meanwhile, in terms of Facebook audience reach, the Philippines took the fourth-highest spot at 113.5% during the same period.
Other Social Media Gainer in the Philippines
While Facebook continues to dominate the social media landscape in the Philippines, DataReportal also found a surge in the popularity of platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Messenger.
According to DataReportal’s recent findings, YouTube has become the Filipino go-to source of videos with 58.10 million users.
Additionally, Google’s advertising metrics reveal a notable growth in YouTube’s advertising reach within the country, showing an increase of 400,000 users—a 0.7% increase—since the beginning of 2023.
Instagram has also built a significant presence in the Philippines, with a user base reaching 21.35 million users. Also, according to the latest figures released by Meta’s planning tools, the platform experienced a surge of 3.8 million users or 21.7% in advertising reach.
TikTok’s engaging content has not gone unnoticed with 49.09 million users aged 18 and above in the Philippines in early 2024. The rising star platform has shown a significant 13% rise in ad reach, further amplified by a 23.2% increase from October 2023 to January 2024.
Messenger, Facebook’s messaging app partner, remains an essential tool for connectivity, evidenced by its 59.55 million users and a 14.5% increase in ad reach within the same period.
Data published in LinkedIn’s planning tools also showed an increase in ad reach by 3 million or 23.1% from January 2023 to January 2024. In early 2024, the platform had 16 million members in the Philippines.
Declining Social Media Platforms in the Philippines
While the major social media platforms continue to rise, certain platforms are not able to follow the upward trend.
Notably, Snapchat’s presence in the Philippines has waned. Early reports from 2024 indicate a user base of 5.91 million, a significant 32.5% decrease in potential ad reach since the beginning of 2023.
Surprisingly, another social media giant Twitter has also seen a decline, with a 1.0 million decrease in potential ad reach, representing an 8.7 percent drop since early 2023.
The State of Social Media Scene in The Philippines
The social media scene in the country continues to transform in 2024. While some platforms struggle to maintain their relevance, the industry as a whole is witnessing a significant surge.
DataReportal’s latest study reveals a substantial increase in social media usage, with 86.75 million active user identities in the Philippines as of January 2024. This represents an 8.0 percent growth over the past year, highlighting the pervasive influence of social platforms in the lives of Filipinos.
DataReportal’s analysis revealed that the number of social media users in the Philippines at the start of 2024 was equivalent to 73.4 percent of the total population.
However, it is crucial to note that this number does not necessarily reflect unique individual users.
DataReportal said that one person may have multiple accounts or profiles across different networks.
Notably, the Philippines also got the fourth-highest spot globally for average daily usage at 3 hours and 34 minutes. This places the country just behind Brazil, South Africa, and Kenya.
Data also showed that the reason why Filipinos use social media is to keep in touch with Friends and Family.
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