Leading Social Media Brands in the UK: Q4 2024 Analysis

In the dynamic landscape of social media, three brands have emerged as frontrunners in the United Kingdom during Q4 2024. YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp continue to captivate audiences with their expansive digital presence. This article delves into their performance from Q3 to Q4 2024, highlighting trends and insights powered by Sensor Tower's comprehensive data offerings.

YouTube

YouTube's digital footprint is substantial, featuring both youtube.com and the YouTube app.

• Audience Trends: Over Q4, youtube.com maintained a stable monthly visit count, consistently exceeding 8.4B visits. Unique visits hovered around 40M, with a notable increase in visits per unique visitor, peaking at 216 in December.

• App Engagement: The YouTube app saw a steady monthly active user base, with users consistently around 48M. This stability indicates a strong preference for mobile consumption.

• Ad Spend & Channels: YouTube's monthly advertising spend showed a significant spike in October, with over $2.2K spent, primarily on Instagram, which garnered over 268K impressions. This reflects a strategic push in digital advertising during the quarter.

Facebook

Facebook's presence is robust, with facebook.com and the Facebook app leading the charge.

• Audience Trends: The website saw a slight decline in visits from 2.4B in July to 2.3B in December. However, the monthly true audience remained stable, with approximately 45M users.

• App Engagement: The Facebook app maintained a consistent monthly active user base, hovering around 40M throughout the quarter.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Monthly ad spend on Facebook decreased steadily from $952 in July to $343 in December, with Snapchat being the primary channel. Impressions followed a similar downward trend.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp's ecosystem includes whatsapp.com and the WhatsApp Messenger app.

• Audience Trends: The website's visits fluctuated slightly, starting at 1.2B in July and falling to 1.1B by December. The monthly true audience remained stable, exceeding 57M.

• App Engagement: The WhatsApp app experienced stable growth, with monthly active users reaching over 54M by December.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Advertising was minimal, with a slight increase in December on Reddit, totaling $56 and generating over 11K impressions.

Conclusion

The Q4 2024 data underscores the dominant presence of YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp in the UK social media landscape. Sensor Tower's unique ability to cross-reference web, app, and advertising data provides unparalleled insights into these platforms' performance. Explore our Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics for a deeper understanding of user behavior across digital platforms.