Social media in the UK is a $1.7 billion industry. This is set to grow as the digital generation creates, shares, and connects on social platforms. Currently, there are 53 million active users in the UK, which equates to 78% of the entire British population. However, this figure rises slightly to 81% when you include those who do not actively use social media but still use it for passing information to friends, clients, or family members.

Social media’s most significant benefit to companies is that it lets them reach users for free. Advertising through social media is, in some cases, cheaper than paying a sales team to acquire customers because you’re reaching people who want to be reached. Find out more about other interesting social media statistics in the UK in this article.

User Demographics

Age group

The percentage of 35- 44-year-olds with social network profiles has increased from 75 percent in 2012 to 91 percent in 2020. People over 65 are less likely to be on social media than any other age group. However, the number of social media users from that age group went up from 35% in 2015 to 59% in 2020.

Gender

In the United Kingdom, female respondents who reported creating a profile on any social media site rose from 56% to 84% between 2010 and 2020. Similarly, a survey conducted at the end of 2020  revealed that 80% of male respondents said they had a profile on social networking platforms.

Socio-economic group

From 2010 to 2020, more and more people set up personal profiles on social media platforms. For example, a survey in 2020 revealed that 83 percent of respondents from social grade C1 reported having a personal profile on a social network.

Home Internet and Social Media Usage

• Internet access has become far more widespread in the UK, reaching 96% of British households from January to February 2020.
• The percentage of households with internet connections remained low among those households in which an adult aged 65 years and over lived, accounting for only 8% on average. Still, the proportion had increased steadily from 4% at the beginning of the century.
• The proportion of people shopping online has increased significantly in the last decade. For example, the percentage of adults who shopped online in January and February of 2020 was 87%, more than double that of 2008.

How can you grow your social media reach?

Post High-Quality Content

Being on social media represents a great marketing opportunity for your business. But how do you get noticed? The answer is with quality content, lots of it, and posted to many different channels. This establishes credibility and creates a positive association with your brand.

Define your Brand and Style

One of the most challenging things at the beginning of a startup is finding your audience. The thing to realise is that there is nothing like having a brand and style to gain your audience’s attention quickly. But, on the other hand, it is hard to get much of an audience if you do not have a brand or style.

Create Strategic Posting Schedule

There is a delicate and often paradoxical balance between frequency and quality for any social media marketing strategy. One of the best ways to grow your social reach is to have a posting schedule that you follow consistently. If you want to grow your social following sustainably, the most important thing is to post regularly.

Ask for Feedback and Reviews

One of the most effective personal branding strategies is to ask people to give their feedback on your business. All it takes is a simple email where you ask for feedback on how you can improve. People never stop being surprised by what you can learn from these emails.

Work with a Marketing Expert

Every day, companies are using social media to communicate with existing and potential customers. As more and more companies enter the social media space, it becomes harder for individuals and companies to stand out from the crowd. The smart way to succeed in this environment is to work with people who know what they are doing. Working with a social media marketing agency is your best option for a UK business or company.