Active User Ranking of SNS｜We also explain the characteristics of each SNS in Japan and overseas.

Nowadays, social networking is an indispensable part of our modern lives, and it is very important to know "what social networking sites are popular" for both normal life and for marketing and other business aspects.

In addition, in today's globalized world, we must always be aware of "global standards" by looking not only at home but also abroad.

Therefore, in this article, we will introduce SNSs used in Japan and around the world in a ranking format.

It also summarizes the characteristics of popular SNSs around the world with which you are less familiar.

Ranking of Active Users of SNS in Japan

First, we summarize the ranking of active users of SNS in Japan.

LINE is the overwhelmingly popular social networking service in Japan.

It is a national social networking service that has exploded with the spread of smartphones, and is now at a level where it is safe to call it a "lifeline.

In fact, LINE is not only used for exchanging messages, but also for the following services related to daily life.

• Exchange of goods through the Gift function

• Exchange of money through the Wallet function

• Emergency communication and information transmission

Therefore, if LINE can be used for marketing, it will be possible to market in a way that is deeply related to the lives of the users.

Naturally, the returns from successful marketing will be great.

On the other hand, it is important to note that this is a "Japan-only" service.

As mentioned below, Facebook, the social networking service with the largest number of active users in the world at 3 billion, is truly an order of magnitude larger.

Considering LINE's 100 million users and the fact that it is limited to Japan, it can be said that other SNSs should be used for marketing with a global focus.

Global SNS Ranking and Explanation of the Characteristics of Each SNS

We first discussed the ranking of social networking services in Japan, and now we will explain the ranking of active users of social networking services around the world.

While familiar Japanese SNSs such as Facebook and YouTube are ranked in the list, there are also SNSs that are not widely used in Japan, such as WhatsApp and WeChat.

Below is a summary of each SNS and its characteristics from a marketing perspective.

1: Facebook

Facebook is the world's largest SNS with nearly 3 billion active users.

It is operated by Meta Platforms, Inc. of the U.S. and is known as the original SNS.

It is known as the original social networking site, and is capable of precise targeting of advertisements, allowing for the creation of advertisements that appeal to a vast number of active users.

2: YouTube

YouTube is the world's largest video platform with over 2 billion active users.

It is a social networking service that is so popular in Japan that there is no one who does not know about it, and it is operated by Google in the United States.

With the recent growth in demand for short videos like TikTok, marketing in the form of "short time on a vertical screen" is becoming more popular.

Compared to text-based SNSs, the impact of video-based SNSs on users is powerful, and if they can be utilized, they can make a significant contribution to marketing.

3: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is not a very popular SNS in Japan, but it has about 2 billion active users worldwide.

It is operated by Meta Platforms, Inc. of the United States, the same company that operates Facebook.

To put it simply, LINE is like the world's version of LINE, a so-called "messaging application" that allows users to communicate through chat and calls.

WhatsApp Business" is LINE's "official LINE account" and can be used for direct marketing to your company's customers.

4: Instagram

Instagram is a popular SNS in Japan with approximately 2 billion active users, the same number as WhatsApp.

It is operated by the same company as Facebook and WhatsApp, Meta Platforms, Inc.

It is a social networking service that focuses mainly on photos and images, not text, and the key is "how much attractive image content you can provide.

Hashtags, stories, and so-called "influencer marketing" are effective.

5: TikTok

TikTok, a popular social networking service in Japan that specializes in short videos, has approximately 1.56 billion active users.

ByteDance, the operator of TikTok, is a Chinese company, and the key to marketing TikTok is "how to attract people's attention with short videos.

In addition, there are so many trends and booms originating from TikTok that the returns once you get a buzz are immeasurable.

6: WeChat

WeChat, operated by China's Tencent, is a social networking service that is mainly used for exchanging messages.

It is like a Chinese version of LINE, with approximately 1.34 billion active users.

By opening an official account, it is possible to conduct marketing for China.

7: Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger is a messaging-specific SNS on Facebook.

It is characterized by the fact that Facebook users can keep in touch with each other, and has approximately 1 billion active users.

Its strength is the ability to market directly to customers using ads linked to Facebook and Instagram provided by Meta.

8: Douyin

Douyin is the "Chinese version of TikTok" and is operated by ByteDance, the same company that operates TikTok.

With approximately 750 million active users, the difference between the two lies in their main target audience.

The difference between the two is their main target audience: Douyin is for domestic Chinese users, while TikTok is for international users, making Douyin more suitable for China-specific marketing.

9: Sina Weibo

Sina Weibo, operated by Sina Corporation, is a social networking service that can be called the Chinese version of X (formerly Twitter).

It is often referred to as "Weibo" and has approximately 600 million active users.

Although Weibo now has more active users than X, it is required to distinguish between Weibo and X because it is a specialized marketing tool for the domestic Chinese market.

10: QQ

QQ is a messenger-type SNS with approximately 570 million active users.

Its operator, China's Tencent, also offers WeChat, a messenger social networking service, and QQ is more popular among young people.

QQ is more popular among young people, and features a social networking function called "QQ Space," which allows users to create their own "rooms" and share photos and other content.

Conclusion

SNS is an indispensable part of modern marketing, and this trend is certain to continue in the future.

In these days of globalization, marketing to the domestic market has its limitations, so let's implement marketing with an eye on the world through SNS.

Please refer to the information presented in the article to utilize SNS for global marketing.