Social media use has become increasingly prevalent among Singaporeans due to the pandemic, whether it’s to stay updated with news or to seek out entertainment. If you’re a marketer trying to reach out to the Singapore market, staying on top of Singapore social media statistics can help ensure the success of your campaigns.
Every social media platform works differently, attracting different demographics for unique reasons. Before you decide which platforms you’ll be tailoring your content for, it’s useful to know which of them have been making Singaporeans tick!
But before we delve into Singapore social media statistics, let’s see how things look globally.
Global social media statistics
Today’s social media users are on their platforms of choice for varying reasons. A majority of baby boomers and millennials use social media to stay on top of news and their friends’ lives, while Gen Z users use it to fill their spare time or search for entertainment.
Gen X users are somewhat of a cross between these three demographic groups, using social media to seek entertainment and to stay updated on news.
Social media use by platform
When we look at social media usage by platform, Facebook emerges as the most popular platform in terms of membership. 85% of social media users outside of China are on Facebook. This is followed by Youtube (82%), Instagram (69%), and Twitter (59%).
Notably, TikTok has been seeing a strong rise in popularity. In 2018, only 5% of social media users outside of China were on TikTok. As of May 2020, that number has risen to 18%!
Curious to know about the social media landscape in China? We have an article all about it.
Social media use by demographic
In 2020, Gen Z social media users have an average of 8.7 different accounts across social media platforms. Millennials and Gen X-ers have an average of 8.9 and 7.1 respectively. Baby boomers have the lowest number of accounts, which comes as no surprise.
However, across all four demographic groups, baby boomers have seen the largest rise for social media accounts owned. In 2017, baby boomers had an average of 4.7 accounts. Today, this has risen to 5.2 accounts.
The digital and social media landscape in Singapore
The number of internet users in Singapore reached 5.14 million as of January 2020. That’s a 88% penetration rate.
It also turns out that a majority of Singapore’s internet users use social media. With about 4.6 million active social media users in the country, this translates to a 79% penetration rate for Singapore’s population. In addition, 99% all of these users use social media from their mobile devices.
And while these numbers may not seem surprising to you, there was a 1.6% increase in social media users in Singapore between April 2019 and January 2020. That’s 72,000 more people that began using social media between that period.
With more companies going digital and individuals spending more time online during the pandemic, the number of social media users in Singapore is only expected to increase.
Learn more about how the digital landscape in Singapore will look like in 2021 here.
Let’s take a closer look at usage numbers across the more popular social media platforms in Singapore.
Singapore social media statistics
It appears Facebook is the most popular social media not just globally, but in Singapore as well. Also, while Facebook is almost equally popular among males and females, Instagram seems to be more popular among females.
| Platform | Number of users & population penetration | % of males | % of females | Largest user age group |
| Facebook (Sep 2020) | 4.53 million users (75.1% penetration) | 50.7% | 49.3% | 25 – 34yrs (1.54 million users) |
| Instagram (Sep 2020) | 2.44 million users (40.4% penetration) | 44.6% | 55.4% | 25 – 34 yrs (0.94 million users) |
| Twitter (2020) | 1.37 million users (22.7% penetration) | – | -. | – |
| LinkedIn (Sep 2020) | 2.92 million users (48.4% penetration) | – | – | 25 – 34 yrs (1.7 million users) |
The rise of TikTok in Singapore
Despite concerns surrounding user privacy on TikTok, Singaporeans have still been getting on the platform. Between January and July 2020, TikTok saw an estimated 1.04 million new downloads from Singapore.
TikTok’s short-form storytelling format has been a huge draw for users. The platform provides a multitude of intuitive tools, and has been touted as an ideal avenue for entertaining and humorous content.
This is in line with data indicating that the most common reason why people use social media is to find entertainment and a good laugh.
So what kind of content do social media users want?
Some of these activity types included running advertisements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, running normal advertising campaigns, providing entertaining content, and providing practical information.
All in all, the results indicate that today’s social media preferences have been shaped by the need for users to stay home due to the pandemic.
Most approve of brands providing funny or light-hearted videos that entertain. Also, users seem to be keen on receiving practical information that helps them cope with the pandemic situation.
What your business can do
Now that you have an idea of Singapore’s social media statistics and insights on user preferences, here’s what you can consider for your social media strategy to take your brand further.
Leverage the power of TikTok
Apart from having more 800 million monthly users, TikTok has a very advanced toolkit for content creators, making it the perfect platform to start fresh conversations with consumers.
Much like other social media platforms, you can engage with other users organically, reach consumers with paid advertising, or even work with influencers to create content. For brands, the first forays into TikTok have proven to work better when supported by influencers and paid advertising.
The hashtag challenge format is one of the many attractive paid formats which your brand can leverage on TikTok. The challenge is directed mostly at Gen Z users, prompting them to make videos with your brand’s hashtag.
And because your brand’s hashtag challenge will be displayed on the Discover page, TikTok users will readily create content with your hashtag to increase the chances of their content trending and generating more views.
Furthermore, TikTok has an advanced in-app video editing suite that your brand can contribute assets to. This can be in the form of mind-bending filters or a catchy dance track that doubles up as a brand jingle.
Ride on trends to provide practical content
Some government bodies became a talking point (for a good reason) after they shared posts in the form of memes, which were meant to educate the public on important issues in an entertaining manner. For example, SCDF used imagery and the context of the viral game Among Us to guide the public on what not to call an ambulance for.
Similarly, HDB tapped this trending game to teach prospective flat buyers about what they should do before buying a HDB flat.
These posts proved successful, with many netizens happy that these government agencies had used this approach to educate the public.
But as light-hearted and fun as memes are, brands need to be extra careful before jumping on trends for their content. As a marketer, knowing the right time and tone is critical, especially given the unpredictability of social media audiences.
If tastefully executed, riding on trends to give your followers practical tips could garner good results. This is because it would be an ideal mix of what people want to engage with most on social media: content that’s entertaining, yet practical.