The IAB Spain Brand Observatory on Social Networks 2024 is an exhaustive analysis of the performance of 206 brands on social networks over a year, between July 2023 and June 2024. This study offers a detailed view of how brands They have managed their communities, generated interactions and optimized their presence on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitch.
Main conclusions of the Observatory of Brands in Social Networks 2024
1. Decrease in total community
One of the most striking data from the study is the 12% decrease in the total community of followers compared to the previous year.
Facebook continues to be the social network with the highest community share (61%, up from 58% in 2023), while Instagram drops to 21% (from 24%). YouTube grew slightly, and Twitter (X) maintained its share.
This reflects a consolidation of Facebook as the network with the most followers, although activity on other more visual platforms continues to be crucial for brands.
2. Increase in publications
Brands have increased their activity on networks, with a 2% growth in the average number of publications per brand. The average went from 2,820 publications in 2023 to 2,885 in 2024.
Facebook and YouTube are the platforms where the amount of content published grew the most, while on Instagram and Twitter there was a decrease. However, Twitter continues to be the network where the most publications are made, with a 61% share of publications, although this represents a decrease compared to 76% the previous year.
This underlines that, although Twitter has a strong presence, content dynamics are changing, and visual platforms such as YouTube and Facebook are regaining prominence.
3. Decrease in interactions and engagement
The study shows a 33% decrease in the total number of interactions compared to 2023, indicating a challenge for brands when trying to capture the public’s attention.
Regarding engagement, there is also a significant drop of 26%. Instagram continues to be the platform with the highest engagement rate (61% compared to 72% the previous year), although the growth of YouTube stands out, which considerably improved its engagement, going from 12% in 2023 to 22% in 2024. Facebook It continues to be the network with the lowest level of engagement, which demonstrates the importance of generating attractive and relevant content on more visual platforms.
4. Lower virality
In 2024, virality decreased by 2%, with 37,194 total shares, compared to 37,945 in 2023. Although the decrease is not dramatic, it still marks a constant decrease year after year.
Twitter (X) continues to be the most viral network, with a share of 74% (compared to 81.79% the previous year), although Facebook has experienced a notable increase, reaching 26% (compared to 18% in 2023).
This trend shows a slight change in the way users interact with content on social networks, prioritizing virality on more visual platforms.
5. Decreased efficiency
Although Instagram remains the most efficient network, with 80% of the efficiency share, the study reflects a general decrease in the efficiency of brands on social networks.
This metric, which measures the interactions generated per publication, fell by 35% in 2024, indicating that brands need greater efforts to achieve results comparable to those of previous years.
Efficiency on Facebook improved slightly, from 10% to 11%, while YouTube also saw a slight increase, from 7% to 8%. On the other hand, Twitter remains the least efficient network, with only 1% of the total share.
6. Domain of the sports sector
The sports sector, driven largely by LALIGA, leads the rankings in most metrics.
Aside from sports, the scenario is more heterogeneous, with other sectors such as Beauty and Hygiene dominating the community, and Publishing standing out both in publications and interactions.
- Community: Beauty and Hygiene leads with 15.64%, followed by Editorial and IT.
- Publications: The publishing sector, with brands such as AS.com, leads the number of publications, followed by Tourism and Telecommunications.
- Interactions: Editorial and Fashion stand out in this area, showing the power of visual and entertainment content.
7. Trends by platforms
69% of brands have a presence on LinkedIn, although this network is the least prioritized in terms of publication frequency. Uber Eats is the brand with the largest community on LinkedIn, while brands such as Turkish Airlines and Telefónica stand out in interactions and efficiency.
LinkedIn remains key for sectors such as professional services and finance, although the number of publications is much lower than on other networks.
Twitch
On Twitch, 9.66% of the brands analyzed have a presence, with Consumer Electronics being the most active sector, with brands such as PlayStation and Ubisoft leading both in community and in publications.
Although there are few brands on Twitch, those that are present stand out, although the number of videos and clips published has decreased compared to 2023.
Instagram remains a crucial network for brands. Although reels are the most popular format due to their reach (37.87%), carousels turned out to be the most effective in terms of engagement with a rate of 10.15%. Stories, although the most used format (71.92%), generate the least reach.
TikTok
On TikTok, the trend shows that the larger the account size, the greater the engagement and views. Large accounts (“Huge”) post more content and get more views, while small accounts (“Tiny”) have a slower posting rate.
TikTok continues to grow in relevance, with 6:00 p.m. being the best time to post and Monday being the day with the most views per video.
8. Best Practices
The study also highlights several best practices that brands have implemented to improve their social media performance:
- Collaborations and immersive content: Collaborations with key figures and the creation of immersive experiences are redefining customer loyalty.
- Real-time content: Participating in live events and current trends is key to staying relevant.
- Artificial Intelligence: Tools like generative AI are revolutionizing the way brands manage their interactions and create content.
- Social Listening: Listening to users allows brands to create content that better connects with their audience.
You can consult our analysis of the IAB Spain Brand Observatory on Social Networks 2023 here.
