In a year that saw the Russia-Ukraine war and the continuing effects of the pandemic hitting the tech industry hard, use of social media in Australia nevertheless continued to grow through 2022.

More than 82% of Australians use social media and the average Aussie spends almost two hours a day on social platforms, according to the latest Digital 2022 Australia report by We Are Social.

However, analysis of which social media sites Australians are using reveals that most of the established popular platforms are no longer seeing significant growth in numbers and could risk losing users to the rising competition without fresh ideas.

Here’s how Australian social media is looking in 2023 and what that means for your social marketing campaigns with Civic Web Media’s annual breakdown.

Most popular platforms by number of unique monthly visitors – December 2022

1. 1. Facebook – 18 million (up 1m from December 2021)
   2. YouTube – 17.5 million (up 1m)
   3. WhatsApp – 12 million (steady)
   4. Instagram – 10 million (steady)
   5. LinkedIn – 6.5 million (steady)
   6. Snapchat – 6.4 million (steady)
   7. WordPress – 6.1 million (steady)
   8. Twitter – 5.8 million (steady)
   9. Tinder – 4 million (steady)
   10. Tumblr – 3.7 million (steady)

Statistics compiled by SocialMediaNews.com.au for December 2022. Source: Vivid Social – Social Media Agency. Figures correct as of 31/12/22.

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Top 10 social networks in Australia 2023

1. Facebook

18,000,000 unique active monthly users

Privacy scandals, sinking stocks and record-breaking lawsuits haven’t stopped the social media king from gaining an extra 1 million active Australian users through 2022, maintaining its position as the most popular social media site in Australia and the wider world.

According to the latest global social media statistics compiled by Hootsuite, more than a third of the world’s population and more than half of total internet users use Facebook every month. Two thirds of users visit a local business page at least once a week and one third make purchases on the platform.

Facebook is the most valuable social channel for most businesses in Australia. Read our step-by-step guide to how to advertise on Facebook.

2. YouTube

17,500,000 unique monthly visitors

Also gaining 1 million users to keep pace with Facebook, the world’s largest video platform boasts the most engagement of any social networking site.

Australian YouTube users spend an average of 19 minutes a day or 23.7 hours per month watching videos on the platform, according to Hootsuite, and 70% of users say they purchased from a brand after seeing them advertised on the site.

If you’re looking to make the most of video marketing for your business, see our YouTube marketing guide.

3. WhatsApp

12,000,000 active users

After rapid growth in 2021, the Facebook-owned messaging and video call service saw negligible growth in 2022. However, it remains the most popular messaging app in Australia, ahead of Snapchat and Facebook’s own Messenger.

4. Instagram

10,000,000 active monthly users

Rounding out Australia’s and the world’s top 4 social networks, Instagram saw little to no growth domestically last year. But with more than 1 in 3 Australians being active on the platform, the image and video site is still an effective marketing tool for reaching your customers.

To find out more, read our guide to getting started on Instagram.

5. LinkedIn

6,500,000 active monthly users

Despite no significant growth in two years, the professional social network remains a popular tool for recruitment and B2B marketing in Australia. LinkedIn reports that around 10 million Australians have accounts on the site, though fewer are regular users.

Read our guide to getting started on LinkedIn as a business.

6. Snapchat

6,400,000 active monthly users

Stable for three years, Snapchat still retains a loyal user base, but is failing to grow in the face of competitors such as TikTok. According to Hootsuite, the image and video messaging app is most popular with young adults aged 18-24, and users spend an average of 7 minutes per day on the platform.

7. WordPress

6,100,000 monthly users

WordPress has also not grown significantly since 2020, but the open-source CMS is still the leading website builder for individuals and businesses in Australia who want a simple and customisable website.

8. Twitter

5,800,000 active monthly users

Despite the headlines and controversy since Elon Musk took full control of the platform in October, use of Twitter in Australia neither grew nor declined significantly in 2022, but it remains popular, particularly with males and millennials.

Find out how to reach your audience on Twitter with Civic Web Media’s Twitter marketing guide for small businesses.

9. Tinder

4,000,000 users (estimate)

A decade on from its launch, Tinder is still the most popular dating and lifestyle app in Australia, but saw relatively little growth in 2022 as younger users were lured by rivals such as Bumble and Thursday.

10. Tumblr

3,700,000 monthly users

Still rounding out the top 10, a loyal and predominantly female audience is keeping the image sharing and blogging site relevant in Australia.

Other platforms to watch

While no social network looks set to dethrone Facebook in the near future, other apps have grown more rapidly in recent years, particularly TikTok. The video sharing app almost doubled its Australian user base to 2 million active monthly users in 2022, predominantly in the 13-17 age group.

The Chinese language networks WeChat, RenRen and Weibo are also popular among Australia’s Chinese community, with an estimated 2.9 million active monthly users on WeChat alone.

For more industry news and online marketing tips, follow the Civic Web Media blog.