YOY Social Media Growth 2024

Social media platforms are the main way I share my content. Because I believe so much in transparency, as the year comes to a close, I’d love to share the YOY brand growth results I’ve achieved for 2024.

Social media managers and strategists out there, correct me if I’m mistaken here. But my understanding is that a good monthly growth rate for SM is 1-5%. More than half of the platforms I use meet this goal. Because X is already seeing an exodus (and has been for months), I don’t plan to invest any energy there — I’ve already pivoted to Threads and Bluesky. But the numbers help me see where a little more commitment might help. I’m very interested to see if the explosion on Threads cools after the platform is better established.

Multiple social media metrics matter

This data is an example of why growth rate matters compared to the general number of followers, and why analysis has to include multiple metrics. X is the platform I have the biggest following on. Yet, I saw no growth there at all, and in fact, experienced a decline on my main takingdictation account. If I look at growth, it’s a no-brainer to put some resources into Threads. But the data also tells me that Pinterest and Instagram — both of which are already mature, visually-focused platforms — are respectable options.

Social media should be part of your strategy, but omnichannel wins

Regardless of which channels I lean into going forward, my biggest takeaway from 2024 is that social media is a wildly unstable animal. My experience with Musk and X has taught me what can happen when someone else comes in and guts a platform. That, combined with algorithm-based shifts that generally have hurt smaller creators/users, has soured me. I hope to use social media less and less over time as my other means of sharing get stronger.

I have no regrets about setting myself up so that I have websites I control for all of my content. If all of the SM channels died tomorrow, I could still be live and continue production/sales. So, although social media has value, I highly recommend to all fellow creators that you think in an omnichannel way that allows you to protect yourself. Direct and archive your content YOUR way, rather than assuming a particular channel even will exist 1, 5, 10 or even 20 years down the road.

What’s most striking to you about this data? Do you track your own SM growth (or plan to)?