In the Philippines, social media isn’t just a pastime—it’s a way of life. With an incredibly tech-savvy population, the country boasts a staggering 86.75 million social media users as of January 2024, making up 73.4% of the total population. These figures underscore just how deeply integrated social media is in Filipinos’ daily lives.
Further highlighting this digital immersion, Statista reports that internet users in the Philippines spent an average of 8.52 hours online per day during the third quarter of 2023. Out of this, a significant portion—3.34 hours daily—was dedicated solely to social media.
This level of engagement provides a golden opportunity for marketers and entrepreneurs like you to expand their reach and connect with a highly active online audience. But with the plethora of social media platforms available in the Philippines, where should you focus your efforts to maximize your marketing impact?
Read on below as we discuss the most popular social media platforms in the Philippines.
What Are the Types of Social Media Platforms?
Social media platforms can be categorized into social networking sites, instant messaging platforms, image-based platforms, video-sharing platforms, and forums. Each type has a different audience, and as such, you should know how best to reach out to them. Understanding these categories helps you tailor strategies to reach for the most used social media platform in the Philippines.
Social networking platforms
Social networking platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn allow people to connect, share ideas, and build relationships. Apart from the immediate family and friends, users can also choose to connect with others in the same area, and those with the same interests.
These platforms enable marketers to reach their target audiences with ease, which means that they are perfect for running ads, engaging with customers, and forming a community around your brand.
Instant Messaging platforms
Instant messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, Viber, and WhatsApp allow users to communicate with each other over the internet in real-time.
Think of these as instant messaging buddies for your business. These platforms are great for providing quick customer support, sending personalized messages, and using fun features like chatbots to engage with your audience in a friendly and efficient way.
Image-based platforms
Image-based platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest, allow users to curate images and share them to the world.
These platforms are digital art galleries where you can showcase your creativity. Use them to tell visually captivating stories about your brand, engage customers with stunning visuals, and even sell products directly using features like shoppable posts and cool AR filters.
Video sharing and streaming platforms
Video sharing and streaming platforms like Youtube and TikTok allow users to watch, upload, and share videos on the internet.
As a marketer, you can leverage these platforms to create what is essentially a TV channel for your business. Share exciting videos about your brand, host live events, demonstrate products, conduct interviews, and create engaging content that entertains and informs your audience.
Discussion and fora platforms
Forums like Reddit and Quora facilitate discussions between users. Discussions keep you in the loop with your customers. Join discussions, host Q&A sessions, gather feedback from your audience, and share your expertise to become a trusted voice in your industry. It’s a great way to build a community around your brand and learn from your customers.
The Top 10 Social Media Platforms in the Philippines
Social media is prevalent in the Philippines, and digital connectivity and social engagement are at an all-time high. In this section, we’ll explore the top social media platforms that have captured the attention and engagement of millions of Filipinos across the country.
1. Facebook
- Penetration rate: 94.6% [1]
- Time spent per day: 26 hours and 54 minutes per month [2]
Facebook is one of the top social media apps in the Philippines, with 80.30 million users [3] in the Philippines alone. The platform offers a versatile way for businesses to connect with a massive global audience. Its rich features include profiles, news feeds, groups, events, and a marketplace, enabling diverse content formats like text, images, videos, and live streams.
The platform’s allure lies in its unparalleled reach, sophisticated targeting options through Facebook Ads Manager, and robust campaign optimization analytics. It’s not just a social hub but a dynamic marketing ecosystem.
Furthermore, Facebook’s massive user base offers marketers a vast audience for targeted advertising and brand visibility. It fosters engagement through comments, shares, and direct messaging, building strong customer relationships. Marketers can use it for brand building, leveraging analytics tools for data-driven strategies. You can leverage Facebook to:
- Target local audiences with precision, considering diverse cultural nuances and preferences.
- Promote products/services effectively through visually appealing content, videos, and targeted ads.
- Build brand loyalty by engaging with Filipino consumers, addressing their needs, and offering personalized experiences.
- Drive website traffic, generate leads, and boost conversions through strategic ad campaigns and compelling CTAs.
- Stay updated on market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor insights using Facebook’s data analytics tools.
2. Facebook Messenger
- Penetration rate: 92.1% [1]
- Time spent per day: 14 hours 3 minutes per month [2]
Facebook Messenger is a widely used messaging platform with over 52 million users [3]. It allows users to send text messages, voice messages, and video calls, as well as share photos and videos. Its seamless integration with Facebook allows users to communicate directly with their Facebook friends and contacts.
The platform appeals to a broad audience, from individuals seeking to stay connected with friends and family to businesses aiming to enhance customer service and engagement. In the Philippines, Facebook Messenger is particularly popular due to its convenience; hence, many Filipinos use it for personal communication, group chats, and, increasingly, for interacting with businesses.
For marketers, Facebook Messenger offers significant benefits:
- It allows you to engage directly with customers, providing personalized support and instant communication.
- You can use chatbots to handle frequently asked questions, process orders, and provide updates, ensuring efficient customer service.
- You can send users targeted messages and promotions, leveraging Facebook’s detailed audience insights to reach the right people.
- Messenger provides analytics tools that offer insights into user interactions and campaign effectiveness, enabling data-driven marketing strategies.
3. Tiktok
- Penetration rate: 80.0% [1]
- Time spent per month: 40 hours and 46 minutes [2]
TikTok is a rapidly growing short-form video-sharing platform that has gained immense popularity worldwide—including the Philippines. With 43.33 million users aged 18 and above in 2023, TikTok’s ad reach is equivalent to 58.2% of the adult population and 51.0% [3] of the local internet user base.
TikTok’s USP lies in its ability to provide a highly engaging and entertaining platform for users to create and consume short, catchy videos that allow them to stay long enough that they consume hours of its content every day. Its advanced algorithm curates personalized content feeds—making it addictive and highly engaging.
Because of its chippy and youthful vibe, TikTok appeals to a younger demographic, with a balanced gender split of 65.7% female and 34.3% male users in the Philippines [3]. It’s trendy among teens and young adults who enjoy creative content and viral trends.
In the Philippines, the platform is widely used for entertainment. Users participate in trending challenges, create dance videos, and share funny or informative clips. It serves as a platform for self-expression and community engagement. This is how your business can benefit from TikTok.
- Leverage TikTok’s viral nature to increase brand awareness quickly.
- Target specific demographics, ensuring that ads reach the right audience using the platform’s ad tools.
- Create engaging and entertaining content that resonates with TikTok’s audience, enhancing brand personality.
- Partner with popular TikTok influencers to help reach a wider audience and build credibility.
- Get real-time interaction with users through comments and live streaming, fostering a sense of community and immediacy.
4. YouTube
- Penetration rate: 61.4%
- Time spent per month: 32 hours and 40 minutes [2]
YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing platform—offering a vast range of content including music videos, tutorials, vlogs, and educational videos. In today’s marketing landscape, it is a crucial platform for video marketing and influencer collaborations.
The platform caters to a broad audience, from children watching cartoons to adults seeking news and tutorials. It is particularly popular among younger demographics and content creators. In the Philippines alone, there are 57.7 million users [3], and it is widely used for entertainment, educational content, and DIY tutorials. Moreover, YouTube’s ad reach was equivalent to 49.5 percent of the Philippines’s total population at the start of 2023 [3].
Filipinos engage with a variety of content, from local vlogs and music videos to international news and tutorials, making it a versatile platform for reaching diverse audiences.
5. Instagram
- Penetration rate: 72.5% [1]
- Time spent per month: 3 hours and 41 minutes [2]
Instagram is a photo— and top social media platform in the Philippines that focuses on video-sharing and social networking. It is owned by Meta, the same platform that owns Facebook. Many people use Instagram as a key platform for visual content. In early 2024, Instagram had 21.35 million users in the Philippines, equating to 18.1% of the total population and 24.5% of the local internet user base.
The platform appeals primarily to younger demographics and urban users who enjoy aesthetically pleasing and creative content. But apart from being visually appealing, Instagram’s strength lies in its visually engaging content and diverse features, including Stories, Reels, and IGTV, which provide various ways for users and brands to interact and share content.
Filipinos use Instagram to share aspects of their lifestyle, including fashion, travel, and food. The platform is also popular among influencers and brands for collaborations and sponsorships. You can leverage this platform to:
- Focus on visual content leads to high user engagement, making it a prime platform for brands to connect with their audience.
- Effectively reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors with advanced targeting options.
- Partner with popular Instagram influencers to expand their reach and build credibility.
- This will allow you to create dynamic and engaging marketing campaigns using Instagram’s various content options, such as Stories, Reels, and IGTV.
- Establish a strong brand identity and engage with their community through interactive content and user-generated posts.
6. X (Twitter)
- Penetration rate: 51.6% [1]
- Time spent per month: 2 hours and 25 minutes [2]
X, formerly known as Twitter, focuses on real-time communication and news sharing through short posts called “tweets.” In 2023, X had 11.80 million users in the Philippines, representing 10.1% of the total population and 13.9% of the local internet user base [3].
Because of the real-time and instantaneous nature of these “tweets,” users are able to participate in trending conversations, making it an essential platform for breaking news, live event coverage, and public discourse. In the Philippines, they utilize X to keep up with the latest news, follow their favorite personalities, and engage in discussions on trending topics.
You can leverage this platform by:
- Interacting with your audience instantly by using the platform for customer service, live event promotions, and timely announcements.
- Using trending hashtags to significantly boost your visibility and enable participation in popular conversations, increasing relevance and reach.
- Ensuring that ads reach the most relevant audience through precise targeting options based on user behavior, interests, and demographics.
- Collaborating with influential users on X can help amplify a brand’s message and expand its reach.
- Using its data insights to refine your marketing strategies.
7. Telegram
- Penetration rate: 49.9% [1]
- Time spent per month: 2 hours and 24 minutes [2]
Telegram is a versatile, cloud-based instant messaging app known for its speed, security, and wide range of features, including end-to-end encryption, large group chats, channels for broadcasting messages, and support for bots and multimedia content. Available on multiple platforms, Telegram allows users to access their messages from any device, making it convenient and user-friendly.
For marketers, Telegram offers significant advantages such as direct communication with customers through personalized chats, community building via groups, and the ability to broadcast messages to an unlimited audience using channels.
8. Pinterest
- Penetration rate: 37.7% [1]
- Time spent per month: 1 hour and 39 minutes [2]
Pinterest is a visual discovery platform where users find and save ideas for various interests, such as fashion, home decor, recipes, and DIY projects. This attracts users looking for inspiration, project ideas, and product recommendations. It’s popular among individuals interested in creative hobbies, home improvement, and lifestyle trends.
In the Philippines, many use this when seeking inspiration for fashion, beauty, home decor, and cooking. It serves as a resourceful platform for discovering new trends, planning events, and finding unique ideas for projects and purchases.
9. Whatsapp
- Penetration rate: 34.2% [1]
- Time spent per month: 2 hours and 29 minutes [2]
WhatsApp’s USP lies in its ability to facilitate direct and personalized communication between businesses and customers. This platform caters to a broad audience, including individuals, small businesses, and large enterprises, making it versatile for various marketing objectives.
The app is popular among smartphone users who value instant messaging, voice calls, and video chats. Filipinos use WhatsApp not only for personal communication but also for engaging with businesses, receiving updates, and accessing customer support services.
As a marketer, your business will benefit from WhatsApp’s high engagement rates, personalized messaging capabilities, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional marketing channels—establishing direct connections with their target audience, drive conversions, and build long-lasting relationships.
10. Viber
- Penetration rate: 31.4% [1]
Viber is a global leader in messaging and audio-video communication. It offers an impressive suite of business tools tailored for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The platform’s free, self-serve communications hub helps SMBs engage with local customers, manage queries, enhance discoverability, and drive sales—all seamlessly within the app.
In the Philippines, Viber has a strong foothold, especially among millennials, with 33% of early adopters being younger than 35 and a significant number of users from the food industry. Filipinos use Viber extensively for both personal communication and business interactions, making it an ideal platform for reaching a tech-savvy and engaged audience.
As a marketer, you can run vertical video ads with interactive features, create branded AR lenses and filters to boost visibility, and utilize story ads to captivate audiences. Moreover, you can discover partnerships and influencer collaborations for authentic endorsements, while custom geofilters and tags encourage user participation at events or locations.
Honorable Mentions:
While these platforms are heavy hitters in their own right, they have not yet caught on as much as the top 10 listed in this article. Here are the other media platforms used in the Philippines:
- Snapchat
- LINE
- Discord
- Kumu
Leverage Diverse Social Media Platforms and Maximize Your Marketing Potential
The diverse and dynamic social media landscape in the Philippines presents a golden opportunity for both businesses to connect with a highly engaged online audience. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest lead the charge.
While they are all the most popular social media platforms in the Philippines, each offers unique features and user bases that you can leverage for targeted marketing strategies. But first, you have to understand the specific nuances and popular usage patterns of these platforms to maximize their marketing impact.
Whether you’re looking to build brand loyalty, drive traffic to your website, or increase conversions, the right social media strategy can make all the difference. Ready to take your social media marketing to the next level? Contact Spiralytics, a leading social media agency in the Philippines, to learn more about our tailored social media marketing services. Get started today!
Sources:
- [1] & [2] Howe, S. (2024, May 6). Social Media Statistics in the Philippines [Updated 2024]. Meltwater. Image [1] & Image [2]
- [3] Kemp, S. (2023, February 8). Digital 2023: The Philippines — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights. DataReportal – Global Digital Insights.
