Metricool, a global social media management platform, today unveiled its 2026 Social Media Study, analyzing real activity from 1,059,949 social media accounts and 39,762,999 posts across ten major platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, Bluesky, Threads and Google Business Profile.

Metricool’s largest study to date reveals how creators, brands and businesses leveraged social media platforms throughout 2025, uncovering major shifts driven by algorithm changes. the growing influence of AI on content distribution, format performance and the explosive growth of new platforms. It also highlights an emerging divide between creators who use AI to amplify original ideas and those who rely on low-effort automation, with measurable impacts on reach and engagement.

Platform Performance Insights:

• Instagram Reels Lose Steam: Reels reach dropped 35%, and posts saw a 31% decline in reach year-over-year. This suggests Instagram’s algorithm is prioritizing different formats and signaling saturation for short-form video on the platform.
• TikTok Leads in Average Reach, Interactions, and Growth Potential: Despite a near 17% decrease in average TikTok videos, the platform still drives the highest average reach and interactions, 28,482 and 944, respectively, while leading in growth potential, with over 17% of accounts growing in followers. 
• X/Twitter Declines in Referral Traffic: Despite improvements in replies and retweets, link clicks fell 28%, reinforcing declining referral value for brands relying on X to drive website traffic. Organic impressions also dipped by 5%.
• Facebook’s Reach Resurgence: Far from fading, Facebook saw a 51% increase in reach, a 57% rise in impressions and a 56% increase in interactions — one of the strongest performance rebounds across all platforms. Facebook’s scale and video-first content strategy continue to deliver meaningful visibility.
• LinkedIn Softens After Years of Growth: Increased posting frequency brought increased competition. LinkedIn saw a 23% decrease in impressions and a 14% decline in interactions, suggesting brands must refine content quality to stand out in an increasingly saturated B2B environment.
• Pinterest Posting Accelerates: Pinterest usage climbed sharply, with weekly posts increasing 29%. Though impressions decreased, engagement per view increased,  indicating a smaller but highly relevant and action-oriented audience.
• YouTube Strengthens Its Viewing Power: YouTube reinforced its leadership in long-form content, with views per video increasing 30%, weekly posting rising 25% and comments growing 7%. Despite competition from short-form video, YouTube remains one of the most reliable channels for discovery and community building.
• Threads Finds Its Lane: Threads gained traction quickly, delivering an average of 1,536 impressions per post and nearly 25 interactions per post, signaling strong early engagement.
• Bluesky’s Engagement Breakout: Bluesky posted the highest relative engagement among emerging platforms, averaging 16.38 interactions per post. Its early performance suggests a growing appetite for decentralized social experiences.
• Google Business Profile Drives Real-World ROI: Local businesses benefitted significantly from Google Business Profile activity, with bookings rising 13%, direction requests increasing 34% and food orders jumping 78%.

"This year's data highlights that creators can't just rely on short-form hype anymore,” said Juan Pablo Tejela, CEO and Co-Founder of Metricool. “Reels reach is down and algorithmic overcrowding is real. We are seeing long-form and community-first environments gaining further momentum, like YouTube, Threads and Bluesky, each garnering stronger, more reliable engagement. The gap is widening between creators who use AI to sharpen their voices and those leaning on low-effort automation. Audiences are rewarding depth, authenticity and consistency more."