TikTok Surges as Brands Pivot Social Media Strategies
Event summary
- Median brand follower counts on TikTok increased 200% year-over-year in 2025, per Emplifi's 2026 Social Media Benchmark Report.
- TikTok generated twice the median interactions of Instagram and 20-times more than Facebook.
- LinkedIn saw double-digit median follower gains, while Instagram and Facebook follower growth remained flat or modest.
- TikTok commanded the highest median ad spend per account at $14.9K in Q4 2025.
The big picture
Emplifi's data underscores the accelerating divergence in social media platform performance, with TikTok emerging as the clear leader in follower growth and engagement. This shift reflects broader industry trends where brands must continuously adapt their strategies to platform-specific content formats and audience behaviors. The report highlights the challenge for marketers to reach target audiences effectively, as social media apps evolve at a rapid pace.
What we're watching
- Platform Commitment
- How brands will allocate resources to TikTok as a core channel versus experimental platform.
- Content Optimization
- Whether brands can sustain high engagement by tailoring content to each platform's unique audience behaviors.
- Ad Spend Shifts
- The pace at which ad spend migrates from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok and other high-growth platforms.
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