Most of this top 10 list probably won’t come as much of a surprise, but there are a few newer platforms here that you may not have heard of but should get to know if you’re immersed in the digital marketing industry.

Here are the trending sites as of November last year.

1. Facebook

At over 2 billion monthly users, Facebook is showing no signs of slowing down. Innovative, newer features you may want to check out include a change in the algorithm that de-prioritizes business and encourages more interaction between friends and family. Facebook ad costs also recently went up, but this still remains an extremely viable and affordable advertising option for most types of businesses.

2. Youtube

YouTube not only has 1.5 billion monthly users but has demonstrated remarkable growth since its inception over 10 years ago. It’s the most popular website for good reason: people love video. They love making it; they love sharing it, they love watching it. There’s no sign of this platform slowing down soon, so if you’re an advertiser who hasn’t jumped on it, you should do so now.

3. Instagram

800 million people use Instagram monthly, and there are many reasons why. On a personal or professional level, it really has it all, save for a lot of room for words or backlinking in the text and comment area. Instagram is less for chatting and more for building followers, and even though the rules and algorithms do keep changing, it remains one of the most fun and least invasive (from ads or trolls) platforms around.

4. Twitter

Though at first, they weren’t quite sure why, 330 million people are now using Twitter every month – and it’s a great place to have a snappy conversation about anything newsworthy, especially the controversial stuff. People love it because it’s consistent and direct – and they don’t love it because it’s an open platform for trolls and abuse. It’s basic and has not changed much over the years.

5. Snapchat

300 million people a month use the popular photo-sharing platform Snapchat. People like it because it’s very private and is also great for video calling. It’s not just for teens or millennials, but it does have a high proportion of younger users and was originally geared towards them.

6. Reddit

At some 250 million users per month, Reddit is a super popular site with a unique setup. You can find answers to just about anything in this social forum, and because it’s so big, it’s actually an excellent place for marketing when it comes to backlinking.

7. Pinterest

You’ve probably used Pinterest, which has over 200 million monthly users, to find recipes, hairstyles or travel destinations. Some might be surprised it made it this high in the top 10! It’s a highly visual site that works well for anyone using a lot of photos or niches where people are liable to “collect” bits and pieces of information for later. While its popularity may be waning slightly over time, it’s still a great go-to for visuals, though it’s not as interactive as Instagram.

8. Ask.fm

A whopping 160 (some sources say 215) million monthly users are immersed on the biggest social site that you’ve probably never heard of. Me neither! And Ask.fm made the top 10!

So what’s the hype about? This platform started as a place to ask anonymous questions and was geared towards teens and millennials at its inception. But it has received some bad press as it has been linked to cyberbullying. Since it has been under fire by the media and there are plenty of articles out warning parents not to let their kids use the site.

9. Tumblr

115 million active users on Tumblr thrive on its unusual interface for sharing the wacky, weird and wild visuals that they come across every day. It’s pretty great if you’re using a lot of different media types that are highly visual. It also comes with built-in email and mobile publishing. Tumblr is not likely to slow down soon so if your brand fits it you’ll want to consider jumping in now.

10. Flickr

112 million people still use the photo-sharing platform Flickr on a monthly basis, but there are signs that its popularity may be waning. For photographers, it’s an easy way to store and share photos, but interface-wise it may not be as up-to-date as its competitors.

(By the way, Google + and LinkedIn have over 100 million users per month as well.)

from The Battle of the Social Media Platforms in 2018.