WhatsApp overtakes Youtube
WhatsApp overtakes YouTube: is the top spot next?
In 2024, WhatsApp made a major move, overtaking YouTube to claim the second spot in the world of social media platforms by monthly active users. With over 2.95 billion active users by January 2025 - compared to YouTube’s 2.7 billion - WhatsApp now holds a comfortable lead, only behind Facebook, which still tops the charts with 3.1 billion active users. WhatsApp continues to experience impressive growth (up over 7% in the past year), and if this momentum keeps up, it might soon give Facebook a run for its money at the top.
What is driving WhatsApp's explosive growth?
WhatsApp’s growing success is driven by increasing consumer and business demand.
Consumer Demand: WhatsApp is now the most downloaded messaging app in >60 countries. Its ease of use, widespread accessibility, and affordability, especially in emerging markets like Southeast Asia, Latin American and Sub-Saharan Africa, where low-cost data plans and Android’s dominance make it the go-to communication tool – have solidified its global presence. As of January 2025, India boasts over 530 million WhatsApp users—more than three times the size of Brazil, the second-largest market. In the U.S., Meta’s business-focused initiatives are fuelling WhatsApp’s growth. With 75 million active users in 2024, WhatsApp usage has increased by 15% year-over-year, thanks to enhanced features like multi-device support, voice message transcription, and Click-to-WhatsApp ads.
Business Demand: As WhatsApp continues to gain traction with global consumers, it’s no surprise that businesses are increasingly turning to the platform as a powerful tool for engagement and more! Today, over 50 million businesses worldwide are leveraging WhatsApp, with WhatsApp Business now attracting nearly a billion monthly active users. What truly sets the platform apart is its exceptional engagement, boasting an open message rate of over 90%. Every day, more than 200 million people interact with businesses on WhatsApp, while 40 million users browse business catalogs each month. For companies seeking to connect with customers in meaningful ways, WhatsApp is rapidly becoming the go-to channel.
Why is WhatsApp a Game Changer for Brands?
WhatsApp is quickly becoming an essential tool for businesses to connect with customers in a more direct and personal way. Unlike traditional email marketing, WhatsApp boasts higher open rates of >90% versus email’s 20-30%, marketing message click through rates of 20-65% versus email’s 2-5%, and significantly better conversion potential of 15-30% versus email’s 1-5%. For brands looking to boost engagement and sales, it’s no longer just an option, it’s a necessity.
With WhatsApp’s ever-growing user base and unmatched levels of user interaction, brands that haven’t tapped into its power are missing out on a huge opportunity. The data speaks for itself; over 60% of users say they feel more connected to a brand when they engage through WhatsApp. At Merx, we’ve seen a surge in demand from major brands eager to leverage WhatsApp to elevate their customer engagement strategies.
Ready to unlock WhatsApp’s full potential for your brand? Reach out to us today and discover how we can help you harness the power of this dynamic platform to take your customer engagement to the next level.
