Social media in the CEE media markets in 2023

Across the region, social media is integral to digital marketing strategies, particularly platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are driving forces in media consumption, driving the investments of brands heavily in this field.

Facebook remains the leading platform in many markets, however, TikTok is the fastest-growing network, which is expected to enter more markets (like Slovenia) by 2024, and online budgets are set to expand further. The trend towards mobile devices as the primary way of accessing social media continues to grow, especially for younger audiences.

In Romania and Serbia, radio stations and advertisers have adapted to these trends by integrating social media into their digital strategies. Influencer marketing is another growing trend, with brands across Hungary and Romania increasingly relying on influencers, though the sector has faced controversies, especially in Romania. In Hungary, influencer marketing was formally included in advertising spending estimates for the first time in 2023, signalling a rising trend of using social media influencers to drive campaigns.

In Croatia, social media platforms were pivotal in OOH providers’ efforts to gain visibility and reach. DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) providers with smaller networks focused on using social platforms to extend their brand messaging. As these providers target road passengers and vehicle drivers, social media helped them increase their reach beyond traditional out-of-home channels.

While TikTok grows rapidly, Facebook and Instagram continue to dominate, with advertisers focusing on dynamic content, product placements, and interactive campaigns. In markets like Slovenia, influencers use these platforms to drive engagement through polls, prize games, and challenges. Telegram has also emerged as a dominant news platform in Ukraine with 93% penetration rate, and where YouTube has also emerged as the most critical platform for advertisers, as smaller players shifted their budgets to the platform, while larger brands also increased their spending.

we_can social media ranking 2024

WE_CAN SOCIAL MEDIA RANKING

This year in the we_know report, data related to the number of users on Facebook were obtained from country report of Datareportal, contrary to previous years, when they were obtained from the advertising account of the platform. Percentage values show the ratio of users above 18 as the relevant age group for the advertising market within the whole population. As it has occurred in past years, Meta has made important changes in way its advertising platforms report audience reach data– including significant revisions to its base audience data of Facebook – so figures shown here may not be directly comparable with figures published in previous years.