Social media ad reach in the United Kingdom 2024, by platform

As of early 2024, advertising on YouTube had the highest reach in the United Kingdom among the presented social networks, with roughly 91 percent. LinkedIn and Facebook followed, with 72.5 and 68.9 percent, respectively.

An ad medium attractive for marketers…

The UK is the third-largest social media market worldwide, behind the United States and China. The market was worth 9.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 and is expected to grow to 10.9 billion by 2028. In the same period, social media usage is also forecast to increase. Its penetration rate is projected to deepen from an already high 91 percent to 94 percent of internet users. 

…but not so trusted by consumers

Popular as it is, social media advertising was the second-least trusted medium among adults in the UK in 2023. Only influencer ads scored lower. This holds true across all age groups, underscoring the fact that even though social media is especially popular among younger internet users, they do not necessarily trust everything they see there. In the age group of 18 to 34, cinema is the most trusted ad medium; among older adults, TV reigns supreme.