A significant majority of German businesses continue to maintain an active presence on social media, with recent data indicating 80 percent now operate at least one profile across various platforms – a consistent level compared to 77 percent in 2023. The findings come from a new survey conducted by Bitkom, Germany’s IT industry association and released today.
Facebook remains the most popular social media channel for German companies, utilized by 48 percent. The professional networking platform Xing closely follows, with 47 percent of businesses maintaining a presence, alongside YouTube (43 percent) and LinkedIn (36 percent). Instagram is also increasingly prevalent, with 35 percent of firms now active on the platform.
Local community platforms and channels also play a notable role, engaging 30 percent of companies surveyed. While still significant, usage of X, formerly known as Twitter, has declined – currently at 27 percent, representing a five percentage point decrease from the previous year. TikTok is utilized by 22 percent of businesses.
Companies cite a variety of strategic objectives for their social media engagement. Increasing brand and company awareness is the primary driver, identified by 85 and 81 percent of respondents respectively. Improving corporate image (72 percent) and providing customer service (70 percent) are also key priorities.
Recruitment remains a substantial application of social media, with 62 percent of companies leveraging platforms to attract potential employees. Competitive analysis also features prominently, with 37 percent monitoring rivals through social networks and a third (34 percent) utilizing the channels to enhance internal communication. Notably, the survey found that no company utilizes social media without clearly defined goals.
The research was based on telephone interviews with 602 companies employing 20 or more individuals in Germany, conducted between the tenth and sixteenth calendar weeks of 2025.