• Facebook, Xing and YouTube lead the way
• 6 out of 10 aim to attract new employees

Facebook is the most widely used social media platform by companies in Germany. 48 per cent have their own profile there. The business network Xing is practically on a par, with 47 per cent having a profile, as are YouTube (43 per cent) and LinkedIn (36 per cent). 35 per cent of companies now use Instagram. These are the results of a representative survey commissioned by the digital association Bitkom among 604 companies in Germany with 20 or more employees. According to the survey, a total of 80 per cent of the companies surveyed stated that they have at least one profile on a social network – meaning that this proportion remains at a stable high level (2023: 77 per cent). ‘For companies, a presence on social media is absolutely essential. It is where they reach their customers, new employees and business partners. It is crucial that profiles are continuously maintained – abandoned social media accounts do more harm than good to a company’s image,’ says Bitkom CEO Dr Bernhard Rohleder.

Local communities and platforms such as nebenan.de also play an important role for companies – 30 per cent are represented here. 27 per cent have a profile on Elon Musk’s platform X, formerly Twitter – a decline of 5 percentage points compared to 2023. 22 per cent of companies say they have a profile on TikTok.

Why do companies use social media? 85 per cent want to increase awareness of their own company and 81 per cent want to increase awareness of their brands or products. Slightly less than a quarter (72 per cent) are concerned with improving their image and almost as many (70 per cent) with providing good customer service. Recruiting also plays a major role: 62 per cent use social media to attract the attention of potential employees. Thirty-seven per cent of companies use social media to monitor their competitors, and a third (34 per cent) also use the platforms to improve internal communication. Not a single company uses social media haphazardly without specific goals (0 per cent).

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 602 companies with 20 or more employees in Germany were surveyed by telephone. The survey took place between calendar weeks 10 and 16 of 2025. The survey is representative. The questions were: ‘In which of the following social media platforms does your company have its own profile or account?’ and ‘What are your goals with your social media activities?’