what 325+ Kansans told us (and how to use it)
Every year, Kansas marketers ask the same question in a dozen different ways: “Where are people actually spending their time online right now?”
That’s the whole reason we run this survey – we want to know where, specifically within social media, Kansans are scrolling, watching, and engaging. Habits change. Platforms shift. And if you are investing real time and real budget into social, you deserve data that reflects what’s happening here, not just what’s being reported nationally.
In November 2025, we collected social media usage data from 326 respondents across Kansas. We’ll highlight the findings that we believe are most significant and take a look at how this year’s data compares to our past polls. This is our fourth year running the same core questions, which means we can start to see the year-over-year patterns and trends more clearly.
If you want to explore the previous research, here are our past posts: 2022, 2023 part 1 and part 2, and 2024.
This year’s post focuses on two things:
- What the data says about platform adoption and frequency in Kansas.
- How to use it to make smarter channel decisions for your next campaign.
what we asked and how to read it
We asked respondents two types of questions about each platform:
- Participation (multi-select): “Which platforms do you participate in?” In this section respondents selected the social media platforms they use.
- Time spent (forced choice): “How often are you on this platform?” (Daily, multiple times a week, multiple times a month, haven’t been on in a while, no account, what’s that?)
Those two questions work together, but they are not identical. You cannot spend time on a platform you do not have an account on, but participation is still more of a gut-check question. It reflects whether someone identifies as being on a platform. The frequency question is more structured and helps us measure attention in a consistent way, even if someone would not personally describe themselves as an “active participant.”
the big picture: Kansas still has core platforms (and they are not a mystery)
If you only remember one thing from this year’s data, make it this:
Facebook and YouTube are still the widest-reach platforms in Kansas, and they also show up as high-frequency platforms.
account ownership (based on the frequency question)
This measures the share of respondents who have an account or at least recognize the platform (everything except “No account” and “What’s that?”).
Account ownership matters when you’re planning for potential reach. But if you are planning where to spend your effort, the next section tells a better story.
where time actually goes: regular use is the marketer’s best friend
When you’re deciding where to invest your budget, “multiple times a week” or more usage is often the most useful line in the sand. It filters out the platforms people technically have, but rarely open.
regularly active (daily + multiple times a week)
top 5 for weekly reach:
- YouTube
- TikTok
- Snapchat
If your target audience is the general public in Kansas and you need a strong chance of repeated exposure, those five platforms should be on your shortlist. Your brand might not need all five, but most brands should at least start there and then justify moving away from them.
daily habits tell a slightly different story (and it’s useful)
Daily use is where you find the platforms that are part of someone’s routine. In total, “regular use” and “daily use” look fairly similar in terms of which platforms rise to the top, but daily data helps you understand what people consider their go-to platforms versus what they visit more intentionally.
daily use
top 5 for daily use:
- Facebook 63.9%
- YouTube: 47.7%
- Instagram: 36.4%
- TikTok: 33.9%
- Snapchat: 30.9%
What this means in plain English: Facebook is still the most reliable “everyday check-in” platform in this sample, but YouTube is the quiet powerhouse that shows up in daily life far more than many marketers plan for.
age splits: “Kansas” is not one audience
The averages are helpful, but the age cuts are where the strategy lives and where we start to see real differentiation in what “normal” social media use looks like.
teens
Daily leaders:
- YouTube 69%
- Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, all at 63%
Takeaway: If teens are your target audience, video had better be in your arsenal because that’s what they’re consuming across all of their favorite platforms.
young adults
Daily leaders:
- TikTok: 74%
- Facebook: 72%
- Instagram, Snapchat, all at: 67%
Takeaway: TikTok is not “extra” for 19–24. It’s the platform of choice.
prime working ages
- 25–34: YouTube (59%) and Facebook (55%) lead.
- 35–44: Facebook (67%) and YouTube (59%) lead, with Instagram next (39%).
Takeaway: If you sell to households and parents, Facebook and YouTube remain your most consistent anchors. Instagram can be a strong support channel, especially when you are trying to reach a wider age spread with creative that is built for quick consumption.
older audiences (55+)
- 55–64: Facebook (66.7%), YouTube (42.4%)
- 65+: Facebook (69.2%), YouTube (24.6%)
Takeaway: Facebook is still the most dependable daily platform for older Kansans in this sample. YouTube is the clear second, although daily use drops off significantly for the 65+ crowd.
the “not everyone is even there” reality check
Some platforms are not just used less frequently. They are places where a meaningful share of respondents simply do not have an account.
no account
the least likely platforms to have an account on:
- Threads: 59%
- X/Twitter: 54%
- Reddit: 50%
- LinkedIn: 45%
how to use this
- Even if your campaign needs broad reach, these may not make sense.
- However, if your campaign is very targeted (a specific profession, interest or community), they can still be perfect!
- Platforms aren’t “bad,” they’re just more specialized thus appealing to a smaller, more targeted audience.
how this year’s data compares to previous years
Because this is our fourth year running the same social media study, we are starting to see several trends settle in.
1. Reddit is gaining traction.
We have asked about Reddit since the beginning, but it has rarely been visible enough across age groups to deserve much attention in our annual research findings. That changed this year. Reddit is still not a primary platform for most groups, but it is also not consistently landing in the “not using it” bucket either. That is a meaningful shift.
It is hard to pinpoint one cause, but we’d at least some give some credit to Google’s partnership with Reddit (which began in 2024) and the broader push toward AI-driven search experiences that often pull from Reddit threads.
What does this mean for brands? You shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the conversations happening on Reddit. It’s no longer for the Internet fringe. More people are reading it, and it is increasingly influencing what shows up in search results and AI summaries.
2. Facebook might be losing traction, but not much.
Daily visitation percentages are down compared to our early surveys, but Facebook still holds its spot as the most popular and most frequently visited social platform for Kansans, especially if you’re trying to reach the 35+ audience.
What does this mean for brands? We get it. Facebook does not feel sexy or exciting. But people are still there. If your audience includes 35+, Facebook should still play a role in your plan. And while organic reach is not what it used to be, brands can still earn attention with content that is genuinely useful or entertaining. Use it while it still works.
3. Youtube has made big gains.
Early in our survey history, Youtube tended to skew strongest among our older demos (55+) as younger demos tended to prefer TikTok and Instagram for video consumption. This year, Youtube shows up as a primary network across all age groups.
What does this mean for brands? If you are not producing video in some form, it’s time to start. That does not mean everything needs to be polished. Educational, entertaining, behind-the-scenes, quick answers, even slightly rough content can perform when it is clear and helpful. Video is also one of the formats that tends to travel well across platforms, which matters when resources are tight.
4. Snapchat and Instagram are losing ground.
Snapchat has never been a hit with older audiences, but it was ranked high in daily use with the younger demos in our earlier survey years. Since then, it’s slipped down the primary networks list or in some instances has completely dropped off.
Instagram is showing a similar pattern. In our 2024 report, Instagram performed strongly across age groups. This year, it drops off the primary list for more than half of the age groups.
What does this mean for brands? When your resources are tight, focus matters more than ever. Agencies used to encourage a shotgun approach where brands posted everywhere. Today, less is often more. Pick the top one, two, or three networks that match your audience and commit to doing them well. Reevaluate each year.
5. LinkedIn looks “small” in data, but it’s not a loser.
Not every campaign is for the masses. Sometimes the people who matter most to your business are decision-makers at specific companies. That is where LinkedIn shines. It may not rank as a daily habit for most Kansans, but it is still one of the most efficient places to reach business decision makers with context-rich messaging.
What does this mean for brands? Know who makes the decisions for the goods or services you sell. If you’re trying to reach business decision makers, LinkedIn should play a role in your social media plan, even if it’s not a daily use platform.
wrapping it up
We keep doing this Kansas social media series for a simple reason: national platform headlines do not always match Kansans’ behavior. Our job as marketers is to put our dollars where attention actually is, and adjust as those habits move.
So as long as people are spending time on social networks, we’ll keep running this annual survey to help our clients and readers make the most informed decisions possible.
