By Daniel Rowles, lead trainer at Target Internet and author of Digital Branding (Kogan Page). Last updated: November 2026.
The biggest international social media platforms outside the US are WeChat, with about 1.44 billion monthly users, Telegram with more than a billion, and Weibo, QQ and Xiaohongshu in China. LINE leads in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, KakaoTalk in South Korea and VKontakte in Russia. In these markets, they often matter more than Facebook or Instagram.
This guide explains which non-American social networks have the biggest audiences, what each one is used for, and how marketers should decide which ones belong in an international social media plan. The user numbers come from the companies' own latest reports, and we note where definitions differ.
What are the biggest international social media platforms?
Most of the world's largest social platforms are American, but several non-US networks have audiences in the hundreds of millions or more. According to DataReportal's Digital 2026 Global Overview Report, there were 5.66 billion social media user identities worldwide in October 2025, and a large share of them sit in markets where local platforms lead.
| Platform | Home market | Latest users | What marketers use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WeChat / Weixin | China | 1.44 billion monthly (June 2026) | Official Accounts, Mini Programs, customer service, payments |
| Telegram | Global, strong in Russia, India and Indonesia | Over 1 billion monthly (March 2025) | Broadcast channels, communities, bots |
| China | 561 million monthly (June 2026) | Trending topics, celebrity and brand campaigns | |
| China | 520 million monthly (June 2026) | Younger audiences, gaming and entertainment | |
| Xiaohongshu (RedNote) | China | Over 400 million monthly (May 2026) | Product research, reviews, influencer content |
| LINE | Japan, Taiwan, Thailand | About 193 million monthly | Official accounts, messaging, stickers, LINE Ads |
| VKontakte (VK) | Russia | 94.3 million monthly in Russia (Q2 2026) | Communities, video, social commerce |
| KakaoTalk | South Korea | About 53.5 million monthly (Q1 2026) | Channels, messaging ads, commerce |
Treat these numbers as a guide to scale rather than a league table. Some companies report monthly active accounts, some report averages over a quarter, and some report one country only, so a difference of a few million between platforms tells you very little.
Chinese social media platforms
China has the largest social media audience in the world, and almost none of it is on Facebook, Instagram, X or YouTube, which are blocked there. Marketing to Chinese consumers means using Chinese platforms, and each one does a different job.
WeChat. Tencent reported 1.439 billion combined monthly active users for Weixin and its international version, WeChat, at the end of June 2026, in its second quarter results. It is far more than a messaging app: brands run Official Accounts for content, Mini Programs for shopping and bookings, and customer service inside the same app people use to pay for things. Most of that audience is in mainland China, so WeChat is a China channel first.
Weibo. China's leading microblogging platform reported 561 million monthly active users in June 2026, according to its second quarter results, slightly down on a year earlier. It is the place for public conversation, trending topics, celebrity news and launches, much as X once was in the West.
QQ. Tencent's original messaging platform still has 520 million mobile monthly users, though the number has been falling for several years. It skews younger and towards gaming and entertainment.
Xiaohongshu (RedNote). Often described as a mix of Instagram and a search engine, Xiaohongshu is where Chinese consumers research products, travel and beauty before they buy. According to Daxue Consulting, the company said in May 2026 that it had passed 400 million monthly active users and about 800 million searches a day.
Douyin. ByteDance's Chinese short-video app is separate from TikTok, with its own content, rules and shopping features. It is the main home of livestream selling in China and a priority for consumer brands.
Gamification has long been part of Chinese social platforms. Weibo, for example, has offered badges and rewards for interacting with brand content, an approach covered in our article on gamification in digital marketing.
LINE and KakaoTalk: messaging-first networks in Asia
In Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea, the most important social platform is a messaging app rather than a feed. Brands reach customers through official accounts and chat, not just posts.
LINE. LY Corporation reports about 193 million monthly LINE users worldwide, with 100 million of them in Japan, which is roughly 80% of the population. Brands use LINE Official Accounts to send messages, coupons and loyalty offers, and LINE Ads to reach users across the app.
KakaoTalk. In South Korea, almost everyone uses KakaoTalk. Kakao reported about 53.5 million monthly users worldwide in the first quarter of 2026, according to Sinch, with more than 47 million of them in South Korea. Brands use Kakao Channels, messaging ads and commerce features, and Kakao is now building AI agents into the app.
If you are planning campaigns for these markets, the Target Internet platform includes our social media course alongside other interactive courses, skills benchmarking, accredited certification, over 400 episodes of the Digital Marketing Podcast, and monthly live masterclasses delivered by working practitioners.
Telegram and VKontakte
Telegram. Founded by Pavel and Nikolai Durov and now based in Dubai, Telegram passed a billion monthly users in March 2025. Durov said at the time, as TechRound reported, that this made it the second most popular messaging app in the world after WhatsApp, excluding WeChat. For marketers, its broadcast channels work like an email newsletter with no algorithm in the way, and it is especially strong in Russia, India, Indonesia and much of the Middle East.
VKontakte (VK). VK is Russia's largest social network, with an average of 94.3 million monthly users in Russia in the second quarter of 2026, according to its half-year results. VK Video has also overtaken YouTube in Russia by monthly audience.
For many Western brands, VK is off the table. The EU introduced restrictive measures against VK in July 2026, as Mobile Review reported, so check sanctions rules with your legal team before planning any activity there.
Other regional social networks worth knowing
Beyond the big names, several regional platforms dominate particular countries and are worth checking when you plan for those markets. None of them is likely to need a large share of a UK brand's budget, but ignoring them can mean missing where conversations actually happen.
- Kuaishou is Douyin's main short-video rival in China, with a stronger following in smaller cities and rural areas.
- Zalo is Vietnam's leading messaging app, and businesses use Zalo Official Accounts much as Japanese brands use LINE.
- Viber remains popular in parts of Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Philippines, where brands use it for messaging and communities.
- ShareChat and Moj serve Indian audiences in regional languages rather than English.
The pattern across all of these is the same: in many countries the main social platform is a messaging app, and the most effective brand presence looks more like customer service and community than broadcasting. Our article on dark social explains why so much sharing now happens in private messages that analytics tools cannot see.
How to choose the right international social platforms
Start with where your customers are, not with the platform. The right international social media mix depends on which countries you are targeting, and most international plans still combine the global platforms with one or two local ones.
Once you know the markets, work through four questions:
- Can you operate there? Some platforms need a locally registered business, a local phone number or an approved agency before you can open a verified brand account or buy ads.
- Who will run it? Local platforms reward local language, humour and references, so a translated version of your UK content rarely works. Budget for native speakers or a local agency.
- What role will each platform play? In China, for example, Xiaohongshu often does the job of search and reviews, Douyin drives discovery and sales, and WeChat keeps the customer relationship.
- How will you measure it? Local platforms have their own analytics and rarely connect neatly to Google Analytics, so agree the measures that matter before you start.
Copy and paste prompt: "I am planning social media marketing for [product or service] in [countries]. Our target customers are [description]. For each country, list the three most used social and messaging platforms for that audience, what each one is best used for, any requirements for foreign brands to open an account or advertise, and the main cultural considerations. Flag anything I should verify with a local partner."
For a framework to decide what each platform is for, our guide to the honeycomb model for social media strategy is a good starting point, and our research on how different age groups use social media shows how much audiences vary within a single market.
If you are ready to take a structured approach to building your digital marketing skills, explore Target Internet membership options and discover how the platform's interactive courses, benchmarking tools, podcast, accredited certification and live masterclasses can accelerate where you are heading next.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest social network outside the US?
WeChat is the biggest social network outside the US by reported users. Tencent reported 1.439 billion combined monthly active users for Weixin and WeChat in June 2026. Most of those users are in mainland China. Telegram, headquartered in Dubai, is the next largest, with more than a billion monthly users reported in March 2025.
What is China's version of Facebook?
China has no single equivalent of Facebook. WeChat covers messaging, friends' updates, brand pages and shopping; Weibo covers public posts and trending topics; Douyin covers short video; and Xiaohongshu covers product reviews and lifestyle content. Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube are blocked in mainland China, so brands use these platforms instead.
Which social media do people use in Japan?
LINE is the most used social and messaging app in Japan, with about 100 million monthly users, roughly 80% of the population, according to LY Corporation. X, Instagram and YouTube are also widely used in Japan, so most brands combine a LINE Official Account with one or two global platforms.
Is Telegram a social media platform?
Telegram started as a messaging app but works as a social platform too. Public channels let brands and creators broadcast to unlimited followers, groups can hold large communities, and bots can automate customer service. It is especially popular in Russia, India, Indonesia and parts of the Middle East, and less so in the UK and US.
Can foreign brands advertise on WeChat?
Yes, foreign brands can advertise on WeChat, but the rules differ by account type and change often. Many international brands work through a licensed agency or a local partner to open a verified Official Account and run Moments or Channels ads. Check Tencent's current requirements, and any rules in your own market, before you commit budget.
About the author
Daniel Rowles is lead trainer at Target Internet and the author of Digital Branding (Kogan Page). He co-hosts The Digital Marketing Podcast and delivers digital marketing and AI training for organisations around the world, including social media strategy for international teams. You can find out more on his Target Internet profile.
Bibliography
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