While similar to other European markets, Germany’s unique preferences—like favoring specific platforms and exhibiting lower social media engagement rates—require a tailored approach to social media marketing in the region.
There’s a lot to know about social media marketing in Germany, and this guide is here to help. Keep reading to learn about German social media law, social media trends in Germany, and much more.
An introduction to social media marketing in Germany
Germany has the highest GDP in the EU and the third-highest in the world, after the United States and China. While it doesn’t have the highest per-capita purchasing power in the EU, it’s still very high. And that, combined with it being the most populous country in the EU, makes it a valuable and attractive market.
However, despite Germany’s reputation as a very advanced and economically prosperous country, Germans are on social media significantly less than most developed countries. While internet use in Germany is ubiquitous, social media use is not.
In a 2024 Pew survey, 93% of German adults surveyed used the internet, but only 51% said they use social media sites—a 42% gap and the widest reported in the survey. The next biggest gaps between the surveyed countries were the Netherlands (32% difference) and France (25% difference).
Even younger Germans, more online than older generations, are significantly less online than their peers in other countries. 100% of Germans under 40 use the internet, but only 79% are on social media. By comparison, in France, another country where the population values privacy, 99% of those under 40 use the internet, and 90% of the same group are on social media.
Why is this the case?
Interestingly, it’s not because Germans dislike social media. On the contrary, in surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023, 57% of German adults said that social media was good for democracy in their country. Comparatively, only 44% of Dutch people, 43% of French people, and 34% of Americans said the same, despite each country having higher social media usage rates.
Low social media use numbers could come from a couple of things. Germany has one of the oldest populations in the world. In the EU, only Spain and Italy are older, which can influence overall internet usage rates. A more significant reason, however, is probably Germans’ historical preference for privacy. Because of that, Germans tend to be extremely weary of sites that monetize privacy.
Of course, we’re not suggesting that social media marketing in Germany is a waste of time. While the social media use rates are lower than in other countries, these numbers have and continue to grow rapidly, particularly among younger populations. Between 2018 and 2024, Facebook saw a nearly 50% increase in users, and Instagram saw a 75% increase. And two-thirds of social media users log on every day.
Bottom line: There’s still plenty of opportunity in social media marketing in Germany, but it’s a market you have to be careful with.
What is the most popular social media in Germany?
Facebook is no longer king in Germany. As of 2024, it’s the third most popular social media platform in the country, ranked as a percentage of users aged 16-64 who use the platforms at least once a month.
While not considered a traditional “social network,” WhatsApp is by far the most used and liked social media app. 84.7% of Germans use it at least once a month, and 39.6% said it was their favorite—almost twice the rate of the next most-liked app, Instagram. WhatsApp’s ease of use and purported privacy features are some of the reasons why it’s so popular.
Instagram has taken over Facebook in terms of popularity. 61.9% of Germans use Instagram at least once a month, compared to 60.2% of Germans using Facebook as frequently. Plus, nearly twice as many say Instagram is their favorite platform than Facebook—19.5% compared to 11.3%.
This doesn’t mean you should discount Facebook when deciding which platforms to advertise on in Germany. It’s still a well-used platform for Germans aged 25-34. 64.1% of all social media web traffic referrals come from it, and users tend to spend a bit more time (11h and 24m a month) on it than Instagram (10h and 45m a month).
TikTok, however, has taken over in Germany. While it’s still primarily used by a smaller percentage of the market (37%) and by young people, those who use it spend around 37.5 hours monthly. Its user numbers are still growing, too, from 20 million in 2023 to 22 million in 2024. Conversely, while Snapchat experienced significant user increases during the pandemic, the user base is currently decreasing.
LinkedIn has a pretty small user base in Germany. Only 4.9 million Germans use the site, compared to 28.6 million users in France. This is because of Xing (pronounced “shing”), a local competitor that focuses exclusively on the DACH market. It has around 22 million users in the DACH region, most of which are in Germany. 47% of its users are managers or executives.
While many people have discussed the possibility of Xing’s decline due to LinkedIn’s international appeal, many Germans find that LinkedIn isn’t adapted to their culture, as it emphasizes heavy appeals to emotion, has too many features and seems more like a traditional social network in their eyes.
So, if you’re interested in B2B social media marketing in Germany, Xing might be a good network to invest in.
Effective strategies for engaging German audiences
Germans value thoroughness, data and authenticity. They’re direct and want to get to the point right away. Tradition is important to them. All these things affect how you engage with your audiences on social media in this market.
German or English?
A general rule of thumb in Germany is that advertisements in English will probably get you results, but advertisements in German will get you better results. Germans are used to having most things around them translated and dubbed into German, and they have a strong cultural identity tied to their language.
If you’re targeting a younger or more international audience (for example, mostly targeting people in Berlin), English is more accepted, particularly in social media advertising. Make sure, though, that all pertinent product information is in German. Germans sometimes feel nervous when important information isn’t in German, as they feel they could misunderstand something critical.
See also: Can you use English in German digital marketing?
“On PopSockets’ Instagram, we use a mix of German and English. For example, we’ll upload UGC in German with an English caption, or have a German caption with some English words mixed in. Our audience is young, though, with a good level of English, and our tone is straightforward and sweet, so we don’t have to worry about whether the audience would understand the English used or not.” – Paula Uccelli, Project Manager at VeraContent
Check out our work sample for this localized post from English to German for PopSockets.
Clear communication
Avoid ads that appeal to emotion with what Germans would call “empty words.” Germans tend to be suspicious of very pushy ads, as they believe that this means there’s something wrong with the product. If you’re going to make more story-driven ads, they should relate to German culture and traditions.
A better approach is to assert the benefits of your product or service and emphasize why it would be useful for your target audience. Emphasize reliability, sustainability, practicality, value for money and lack of risk. Product information and pricing should be clearly stated, and any CTAs should be straightforward and clear, without too much emotion—“shop” instead of “buy now!”
Data-driven and fair
If you make any claim, ensure you can back it up with sources and data. And avoid comparative marketing in general. Fairness is very important to Germans, so they look down on companies they perceive to be “bullying” others. While you can emphasize your company’s good value, don’t do so by comparing it directly to the cost of a competing product or service.
Cultural values
Germans both value individual achievement and equality. They also value cooperation and consensus. Promote your products as accessible to everyone, and avoid overt displays of wealth and opulence if you’re marketing a luxury product. Highlight everyday German user reviews or ratings instead of authoritative endorsements. Implementing UGC and encouraging audience participation with formats like polls are also effective strategies.
To appeal to individual achievement, highlight how your product or service can fulfill personal goals and use visuals that emphasize personal achievement. As we previously mentioned, however, don’t get overly competitive.
A great example is Nike changing their classic slogan “Just Do It” to “Du tust es nie nur für dich” (“You never just do it for yourself”). This slogan still emphasizes personal motivation but also invites more communal feelings.
Sustainability
Over 50% of Germans expect every brand to assume social responsibility and believe that companies should be involved in at least one social issue that isn’t directly related to their business.
Germans say sustainability is a key factor when making daily and major purchasing decisions. 70% of Germans say climate change is a serious concern, and 65% say companies should act environmentally responsibly. In short, emphasize any sustainable practices your company partakes in.
However, if emphasizing sustainability in your advertising, make sure you’re walking the walk. The country has begun cracking down on “Green Claims” and recently prohibited advertising that claims something is climate-neutral without explaining whether it is so in its production or only through compensation with programs like carbon offsets. More regulations are sure to come.
Informational content
Germans love information and in-depth content, and they like brands considered to be thought leaders. Things like long-form blog posts (2,000+ words), e-books, case studies and industry reports are appreciated by many audiences, particularly in the B2B sector. While you obviously can’t fit these directly into your social media marketing, you can advertise the long-form content and link to it on your social media pages.
When making shorter-form content, focus on infographics, tutorials, product demos or other types of content that provide information to your customers. You could also make behind-the-scenes videos about your company or quick videos about industry updates or trends.
Check out this “Retail of the Future” e-guide we created and adapted into German for Mapp.
Tone and respect
While many markets want brands to sound like their friends, Germans generally prefer more formality in their advertising. Germans like humor in their marketing, but if you want to use it, opt for dry humor instead of “sillier” humor like wordplay.
“Niche and trendy memes work well for us on Instagram, particularly video or TikTok-style memes using trending audios. It’s key to have a local community manager that can say, ‘This is trending right now, so we should get on top of it’. A lot of people might say that Germans don’t have a sense of humor, but actually, memes work very well.” – Paula Uccelli, Project Manager at VeraContent
If you’re targeting a younger audience, you can use the informal pronoun ‘du’ (singular) or ‘ihr’ (plural), but in most other cases, err on the safe side and use the formal pronoun ‘sie.’ Whichever you use, make sure it’s consistent—mixing them can make customers think your business doesn’t fully grasp German culture or language.
Offers
Germans love getting a good deal, which is increasing with recent inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, particularly in younger audiences. In a 2022 consumer loyalty study, 46% of Germans agreed with the statement, “I am more loyal to retailers that offer me discounts, incentives and rewards.” In 2021, 41% agreed with this statement, so this sentiment is rising in German consumers.
HelloFresh Case Study
While the majority of Germans (66.3%) consume meat, meat consumption rates are much lower there than in neighboring countries (74% of the UK and 81.9% of Danish consumers eat meat). 68.6% of Germans agree that plant-based diets are better for the environment than diets containing meat and dairy.
With the advent of Veganuary as an official coordinated campaign in Germany in 2020, meal kit company Hello Fresh promotes their vegan menu options every January in Germany on their Facebook and Instagram. They also post informational content, such as an infographic showing what plants are in season at the time, how-to videos featuring staff recipe developers and links to blog posts about vegan nutrition.
This campaign has helped Hello Fresh increase its reputation and image in Germany, as well as increase brand awareness and spotlight corporate social responsibility. Some of the Veganuary posts have garnered thousands of reactions on Facebook, mostly positive, which is much higher than average. Appealing to Germans’ environmental concerns with engaging and informative content is a key to social media success in the German market.
Social media trends in Germany
Here are a few content ideas for German social media content:
Give your customers a voice
As previously mentioned, Germans like cooperation and consensus. They like feeling like a brand allows them to share opinions and listens to them. According to a 2024 consumer lifestyle survey, 37% of Gen Z and 48% of millennial Germans want to engage with brands to influence product innovation.
Engage with your German customers on social with the latest interactive content trends, like personality quizzes, Instagram polls and surveys. Respond to comments and even allow your audience to vote on what kind of content they want you to make. The more opportunities they get to input what they want, the more they feel connected to your brand.
Leverage UGC
Like interactive content, promoting and showcasing UGC is a great new way to incorporate democratic ideals into your social media marketing and get your audience to feel more connected to your brand. Plus, Germans are more trusting of content that looks like it came from their peers instead of a big brand.
Some ways to encourage UGC include creating a brand-specific hashtag, launching a contest on social media that requires UGC to be made (for example, a selfie contest for a hotel chain) and offering incentives like coupons for posting.
You can also work with influencers to inspire UGC through platforms like Influee or Tackle, which connect you to influencers that make UGC ads for your company.
See also: UGC image usage rights: An introduction for brands
Mobile-first and social selling
While social media has been mobile-first for a long time, more and more Germans each year are accessing social media and shopping from their phones. Mobile’s share of web traffic is 48% and continues to increase year over year. By 2022, phones were the most used devices to make online purchases. 66% of online shoppers said it was their main purchasing device, compared to 34% that primarily used a desktop computer.
Germans also prefer shopping on Internet marketplaces, like Amazon, to standalone e-commerce stores. This means there’s a lot of opportunity to put your business on social selling platforms like the Instagram shop tab. TikTok shop isn’t available in Germany yet, but when it launches, it will also be a good place to showcase your products. In 2023, 64% of Germans aged 18-26 said they’d purchased something from Instagram.
Content opportunities
A 2024 report on German consumption and media habits reveals trends that can fuel your social media strategy. For example, 62% of German Gen Z consumers watch videos while eating, presenting an opportunity to create engaging, meal-length videos (10-15 minutes) they can enjoy during meals.
Additionally, 55% of 16- to 34-year-olds express concerns about social media’s impact on mental health. Your content could support mindful habits and promote conscious social media use. Lastly, since German consumers have mixed views on AI-generated content, consider limiting its use in your social media advertising.
Emerging platforms
Surprisingly, despite TikTok’s rise and the number of hours of content consumed there, some German agencies and marketers are finding that it’s not translating to as many conversions as they would like, particularly in TikTok influencer marketing. For pure brand awareness, it works, but other KPIs are much more volatile than on platforms like Instagram.
Instead, they’re sponsoring YouTube videos (another way to get your brand out there while people are watching videos at mealtime) and beginning to explore LinkedIn and Twitch influencers. While we mentioned that LinkedIn has way fewer users than Xing, younger Germans are more likely to be on LinkedIn in addition to Xing because of its international reach.
Twitch, despite its small user base in Germany compared to other social networks (as of 2023, 13% of German social media users were on Twitch), has become a success story in Germany for brands that attract that kind of audience. Since streamers are streaming for hours, they’ll talk about a sponsored partner for minutes, not seconds, and have a stronger relationship with their communities than many other influencers because of the live nature of the platform.
Germany’s social media laws and regulations
As you can probably expect, there are quite a few laws and regulations relating to advertising and social media in Germany. As a member of the EU, GDPR applies here. We’ll cover several other Germany-specific sets of laws that may also impact your advertising in more detail here.
“Germany has more restrictions than other, similar markets. For example, it’s hard to do giveaways. We highly recommend that people look into specific restrictions for Instagram or social media when launching an Instagram account.” – Paula Uccelli, Project Manager at VeraContent
The Unfair Competition Act (UWG)
This act, passed in 2004, is the central set of laws governing advertising in Germany. Concerning social media marketing, you must ensure your advertising is not considered misleading. It’s considered misleading, according to the UWG, if it contains false or incomplete misinformation or leads the customer astray. For example, if a certain price is listed but it’s not mentioned that it’s only applicable if you buy two of that item.
However, the UWG considers the advertising medium when deciding what information obligation the seller has to the consumer. In many cases, referring to the seller’s website in the ad is enough to meet obligations. The act also prohibits unlawful comparative advertising. It’s unlawful if it disparages a competitor, the comparison isn’t objective or if it confuses the customer about the brands being compared.
The Telecommunications and Telemedia Data Protection Act (TTDSG)
Passed in 2021, this act aims to consolidate and summarize various other data protection regulations (like the Telecommunications Act [TKG] and the Telemedia Act [TMG]) and apply certain EU regulations, like the GDPR, at the national level. It applies to any business operating in the German market.
This act doesn’t affect social media marketing all that much. Companies maintain compliance mainly by having big and easy-to-use cookie banners on their websites. We wanted to mention it here, however, because it does legislate on data processing. Data collected needs to be protected through technical and organizational data protection measures.
The Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG)
Within the GDPR, there are guidelines for individual countries to apply additional regulations nationally. The BDSG is Germany’s version, officially implementing and strengthening the GDPR in the country. It also offers more detailed and specific rules on topics covered in the GDPR.
Key differences between the BDSG and the GDPR include:
- The BDSG grants additional rights to data collection subjects, including the right to object to profiling. It also sets additional transparency requirements for data processing.
- While the GDPR sets base fines for violations of its policies, the BDSG allows for even higher penalties in certain cases. Data subjects can make claims for non-monetary damages under the BDSG, such as compensation for pain and suffering.
- The BDSG emphasizes public awareness and transparency around data transfers, more so than the GDPR does. This is particularly true about data being moved outside of Germany.
In addition, if you’re processing data yourself, the BDSG may require you to hire a data protection officer (DPO). This is significantly more likely if your company is large or you’re engaging in high-risk processing or processing special categories of personal data such as race or religion. Your DPO can be someone at your company or an external service provider.
Influencer marketing
There are no specific sets of laws surrounding influencer marketing, but improper influencer marketing is still an issue that can affect you. In 2018, German media authorities released a set of guidelines on the topic, and various court cases have clarified what is considered acceptable or not.
The guidelines stipulate that any post by an influencer collaborating with a brand must be clearly labeled as advertising. Unfortunately, there’s no true definitive answer as to what is considered adequate labeling. It does mention that only using the branded content tools provided by social networking platforms wouldn’t be enough.
The guidelines also provide a table that recommends labels for different kinds of posts, from YouTube videos (“werbevideo,” meaning promo video, or “unterstuetzt durch…,” meaning sponsored by) to Instagram stories (“anziege,” meaning advertisement) to blog posts (“anziege” or “werbung,” meaning promotion). Labeling must be clearly at the beginning of a video or the first line of a post.
A 2017 court case decided that using English-language labels like #ad or “sponsored by” is NOT sufficient. The court believed that German people with a lower level of English couldn’t tell that those terms meant that they were looking at an advertisement.
Enforcement
German advertising law, especially the UWG, is enforced primarily by competitors, consumers, self-regulating bodies and consumer protection organizations. Typically, only the parts of an ad that violate the law are removed, with penalties mainly preventing future violations, though fines are possible.
The German Advertising Council (Deutscher Werberat) is the industry’s largest self-regulating organization, offering guidelines for all advertising. Anyone can submit a complaint, and the council may act independently. If they uphold a complaint, they ask the company to modify or stop the ad or refer it to court if they believe a law has been broken. Ignoring the council’s request can lead to a public reprimand, though this is rare.
Competitors and trade organizations may issue a cease-and-desist letter for UWG violations, allowing dispute resolution via a contractual penalty. If ignored, they may seek a preliminary court injunction after one month.
Competitors can seek compensation if an ad damages their sales or reputation. Customers may also claim compensation if a misleading ad influenced their purchase decision.
Get your free guide by filling in the form below!
Ready to target a German audience?
At VeraContent, we’ve worked on several social media campaigns targeting a German audience for our clients. What we’ve learned works best: collaborating with locally based native-speaking content creators and community managers. They know the market best and can create content that hits just the right spot with a German audience.
We’d love to help you expand your social media presence in Germany. Get in touch to find out if you qualify for a Free Content Consultation.