Different platforms earn different jobs in a consumer’s research process, and treating them as interchangeable discovery channels misses how people actually use them. A survey of 983 consumers broke down the specific role each platform plays, whether that’s discovering new options, comparing alternatives, or validating trust, and the differences are substantial. ChatGPT and other AI assistants are used overwhelmingly for comparing alternatives, while TikTok and Instagram dominate for discovering new options entirely.

Essential Statistics

• 43% of consumers use TikTok or Instagram primarily for discovering new options, the highest share for that role among any platform.
• 39% use ChatGPT or AI assistants primarily for comparing alternatives, also the highest share for that role.
• 73% of consumers say they don’t use Reddit or online communities for purchase decisions at all, the highest non-use rate measured.
• Google splits relatively evenly across roles, with 24% using it to learn more about an option and 19% for comparing alternatives.
• 40% of consumers say they don’t use YouTube for purchase decisions at all, despite 28% using it to learn more about an option.

Key Takeaways

• TikTok and Instagram dominating the discovery role suggests these platforms function as the top of the funnel for many consumers, introducing options rather than helping finalize decisions.
• ChatGPT and AI assistants dominating the comparison role suggests consumers are using these tools specifically to weigh options against each other, not just to find new ones.
• Reddit’s high non-use rate for purchase decisions suggests this platform plays a smaller direct role in buying than its reputation for authentic community opinion might suggest.
• Google splitting relatively evenly across multiple roles suggests it remains a flexible, multi-purpose tool rather than being tied to one specific stage of the journey.
• This pattern suggests there’s no single winner in the discovery funnel. Different platforms are doing different jobs within the same overall customer journey.

Actionable Insights

• Treat TikTok and Instagram content as top-of-funnel discovery tools rather than conversion-focused content, since this data shows these platforms are used overwhelmingly for discovering new options.
• Optimize your presence in AI assistants specifically for comparison-style queries, since this is the dominant use case consumers report for ChatGPT and similar tools.
• Don’t over-invest in Reddit as a primary purchase-influence channel if resources are limited, since nearly three-quarters of consumers report not using it for purchase decisions at all.
• Maintain a broad, flexible Google presence rather than optimizing for just one query type, since this data shows Google getting used fairly evenly across multiple research roles.
• Match your content format and messaging to the specific role each platform plays in your customers’ journey rather than reusing the same content and goals across every channel.

‘Stop asking which platform wins. Ask what job each platform is doing. TikTok finds you. AI compares you. They’re not competing, they’re different stages.’ – Neil Patel