Landau study: NGOs rely on Instagram, TikTok and emotions
A new analysis by Landau Media shows that TikTok is surpassing Facebook in terms of user engagement. Switzerland’s most reputable NGOs are seeing growth rates of over 200 percent on the platform. Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) is losing significant ground, while Bluesky is emerging as an alternative.
Social media remains the central communication tool for the non-profit organizations with the strongest reputations in Switzerland - but with clear platform differences. This is shown by the new study "Top 20 Swiss NGOs on Social Media 2025" by Landau Media. While Facebook and Instagram continue to achieve the greatest reach, TikTok in particular is gaining in importance as a dynamically growing channel. This is where the community interacts most intensively with NGO content.
TikTok with the highest engagement rate
TikTok is growing rapidly and has the highest average engagement rate across all platforms at 24.2%. NGOs use the short video platform for emotional content, fact-based education, interaction and gamification. Rega and Fairtrade Max Havelaar recorded above-average growth rates of 217.17% and 101.84% respectively.
On X (Twitter), on the other hand, there was a significant decline. All NGOs recorded negative follower growth of -2.7% on average. Activities are increasingly shifting to Bluesky, where Greenpeace, WWF and Pro Natura are now using fact-based and politically pointed communication.
Doctors Without Borders as the clear market leader
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) stands out as the clear number one across all platforms - both in terms of reach and growth. Over 11.6 million people follow the organization on Facebook alone. MSF is growing particularly strongly on Instagram with 46%, where the highest user interaction of almost 4% was also recorded.
Despite comparatively low interaction rates, Facebook remains a reach channel with a central value (median) of over 26,000 followers. Communication is characterized by emotional stories, informative insights and interactive formats such as behind-the-scenes videos and competitions.
Instagram as the most visually powerful platform
Instagram is establishing itself as the most visually powerful platform. NGOs are increasingly relying on reels, behind-the-scenes formats and advocacy posts. Doctors Without Borders uses the platform for humanitarian appeals, Rega for technology-oriented content. The Swiss Paraplegic Foundation achieves the highest interaction rate of 4.69% with emotional inclusion stories.
YouTube is dominated by explanatory "YouTube Shorts" focusing on emergency medical aid, crisis reporting and air rescue logistics and technology. Touring Club Switzerland achieves the greatest reach here with 40,200 followers, while the Swiss Red Cross has the highest engagement of 2.89%.
The study was conducted by the Landau Media Switzerland AG was carried out. Between January 1 and September 30, 2025, the media intelligence provider analyzed the activities of the top 20 NGOs according to GfK Business Reflector 2025 on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Bluesky. Over 6,600 posts from 77 social media profiles were included in the study.
Landau Media Schweiz AG is a leading company in media analysis and consulting. The company offers its clients comprehensive data and insights into the Swiss media. For more than 25 years, Landau Media has been one of the leading providers of media monitoring, media analysis and media reviews in the DACH region. With Landau Media Schweiz AG in Zurich, the company has also been firmly established in Switzerland since 2018. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies and AI-supported monitoring, Landau Media offers comprehensive insights into the Swiss media landscape - or worldwide if desired.
Download the analysis study: https://landaumedia.ch/csolutions_casestudy_top_20_ngos_in_der_schweiz_2025/
