Latest Digital Marketing Statistics - State of the Industry 2023
ByAndrea
March 07,2023
If you put your laptop away for a minute and step outside, you’ll see people walking, jogging, and running red lights with their faces glued to their mobile devices. Given that most of us work for eight hours and ideally spend another eight hours sleeping, that leaves us with just a third of our day to fill as we please. With that in mind, let the fact that digital marketing statistics show we spend 5.9 hours per day on digital media sink in. Mary Meeker’s 2018 Internet Trends Report came up with this figure and provided one particularly crucial insight for all businesses: If you want to be seen at all, you need to establish a strong online presence.
The text below will tell you what you need to know to stay competitive in today’s online market. We’ve collected the most interesting and relevant online marketing data from reputable sources like Statista, Accenture, Gartner, Clutch, Pew Research, and a variety of government websites. With this up-to-date information, you can get a better idea of what to expect from online marketing in the near future.
Most Interesting Digital Marketing Statistics - Our Top Picks
- The marketing executives of some of the most successful companies spend an average of more than 21% of their marketing budget on advertising.
- 70% of marketers lack an integrated content strategy.
- 72% of consumers who search for local businesses end up visiting stores within five miles.
- Strategic landing pages help 68% of B2B businesses acquire new leads.
- By 2021, global revenue from offline commerce channels will decrease by almost 20%.
- Global digital and alternative media revenues grew an estimated 11.6% in 2018, amounting to $496.08 billion in total.
- In 2017 in the UK, digital advertising overtook all other forms of advertising, reaching a 52% share of total advertising spending.
Digital Marketing Stats
Global digital and alternative media revenues grew an estimated 11.6% in 2018, amounting to $496.08 billion in total.
(PQ Media)
Digital and alternative media such as smart-technology advertising, micro-influencer marketing, and video advertising are increasingly successful at converting leads. Any business operating in the current global economic climate ought to tune in and learn how to leverage this technology. Digital advertising includes email marketing, social media marketing, SEO, social PPC, content marketing, and display marketing. For businesses who know what they are doing, this digital advertising revenue is worth every penny.
By 2020, B2B digital commerce revenues will almost double, accounting for around half of all B2B revenues.
(Accenture)
In a recent study, Accenture Interactive surveyed more than 1000 B2B sales executives to gain a better understanding of the latest trends in digital commerce. In 2018 and 2019, Accenture estimates that digital commerce will comprise almost half of B2B businesses’ total revenue, whereas that figure was 29% in 2017. This surge in digital commerce prevalence requires businesses to shift their focus to digital marketing, regardless of whether they are a hotdog booth or a film studio.
By 2021, global revenue from offline commerce channels will decrease by almost 20%.
(Accenture)
The shift from offline to online commerce channels carries massive, far-reaching implications for the way B2B organizations handle their digital channels. How is digital marketing different from traditional marketing? It appears you can no longer count on people looking away from their phones to notice your brick-and-mortar shop, regardless of its unique charm. Not the way they used to, anyway. If you want fresh, hot traffic likely to convert into paying customers, you need to grab people’s attention in the virtual world.
In 2017 in the UK, digital advertising overtook all other forms of advertising, reaching a 52% share of total advertising spending.
(Online advertising in the UK, Plum report)
Digital marketing statistics UK match what we see across the world. In fact, digital marketing has now surpassed television, radio, outdoor media, cinema, and printed press combined.
The marketing executives of some of the most successful companies spend an average of more than 21% of their marketing budget on advertising.
(Gartner)
Gartner, the world’s leading research and advisory company, came up with this figure in 2018. Researchers interviewed 621 marketing executives in North America and the UK, in companies with $500 million to $10+ billion annual revenue. The executives estimated that they’d spent 8.9% of their budget on digital advertising (social, mobile, and display advertising), 5.3% on paid search, and 7.0% on offline advertising (TV and out-of-home media).
61% of marketers ranked improving the ability to measure and analyze marketing impact as a priority.
(Demand Gen Survey Report)
The key to successful online marketing strategies is knowing exactly what’s making you money and what you could be doing better. The 2018 Demand Generation Benchmark Survey polled 160 marketing executives to learn how they plan on improving their marketing efforts, and what marketing methods they had previously employed. The companies were predominantly from North America (87%), with respondents from EMEA (8%) and APAC (5%) also represented. Most of these diverse companies (73%) focused on lead quality over lead quantity, while 72% were committed to improving conversion rates.
58% of marketers believe they have a very successful strategy for generating user demand.
(Ascend2)
Ascend2 collected these statistics on marketing in 2018 in the Generating and Nurturing Leads Survey. Researchers asked 229 marketing influencers for insight into what they consider a successful demand-creation strategy. A smaller percentage of marketers (35%) described their tactics as moderately successful, with only 7% believing their demand-generation strategy was unsuccessful.
Nearly a third of marketing budget (29%) covers marketing technology (martech), while in-house labor investments are dropping.
(Gartner)
Rising from 22% in 2017, martech resources and programs currently represent the largest area of investment. Recent digital marketing stats show that companies believe marketing technology and automation will deliver more relevant customer experiences and help them stay in control of their marketing activities. Effective marketing technology helps businesses keep track of changes in customer habits and channel engagement rates. It also helps businesses understand why these stats are changing. As a consequence of this technological advancement, however, labor budgets slipped in 2018 from 27% to 24%.
Only 64% of small businesses have their own website.
(Clutch)
It’s amazing to think that in 2021, more than one-third of small and mid-sized businesses aren’t online. While those business owners might think all this digital marketing mumbo jumbo is useless, digital marketing stats show that local searches are now hugely important for brick-and-mortar businesses. Even if you sell hot dogs on a street corner, it’s worth creating an online presence, and with resources such as free website builders readily available online, there's really no excuse.
About 28% of small businesses spend less than $500 on building their website.
(Clutch)
It seems the fear of wasting too much money on a website remains strong. Although it’s easier than ever to use DIY website-building software that requires no knowledge of code or, many business owners are still hesitant. The best idea here is to start small; build a landing page, include all the relevant information about the product/service you provide, and create your own social media presence.
72% of consumers who search for local businesses end up visiting stores within five miles.
(WordStream)
Online marketing statistics show that if you create your own website and optimize it for local search, you won’t regret it. The best way to optimize for local SEO is to reverse-engineer the local terms visitors have used to find the type of service you offer. Check out web analytics and the Google Ads Keyword Planner to get started. You can find local search terms yourself simply by typing in your city/area and the service you offer (ie. “car wash East Chicago”).
Strategic landing pages help 68% of B2B businesses acquire new leads.
(Marketo, 2018)
While most businesses with a website try to optimize their landing pages, lead generation statistics show that only 50% of landing pages are mobile-optimized. You can get ahead of the competition by publishing special offers on your landing page, optimizing it for mobile devices, and including relevant videos.
29% of marketing leaders are deploying either a lead-management platform or a social analytics platform.
(Gartner)
This research is based on Gartner’s CMO Spend Survey 2018-2019, which involved 621 marketing executives in North America and the U.K. Gartner’s digital marketing stats show that marketing technology is taking up an increasingly high share of marketing expense budgets. Social analytics includes web tools such as Google Analytics, as well as social media analytics. The data these tools provide include demographics and interests, and can help you analyze user behavior on your website and social media platforms.
Content Marketing Statistics
The most successful marketers spend 40% of their total marketing budget on content marketing.
(B2B Content Marketing Report)
According to the 2018 B2B Content Marketing Report, the average content marketing budget for all respondents was 26%. The least successful respondents reported spending only 14%. As clarified in the report, though, the top performers were self-proclaimed, as they themselves assessed how well they were doing. Self-confessed poor performers, on the other hand, characterized their overall approach as minimally or not at all successful. Regardless, this shows B2B content marketing tactics are more important than ever.
70% of consumers want to learn about products through content as opposed to traditional advertising.
(Content Marketing Institute)
This is one of the most relevant digital marketing facts when deciding whether an established business should invest in inbound or outbound marketing. Where money is concerned, people don’t trust ads as much as they trust statistics, research, and what they perceive as fact. An active website rich in content gives off the impression that potential users and customers are dealing with experts.
55% of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority.
(HubSpot)
These digital marketing statistics appeared in HubSpot’s State of Inbound 2018 report. Marketers believe relevant, engaging content will maximize their reach and bring inbound leads. Most audiences feel the same and would rather trust fact-supported content instead of ads when it comes to learning about products. Insightful blog posts are more likely to get links, likes, and shares, thus expanding marketers’ audience.
Altimeter found 70% of marketers lack an integrated content strategy.
(Altimeter)
Everybody seems to know how important content is as a marketing tool. Nevertheless, most marketers admit that their content efforts aren’t consistent or integrated enough to produce the desired result. Many ambitious marketers aim to create Google and Facebook ad campaigns, while simultaneously establishing a presence on several social networks and writing SEO content to match. The odds are that they’ll simply end up working on five entirely separate campaigns that lack cohesion. Only 10% of the marketers Altimeter surveyed integrated their content into processes such as customer-relationship management, business intelligence, and inbound marketing platforms.
61% of marketers say improving SEO and growing their organic presence is their top inbound marketing priority.
(HubSpot)
SEO statistics show most marketers are aware that organic SEO helps strengthen website visibility for potentially enthusiastic customers. Your target audience is already searching for the type of service you provide. Articles, blogs, and relevant content on your website will make you one of the first search results to catch their attention. To create this top-notch organic presence, the most successful companies know how to mirror their customers’ behavior by including words and phrases their potential customers might use to find appropriate products and services. Inbound marketing statistics collected in HubSpot’s 2018 report confirm that investing intelligently in SEO brings a massive increase in targeted visitors to your website.
The most popular lead-generation tactics are social media (47%), email (46%), content or video (39%), and SEO (38%).
(Ascend2)
As Ascend2’s 2018 report Generating and Nurturing Leads to Create Demand shows, most marketers identify and cultivate potential customers using social media, email marketing, and content. According to the survey, the least popular lead-generation tactic was paid ads (30%).
The most popular lead-nurturing tactics are email (47%), content or video (45%), and social media (40%).
(Ascend2)
Nurturing leads is about encouraging users to become repeat customers, thereby increasing your sales revenue. Email marketing statistics show email is still marketers’ tool of choice for nurturing leads. According to Ascend2, content or video was a close second, followed by social media marketing. Events and demos (29%) and paid search or display ads (29%) came equal last.
49% of people said they choose to engage with text ads.
(Clutch)
Clutch’s December 2018 research indicates that people can recognize and differentiate paid ads from organic traffic. Despite that, they still often choose to engage with paid Google ads: 31% of respondents claimed they click on shopping ads and 16% click on video ads. Clutch digital marketing statistics also indicate that 75% of people claim paid search ads facilitate their online searches. With this information in mind, businesses ought to create ads relevant to people’s search queries.
23% of U.S. respondents to a 2018 study claimed they are using or have used order-only stores.
(Statista)
This statistic shows how interested American buyers are in new shopping options and technologies. In the study, 12% respondents reported that they regularly use subscription products that they’ve had delivered.
The best content to offer in emails is a discount (38%), followed by informative brand content like articles or videos (36%).
(DMA)
Some useful statistics for marketers: If you want your email campaign to be successful, this is how you bring a customer to your door. Either give them a chance to experience your product for less money or send them evidence-supported content that highlights its quality. Promising loyalty discounts can also be a good idea, with 30% of customers interested in ongoing discounts. Despite that, only 15% of marketers currently use loyalty schemes.
For every £1 you spend on killer email marketing, you can expect an average return of £32.
(DMA)
According to the 2018 DMA report, 50% of marketers believe their organization can correctly calculate its ROI. DMA found that ROI for every £1 spent on email marketing is an incredible £32.28, a solid increase from the 2016 figure of £30.03. While these email marketing statistics might appear optimistic, there’s something to them. An Omnisend study has shown that sending three abandoned cart emails results in 69% more orders than a single email.
Mobile Marketing
In Q3 2018, 37.25% of website visits came via desktop and 53.59% via smartphone.
(Monetate)
A 2018 Monetate report found tablets comprised 8.67% of web visits, while 0.49% came from other devices. These figures show beyond doubt that businesses without a mobile-optimized website are at a great loss. The failure to adapt to user behavior on this level could result in significantly lower visibility, and therefore a lower ROI.
As of July 2018, 52.95% of people worldwide used mobile devices compared to 43.11% who used desktop.
(Stat Counter)
Mobile use has surpassed desktop use, giving marketers an opportunity to communicate with users 24/7 wherever they are. The most successful businesses analyze these digital marketing statistics and adapt to this shift in user behavior. People now read blog posts, articles, and other online content wherever they are and whenever they feel like it, without any tolerance for time delays. That’s why it’s increasingly important to create a fast-loading website that works as well on mobile as it does on desktop.
In Q3 2018, conversion rates by device were as follows: 3.94% for desktop, 1.84% for mobile, and 3.78% for tablet.
(Monetate)
According to the new eCommerce 2019 KPI report based on data from Monetate’s European and US-based international clients, mobile conversion rates have decreased slightly, even though people spend more time browsing the web on their phone. It seems the big decision to actually pay for a service online still requires some in-depth consideration. Even though your users are more likely to pay via desktop, you’ll still need an optimized website to catch their attention and establish authority. Online conversion rates tend to be highest in more mature markets where people are less likely to buy in-store, but also rely on brand trust. Companies based in countries where users put less trust in the online economy generally see lower mobile conversions.
90% of all mobile and tablet search traffic comes from Google.
(Business Insider)
Google’s tight grip on the online market is just as prevalent in mobile use, with digital marketing statistics showing that almost all search traffic comes via this engine. Google processes around 3.5 billion searches per day, and at the moment there doesn’t seem to be any competitor that can challenge it.
By the end of 2019, nearly all (94%) small business websites will be optimized for mobile.
(Clutch)
Even though 36% of small businesses don’t have a website, those who understand the importance of having an online presence are optimizing their content at breakneck speed. In a mobile-first world, recent marketing facts indicate that small businesses need to enhance user browsing experiences, boost search engine rankings, and increase their overall visibility. Otherwise, their products and services, no matter how useful or engaging, might literally become invisible. In 2018, research by GlobalWebIndex found that people spend more than two hours per day socializing online. That’s a lot of time when you consider that U.S. adults spend a total of three hours and 35 minutes online on their mobile phones every day. If you want your audiences to see you while they’re waiting for the bus, taking a smoke break, or curled up in bed, this is your shot.
About 11% of online shoppers use mobile phones to shop online on a weekly basis.
(Statista)
The most recent data on global online shopping device use and frequency shows that, while only a small number of shoppers actually lighten their wallet on their mobile devices, more than double that number claim that they plan to in the future.
Social Media Marketing Statistics
Over 88% of companies are now marketing on social media. If you aren’t, now is the time to get started.
(Adweek)
In 2019, people are expected to spend an average of 170.6 minutes each day online, with two hours and 22 minutes of that time dedicated to social media. If you want to communicate your message to prospective customers, a marketing plan integrated with a strong social media presence is a must. A 2018 Pew Research report on digital media statistics showed that people aged from 18 to 29 are about four times as likely as those 65 and older to get news from social media websites on a regular basis.
90% of people have communicated directly with a brand via social media.
(Smart Insights)
People feel comfortable sending messages via channels they’re already used to. It’s easier and less formal than an email. It also puts less pressure on the user, as they don’t have to engage in the potentially stressful scenario of talking on the phone. An established social media presence is one of the most useful digital marketing tools for resolving complaints and improving your service. People mostly message brands when they have a problem with a product or service, according to a recent Sprout Social survey.
89% of social media messages to brands go ignored.
(Sprout Social)
Imagine the engagement rate if brands would stop ignoring customers who are literally trying to engage in a conversation? On average, a brand takes 10 hours to respond to a message, according to research by Sprout Social. Users, on the other hand, are only willing to wait four hours tops. Employ a competent social media manager and you’ll improve your digital marketing stats beyond belief. Companies spend their resources on complex marketing tools and campaigns, yet many refuse to answer simple questions. As in any industry, your company can stand out by providing excellent customer service.
94% of marketers use Facebook advertising regularly.
(Content Marketing Institute)
Social media advertising statistics show there are about three million businesses using Facebook right now. Facebook is still the most widely used media platform, with more than 2.3 billion active monthly users. An active user is anyone who has logged in within the past 30 days.
One in 10 marketers will decrease their organic marketing on Facebook. About 51% plan on increasing theirs.
(Social Media Examiner)
Even though Facebook is still the leading social media platform, current digital marketing statistics show a slight decline in popularity. The biggest indicator of this downward trend is the decrease in new investments. For the first time in five years, Facebook lost share as the most important platform for marketers, dropping from 67% in 2018 to 61% in 2019.
40% of Twitter users have bought something as the direct result of an influencer’s tweet.
(Forbes)
This stat might discourage small and mid-sized businesses, as you might expect only celebrity demi-gods like Katy Perry can wield this kind of power. Recent internet marketing stats, however, show that micro and nano-influencers (up to 5000 followers) are a safer bet. What they lack in the sheer number of followers, micro and nano-influencers make up for in engagement, or “real-time personalization of the brand,” as one influencer puts it. Also, small-time influencers are less likely to get embroiled in controversy and go down in a heartbeat, taking you and your investment with them, like Logan Paul or PewDiePie.
Email Marketing Statistics
In 2018, emails personalized by AI increased marketers’ revenue by 41%, and their CTR was higher by 13.44%.
(Return Path)
AI helps you contact prospective customers both in depth and in large numbers, which could in turn increase your ROI. For example, one person is likely to check their email while drinking their morning coffee. Others, however, are sure to find your message in the evening. Personalized, AI-tailored messages will reach your leads whenever they are most likely to see them.
Emails with personalized subject lines are 50% more likely to be opened.
(Cision, PR Newswire)
Even something as small as a personalized subject line can make all the difference to your digital marketing statistics. A tailored subject line will stand out and make your message appear intimate and relevant. According to Yes Lifecycle Marketing, personalized subjects drive significantly higher engagement than non-personalized ones.
46% of all email opens take place on mobile devices.
(Litmus)
Businesses should not overlook mobile devices for their email marketing efforts, as almost half of email opens happen on mobiles. Webmail opens are next at 35%, with desktop opens representing 18%. A 2018 study by Litmus found these results by analyzing 15 billion email opens to see where subscribers read emails. Litmus’s advice is to optimize both content and design for both mobile and desktop.
According to Salecycle, 28.3% of eCommerce revenue comes from abandoned cart emails.
(Sale Cycle)
According to Sale Cycle, 48% of shopping cart abandonment emails are opened. Prospective customers click on 50% of these emails, and 50% of those people actually make a purchase. Speed is of the essence here, with a number of studies showing that it’s best to send the first email 30 minutes after the cart has been abandoned. If unsuccessful, it’s a good idea to send a follow-up within 24 hours. Finally, send a third email within 48 hours, offering a discount. As many as 54% of shoppers will end up making a purchase if tempted by lower prices.
In Conclusion
So, how effective is digital advertising? Currently, the chances are that a giant neon sign flashing in a busy street is less likely to grab your customers’ attention than a good website. As people spend more and more time consuming digital media, businesses need to transform their marketing tactics. If you plan on growing your business, or even just staying afloat in the current market, you need to establish a strong online presence, optimize for mobile, write relevant SEO content, and enrich that landing page with some videos. Otherwise, you should make peace with fading into oblivion along with the 70% of businesses that fail by their 10th year. We advise you to stay one step ahead by using the digital marketing statistics we’ve provided to your advantage.
Sources
More From Our Blog
While influencer marketing isn’t exactly a modern invention, it has certainly reached new heights over the past decade. Back in the day, movie stars, athletes, and musicians could earn a pretty penny by promoting products and services. At the time, this was the most effective way to reach and influence a broad audience. But not anymore. Nowadays, the focus has shifted to “normal people” who the audience can relate to. Influencer marketing statistics show us exactly how much this trend affects our society and what we can expect in the future.
It might not surprise you to hear that influencer recommendations today mean a lot more to young people than celebrity blogs and endorsements. While celebrities often appear fake, influencers come across as more relatable, honest, and authentic. Because of that, many younger internet users rely on these individuals to help them decide what’s cool, what’s reliable, and what’s worth buying.
Influencer Marketing Stats (Editor’s Choice)
In 2018, companies who used influencer marketing got a 520% return on investment.
49% of users rely on influencer recommendations for their purchases.
In June 2018, Instagram reached one billion active users.
Micro-influencers with fewer than 100k followers are responsible for the majority of posts on the platform.
66% of influencers on the web focus on fashion, beauty, or lifestyle.
The primary concern for 42% of marketers is dealing with fake followers (bots).
Marketer and Influencer Stats
Analysts predict the influencer marketing industry will be worth $9.7 billion in 2020.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Marketers know that in order for their brand to reach its full potential on social media, they need to employ influencers. Year on year, the growth of this industry has been around 50%. In 2019, the industry was estimated to be worth $6.5 billion. And it will only continue to grow.
In 2019, nearly 90% of marketers ran multiple campaigns.
(Linqia)
The success of influencer marketing has driven up the number of campaigns marketers use today. One campaign is simply not enough to both drive brand awareness and generate sales, so the majority of companies will run multiple, sometimes simultaneous, campaigns. Among surveyed marketers, 24% of them ran more than five campaigns in 2019, with 16% of them maintaining an always-on campaign.
91% of marketers believe in the effectiveness of influencer marketing.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Influencer marketing stats from late 2019 show that, unsurprisingly, marketers put a lot of trust in their influencer campaigns. This is comparable to the number of respondents that planned to invest in influencer marketing during 2020, especially with how good ROI has been in the past several years.
When they pick influencers, 29.2% of marketers look at engagement rate as the main factor.
(SocialPubli)
Other figures show that 23% of marketers look at content quality, 21.2% focus on reach, while only 14.2% consider audience size. If we’re to trust these influencer marketing statistics, only 12.4% worry about how much the influencer costs. This suggests that the ROI is so good that most marketers don’t even think about the price.
77% of marketers believe micro-influencers will play a large part in the future of digital marketing.
(Linqia)
Considering that the majority of posts on Instagram are created by micro-influencers, it makes sense that they will continue to play a role in the future of marketing. Based on some influencer marketing facts, marketers predict that AI and live video will also be significant trends in the future.
Nano influencers are being requested more often than celebrities.
(Linqia)
A nano influencer doesn’t have a huge following - usually under 5,000 followers. But in the eyes of many marketing companies, they offer a better ROI than using a big-name celebrity.
Among the surveyed marketers, 25% want to work with nano influencers, compared to 22% who still prefer working with celebrities to promote their products. Celebrity influence is slowly dwindling because it’s too commercial. What people really want is a genuine connection, and nano influencers offer exactly the kind of authenticity that makes it possible.
Companies using influencer marketing saw a 578% return on investment in 2019.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
This study used data from 2,000 companies. Compared to data from 2018, when the ROI was at 520%, this is quite a significant growth. This shows that marketers are getting a better understanding of employing these types of campaigns.
During the past year, 5% of brands spent more than $500,000 each on influencer campaigns.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
The majority of marketers will not spend more than $50,000 a year hiring influencers. In fact, 43% spend less than $10,000 annually. Of course, the bigger the influencer, the higher the price goes, so a small portion of big brands will gladly spend much more than others for hiring the mega stars of social media.
In 2019, 57% of marketers said that they would increase their influencer marketing budget in the following year.
(Linqia)
Most experienced marketers know these ad campaigns work, so they’re willing to invest more and more in them each year. Even though influencer marketing ROI is lower now than it was a few years ago, we can expect things to pick up again.
Only 5% of marketers plan on spending half or more of their budget on influencer marketing.
(Linqia)
Traditional marketing is still the dominant form of advertising, even in 2022. While the trend of employing influencers is on the rise, with 43% of marketers planning to spend between 11% and 25% of their budget for influencer campaigns. Still, one-third of surveyed marketers don’t want to dedicate more than 10% of their budgets on paying influencers.
Repurposing influencer ads is the strategy of 89% of marketers.
(Linqia)
Once the content is produced and posted online, it’s out there forever. So, a logical step for marketers is to repurpose what they’ve already paid for. Companies will re-post paid content as either promoted posts across other social media channels or use it for organic growth, depending on what kind of content was produced in the first place.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 39% of influencer marketers use conversions as a primary measure of success.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Trends are also changing in the way the success of influencer marketing campaigns is measured. Previously, marketers used site engagement metrics, but in 2019 that trend was overtaken by calculating conversions. It makes sense, too. It’s one thing for a potential customer to just click the link, learning something about the brand, but it’s a whole other situation if they actually end up making a purchase.
71% of marketers keep up with the latest FTC regulations and know how to implement them.
(Linqia)
FTC guidelines are there to protect consumers and sanction influencers who don’t follow the rules. That’s why it’s important that marketers familiarize themselves with all the latest changes and modifications. All these regulations are clearly defined for each social platform, so there is zero room for error or misunderstanding.
On the other hand, only 14% of influencers are fully FTC compliant.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Even with many efforts by social media platforms to ensure ads are marked as ads, the majority of influencers still don’t mark their posts by the FTC standards. Analysts fear that this may lead to more drastic measures by the authorities, potentially leading to another “adpocalypse.” On the other hand, the situation is improving ever so slightly, since in 2018 this number was sitting at just 11%.
The primary concern for 42% of marketers is dealing with bots that might follow the brand influencer.
(Marketing Charts)
There are two main problems with an influencer having too many fake followers or bots. First off, having too many of these automatic fans might result in problems with the FTC, which could lead to account suspension. In addition, from a marketer’s point of view, there’s no point in paying for a campaign that mainly reaches fake users.
Social Influencer Marketing
64% of influencers say they would never accept a huge amount of money if it would cost them their followers.
(Hashoff)
This data shows most digital influencers nowadays value their fanbase more than money. The respect they get from their followers seems to be invaluable. That, in turn, makes them more desirable on their chosen platforms.
45% of influencers are contacted at least four times a month with campaign proposals.
(Influence.co)
It’s interesting to note that while almost half of influencers get at least four offers a month, there’s a good chance those offers won’t be accepted. In fact, 44% of influencers say they only accept one in four offers they receive. This suggests that demand for marketing influencers actually outweighs supply right now.
49% of influencers are paid a flat fee per picture, while 11% are paid based on performance.
(Influence.co)
Almost half of all influencers are paid per picture, which means that they don’t have to worry about audience engagement or any other metrics. Their only job is to post the picture and carry on with their normal work. It’s understandable why that business model is a lot more attractive to influencers than other alternatives, which could prove to be far less reliable.
66% of influencer networks focus on fashion, beauty, or lifestyle.
(Influence.co)
This information suggests that beauty and image trump all other concerns. Naturally, influencers are ready to help us ease our insecurities. The 66% share shows what kinds of products and services people are most likely to shop for online.
12% of influencers say that most of the time they have no control over the copy used in their promotions.
(Influence.co)
Among these influencer marketing statistics, one worrying snippet shows that 12% of influencers don’t even write their own posts. This flies in the face of the authenticity and honesty influencers are supposed to represent.
For 63% of campaigns, influencers don’t even use contracts.
(Influence.co)
Despite the fact that marketers spend billions of dollars on influencer campaigns, 63% of influencers still don’t use contracts to protect themselves or their work. This is a poor practice that is set to change as regulations get more and more rigid.
Instagram Influencers Marketing
Instagram has 1 billion active users.
(Hootsuite)
There’s no doubt that Instagram is one of today’s biggest social media platforms. In 2018, there were 1 billion registered users, a 1,000% increase since 2013. By the end of 2019, the monthly active user number has also reached 1 billion, solidifying Instagram as the platform your brand needs to utilize.
500 million Instagram users watch Stories every day.
(Hootsuite)
Even though they’re not originally Instagram’s invention, Stories have become hugely popular on the platform. These are photo or video posts available in a separate feed that automatically disappear 24 hours after being posted. Ability to link Stories to a website has increased their popularity among both marketers and influencers.
90% of Instagram users follow at least one brand on the platform.
(Instagram)
Another unsurprising fact is that fans will stay fans wherever they go. Instagram is no different. In fact, a vast majority of users end up following brand accounts, so that already creates a loyal fan base to which a company can promote its products.
Female influencers produced 84% of sponsored Instagram posts in 2019.
(Statista)
For years, beauty and fashion have been on the forefront of advertising on Instagram. Since these industries mostly have female consumers, it comes as no surprise that influencers are predominantly female.
The number of sponsored Instagram posts is projected to reach 6.1 million in 2020.
(Statista)
Looking at the Instagram influencer marketing statistics throughout the past several years, a trend can be seen regarding the number of sponsored posts. It is constantly on the rise, although not at the 100% rate we’ve seen from 2016 to 2017. In 2019, there were 4.95 million sponsored posts on Instagram, and in 2020 this number is expected to rise by more than a million.
A study from April 2018 found out that more than half of influencers use Instagram Stories as their preferred outreach method.
(eMarketer)
Instagram Stories were introduced in August 2016 and gave users a chance to create posts that only last for 24 hours. It is a great customer acquisition method because it allows influencers to reach people who don’t already follow them.
25% of all sponsored posts on Instagram are fashion-related, while food takes second place.
(Business Insider)
We’ve already mentioned how the influencer marketing industry revolves around beauty tips and lifestyle instructions, so it makes sense that fashion represents a quarter of all Instagram sponsored posts.
Micro-influencers with fewer than 100,000 followers are responsible for the majority of posts on Instagram.
(Socialbakers)
Nearly a third of all profiles on Instagram belong to so-called micro-influencers, who can have anywhere from 2,000 to 100,000 followers. The interesting thing about influencer culture is the fact that there’s room for everyone. In fact, top Instagram influencers with over a million followers only make up 1% of all accounts on the platform.
97% of marketers plan on using Instagram for their influencer campaigns in 2020.
(Linqia)
Instagram has finally overtaken Facebook as the most popular influencer platform. Not only are Instagram posts sitting at the top spot, but Stories are also making their way up - 83% of marketers are planning to pour their budgets into promoting their products with Stories produced by influencers. The reason? Vertical video. For 55% of marketers, vertical video will play a key role in 2020 campaigns.
YouTube Influencer Stats
10 brands spent $1 million each on sponsoring YouTube videos.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
“This video is sponsored by…” You know the drill. Sponsored video segments, basically ads that are embedded into the video, are turning to be quite an investment for certain brands. These famous words were most commonly spoken for SkillShare, Squarespace, Nord VPN, Blue Chew, and DLive.
Brands spent more than $90 million on YouTube influencers during Q1 2020.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
During the first quarter of 2020, more than 1,300 brands were spending money on sponsored content on YouTube. In total, there were 5,680 videos produced, amassing 704 million views.
On average, advertisers spent $16,011 on each sponsored YouTube video.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
While sponsorships with top YouTube influencers don’t come cheap, the growth of micro and macro influencers lead to a wide variety of pricing tiers. Looking at the numbers during Q1 2020, we can see what amount of money on average is needed for each influencer campaign on the platform. In the future, analysts predict that YouTubers at or below 100,000 subscribers could be the biggest driving force for marketing campaigns.
Epic Games was the biggest spender in the first half of 2020 with a campaign worth $10.6 million.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
The gaming powerhouse Epic Games, the owners of Fortnite and Epic Games Store, had a way bigger marketing budget for YouTube than anyone else. Sitting in second place is Bang Energy with $7.7 million, while SkillShare comes in third with $3 million in sponsored content expenses. Gaming is huge on YouTube and, with the world’s most popular game under its belt, Epic knew the value of promoting on this platform.
Four in 10 millennial consumers feel that their favorite YouTube influencer understands them better than friends or family.
(ThinkWithGoogle)
While these statistics might appear worrying, they certainly fit with the whole concept of influencers. Marketing to teens nowadays boils down to promoting normal, down-to-earth, relatable figures who understand what young people are interested in. That’s why millennial influencers are so effective. Because of that, teens, millennials, and other younger demographics feel a strong connection to them.
Half of YouTube’s top 10 earning stars are gamers.
(Forbes)
Industry statistics reveal that some of the most influential YouTubers on the platform are gamers. This reflects the continuous growth of the gaming industry, which is expanding rapidly. In an effort to compete with websites like Twitch, YouTube has also introduced streaming, which has further helped gaming channels gain prominence.
18% of users are influenced by YouTube when it comes to their purchases.
(Shane Barker)
YouTube is one of the biggest and most popular online platforms for product reviews. There are thousands of channels specializing in unboxing videos and hands-on reviews, all of which give potential customers a better feel for the product than written reviews. Influencers who create reviews often make deals with YouTube influencer marketing, in which they get free products, or even cash, in exchange for their reviews.
YouTube has the best engagement rate, ranging from 4% to 6.7%.
(CreatorIQ)
YouTube is a platform designed to drive engagement. Either by involving viewers in the discussion or by them sharing and liking videos, the drive to engage with content is inherently higher than on any other platform. Data from 2016 to 2019 demonstrates that Twitter has the lowest engagement rate, with 0.17% or lower depending on the audience size.
User Statistics You Should Know
49% of users rely on influencer recommendations for purchases.
(ION)
Online bloggers are so influential that almost half of users on the web rely on their recommendations when deciding to make a purchase. This shows that influencers are at least as important as all those hard-working marketers out there.
Influencer marketing statistics show that young people (ages 18-34) are more likely to buy a product endorsed by an influencer than one endorsed by a celebrity.
(Marketing Charts)
About 10 years ago, the go-to stars for product promotion were actors, musicians, sportspeople, and other celebrities. Nowadays, it’s all about influencers who seem a lot more trustworthy and relatable. Indeed, 22% of young people trust influencers’ choices, compared to just 9% who trust celebrities.
94% of users think authenticity and transparency are essential.
(Marketing Charts)
Authenticity and transparency are two of the most important traits in celebrity influencers. If they want to keep their followers, these social gurus need to be original, cultivate their own voice, and make sure that their behavior is completely transparent. This is the best way to earn their audience’s trust and respect.
19% of consumers rely on Facebook influencers when they purchase products.
(Shane Barker)
Statistics show that 19% of users turn to Facebook influencers for advice regarding product purchases. Although the platform is now less popular than its sister network, Instagram, it is still the preferred platform for thousands of influencer marketing companies.
What About Twitter?
You’ve probably noticed that we’ve mentioned pretty much every major social media platform except for Twitter. So, who are Twitter’s biggest influencers? What are some of the most interesting Twitter followers statistics?
Unfortunately, a lot of Twitter statistics revolve around the company’s own reports and estimates. Twitter seems to be desperately looking for a way into the world of real influencer marketing, even though the platform is inherently restricted by its 280-character limit for tweets.
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