The 25+ Advertising Statistics No One Talks About in 2024

For centuries, companies have used advertising to promote their services, increase brand awareness, and boost sales.

But consumer habits have evolved. And so, the advertising scene has also changed.

From virtual reality to artificial intelligence, the future of advertising promises to be exciting! To learn more about how brands are connecting with customers, we've compiled an authoritative list of advertising statistics. 

Wanna get a glimpse into the future of the industry?

Take a look inside our crystal ball: 

Fascinating Advertising Statistics and Facts

• The term 'coffee break' was first used in an advertising campaign by the Pan American Bureau.
• Miniature versions of high-end products are sometimes used in print ad campaigns to deliver the perfect visuals and reduce production costs.
• Digital advertising spending by industry in the U.S. puts the retail sector at the top, with an annual expenditure of over $33 billion.
• Over 70% of internet users, or a third of the world population, are on social media.
• Every year, companies pay millions of dollars in fines for false advertising.
• Video marketing is the most popular form of advertising with internet users.

Advertising Facts and Statistics

To kick things off, we’ll take a look at some of the best - and most surprising - ad statistics. These facts and figures can showcase the effectiveness of advertising. You will get an insight into just how valuable the right advertising campaign can be.

1. Global ad spend could reach $600 billion in 2020.

(Source: Statistica) 

Advertising statistics of 2019 have confirmed that the global spend has exceeded $563 billion. However, worldwide advertising expenditure has increased year on year over the last decade. The trend will likely continue, and 2020 may see the world's total ad spend to reach $600 billion for the first time. 

2. Nike sparked an $8.4 billion increase in revenue via advertising.

(Source: Hubspot)

In 1998, Nike sales were around $800 million. A decade later, they hit $9.2 billion. 

The reason? 

Nike's staggering success was largely attributable to its “Just Do It” advertising campaign. Still used today, their well-known slogan hit the mark and saw the brand rise to the top.

3. Asia-Pacific is set to become the top advertising market.

(Source: eMarketer)

North America has traditionally dominated the world when it comes to advertising, and it continues to do so today. 

However, the economic rise across Asia has led to increased advertising activity in those regions as well. Experts predict that ad stats will show Asia-Pacific becoming the top advertising market by 2022. 

Advertising Statistics on Social Media

Social media can be a profitable advertising channel if you know how to take advantage of it.

4. A third of the global population are social media users.

(Source: Our World in Data)

Out of a global population of 7.7 billion, 3.5 billion are online. With 2.4 billion social media users, that's a third of the world's population and over 70% of internet users. That said, it's no surprise that 75% of small businesses use social media to promote their products and services.

5. Almost half of the online shoppers research products and brands on social media.

(Source: GlobalWebIndex)

From Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and Pinterest, online consumers place a lot of stock in social media. At least 40% of online shoppers rely on social media platforms to access information about products, services, and brands.

6. Social media ad spending is expected to grow by 8.7% in the next year.

(Source: Sprout Social) 

When it comes to advertising statistics on social media, it's easy to see that businesses are plowing resources into this type of marketing. Social media ad spending increased to over $89 billion in 2019 and is expected to increase by 8.7% during 2020.

7. Facebook remains the most popular social media channel.

(Source: Sprout Social)

Facebook advertising stats show that 89% of marketers use the social media platform for brand marketing. With over 1.6 billion active daily users, it's not surprising that marketers are eager to get their brands front and center. 

However, Twitter advertising stats can remind you how valuable the platform is. 26% of people are more likely to view ads on Twitter than on other leading platforms. 

Similarly, Pinterest advertising stats confirm that over 98% of users report trying new things they find on the channel.

8. Instagram is the number one platform for influencers.

(Source: Sprout Social)

According to Instagram advertising stats, 89% of marketers maintain that Instagram is the most important platform for influencer marketing. While Instagram posts remain the most relevant, Instagram stories are almost as popular with more than 500 million active daily users. 

Video Advertising Stats

Video has become the most powerful way to reach your audience. Coming next are some video advertising statistics that prove this point.

9. 72% of people prefer accessing product info via video.

(Source: Social Media Today)

For 72% of potential customers, video content is the most effective way to learn about new products and services. It’s up to marketers to take this information into account.

10. People watch more than one billion hours of YouTube videos daily.

(Source: Social Media Today)

Yep, you read that right. 

YouTube advertising stats really do show that over one billion hours of video gets watched daily on the platform. What's more, 1.5 billion users account for these viewing figures.

Email Advertising Statistics

Did someone say that email is dead? Think again:

11. Email marketing offers a staggering return on investment of 3200%.

(Source: Oberlo)

The average ROI of email advertising is $32 for every $1 spent. Over 333 billion emails will be sent daily by 2022. 

What’s more, over half of the world's population will encounter email marketing content.

12. SMEs acquire the majority of their customers via email advertising.

(Source: Oberlo)81% of small and medium enterprises use email marketing as their main form of customer acquisition. Furthermore, 80% view email advertising as the main factor in their customer retention too. 

13. Personalization increases email open rates.

(Source: Campaign Monitor)

Personalization has been increasingly important to marketers in recent years. Targeted advertising statistics show that there is a 50% increase in open rates when you personalize an email ad. 

14. Tuesday is the best day to send marketing and advertising emails.

(Source: Hubspot)

It's not just your content that's important when it comes to email marketing. When you schedule your emails can also have a massive impact on open rates. 

It is a digital marketing fact that open rates for email marketing are higher on Tuesdays. If you want to maximize the results of your advertising campaigns, that’s your best bet! 

Mobile Advertising Statistics

With everyone glued to their mobile device nowadays, it’s only natural that mobile marketing is skyrocketing. Let’s see how that looks in terms of numbers.

15. More adults own a mobile phone than a laptop or desktop.

(Source: Pew Research)

Mobile phone owners have become more than desktop and laptop users combined. Having risen dramatically over the past decade, the number of smartphone users accounts for the corresponding increase in mobile advertising.

16. By the end of 2021, mobile advertising spending will grow to $280 billion.

(Source: Statistica)

In 2016, advertising stats estimated global mobile advertising spend at $81 billion. By 2019, however, it had grown to around $190 billion. 

Expected to increase to 280 billion by 2022, online advertising statistics clearly show a growing trend in mobile marketing.

17. Search engines prioritize mobile websites and UX.

(Source: Search Engine Land)

The increasing numbers of mobile device users led search engines to change the way they indexed web pages. Now, the majority of search engines use a mobile-first approach when indexing and ranking sites. 

This is perhaps one of the most important statistics for marketers! User experience on mobile devices is vital when creating online content.

18. Smartphone owners spend the majority of their time using apps.

(Source: In Mobi)

The average smartphone owner spends over 3 hours using their phone every day. The majority of this time is spent using apps, rather than making calls or using a web browser. For marketers, this equates to increased opportunities for in-app advertising. 

19. More than half of all mobile searches come from mobile phones in the US.

(Source: Oberlo)

Organic traffic is the real deal since the visitors have a precise intent. Hence, they are the easiest to convert if you get them the right solution. And unlike paid ads, getting leads through this method is free.

In 2020, 56% of organic searches came from cell phones. That was 11% up from 2019. If you haven’t already, consider investing towards optimizing for mobile organic searches. It’s a good time to do so.

Trends 

Spotting the advertising trends early on means you can take maximum advantage out of what works. The more people catch on, the less effective a technique becomes.

20. 31% of people, searching for a business online, find it through an ad.

(Source: Invesp CRO)

People find businesses online in different ways: 

• 31% click on the ad
• 27% search for a brand, service or product
• 21% type the company's web address into their browser  
• 9% conduct separate research 

This information can help a lot when you’re planning your next marketing strategy.

21. Social media and video content are the biggest current online marketing trends.

(Source: Lyfe Marketing)

Internet users spend the majority of their online on social media platforms or watching video content. Indeed, the growing number of videos on social media enables users to combine their two favorite activities. 

To make the most of this trend, marketers are investing in both social media marketing and video advertising. 

22. Location-based marketing is a growing online advertising trend.

(Source: Social Media Today)

More users are looking for local content online. In response, businesses are using location-based content to reach their target markets. In addition to focusing on geographical regions, companies are spending more on catering for 'near me' search terms. 

23. Voice searches will dominate the next five years.

(Source: Quora Creative)

Advertising stats will soon look very different.

The introduction of virtual assistants and smart devices has already resulted in an increased number of voice searches. It is expected, however, that voice searches will account for over half of all internet searches by the end of 2020. 

In response, marketers will need to modify their strategies to take advantage of this new medium. 

Revenue and Market Share Stats

Raw numbers can paint a picture. Let’s see it:

24. The digital marketing industry has seen an annual growth rate of 16.1% over the last 10 years.

(Source: IAB)

The compounded annual growth rate of 16.1% over the past decade has seen digital marketing revenues exceed $100 billion. 

However, the majority of growth has come from the mobile advertising sector. It has benefited from a compounded annual growth rate of 53.8% over the same timeframe.

25. Google dominates with a massive search engine market share of over 92%.

(Source: GlobalStats)

Unsurprisingly, Google has the largest search engine market share with 92.71%. This is perhaps why digital marketers focus their PPC activity on the site, according to Google Adwords statistics. 

Online advertising vs traditional advertising statistics

Marketers are fascinated with how online advertising stacks against traditional advertising avenues.

Why?

Well:

26. In February 2021, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) said their advertising budgets grew by 14.3%.

(Source: Statista)

In 2020, marketers reported a 5.5% drop in traditional advertising spending due to the pandemic. On the other hand, they spent more on digital advertising. It grew by nearly 15%.

27. The average price of a 30-second Super Bowl ad tops $5 million.

(Source: Marketing Charts)

Super Bowl advertising statistics confirm that the average advertiser spends over $5 million on a 30-second ad. 

However, the success of each ad isn't based solely on tv commercial statistics. Instead, companies take online views, social media mentions, and website visits into account when determining the success of their Super Bowl ads.

28. In 2020, businesses set aside 13% of their revenues for marketing.

(Source: Statista)

In 2019, US organizations channeled 10% of their revenue to marketing. The percentage grew by 3% amid the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, according to advertising stats.

After the initial shock of the pandemic, businesses around the world realized that they had to keep going, the reason they worked hard on their marketing efforts. They plan to keep increasing their budget throughout 2021.

The Wrap-Up!

As stats show, global advertising expenditure is increasing year on year. However, where marketers are choosing to invest their resources is changing. Digital advertising has become the most popular form of marketing for both professional marketers and consumers. 

Within digital advertising, however, mobile ads are the clear winners. As more people switch from desktop to mobile devices, marketers will increase their mobile advertising spend accordingly. 

Of course, new trends, such as voice searches, become increasingly popular. This is why advertising statistics could look very differently by 2022!