Digital Marketing Statistics: Essential Figures for 2025

Top digital marketing statistics

We want to begin our list by diving deep into the general digital marketing stats and figures. These statistics correspond to the current trends in the industry and will help you form an overall vision of your tactics.

The global digital marketing industry is projected to reach $786 billion by 2026

The state of the digital advertising and marketing industry is showing no slowing down. Since other, more old-fashioned types of advertisement are steadily losing popularity, marketing teams explore new and favorable tactics for marketing their products.

As a result, the worldwide market for digital marketing is projected to hit a staggering $786.2 billion by 2026. Which amounts to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9% over the analysis period.

Facebook is the commonly used social media platform for marketing

Beginning on January 2023, Facebook is considered to be the most widely used social media platform that content marketers use across the globe. With over 2.9 billion active users, it has become the most popular platform among users.

Therefore it is no surprise that 89% of responding digital marketers regard Facebook as their primary network for advertising their business. After all, the more users dwell on the platform, the bigger exposure you can reach.

Mobile devices account for more than half of website traffic

Since 2017, one of the most popular digital marketing trends has been prioritizing mobile traffic over desktop. This proved to be a winning strategy in the long run because mobile traffic has steadily climbed to account for half of all the organic traffic.

Finally, surpassing the 50% mark in 2020, it was clear that this trend will only rise in popularity. As of the first quarter of 2023, mobile devices have generated 58% of global website traffic.

Digital marketing industry growth statistics

Looking back on the years that have passed, it becomes evident that digital marketing has claimed a significant presence in modern types of advertising. With the way the world and consumerism evolve, it appears that marketing through digital means is not only here to stay but is growing exponentially. Let’s look at some of the most notable growth statistics of this year.

Marketers focus on three to five social media platforms

Among marketing consulting firms and advertising specialists, it was shown that they focus on up to five platforms to reach social media users. Among those five platforms are the following:

• Facebook, with 64% of popularity,
• Instagram, scoring a 58% of usage,
• YouTube is not much behind with 57%,
• Twitter, sitting at 43%,
• TikTok closely follows at 42%.

Focusing on a maximum of five platforms proves to be a productive statistic for reaching the desired audiences. By mastering the approach to each network, it can become easier to tailor and adjust the content to fit the requirements of the platform.

Digital accounts for 56% of marketing spending

According to a study by Gartner, more than half of the annual marketing spending is allocated toward digital online channels, as opposed to offline channels. In particular, this number is represented in 56%, with 44% directed at other types of advertising, respectively.

In addition, the survey reports that the average marketing budget for a company has increased overall, including digital marketing budgets across all industries. That increase is marked by 9.5%.

Job demand in the field of marketing is expected to increase

The Bureau of Labor Statistics precincts an exciting rate of increased demand for marketing specialists across various professions. Between the years 2021 and 2031, it is projected that the employment of marketing managers in the United States will increase by 10%.

The statistic is compared to the overall number of expected employment for all other occupations in the US is around 5%. This shows that the demand for specialists in traditional and digital marketing is only going to grow over the coming period.

Digital marketing ROI statistics

Planning your marketing strategies by taking a return on investment into account is factually impossible without knowing the current trends that yield the most results. For this reason, we scavenged for the most influential statistics to bring to your attention that will help you choose the most cost-effective tactics.

Influencer marketing offers one of the highest ROI

A recent study by HubSpot exposed that leveraging influencers for marketing tactics is expected to bring one of the highest returns on investment out of all the marketing trends in 2023. The influencer marketing trend is projected to see significant growth over the year, with 17% of respondent marketers planning to invest in it for the first time.

Additionally, the report shows that 89% of marketers who invest in this type of marketing will maintain or increase their investment next year. Another study by HubSpot brought more evidence that this type of digital marketing is highly effective with Gen Z customers, citing that 1 in 4 internet users of this generation prefer to find out new products from influencers on social media.

Short videos bring the highest ROI out of all video formats

According to a survey conducted with leading video marketers, it was suggested that short-format videos created with tools like an AI video editor are the most effective in generating leads. This may be due to the increased popularity of social media marketing through widely used platforms like TikTok that operate on short-format videos.

Regardless, 39% of respondents shared that short-format videos yield the highest ROI for their business. In comparison, only 16% of marketers that were surveyed disclosed that long-format videos are their go-to type of video marketing.

Blogging is still an effective way to generate sales

Even though blogging has become a standard practice in content marketing, recent statistics show this tactic is not going away anytime soon. It may appear to some marketing specialists that blogs are no longer attracting customers or generating sales, the numbers say otherwise.

A recent study revealed that blogging, alongside social media shopping tools and influencer marketing, are all contenders for the highest ROI out of all marketing channels. This is further supported by the fact that 33% of marketers leverage blogging in their digital marketing strategy.

In this same study, you can also witness a case-in-point statistic that shows a whopping 56% of customers have purchased something after reading a blog post. So, investing in your blog this year should definitely be on your radar.

Digital marketing vs. traditional marketing statistics

With the surge of content marketing that practically overtook traditional types of advertising, it can seem that the old days are gone. However, there still appears to be a demand for an old-fashioned approach to marketing products to customers. We can see how it compares through the following statistics on digital and traditional marketing.

Spending on addressable TV advertisements will increase in 2023

Addressable TV ads have become a pioneer in blending traditional marketing with innovative approaches that cater to the current demands of the market. By being able to deliver relevant TV ads to selected households, marketing teams keep exploring the potential of this new advertising channel.

In fact, the expenditure on addressable TV ads is forecasted to increase by over 12% in 2023, showing the fastest-growing potential among other types of traditional advertisement. To paint a clearer picture of this phenomenon, traditional marketing channels like radio, magazines, newspapers, and linear TV are all expected to decline within the same year.

This is further supported by a 2021 study that predicted this type of marketing to generate about $7.5 billion globally in 2022. What’s shocking is that this medium surpassed the original prediction made in 2012 by a staggering 40 times.

Traditional advertising activities are expected to decrease

A study conducted in early 2023 revealed how marketing specialists plan to spend their marketing budget in the following 12 months. The result appeared to demonstrate that product-focused respondents predicted to decrease their spending on traditional advertising activities by 3.64%. At the same time, the spending on digital marketing is forecasted to show an annual boost of 8.77% compared to the prior year.

What this demonstrates is that marketers now see more value in investing in new and evolving types of marketing that proves to be more effective in the modern-day consumer environment. With that being said, another study suggested that the traditional ad market is expected to show steady growth over the next years.

Content marketing costs less than traditional while generating more leads

One of the main reasons why we are seeing a switch from traditional to digital types of marketing may be due to the fact that it is simply more cost-effective. The research provided by DemandMetric revealed that content marketing tends to cost 62% less than traditional ads.

To add more fuel to the fire, it was also evident that marketing through content on social media tends to generate more than three times as many leads. This shows that traditional types of media must become innovative and adapt their advertising strategies to compete with contemporary methods.

Direct mail vs. digital marketing statistics

Within a myriad of effective marketing strategies, direct mail tends to be overlooked without a good reason. This tactic is still performing strongly for many marketers worldwide, hence we are going to share with you some of the most telling email marketing statistics of 2023.

Consumers receive the right amount of direct email

A report published in July 2023 surveyed adult consumers in the United States to ask about their perception of the frequency of direct mail they receive. Surprisingly, the vast majority of respondents, that being 62%, shared that they receive the right amount of direct mail.

To compare this email marketing statistic, the other 28% of respondents said that they receive direct mail too frequently. Lastly, only 10% of the surveyed consumers revealed they don’t receive direct mail frequently enough.

Direct mail from unfamiliar brands raises security concerns

An interesting revelation about email marketing statistics was made in a study conducted in 2023 that shared the consumers’ perspectives on direct mail from brands they are not familiar with. Turns out, approximately 51% of respondents said that receiving direct mail from unknown businesses raises concerns about their online privacy.

It’s hard to judge such an attitude considering how modern-day internet users treat the security of their data. On a more positive note, the same study showed that around 55% of consumers prefer their direct mail to be personalized to them and provide relevant offerings.

Direct mail remains a strong digital marketing strategy

One of the most prominent email marketing statistics was demonstrated in a report that surveyed digital marketers in 2022. A valuable piece of information revealed that direct mail marketing displays a steady and robust performance.

In particular, 65% of the respondents shared that their direct mail strategy has shown improvement over the last 12 months. At the same time, 32% of specialists reported that their strategy remains consistent, while only 3% said they saw a decline.

B2B digital marketing statistics

In a business-to-business (B2B) industry, it is important to direct your digital marketing efforts to the right resources and strategies. Many types of organizations from various sectors, like retail, fintech, and healthcare marketing agencies, are seeking proven information through statistics and reports to make weighted decisions about their business. So, we presented some stats and figures that make a difference in 2023.

The majority of B2B marketers leverage social media content distribution

A report published in 2023 discovered some major information about the way business-to-business marketers utilize digital advertising. While email usage remains the primary channel for marketing tactics, sitting at 93%, social media shortly follows at 92% for content distribution.

In addition to these definitive content marketing statistics, it turns out that Linkedin topples all social media platforms in terms of popularity among B2B marketing specialists. Namely, sitting at 97%, which almost doubles the number reported ten years prior.

Marketers invest in video-format content

Advertising content through video has been one of the leading trends in digital marketing this and last years, and B2B marketing experts are quick to notice that. A survey conducted in 2022 indicated that around 78% of marketing respondents forecasted investing their digital marketing budgets into video-format content.

Among other types of digital advertising selected by marketers were digital events, which were preferred by 60% of respondents. Additionally, 69% of surveyed specialists said they would invest in owned-media assets.

B2B buyers share the most influential content types for purchase

A curious digital marketing statistic was published in a 2023 report, revealing what content types influence B2B buyers’ purchasing decisions the most. At number one are the vendors’ own websites, as reposted by 65% of buyers.

Respectively, 48% of the surveyed buyers point out that third-party websites influence their decision the most. Closely followed by 39% of respondents that trust third-party articles published by independent writers the most.

Small business digital marketing statistics

For small businesses, the right type of digital advertising can make or break the success of their chosen strategy for digital marketing. To jump-start their marketing, many startups rely on social media users and organic traffic, which, when implemented right, is oftentimes a winning strategy. Let’s see what other tactics work for businesses that are starting out.

Social data will be a primary source of business intelligence

According to a research case about the future of social media and its influence on businesses, data collected from social media platforms will be integral in understanding the target audiences going forward. The study’s findings reported that over 85% of business executives believe that social data will become the primary source for companies.

To go along with this statistic, it was also revealed that 91% of executives forecast the digital marketing budgets to more than double within the next three years. With such projections, it’s easy to see the increasing value of content and digital marketing efforts.

Strategic keywords are the number one strategy for SEO

Leveraging organic search has long been reported as one of the most effective marketing strategies. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that a study demonstrated that 71% of marketers say using strategic keywords was their number one strategy for SEO. To maximize results, businesses should also monitor keyword ranking changes regularly, ensuring that their chosen keywords continue to perform well and adjusting strategies when rankings fluctuate.

Raising brand awareness is one of the main goals of digital advertising

A November 2022 survey released a digital marketing statistic that showcases the goals small businesses are looking to reach with their digital marketing tactics. Out of all questioned specialists in digital marketing, 41% stated that raising brand awareness was their number one priority when pursuing advertisement through content.

Among other citations, 33% shared that building loyalty with existing customers is their main target. While 38% of respondent marketers decided that aiming to generate sales and revenue through marketing is their overall goal.

To help achieve these objectives, many marketers rely on Ahrefs, a powerful marketing tool that provides insights into content performance and helps optimize strategies for better visibility and engagement.

Digital marketing statistics in the UK

Let’s take a closer look at the current trends in digital marketing efforts and strategies that are becoming increasingly popular within the United Kingdom. The following statistics can aid marketing teams in making the right decisions about their future plans.

Digital marketing spending in the UK is expected to increase

According to a survey carried out among marketing specialists in the United Kingdom in January 2022, it was discovered that digital marketing spending for companies was expected to increase by 28.29%. This change is projected for the following 12 months in comparison to the previous year.

In addition, it was found that digital was a leading channel for budget allocation among all marketing efforts in branding agencies in the UK. Among other types were brand building and traditional advertisement.

The retail industry has the most spending of digital marketing budget

The retail and e-commerce industry in the United Kingdom was forecasted to have the biggest digital advertising spending in 2022. Sitting at £5.92 billion, it surpassed sectors like consumer packaged goods, computing products and consumer electronics, and others.

The study included advertisements on both desktop and mobile devices, as well as all formats of advertising on these platforms, like social media and Google ads.

Social media is the primary marketing channel in the United Kingdom

A survey that was conducted in the Spring of 2022 among the leading business-to-consumer (B2C) UK digital agencies revealed the most used digital marketing channels in the industry. To no one’s surprise, for roughly 26% of the responders, social media was considered their primary channel for marketing.

To put this statistic into perspective, 21% of the responders named website marketing as their main network. While only 13% of surveyed specialists chose email as their number one channel.

Final thoughts on digital marketing statistics

By having a solid foot on the ground regarding the ongoing trends and market demands in the digital marketing sector, professionals and experts alike can make data-based and informed choices when it comes to their ideas. Taking some time to research the changes and fluctuations in tendencies over recent years, branding companies and teams are capable of developing a more impactful and successful digital marketing strategy.

Seeing the bigger picture within all of the relevant top digital marketing statistics, you gain the advantage of rapidly adjusting your strategies and efforts as you move along. This is an excellent opportunity to fine-tune your reach to your target audience and internet users alike.

To aid you on your research journey, we compiled a list of the 24 most prominent and poignant digital, content, and social media marketing statistics that you should pay close attention to in 2023. With their help, you can further use analytics tools to come up with the best approach that suits your objectives the most.