---
title: "AI in Marketing Statistics 2026: Adoption, Budgets, Ads and Traffic"
date: 2025-11-01
author: "Supriya Gharat"
featured_image: "https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ai-marketing-statistics-adoption-budgets-ads-traffic.jpg"
categories:
  - name: "Artificial Intelligence"
    url: "/category/ai.md"
tags:
  - name: "Statistics"
    url: "/tag/statistics.md"
---

# AI in Marketing Statistics 2026: Adoption, Budgets, Ads and Traffic

HubSpot’s State of Marketing survey found that **86.4%** of marketing teams say they use AI in at least a few marketing areas. In the same survey, the percentage of marketers who don’t use AI and don’t plan to stands at just **1.7%**. AI in marketing statistics show budgets moving the same way. [Gartner found](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-05-11-gartner-2026-cmo-spend-survey-finds-cmos-allocate-15-point-3-percent-of-marketing-budgets-to-ai-but-only-30-percent-are-ready-to-scale-ai-capabilities) that chief marketing officers (CMOs) are allocating an average of **15.3%** of marketing budgets to AI initiatives, yet only **30%** report mature or fully developed AI readiness capabilities.

The clearest results so far show up in ad platforms and web traffic. Adobe Digital Insights measured that AI-referred visitors converted **42%** more in March 2026 than other traffic to retail sites. Meta said its AI-powered Advantage+ end-to-end solutions reached over **$75 billion** in annual revenue run-rate in the second quarter of 2026. The figures below keep marketer surveys, platform-reported results and forecasts apart, because each one measures something different.

## Key Takeaways

- **70%** of CMOs say becoming an AI leader is a critical goal for 2026, yet **70%** also acknowledge that their internal marketing processes are not yet mature enough to effectively implement and scale AI.
- Marketing leaders expect AI-driven automation of marketing work to more than double, from **16%** in 2026 to **36%** by 2028, per a Gartner survey of CMOs.
- In a Gartner survey of marketing technology (martech) leaders, **45%** of martech leaders with AI agents in pilots or production say existing vendor-offered AI agent capabilities do not meet company expectations of promised business performance.
- Over **9 million** small businesses are using at least one AI creative tool on Meta’s apps, the company said on its second-quarter 2026 earnings call.
- AI-referred retail visits delivered **37%** higher revenue per visit (RPV) than non-AI traffic in March 2026, according to Adobe.
- Adobe expects AI traffic to US retail sites this holiday season to rise **130%** year over year.

## Editor’s Choice

- Marketing teams using AI in at least a few areas: **86.4%**.
- Average share of marketing budgets allocated to AI: **15.3%**.
- Meta Advantage+ annual revenue run-rate, Q2 2026: over **$75 billion**.
- Google AI Mode monthly active users, July 2026: surpassed **1 billion**.
- Cyber Week 2025 sales driven by AI and agents: **$67 billion**.
- Growth in AI-driven retail traffic, Q1 2026: **393%** year over year.

## AI Adoption in Marketing Statistics

- In Salesforce’s State of Marketing Report, AI adoption continues to accelerate, with **75%** of marketing organizations now using it in at least one form, though full integration remains a work in progress for **61%** of marketing teams.
- The Salesforce figures come from a survey of nearly **4,450** global marketers.
- In The CMO Survey of US marketing leaders, companies reported, on average, using artificial intelligence or machine learning in **24.17%** of their marketing efforts, and **55.91%** over the next three years.
- HubSpot found **68.2%** of marketers say they understand how to use AI in marketing, compared with **47%** in 2025.
- In the same survey, **67.5%** know how to measure AI impact, compared with **48%** in 2025.

| Survey | What it measures | Result |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot State of Marketing | Marketing teams using AI in at least a few areas | 86.4% |
| Salesforce State of Marketing, 10th edition | Marketing organizations using AI in at least one form | 75% |
| Gartner martech leader survey | Leaders piloting or implementing AI agents | 81% |
| The CMO Survey | Marketing efforts using AI or machine learning | 24.17% |
| Gartner CMO survey | Marketing work done by AI-driven automation in 2026 | 16% |

*Source: HubSpot (2026), Salesforce (10th edition), Gartner (October 2025 and May 2026), The CMO Survey (2026)*

> **Worth noting:** The adoption figures measure different things. HubSpot counts marketing teams using AI in at least a few areas, **86.4%**, while The CMO Survey measures the share of marketing efforts AI touches, an average of **24.17%**. A team can use AI every day and still run most of its work without it.

### About This Data

- Compiled from 14 sources: 6 marketer and CMO surveys, 7 company earnings materials, press releases and analytics reports, and 1 industry association report.
- Survey answers, platform-reported results and forecasts are labeled as such.
- Only releases from the organization that produced each figure qualified, and the page is reviewed on a rolling basis as sources publish new editions.

## Top AI Use Cases in Marketing

- The CMO Survey found **73.9%** of companies use AI for content creation and **65.4%** for content personalization.
- Generative engine optimization (GEO), getting content to appear in AI-generated search results, and [predictive AI](/predictive-ai-statistics/) for customer insights are each AI uses for **41.5%** of companies.
- **39.9%** use conversational AI for customer service, such as chatbots and virtual assistants.
- **32.4%** use AI for programmatic advertising and media buying, where AI buys ad space to target customers in real time.
- Companies use generative AI in their marketing activities a mean **22.42%** of the time.
- The use-case shares are based on **188** responding companies, each allowed to check every use that applied.

 COMPANIES USING IT · Source: The CMO Survey Topline Report, 2026     COMPANIES USING IT  The CMO · 2026 Top AI Uses in Marketing, US Companies (%)         Content creation  73.9% Content personalization  65.4% Improving marketing ROI  49.5% Marketing automation  48.9% Data analysis and reporting  46.3% Targeting decisions  45.2% Generative engine optimization  41.5% Predictive analytics for customer insights  41.5%  0 16 32 48 64 80    SOURCE The CMO Survey Topline Report, 2026    View the data| AI use case | Companies using it (%) |
|---|---|
| Content creation | 73.9 |
| Content personalization | 65.4 |
| Improving marketing ROI | 49.5 |
| Marketing automation | 48.9 |
| Data analysis and reporting | 46.3 |
| Targeting decisions | 45.2 |
| Generative engine optimization | 41.5 |
| Predictive analytics for customer insights | 41.5 |





## Recent Developments

- **September 28, 2026:** Adobe forecast US online sales of **$275.1 billion** this holiday season, growing **6.7%** year-over-year, with AI traffic to US retail sites expected to rise **130%**.
- **July 29, 2026:** [Meta reported](https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/default.aspx) revenue of **$60.80 billion**, an increase of **28%** year-over-year, as ad impressions increased by **14%** and average price per ad by **12%**.
- **July 29, 2026:** Meta said its AI-powered Advantage+ end-to-end solutions reached over **$75 billion** in annual revenue run-rate in the quarter.
- **July 22, 2026:** Google said AI Max is out of beta, and half a million advertisers have already adopted it.
- **July 22, 2026:** Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said AI Mode has surpassed **1 billion** monthly active users since expanding globally last October.

## AI Marketing Budget Statistics

- Gartner’s 2026 CMO Spend Survey found CMOs are allocating an average of **15.3%** of marketing budgets to AI initiatives, and while **70%** of CMOs say becoming an AI leader is a critical goal for 2026, only **30%** report mature or fully developed AI readiness capabilities.
- More AI-ready marketing organizations allocate **21.3%** of their marketing budgets to AI initiatives, **6 percentage points** above the survey average.
- AI-ready organizations also report average marketing budgets of **8.9%** of company revenue.
- **56%** of CMOs say their marketing organization lacks the budget required to deliver their 2026 strategy, while **54%** report insufficient resources.
- The survey covered **401** CMOs and other marketing leaders in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe.

 MARKETING BUDGET (% OF COMPANY REVENUE) · Source: Gartner 2026 CMO Spend Survey (May 2026)     MARKETING BUDGET (% OF COMPANY REVENUE)  Gartner · 2026 Marketing Budget as Share of Revenue (%)         All CMOs, 2025  7.7 All CMOs, 2026  7.8 AI-ready organizations, 2026  8.9  0 2 4 6 8 10    SOURCE Gartner 2026 CMO Spend Survey (May 2026)    View the data| Group | Marketing budget (% of company revenue) |
|---|---|
| All CMOs, 2025 | 7.7 |
| All CMOs, 2026 | 7.8 |
| AI-ready organizations, 2026 | 8.9 |





Total budgets barely moved: marketing budgets rose only slightly to **7.8%** of company revenue in 2026 from **7.7%** in 2025, Gartner said. With the total flat as a share of revenue, added AI spending is likely to come out of other lines in the marketing plan. HubSpot’s survey shows where marketers expect to add [digital marketing](/digital-marketing-statistics/) spend:

- Marketers plan to increase investment most in AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude (**37.7%**), narrowly ahead of [paid social media](/social-media-marketing-statistics/) at **37.4%**.
- Website, blog and search engine optimization (SEO) spending is set to rise for **35.4%** of marketers.

 MARKETERS PLANNING TO INCREASE SPEND · Source: HubSpot 2026 State of Marketing     MARKETERS PLANNING TO INCREASE SPEND  HubSpot · 2026 Top Planned Marketing Spend Increases (%)         AI chatbots  37.7% Paid social media  37.4% Video marketing  37.1% Content marketing  36.9% Website, blog and SEO  35.4%  0 8 16 24 32 40    SOURCE HubSpot 2026 State of Marketing    View the data| Channel | Marketers planning to increase spend (%) |
|---|---|
| AI chatbots | 37.7 |
| Paid social media | 37.4 |
| Video marketing | 37.1 |
| Content marketing | 36.9 |
| Website, blog and SEO | 35.4 |





## AI Automation of Marketing Work

- Marketing leaders expect AI-driven automation of marketing work to more than double, from **16%** in 2026 to **36%** by 2028, a rise of **20 percentage points**.
- The forecast comes from the Gartner survey of **402** CMOs, conducted from August through October 2025.
- Kristina LaRocca-Cerrone, VP Analyst in the Gartner Marketing Practice, said: “AI experimentation has become table stakes for CMOs.”
- Gartner warns that CMOs who fail to move beyond early AI use cases risk getting stuck in costly “AI competency traps”.

| Measure | Current | Expected |
|---|---|---|
| AI-driven automation of marketing work (Gartner) | 16% in 2026 | 36% by 2028 |
| Marketing efforts using AI or machine learning (The CMO Survey) | 24.17% | 55.91% in the next three years |
| Time generative AI is used in marketing activities (The CMO Survey) | 22.42% (mean) | Not reported |

*Source: Gartner (May 2026), The CMO Survey (2026)*

## Generative AI in Marketing Statistics

- Content creation is where marketers lean on [generative AI](/generative-ai-statistics/) most, with **42.5%** using AI extensively for it and **38%** occasionally, according to HubSpot.
- **26.5%** say AI has significantly increased productivity, while **66.2%** say it’s slightly or moderately increased productivity.
- The vast majority of marketers (**73.4%**) say that they see AI working in conjunction with marketers, assisting them in performing most of their job duties.
- Expectations are higher because of AI: **83.5%** of marketers say they’re expected to produce more content, and **35.7%** say they’re expected to produce much more content.

 Use AI extensively vs Use AI occasionally · Source: HubSpot 2026 State of Marketing       HubSpot · 2026 Marketer AI Use by Task (%) Use AI extensively vs Use AI occasionally    Use AI extensively (%)  Use AI occasionally (%)          50 40 30 20 10 0   42.5%  38%   37.7%  35.6%  40.5%  34.6%  40.1%  34.1%  36.5%   Content creation Media creation Administrative task automation Learning and skill development Advertising automation and optimization  Use AI extensively (%) · 42.5% Use AI occasionally (%) · 38% Use AI extensively (%) · 37.2% Use AI occasionally (%) · 37.7% Use AI extensively (%) · 35.6% Use AI occasionally (%) · 40.5% Use AI extensively (%) · 34.6% Use AI occasionally (%) · 40.1% Use AI extensively (%) · 34.1% Use AI occasionally (%) · 36.5%    SOURCE HubSpot 2026 State of Marketing    View the data| Task | Use AI extensively (%) | Use AI occasionally (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Content creation | 42.5 | 38 |
| Media creation | 37.2 | 37.7 |
| Administrative task automation | 35.6 | 40.5 |
| Learning and skill development | 34.6 | 40.1 |
| Advertising automation and optimization | 34.1 | 36.5 |







## AI Agents in Marketing Statistics

- **81%** of marketing technology leaders are either piloting AI agents, or have already implemented AI agent initiatives across their organizations, Gartner found.
- Among leaders who are piloting or implementing AI agents, **89%** expect their AI agent initiatives to deliver significant business performance benefits for their enterprise.
- **45%** of martech leaders with AI agents in pilots or production say existing vendor-offered AI agent capabilities do not meet company expectations of promised business performance, and half of leaders say their organizations lack the technical and data stack readiness required for AI agent deployment.
- The top pilot use case is content or marketing asset production, cited by **52%** of leaders piloting these tools.
- Salesforce reports that of the **75%** of marketing organizations using AI for things like personalization, campaign prediction, or content generation, only **13%** are tapping into the power of self-directed agents.
- The Gartner survey covered **413** marketing technology leaders, conducted in June through August 2025.

 LEADERS PILOTING AI AGENTS CITING IT · Source: Gartner martech leader survey (October 2025)     LEADERS PILOTING AI AGENTS CITING IT  Gartner · 2025 Top AI Agent Pilot Uses in Martech (%)         Content or marketing asset production  52% Content and marketing asset enrichment  49% Campaign management and optimization  43%  0 12 24 36 48 60    SOURCE Gartner martech leader survey (October 2025)    View the data| Pilot use case | Leaders piloting AI agents citing it (%) |
|---|---|
| Content or marketing asset production | 52 |
| Content and marketing asset enrichment | 49 |
| Campaign management and optimization | 43 |





> **Why it matters:** Gartner’s data points to spending outrunning readiness. CMOs are allocating an average of **15.3%** of marketing budgets to AI initiatives, but only **30%** report mature or fully developed AI readiness capabilities. Agent pilots launched before the data foundations are ready risk the same disappointment.

## AI Advertising Statistics on Meta and Google

- On [Facebook ads](/facebook-advertising-statistics/), Meta said advances in its user understanding models, combined with its GEM ads ranking model, generated an **8.3%** increase in ad clicks and a **15.7%** uplift in conversions on Facebook in Q2 2026.
- Over **9 million** small businesses are using at least one AI creative tool, and image generation saw adoption more than double this quarter, Meta said.
- Google said that among [Google Ads](/google-ads-statistics/) users, those who adopt AI-powered campaigns like AI Max or PMax see an average of **15%** more conversions or value on Search at a similar ROAS, where PMax is Performance Max and ROAS is return on ad spend.
- Google also reported a **20%** improvement in showing highly relevant ads with Shopping ads in the quarter.
- Among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), over half of Google’s SMB customers globally use AI to create or optimize their creatives.

| Platform metric, Q2 2026 | Value |
|---|---|
| Meta Advantage+ annual revenue run-rate | Over $75 billion |
| Small businesses using at least one Meta AI creative tool | Over 9 million |
| Advertisers that have adopted Google AI Max | Half a million |
| Meta ad impressions growth, year over year | 14% |
| Meta average price per ad growth, year over year | 12% |
| Google SMB customers using AI to create or optimize creatives | Over half |

*Source: Meta Platforms Q2 2026 results release and earnings call, Alphabet Q2 2026 earnings call (July 2026)*

Platform numbers carry a different weight from survey answers. They count what advertisers actually ran through AI tools, though each company picks which metrics to disclose.

## Generative AI in Video Advertising Statistics

- Generative AI (GenAI) has reached video ad production: nearly two-in-three buyers now use GenAI for digital video creative, up from half in 2025, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
- One-third of their ad assets will leverage GenAI this year, up from one-fourth in 2025.
- Among smaller buyers, **96%** are not satisfied with their current level of GenAI use for creative ad production.
- The IAB found nearly everyone (**96%**) agrees there’s a role for agentic AI, but there’s no consensus on what that role will be.

| Measure | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyers using GenAI for digital video creative | Half | Nearly two in three | Not reported |
| Share of buyers’ ad assets using GenAI | One-fourth | One-third | 43% (projected) |

*Source: IAB Digital Video Ad Spend and Strategy Full Report (2026)*

The GenAI share of buyers’ ad assets is projected to reach **43%** by 2027, the IAB reported. Smaller buyers are the group furthest behind that curve.

## AI Search and Generative Engine Optimization Statistics

- Salesforce found **85%** of marketers say AI is reshaping their SEO strategy, with **88%** having already started optimizing for AI-generated answers.
- HubSpot found updating SEO for search changes is one of the top trends brands are tackling this year (cited by **40.6%** of marketers).
- Of marketers, **70.2%** believe they’re able to adapt their marketing strategy to the changes in organic search, such as AI Overviews.
- Google says AI Mode is driving an incremental increase in Search queries overall and that it is sending billions of clicks to websites every week through AI features in Search.
- The Gemini app now has **950 million** monthly active users, with daily active users tripling in the last year.

| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Marketers already optimizing for AI-generated answers | 88% | Salesforce |
| Marketers saying AI is reshaping their SEO strategy | 85% | Salesforce |
| Marketers able to adapt to organic search changes | 70.2% | HubSpot |
| Companies using AI for generative engine optimization | 41.5% | The CMO Survey |
| Google AI Mode monthly active users | Over 1 billion | Alphabet |

*Source: Salesforce (10th edition), HubSpot (2026), The CMO Survey (2026), Alphabet (July 2026)*

## AI Referral Traffic Statistics

- Adobe reported GenAI-driven retail traffic continued its growth in the first quarter of 2026, increasing **393%** year over year.
- Every industry saw an AI traffic boost during the first quarter of 2026, with travel at **+233%** year over year.
- **39%** of consumers have used AI assistants for online shopping, and **85%** of those who use AI for shopping agree that AI assistants have improved their online shopping experience, per Adobe’s survey of more than **5,000** US respondents in March 2026.
- Half of consumers (**50%**) report that when using AI for online shopping, they click on the links provided by the AI assistant, and **27%** report they make their purchases directly through those links.

 YEAR-OVER-YEAR AI VISIT SHARE GROWTH · Source: Adobe Digital Insights, Q1 2026     YEAR-OVER-YEAR AI VISIT SHARE GROWTH  Adobe · Q1 2026 AI Visit Share Growth by Industry, Q1 2026 (%)         Retail  393% Travel  233% Financial services  158% Media and entertainment  84% Tech and software  63%  0 80 160 240 320 400    SOURCE Adobe Digital Insights, Q1 2026    View the data| Industry | Year-over-year AI visit share growth (%) |
|---|---|
| Retail | 393 |
| Travel | 233 |
| Financial services | 158 |
| Media and entertainment | 84 |
| Tech and software | 63 |





## AI Shopper Conversion and Engagement Statistics

- AI-referred visitors to retail sites converted **42%** more in March 2026, after converting at nearly half the rate of non-AI traffic a year earlier.
- Time per AI visit was **48%** longer than visits from other channels in March 2026.
- Bounce rates were **32%** lower than non-AI traffic in March 2026.
- AI-driven revenue per visit was **37%** higher than non-AI traffic in the same month.

 AI-REFERRED VS NON-AI VISITS · AI-referred vs non-AI visits, March 2026 (% higher) · Source: Adobe Digital Insights (March 2026)     AI-REFERRED VS NON-AI VISITS  Adobe · 2026 How AI Retail Visits Outperform Others (%) AI-referred vs non-AI visits, March 2026 (% higher)         Time spent per visit  48 Conversion rate  42 Revenue per visit  37 Pages viewed per visit  13 Engagement rate  12  0 10 20 30 40 50    SOURCE Adobe Digital Insights (March 2026)    View the data| Metric | AI-referred vs non-AI visits, March 2026 (% higher) |
|---|---|
| Time spent per visit | 48 |
| Conversion rate | 42 |
| Revenue per visit | 37 |
| Pages viewed per visit | 13 |
| Engagement rate | 12 |





> **By the numbers:** In March 2026, AI-referred visitors to US retail sites delivered **37%** higher RPV than non-AI traffic, according to Adobe Digital Insights. A year earlier, non-AI-driven visits were worth **128%** more than AI visits. AI referrals went from lagging other traffic to leading it inside a year.

## AI in Holiday Shopping Statistics

- Adobe expects AI traffic to US retail sites this holiday season, measured by shoppers clicking on a link, to rise **130%** year over year.
- The biggest uptick is expected on Thanksgiving (up **159%** year over year), Adobe’s forecast shows.
- In an Adobe survey of **5,000** consumers, **77%** of respondents who have used AI for online shopping report feeling more confident in their purchase, and **69%** say they are less likely to return an item they bought.
- Salesforce data for Cyber Week 2025, November 25 to December 1, shows AI and agents drove **$67 billion** in sales, influencing **20%** of all purchases.
- Retailers who utilized Salesforce’s Agentforce 360 and their own branded agents saw sales grow **32%** faster than those without.

 FORECAST AI TRAFFIC GROWTH · Forecast AI traffic growth, year over year · Source: Adobe holiday shopping forecast (September 2026)     FORECAST AI TRAFFIC GROWTH  Adobe · 2026 Forecast US Holiday AI Traffic Growth (%) Forecast AI traffic growth, year over year        Full holiday season  130% Thanksgiving  159% Black Friday  95% Cyber Monday  88%  0 40 80 120 160    SOURCE Adobe holiday shopping forecast (September 2026)    View the data| Period | Forecast AI traffic growth, year over year (%) |
|---|---|
| Full holiday season | 130 |
| Thanksgiving | 159 |
| Black Friday | 95 |
| Cyber Monday | 88 |





## Conclusion

**86.4%** of marketing teams now use AI in at least a few marketing areas. Gartner found CMOs are allocating an average of **15.3%** of marketing budgets to AI initiatives. The harder numbers sit underneath: the share of marketing work AI actually does is still a minority, readiness trails spending, and the clearest returns so far come from platform-reported ad results and from how AI-referred shoppers behave.

For marketers, the useful benchmark has moved past whether a team uses AI. It is how much of the work runs through AI, and whether that work shows up in conversions. Gartner’s CMOs expect AI-driven automation of marketing work to more than double within two years, so the gap between adoption and results is the number to watch.