Digital Marketing Statistics 2026: Insights That Sell

Digital marketing remains a pivotal force in business growth and consumer engagement. For example, retail brands are using real‑time data dashboards to optimise ad spend, while B2B firms are automating lead‑nurturing flows with personalised content. This article brings you key statistics across major digital‑marketing domains so you’re equipped to benchmark and sharpen your strategy.

Editor’s Choice

• Global digital ad spending is projected to reach US$734.6 billion in 2025.
• Businesses, on average, earn US$5 for every US$1 spent on digital marketing.
• The global social‑media advertising market is expected to grow by 12 % in 2025.
• 91 % of marketers report that SEO has improved their website performance.
• Paid search (PPC) typically delivers around 2× the website traffic compared to SEO.
• 59 % of marketers plan to partner with more influencers in 2025 than in 2024.
• 58 % of small businesses now rely on digital channels to connect with customers.

Recent Developments

• The global digital‑marketing industry is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 13.9 %.
• The market value of digital marketing is predicted to hit around US$472.5 billion in 2025.
• Global ad revenue in 2025 is forecast at US$1.08 trillion, with digital comprising 73.2 % of that.
• 63 % of marketers currently use generative AI tools in their marketing workflows.
• Privacy and first‑party data strategies are at the centre of 2025’s marketing agenda.
• Short‑form video and social commerce are increasingly dominant in user‑engagement strategies.
• Some agencies have trimmed their global ad‑growth forecasts down to 6 % for 2025.
• Marketers are shifting budget from traditional media (print/TV) toward digital channels and flexible contracts.

Global Market Size of Digital Marketing

• The global digital marketing market is projected to see steady and significant growth over the next decade.
• In 2023, the total market size was valued at $366.1 billion.
• The market is forecasted to grow to $1,310.3 billion by 2033, representing an almost 3.6x increase over ten years.
• The average annual growth rate reflects strong expansion driven by technological advancements, AI integration, and increased digital adoption.
• Both Online Interactive Digital Marketing and Offline Interactive Digital Marketing contribute to this growth, with the online sector leading due to global digital transformation trends.
• Between 2028 and 2033, the market is expected to accelerate rapidly—from $692.6 billion to over $1.3 trillion, highlighting the compound effect of digital innovation.
• Key milestone years:
  • 2026: Exceeds $500 billion
  • 2029: Approaches $800 billion
  • 2031: Surpasses the $1 trillion mark
• The upward trajectory underscores the increasing importance of digital marketing as a core driver for business growth worldwide.

General Digital Marketing Statistics

• 72 % of overall marketing budgets are allocated to digital channels.
• 63 % of businesses have increased their digital marketing budgets in recent years.
• 58 % of small‑business respondents rely primarily on digital channels to reach customers.
• The number of daily emails sent globally is estimated at 347.3 billion, with ~4.95 billion social‑media users.
• 97 % of users check a business’s online presence before visiting a store or website.
• Over 50 % of customers say they would unfollow a brand on social media if it becomes irritating.
• The global digital‑marketing market is forecast to reach US$786.2 billion by 2026.
• Less than 1 % of searchers go past the first page of search engine results.
• 92 % of marketers plan to maintain or increase their SEO investment into 2025.
• The United States accounts for about 26.94 % of all Google traffic.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Statistics

• 91 % of marketers said SEO improved website performance in 2024.
• SEO leads have an average close rate of around 14.6 %, versus 1.7 % for outbound leads.
• For e‑commerce brands, SEO delivers an ROI of approximately 317 %.
• Real‑estate firms reported SEO ROI of around 1,389 % in case data.
• As of Jan‑2025, Google holds 89.62 % of the global search traffic share.
• 72 % of consumers use Google search when looking for local businesses.
• Ranking #1 in Google results yields a click‑through rate (CTR) of around 27.6 %.
• The top 3 organic search results capture over 54.4 % of clicks.
• Content strategy/production is the top focus for SEO professionals (13.5 %).
• SEO professionals cite budget constraints (12.2 %) and increased competition (11.1 %) as major challenges.

Pay‑Per‑Click (PPC) Advertising Statistics

• PPC generates about twice as much website traffic compared to SEO.
• Across industries, businesses generally earn US $2 in revenue for every US $1 spent on Google Ads.
• The average monthly PPC campaign cost ranges from US$100 to US$10,000 for small‑to‑mid companies.
• Globally, companies were projected to spend US$190.5 billion on search advertising in 2024.
• 65 % of small‑to‑mid‑sized businesses run a PPC campaign.
• Paid search typically represents 39 % of advertisers’ budgets.
• 72 % of companies hadn’t reviewed their ad campaigns in over a month.
• 85 % of consumers research a product online before purchasing.
• Facebook Ads and Google Ads remain the paid‑ad platforms with the highest ROI.
• PPC often delivers around 200 % ROI in many cases.

Website Statistics

• 97 % of users check a business’s online presence before visiting a store.
• As of 2025, over 60 % of global web traffic originates from mobile devices.
• Sites that load within five seconds see 70 % longer average sessions than slower sites.
• Businesses with a blog are 13× more likely to see positive ROI than those without one.
• The bounce rate for mobile‑optimized websites is about 30 % lower than for non‑optimized sites.
• 54 % of consumers say page speed affects their willingness to buy.
• 72 % of marketers say their website is their most valuable digital asset.
• On average, conversion rates are about 2.4 % for organic traffic vs 1.3 % for paid traffic.
• Cross‑device sessions represent ~38 % of total website visits in 2025.
• 91 % of marketers say their website performance improved as a result of SEO.

Content Marketing Statistics

• 88.2% of businesses expect content marketing budgets to grow or stay the same in 2025.
• 62.8% of content marketers reported traffic growth between 2024 and 2025.
• 46% of marketers plan to increase their content marketing budget in 2025 compared with 2024.
• The global content‑marketing market is projected to hit US$107 billion by 2026.
• 54% of companies will measure content marketing ROI internally in 2025.
• 21% of marketers say short‑form video delivers the best ROI for content marketing in 2025.
• For B2B organisations, 91% use content marketing in their strategies in 2025.
• 60% of B2B buyers say digital content influences their final purchase decision.
• Only 21.4% of content marketers using link‑building in 2025 rely primarily on manual outreach.
• 67% of small‑business marketers use AI for content marketing strategy and SEO.

AI in Digital Marketing Statistics

• The market value of AI in marketing is estimated at US $47.32 billion in 2025.
• The global generative AI market is projected to reach US$356.05 billion by 2030.
• 85.84% of marketing professionals plan to increase their use of AI technologies over the next 2‑3 years.
• 93% of companies deploying AI say they use it to generate content faster.
• 81% of marketers use AI to uncover insights more quickly in 2025.
• 57% of small businesses use AI for marketing purposes in 2025.
• 83% of surveyed businesses say they’ll use AI to improve the user experience.
• 56% of businesses are investing in conversational AI technologies for real‑time support.
• 90% of B2C marketers say they will have dedicated AI budgets in 2025.
• 80% of marketers report that AI implementations in 2024 exceeded ROI expectations.

Lead Generation Statistics

• 48% of marketers say email marketing is their most effective lead‑generation channel in 2025.
• The average cost per lead ranges from US$91 to US$982 $982 depending on the industry.
• 66% of marketers generated new leads through social media by dedicating just 6 hours per week.
• The lead‑generation solutions market is projected to hit US$21.43 billion by 2033.
• 76% of marketers use content as part of their lead‑generation strategy.
• 68% of marketers say social media marketing helped them generate more leads in 2025.
• 44% of sales reps say they are too busy to follow up with leads.
• 90% of content marketers say attracting quality leads is one of their biggest challenges.
• The average organisation generates 1,877 leads per month across channels.
• 97% of people ignore cold calls.

Email Marketing Statistics

• Nearly 4.5 billion people use email globally as of 2025.
• 88% of users check their email multiple times a day.
• Automated email campaigns generate 320% more revenue than non‑automated ones.
• Average open rates hover near 39.6%, and click‑through rates average about 3.25%.
• Global email‑marketing value is projected to reach US$36.3 billion by 2033.
• 50% of consumers say they will delete an email if it’s not mobile‑optimized.
• 44% of B2B technology companies reported using email marketing in 2024.
• The bounce rate across industries averages around 2.33%.
• The unsubscribe rate across industries averages about 0.15%.
• Email remains in the top 2 channels for driving ROI.

Social Media Marketing Statistics

• 65.7% of the global population is active social‑media users.
• The average user uses about 6.84 platforms per month.
• A typical internet user spends about 141 minutes per day on social media in 2025.
• 90% of small businesses use social media in their marketing strategy.
• 78% of shoppers research social media before making a purchase.
• Customers who engage with a business on social media spend 35–40% more.
• 93% of marketers say their social‑media marketing efforts have increased business traffic.
• 58% of consumers discover new businesses for the first time on social media.
• Visual posts receive 10× more engagement than text‑only posts.
• User‑generated content gains 8.7× higher engagement than branded content.
• 83% of marketers list social as a top focus in 2025.
• Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok lead in reach and engagement.

Social Media Advertising Statistics

• Global spend on social‑media advertising is projected at US$276.7 billion in 2025.
• Social media ads now account for 3 of every 10 dollars spent on digital advertising.
• Ad spend on social media is expected to grow by about 9.37% annually.
• Mobile devices are expected to account for 83% of social‑media ad spend by 2030.
• YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok lead in global ad reach.
• Creative formats like video and carousel ads deliver higher engagement.
• 54% of marketers say authenticity in ads builds trust.
• Small and medium‑sized brands are adopting social‑media ads rapidly.
• 72% of consumers say social media allows deeper brand interaction.
• Influencer‑driven posts significantly contribute to ad‑spend growth.

Influencer Marketing Statistics

• The global influencer‑marketing industry is projected to reach US $32.55 billion in 2025.
• 86% of U.S. marketers plan to partner with influencers in 2025.
• 80% of brands either maintained or increased influencer‑marketing budgets in 2025.
• 73% of brands prefer collaborating with micro‑ or mid‑tier creators.
• Influencer campaigns return about US $5.78 for every US $1 spent.
• Nano‑influencers made up ~75.9% of the Instagram influencer base in 2024‑25.
• Creators using affiliate models drove 71% more affiliate revenue year‑over‑year.
• Influencer CPM dropped 53% year‑over‑year, improving cost‑efficiency.
• 59% of marketers plan to increase influencer partnerships in 2025.
• 67% of brands use influencers for conversions.

Video Content Marketing Statistics

• 89% of marketers actively use video marketing.
• 95% regard video as crucial to their strategy.
• 73% of viewers prefer short‑form video.
• Video makes up 80% of all internet traffic.
• 21% of marketers say video delivers the best ROI.
• 49% use video to explain products or services.
• 36% prefer a video length of 1–3 minutes.
• Interactive video outperforms static formats by ~20%.
• YouTube, Reels, and TikTok Shorts dominate brand content.

Mobile‑First & App Marketing Statistics

• Mobile ad spend globally is projected at US $447 billion in 2025.
• 72% of digital ad dollars go to mobile platforms.
• U.S. mobile ad spend in 2024 was US $202.6 billion.
• In‑app advertising is projected to reach US $390 billion in 2025.
• Mobile‑app market revenue expected to hit US$935 billion.
• Push notifications drive ~88% more engagement.
• Users access ~9 apps daily.
• 40% abandon carts due to poor mobile experience.
• Location‑based mobile marketing is at US $34.2 billion.

E‑commerce & Digital Commerce Marketing Statistics

• Social commerce to reach US $1.36 trillion in 2025.
• Mobile drives 77% of retail web visits.
• Global e‑commerce conversion rate ~2.58%.
• Personal recommendations boost revenue by 26%.
• Reviews increase conversions by ~270%.
• E‑commerce SEO ROI at 317%.
• Faster checkout increases conversions by ~20%.
• Repeat customers spend ~67% more.
• The retail sector accounts for 26% of mobile ad spend.

ROI & Performance Measurement Statistics

• Businesses earn US$5 for every US$1 spent on digital marketing.
• 63% say measuring ROI is their biggest challenge.
• 58% understand attribution models.
• 30.55% say data determines top strategies.
• Chatbot funnels boost conversions by ~13%.
• Trust signals improve conversion rates by ~42%.
• 65% use marketing analytics dashboards.
• Programmatic to reach 87% of digital ad revenue by 2026.
• Digital ad market to reach US$1.16 trillion by 2030.

Privacy, Regulation & Data Impact on Digital Marketing Statistics

• 38% cite tracking limitations as a key challenge.
• 75% believe AI search engines will boost blog traffic.
• Voice search makes up ~28% of queries.
• Consumer trust in ethical AI dropped to 42%.
• U.S. households own ~21 connected devices.
• 50% + cite policy changes as attribution hurdles.
• 87% say data is their most underused asset.
• Data policies are creating more conservative marketing strategies.
• AI bias is a growing ethical concern.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

In 2025, digital marketing continues to evolve rapidly, driven by mobile‑first behaviour, creator economics, video dominance, and data‑driven measurement. From the rise of influencer‑led campaigns yielding ~US $5.78 per dollar spent, to mobile advertising commanding over 72% of digital ad budgets, the signals are clear: marketing strategies must stay agile and analytics‑centred. Privacy shifts and attribution complexity further require marketers to rethink how they measure performance and engage audiences. Use these statistics to benchmark your strategy and steer decisions into the coming year with more certainty.