Digital Marketers Spend Average 18% of their Budget on Social Media

As U.S. marketers shift toward digital media, new research shows that they are increasingly turning toward social media as a means of retaining and gaining customers.

The American Marketing Association recently conducted the “Techlash Is Here” report, and statistics showed that the majority of average ad spend in the U.S. (18%) now goes toward social media. This is followed by email (13%), websites (12%) and streaming video/radio (5%), among all other forms of new media.

When it comes to social media, most marketers are dedicating their funds toward Facebook (34%), followed by Instagram (14%). YouTube (13%), Twitter (13%), LinkedIn (12%) and Snapchat (6%) were also popular platforms among digital marketers.

Site Visits via Social Media Remain Steady

Previous research indicates that social media continues to be a means of connecting marketers with their target audience. Specifically, more people are visiting company websites as a result social media usage.

Merkle published its “Digital Marketing Report” for Q3 2019, and statistics showed that the average share of visits to company sites produced by social media remained steady between Q2 and Q3 at 4%. Compared to the previous year, social media visit shares rose by 1%, suggesting that it continues to grow as a channel.

Visits to company sites driven by Facebook, in particular, grew by 23% year-over-year. Visits via Instagram grew 22% year-over-year, marking a decrease from 56% in the prior quarter.