50+ Powerful Digital Marketing Statistics for 2019

In a world where new businesses are popping up every day, brand visibility is everything.

Whether your company is business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C), a fleshed-out digital marketing strategy is the most effective tactic to gain more visibility, customers and revenue for your company. 

And while a digital marketing strategy is paramount for any growing business, not all businesses will gain visibility in the same way, nor would it make sense for all businesses to have the same strategy.

This is why we have outlined a variety of effective ways to leverage digital marketing in your own industry, and help your business attract more customers.

These statistics provide insight into the most popular types of digital marketing and how they have impacted business technology in 2019.

Search engine marketing statistics

Search engine marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing tactic in which a company attempts to increase its visibility on search engines. The two most effective methods of SEM are search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC). SEO is a way to increase your brand’s visibility through organic search results. Read more about the differences between SEO and SEM in our full-guide.

Companies that want to drive traffic through SEO often conduct research on major keywords that internet users are commonly searching for. They then write content based on these keywords to drive more traffic to their site. PPC, on the other hand, is a method in which companies pay to have their website show up first in a Google (or other search engine) search. In the PPC method, your company gets charged a set amount every time an internet browser clicks on your website.

Although it is more costly, this method increases brand visibility and drives more traffic. Marketers who want to stay a step ahead of the game can utilize SEO software  and PPC services which help with keyword analysis, backlink tracking and trend analysis.

• 85% of clicks resulting from a search are on the organic links rather than the paid ads. (Unbounce)
• For every 100 searches on Google desktop in September 2018, 65% were on an organic result. (SparkToro)
• 60% of Google users are unable to identify when they are looking at a paid ad rather than an organic listing. (Search Engine Watch)
• Search ads can increase brand awareness by 80%. (Google)
• 63% of people said they’d click on a Google ad. (Search Engine Land)
• PPC visitors are 50% more likely to purchase something than organic visitors. (Unbounce)
• According to Google, businesses receive an average of $2 of revenue for every $1 spent on paid advertising on the Google AdWords platform. (Google Economic Impact)
• Google holds 76% of the total search engine market. (NetMarketShare)
• 70% of mobile searchers call a business directly from Google search. (DMR)

Mobile marketing statistics

Mobile marketing is a digital marketing strategy in which marketing teams attempt to reach their audience on their phones through channels such as text messaging and email. A business with an effective mobile marketing strategy will optimize its web pages for mobile viewing as well as all of its email marketing.  With nearly 68% of emails opened on a mobile device, mobile marketing software can help companies plan, implement and control diverse marketing campaigns that target smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.

• 80% of smartphone users are more likely to purchase from companies whose mobile sites or apps help them easily find answers to their questions. (Google)
• 68% of emails are opened on a mobile device. (Marketing Land)
• By 2019, mobile advertising is expected to represent 72% of all U.S. digital ad spending. (eMarketer)
• 68% of companies have integrated mobile marketing into their overall marketing strategy. (Salesforce)
• 71% of marketers believe mobile marketing is core to their business. (Salesforce)
• 58% of companies surveyed have a dedicated mobile marketing team. (Salesforce)
• Mobile data traffic across the globe is projected to increase nearly sevenfold by 2021. (Forbes)

Content marketing statistics

Content marketing is a strategy in which marketing teams post relevant and engaging content to boost the value and visibility of their own product. A great example of this is when marketing teams create informative blogs that establish their brand as a thought leader in their respective field. The result is more leads gained from engaged readers, who will hopefully convert into customers. Businesses that want to start their own blogs can utilize content distribution software to share their content across a variety of online channels.  

• Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing but generates three times as many leads. (NeilPatel)
• The most successful marketers spend 40% of their total marketing budget on content marketing. (Content Marketing Institute)
• According to 53% of businesses, blogging represents their No. 1 inbound marketing priority. (Smart Insights)
• 72% of marketers report that content creation is currently their most effective SEO tactic. (NeilPatel)
• 60% of marketers create at least one piece of content each day. (eMarketer)
• 83% of B2B marketers said mobile apps were important to content marketing. (e-Strategy Trends)
• The number of inbound links for a company can increase by up to 97% if the company has a blog. (Hubspot)
• 45% of consumers would abandon content that is displayed poorly on their current device. (Forbes)
• 34% of consumers are more likely to make an unplanned purchase if a brand personalizes content. (Forbes)  

Social media marketing statistics

With the growing number of social media users across platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, marketing teams should utilize social media to increase their brand awareness. Social media is becoming a dynamic platform to not only market your brand, but also gauge customer sentiment in response to your content. In this sense marketers should see social media as a way to have conversations with their customers which will help gain customer trust and brand loyalty.

• 90% of brands use social media to increase brand awareness. (Hootsuite)
• Most businesses maintain between 4–10 social profiles. (Hootsuite)
• 77% of brands expect their use of social media to increase. (Hootsuite)
• Online, adults aged 18–34 are most likely follow a brand via social networking. (Marketing Sherpa)
• 71% of consumers who have had a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others. (Dreamgrow)
• 73% of marketers believe that their efforts through social media marketing have been “somewhat effective” or “very effective” for their business. (buffer)
• Social media and watching video content are the two most popular online activities. (Lyfe Marketing)

Voice search marketing statistics

2019 is going to be a big year for voice search. In Q3 2018, smart speaker shipments grew nearly 200% year over year, and by 2022, 55% of households are expected to own smart speaker devices.  With the growing number of voice searches, digital marketing teams must adjust their marketing strategies to reflect how users search on smart speaker devices. This includes focusing on phrases instead of single words in your SEO strategy. While users tend to search for single keywords on a desktop (such as the word “shoes”), a user is more likely to ask a smart speaker a question (such as “What are the best shoes in my area?”). Digital marketers can then adjust to create more phrases in their URL pages to attract more traffic through voice searches.

• 65% of 25-to-49-year-olds speak to their voice-enabled devices at least once per day. (PwC)
• 72% of people who own a voice-activated speaker say their devices are often used as part of their daily routine. (Google)
• 62% of those who regularly use a voice-activated speaker say they are likely to buy something through their voice-activated speaker in the next month. (Google)
• Half of all online searches will be voice searches by 2020. (ComScore)
• Voice is expected to be a $40 billion channel by 2022. (OC&C Strategy Consultants)
• 52% of smart speaker owners are interested in receiving info about deals, sales and promotions from brands. (Google)

Influencer marketing statistics

Influencer marketing refers to the practice of partnering with social media influencers to promote your brand. With the number of social media users racing toward the three billion mark, there is no shortage of visibility that can be gained from getting the top YouTube, or Instagram users to promote your brand.

Although it may seem daunting to reach out to influencers, influencer marketing software can help your organization identify, recruit and communicate with social influencers.

• Influencer marketing campaigns earn $6.50 for every dollar spent. (Digital Marketing Institute)
• 22% of marketers say influencer marketing is the most cost-effective method of obtaining new customers. (Digital Marketing Institute)
• The influencer marketing market is projected to reach $10 billion by 2020. (Adweek)
• 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations on social media. (TapInfluence)
• 51% of brands say influencer content outperforms brand-created content. (Agility PR Solutions)
• 83% of consumers trust brand recommendations from people they know. (Nielsen)
• 70% of teens trust influencers more than traditional celebrities. (Google)

Additional digital marketing statistics

• Worldwide digital ad spend is predicted to reach over $375 billion by 2021. (eMarketer)
• More than $65 billion will be spent on programmatic digital display advertising by 2020. (eMarketer)
• 49% of organizations do not have a clearly defined digital marketing strategy. (Smart Insights)
• 40% of marketers say proving the ROI of their marketing activities is their top marketing challenge. (Hubspot)
• 84% of people expect brands to create content. (NewsCred)
• 254 out of 500 small-to-medium businesses only have a basic understanding of SEO. (HigherVisibility)

Digital marketing improves brand visibility

With all of the different ways that businesses can market their product, it is clear that we are living in the golden age of marketing.

Not only are there a variety of tools and platforms that can help increase your brand visibility, but many are affordable for growing businesses. In this sense, a small startup can level the playing field with a large enterprise if they can establish a solid digital marketing strategy.

Ready to make a marketing plan today? Check out our article on how to write a marketing plan.