Digital Marketing Statistics and Trends [in 2022]

Here’s our most comprehensive list of digital marketing statistics and trends this 2022. 

I’ve made sure that every number provided in this post is current and up-to-date. 

Even if we’re almost halfway through 2022, you can still make use of and incorporate the following data to improve your performance and update your marketing strategies.

SEO Stats 2022

81% of shoppers do their research first online before they purchase. In this case, every important information about your business must be visible online. 

Here are some statistics that will encourage you to optimize your website for search engines now:

• Google tops its competitors as the most used search engine with an 85.55% market share in Feb. 2022. (Datareportal)
• Google receives over 102,123 searches per second. (Internet Live Stats)
• 70% of search users never scroll past the search engine’s second page. (Hubspot)
• Google Chrome has the highest share of web traffic by browser with 64.06%, followed by Safari at 19.22%. (Datareportal)
• Google ranks second for a mobile share of 58.1%, while Instagram takes the top spot at 63.3%. (Datareportal)
• There are over 200 ranking factors used by Google’s search algorithm to rank websites. (Backlinko)
• 65% of Google searches ended without any click. (Sparktoro.com)
• Web pages that take 5 seconds to load have an increased bounce rate to 38%. (Website Builder Expert)
• Web pages with low bounce rates rank higher in search engines. (Backlinko)
• The average number of words to get to Google’s average first-page search result is 1,440. (Backlinko)

Also Read: Learn SEO: The Complete Guide for Beginners

Podcast

Over the years, we see more and more content creators, brands, and entrepreneurs jumping on the podcasting bandwagon. The podcast has become a fascinating platform for advertisers as well.

But before you delve into podcast advertising, take this advice from Ahref’s UX Writer, Rebekah Bek:

• The number of podcast listeners around the world is estimated at around 424 million people (Insider Intelligence)
• 94% of podcast listeners are multitasking a.k.a. doing household chores, driving, running errands, exercising, etc. This makes these listeners more receptive and engaging. (BBC)
• 40% of podcast listeners choose to discover new podcast channels via their listening app’s directory. (The Podcast Host)
• Apple is the most popular podcast directory, with 38.7% of podcast listeners around the world. (BuzzSprout)
• The top podcast listeners are from North America and the Asia Pacific. (BuzzSprout)
• Podcast listeners refer to podcast channel descriptions to check what it is about. (The Podcast Host)
• 45% of podcast listeners have an annual income of $250,000. (Small Biz Genius)
• 73% listen to the podcast on their smartphones. (Edison Research)
• 69% of podcast listeners say podcast ads helped them become aware of brands, products, and services. (BuzzSprout)
• Advertisements read by podcast hosts are 3.5 times more effective than scripted third-party ads. (DigiDay)
• Millennials and Gen Zs dominate the podcast listener demographic. (PRCA)

Social Media 

There is no denying that social networks have significantly changed the way we do our marketing.

Here are some important figures that will help improve your social media marketing and strategies:

• YouTube streams 694,00 hours of video per minute. (Statista)
• The average amount of time internet users spent on social media is 2 hours and 27 minutes per day. (Statista)
• There are 4.62 billion social media users worldwide in January 2022. (Datareportal)
• Social media platforms in the Philippines last year 2021 saw an increase in the number of influencers led by Facebook (67.06%), Instagram (37.42%, and YouTube (35.96%). (Datareportal)
• Number of users per social media platform (early 2022) (Datareportal)
  Facebook- 83.85 million users
  YouTube- 56.50 million users
  Instagram- 18.65 million users
  Tiktok- 35.96 million users
  Facebook messenger- 55.15 million users
  LinkedIn- 11.00 million users
  Snapchat- 10.60 million users
  Twitter- 10.50 million users

• Facebook Live videos receive 10 times as many comments as regular videos. (99 Firms)
• Tiktok has approximately 650,000 new users every day or more than 8 new users per second. (DataReportal)
• 73% of users feel a stronger connection to brands on TikTok than they do on other social media platforms. (Newsroom.TikTok)
• TikTok has the highest 5.96% engagement rate compared to other social media networks. (Social Insider)
• Instagram Stories is used by 500 million accounts every day. (Hootsuite)
• 70% of customers go to Instagram to make their next purchase. (Instagram for Business)
• In 2022, short-form videos will last an average of 3 minutes and 23 seconds. (ReelnReel)
• Instagram Reels content receives 22% higher engagement than typical Instagram videos. (EarthWeb)

Also Read: Social Media: A Comprehensive Guide

Mobile Marketing 

More than half of web traffic and two-fifths of email opens come from smart phones or mobile devices. This means your search and email strategies must be aligned with your mobile marketing strategies.

Here are some important data you will need to take note of for your mobile marketing strats:

• A typical mobile phone user spends 4 hours and 48 minutes per day on average. (Datareportal)
• There are 3.5 billion smartphone users worldwide. (Website Builder)
• More than half (53%) of US shoppers prefer to use their mobile device to research deals and offers before buying than speak with an associate in-store about promotions. (Retail Me Not)
• Social commerce in the Philippines is predicted to expand 30.4 percent each year, reaching US$681.6 million in 2022. (Research and markets)
• 80% of internet users own a smartphone. (Smart Insights)
• The global revenue growth of mobile applications is expected to reach $925 billion by 2023. (Digital Examiner)
• TikTok motivated 67% of its users to purchase even when they weren’t looking to do so. (TikTok Newsroom)
• 62% of marketers believe that TikTok content creators are the best communicators with their customers. (TikTok Newsroom)
• Instagram is important to 68% of marketers for influencer marketing initiatives, down from 80% last year. (Influencer Marketing Hub)
• 37% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a mobile-optimized site. (Website Builder)

Video Marketing

Video marketing is growing because it captivates the audiences’ emotions and stimulates the consumers’ psyche with effective storytelling. 

If you want to invest your time and energy in video marketing, here are some of its important statistics:

• 96% of users watch explainer videos to learn more about a product or service. (Wyzowl)
• 59% of executives would rather watch a video than read texts. (Forbes)
• About 70% of millennials often watch company videos when shopping online. (Animoto)
• 76% of millennials follow brands on YouTube. (Animoto)
• YouTube content creators (such as reaction videos, instructional films, and anything of public interest) thrived during the pandemic. (Adobo Magazine)
• Short-form video marketing will be more prevalent than ever before, with more than 70% of marketers utilizing it. (ReelnReel)
• Marketers that utilize video generate revenue 49% quicker than those who do not. (WordStream)
• Companies produce a wide variety of videos. 42% prefer live-action videos, 33% prefer animated videos, and 15% prefer screen recorded videos. (Wyzowl)
• 60% of YouTube videos are watched on mobile devices. (Inc.)
• 88% of people would like to see more videos from brands in 2022. (Wyzowl)

Paid Search (PPC)

If you’re looking to Pay Per Click advertising for your business this year, here are some statistics you might want to keep in mind:

• 59.7% of search users can’t tell the difference between paid and organic search results. (Varn)
• Over 50% of paid ad clicks come from mobile. (Web FX)
• Google, Facebook, and Amazon hold a 64% share of total ad spending. (eMarketer)
• 33% of search users click on paid ads because they directly answer their search query. (Clutch)
• Over 90% of mobile search users will likely click on the first two or three search results. (Search Engine Land)
• 42.7% of internet users around the world use ad blockers. (Backlinko)
• The top three ads at the top of the first search engine results page get all the clicks at 40%. (Techjury)

User-Generated Content

Many customers turn to user-generated content (UGC) in the form of peer reviews and recommendations before they make a purchase from brands.

• 92% of consumers around the world trust the reviews and recommendations from friends and family over advertising. (Nielsen)
• 86% of companies use UGC in their marketing strategy to make them trustworthy.
• 78% of millennials say they prefer customer photos over professional photos shared by a brand. (Social Media Week)
• 57% of marketers say their biggest concern when it comes to UGC use is copyright issues. (Social Media Week)
• 60% of consumers would love brands to tell them what type of UGC to use and create. (State of User-Generated Content)

• 77% of shoppers are more likely to buy from brands that provide a personalized shopping experience. (State of User-Generated Content)
• 64% of users have used a hashtag or tagged a brand on their social media. 
• Emails that contain user-generated content increase click-through rates up to 73%. (Salesforce)
• 48% of customers discover new products through user-generated content on social media feeds. (Taggbox)
• 78% of Millennials find a photo and video user-generated content extremely helpful when it comes to their purchasing decisions. (BusinessWire)

Metaverse statistics

Metaverse is a shared virtual environment in which users interact via avatars. In other words, it merges reality with the virtual world. Some data you might need to take note of:

• Metaverse is a network of virtual worlds in 3D that people can connect through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Some AR and VR games include Minecraft, Roblox, Pokemon, and Fortnite.
• Virtual reality experts claim that the number of VR users in the US is 57.4 million, while the number of AR users are 90.9 million. (eMarketer)
• Metaverse’s target audiences include young Millennial to Gen-Z professionals and C-level executives. (Statista)
• 11.3% of the Metaverse demographics are men, and 8.3% are women. (Statista)
• 35% of customers will do more shopping online if they can virtually try on a product. (BigCommerce)
• Virtual influencers are computer-generated characters that have almost been trending at the same rate as real-life influencers. To date, Lilmiquela, a virtual influencer has 3 million followers on Instagram.
• 35% of respondents have bought a product or service promoted by virtual influencers. (The Influencer Marketing Factory)
• Many brands are taking virtual and augmented experiences outside mobile phones already. (Smart Brief)

Take a look at Pepsi’s bus-stop campaign on Talon’s YouTube channel:

Cryptocurrency statistics

Do you want to understand the state of the cryptocurrency market? If you are a crypto enthusiast, here are some figures that you might find interesting to note this year:

• Market segments for cryptocurrencies include banking, real estate, the stock market, and virtual currencies. Over $500 million of transactions took place in the stock market and the virtual currency sectors in 2019. (Facts and Factors)
• Vietnam has the highest 28.6% adoption rate of cryptocurrency. (Finder)
• Bitcoin has gained 136,260% between 2012 to May 2022. (Young and Invested)
• The price of bitcoin went from $6,000 to $60,000 in 12 months after the pandemic hit in March 2020.
• More than 14,000 posts related to cryptocurrency appear on Twitter every day. (Reuters)
• The social media landscape will play a big role in driving traffic to crypto-driven ad content. (The Wise Marketer)
• Almost 30% of US crypto owners had bought something online with their digital assets last March 2022. (eMarketer)
• The industry with the highest 26.3% rate of BitPay acceptance is prepaid debit/gift cards. (Statista)
• 67% of millennials (ages 24-35) like cryptocurrency so much that they prefer it over gold as an investment vehicle. (Finder)
• In terms of energy use, Bitcoin mining consumes more than Argentina and slightly less than Norway. (BBC)

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing just keeps on growing and shows no signs of slowing down. Check out the numbers below:

• As of 2021, the global influencer marketing market size is at $13.8 billion, growing 711.76% from $1.7 billion in 2016. (Statista)
• 43% of respondents to a Statista survey in Brazil have bought products because of celebrity or influencer endorsement. China and India followed at 34% and 33% respectively. (Statista)
• As of July 2021, 75% of internet users in the United Arab Emirates follow one or more social media influencers. This is closely followed by Indonesia and India at 73% and 71% respectively. (Statista)
• There are between 3.2 million and 37.8 million influencers worldwide on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. (EarthWeb)
• With 49% of sponsored Instagram posts coming from the United States in 2017, it is the world’s leading country for Instagram influencer marketing. (Statista)
• With 12.71% of TikTok influencers coming from the United States in July 2020, the United States again leads in TikTok influencer marketing. (Statista)
• Charli D’Amelio has the highest follower count at 140.6 million, followed by Khabane Lame at 138.1 million.
• Brands spent $603.9 million on YouTube influencer marketing in 2021, with the top spenders being Honey, Express VPN, and GFuel. (Influencer Marketing Hub)
• India is leading the charge with the biggest YouTube audience size of 467 million as of April 2022. (Statista)
• 111 million subscribers make PewDiePie the top non-corporate YouTube account as of March 2022. (Statista)

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a type of online marketing in which businesses promote and sell products through third-party publishers. Here are the data you need to know:

• Global affiliate marketing spending is forecasted to grow to approximately $13 billion this year and $15.7 billion by 2024. (Influencer Marketing Hub)
• Affiliate marketing spending in the United States is projected to be at $8.2 billion this year, 2022. (Statista)
• £627 million is projected to be spent on affiliate marketing in the United Kingdom this year. (Statista)
• Mobile devices drive more than 50% of affiliate-referred traffic. (SaaS Scout)
• A survey in 2016 by Rakuten found that 80% of advertisers and 84% of publishers had an affiliate program. (Rakuten)
• Amazon Associates dominates the market with a 21.65% in market share. (Influencer Marketing Hub)
• The United States is currently leading in Amazon Associates usage with 12,982 websites, closely followed by Germany with 12,595 websites. (SimilarTech)
• The Amazon Associates website got 2.9 million visits in April 2022, 7.83% less than the 3.1 million in February and March of the same year. (Similarweb)
• 48.61% of Amazon Associates website’s views came from the United States, with India trailing behind at 6.65% and Pakistan at 5.40%. (Similarweb)
• The average affiliate link conversion is anywhere from 1% to 10%. (AffiliateWP)

Digital Marketing Trends in 2022 to Watch Out For

Consumer Data Privacy

Apple’s goal with the iOS 14 security update was to ask iPhone users whether they wanted their data collected or to track their browsing habits to help third-party apps display relevant ads.

This move done by Apple prompted many tech companies and Google to make similar changes when it comes to data privacy.

However, Google did say that its move won’t be disruptive; in essence, it will give existing companies at least two years to adapt to Android software’s forthcoming changes.

What this change means for you is that you will need to aim your efforts at persuading your customers in the form of more personalized experiences on their end.

Create genuine relationships with your customers by providing real value and identifying the optimal channel through which you can offer your product or service.

Zero-click searches

The zero-click search claim has created a slight divide between some webmasters and search industry practitioners.

According to Similarweb and Sparktoro, a zero-click result is a search result that does not generate a click-through to a website.

When people usually search for answers online, Google shows an instantaneous answer in the form of featured snippets, Knowledge Panel, and People also ask features.

While Similarweb and Sparktoro have provided well-thought-out research to support the claim, Google’s David Sullivan published a detailed post that overrule the zero-search clicks claim.

Sullivan said Similarweb’s report did not properly account for how people use Google search and that their report was misleading.

As a search industry practitioner myself, I only want to lay emphasis on building your online presence.

And to build your online presence, you still need a website.

If you want to show up on any of Google’s featured snippets, the Knowledge Panel, and People also ask, you need to optimize your website.

And lastly, your ultimate goal is to provide the most relevant content to your web visitors, and to Google.

Want to optimize your website and make your content relevant to people and to Google? Read: Technical SEO: The Complete Guide for Advanced Users (with Checklist)

Short-form videos

In 2013, Vine rose to popularity as its users were allowed to create entertaining 6-second short-form videos. Not long after, many social networks found short-form video content’s potential to captivate their users, including musical.ly (now TikTok).

Short-form videos have become a crucial part of many social media channels and can be created, posted, and viewed across most platforms by 2016.

Furthermore, short-form videos have played a significant role to gain brand exposure and build customer loyalty.

For brands, posting their recent post on Instagram and Facebook stories can help them reach and engage their customers.

Online gamers are showcasing their expertise in playing specific games by streaming live videos. Streaming live videos attract their audience to buy and play the game.

Even small home-based businesses now do live-selling on different social media and e-comm platforms to interact with their customers.

When considering short-form videos, aim for authenticity. Find and gather data and analytics that will help you create campaigns effectively.

Seamless omnichannel experience

If your business provides consistent and seamless experience to your customers, you’re on the right track. Interacting with your customers across multiple channels has now become the norm.

Customers have now become digital-savvy, so it’s no surprise if they’re looking for seamless shopping experience online. A report done by McKinsey showed that 60 – 70% of consumers are shopping the omnichannel way, with Instagram and Facebook acting as the virtual window shopping platform.

Positive impacts of an integrated omnichannel experience include enhanced customer experiences and higher levels of engagement.

Key Takeaway

I rounded up these digital marketing statistics and trends with the aim of helping out small and medium-sized businesses to either jumpstart or improve their marketing efforts and strategies this 2022.

While this guide required great effort, I enjoyed and learned a lot from it at the same time.

If you have any questions or suggestions on how we can make this guide more all-inclusive, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.