22 awesome digital marketing stats for marketing managers

In an ever changing marketplace how do you stay ahead of the trends and the technology to ensure your message cuts through? It’s not enough to simply guess at what works. You need a digital strategy that’s based on proven facts and figures. A strategy that reflects when and how consumers and businesses are using the Internet and social media, and what they’re looking for from the businesses they follow. Every year, the nature of Internet use changes, so as a marketing manager, it’s crucial to keep up-to-date. Tony Eades of BrandManager has out together 22 stats that will help marketing managers spend their budgets in all the right places.

The big picture

1. There are approximately 7.2 billion humans on Earth. 3.6 billion access the Internet and 2.08 billion use social media accounts.

2. The average American spends more time on digital media than he/she does on all other types of media combined, according to Jim Lecinski, Vice-President of Google's US Sales and Service department. Per day, the average person hangs out online for five hours and 38 minutes, watches TV for four hours and 15 minutes, reads newspapers for 11 minutes and reads magazines for 10 minutes

3. Worldwide, the average internet user has five devices at his/her disposal and uses 2.23 at once. This is where marketing automation can come in handy - it can save work for companies optimising their digital strategy for various devices.

Social media use

4. 90% of people aged 18-29 use social media, in contrast with 35% of people aged over 65.

5. If you're looking to improve your inbound marketing, Facebook is where it's at. It's the most popular social media network in the world. Globally, as of April 2016, there were 1.59 billion Facebook accounts. What's App came in second at 1 billion.

6. The most common times to check social media are just after waking up and just before going to sleep. In 2015, more than 40% of Australians backed up this stat. No wonder we're all so sleep-deprived!

7. In 2015, 45% of Australian social media users wanting rewards from the businesses they follow were looking for discounts. Meanwhile, 35% were after giveaways and 30% hoped for coupons. Running promo campaigns like these can be a crucial element in successful inbound marketing.

8. As of December 2014, 40% of Americans said social media influenced their purchasing and eating choices, as well as their consumption of films and TV shows.

Email as part of a digital strategy

9. 40.5% of people with email subscriptions want to get messages just once a month or less. Of those who unsubscribe, 34.8% do so because they receive messages too often, while 20.8% say it’s because email content is irrelevant or not useful.

10. Meanwhile, 42% of people who subscribe to marketing emails are hoping for discounts and 19.8% want to hear about new products.

Ads and inbound marketing

11. Ad blockers are on the rise - between 2014 and 2015, use jumped by 48% in the US, by 82% in the UK and by 41% worldwide.

12. According to Hubspot, just 0.06% of display ads inspire click throughs. This stat takes into account all platforms and placements.

13. 54% of internet surfers don't trust banner ads and, therefore, don't click on them. So, rethink them when figuring out your next digital strategy.

14. Native ads receive 53% more attention than banner ads

15. 32% of internet users are happy to share a native ad with family and friends

16. Retargeting works: 70% of people who are retargeted through display ads will convert when they return to the relevant business's website

Searches and purchases

17. 80% of people with a smartphone turn to their device one or more times per day looking for info, advice or ideas.

18. 85% of technical professionals use search engines while researching with the intention of making a purchase.

19. 50% of smartphone users have conducted an internet search leading to the discovery and purchasing of products from new brands.

20. 61% of smartphone users say that, when a company tailors information to make it specific to their location, they're more likely to make a purchase.

21. 40% of consumers will leave a shopping or travel site if they have to wait more than three seconds for a page to load.

22. It's a matter of trust: 52% of B2B purchasers believe that trust is the most important factor in creating - and maintaining - a strong relationship with vendors. In addition, 45% of consumers like to feel as though they have a personal relationship with a brand, 45% value responsiveness and 81% expect that sellers will engage with them - even after a purchase is done and dusted.

So with all these stats now at your finger tips, you can make sure that your digital strategy is hitting the right spot. Stop sending marketing emails a couple of times a week - cut back on frequency, whilst improving content. If your social media posts are failing to attract attention or interaction they're probably too "salesy" – instead offer advice and build trust with your followers. Is your web content 100% optimised for a range of devices? Ask yourself these and other questions as you design and develop your next digital marketing strategy. Think of marketing today as communicating with an audience of one, rather than merely advertising to the masses.