The advertising industry is a fast-growing and dynamic field. It requires the people involved to adapt to newly emerging marketing trends all the time.
However, it can be quite a challenge for many business owners to keep up-to-date with the latest tips and tricks. They constantly have to make their brand stand out and attract a wider audience.
Therefore, it’s vital to understand market demands and find the right way to reach your target audience. To make things easier, we’ve gathered some essential statistics for the curious minds. They will help shape your future advertising strategy and improve your brand image.
Compelling Marketing Trends
(Editor’s Choice)
- In 2024, newspaper ad revenue in the UK is expected to decrease to £674 million.
- 69% of marketers invested in SEO in 2021.
- Facebook ads are used by 94% of marketers.
- In 2021, the education industry had the highest email open rate.
- Almost half of all marketers plan to reach customers using content marketing.
- Globally, influencer marketing was expected to be valued at $13.8 billion in 2021.
Traditional Marketing Statistics
Nowadays, there are plenty of ways to advertise your brand. Traditional methods, such as TV and radio ads, direct mail, and printed publications, are becoming less popular but they’re still valued at millions to this day.
1. 18% of UK consumers are strongly unfavourable towards companies or brands who send them direct mail.
(Statista)
Many survey respondents claim they did not agree to receive printed advertisements in the first place and find it rather annoying. Furthermore, future marketing trends reveal that there will be a decline in the direct mail advertising response.
2. Newspaper ad revenue in the UK is expected to decrease to £674 million by 2024.
(PressGazette)
The COVID-19 pandemic has been fruitful for some industries, but not for newspaper and magazine advertising. During lockdowns, people could only go outside to buy essentials, causing a switch to digital newspapers.
Data on marketing demographics show mostly senior citizens read newspapers in printed form, whereas those between 25 and 34 years old prefer a digital copy. The primary readership opted for alternative means of acquiring information during the pandemic.
3. BBC Radio 2 is the most successful radio station in the UK, with 14.4 million weekly listeners.
(Statista)
According to weekly marketing statistics, BBC Radio 2 — a national radio station in the UK operated and owned by the BBC — is the most popular choice in the country as of the first quarter of 2020.
Other BBC Radio stations that topped the list include BBC Radio 4, with 11.1 million weekly listeners, and BBC Radio 1, with 8.9 million weekly listeners. Despite the popularity of podcasts, radio stations remain to be a successful advertising medium in the UK.
4. TV ad expenditure in the UK was expected to grow to £4.11 billion in 2021.
(Statista)
Marketing trends in 2021 showed that even though marketing is an ever-changing industry, television has remained a faithful medium. Commercial TV reaches 73% of UK citizens based on the latest data.
In 2020, the industry’s revenue from advertisement was predicted to reach £4.02 billion, and it is likely to grow to £4.11 billion in 2021.
Digital Marketing Trends
Contrary to traditional marketing, digital marketing is becoming more popular and increasing in value each year. Businesses have realised that they can reach more audiences using digital methods. This includes the use of websites, search engines, social media platforms, email, and mobile apps.
5. 69% of marketers invested in search engine optimisation in 2021.
(HubSpot)
Digital marketing trends in 2021 show that incorporating SEO in your marketing strategy will likely bring more visitors to your website. It can help you determine online consumer behaviour and adapt those behaviours to your page accordingly.
6. 95% of people only look at the first page of their search results.
(OptinMonster)
There’s a high chance that only a few people will see your site should it appear on the second page of the search results. That is why it is crucial to optimise your content and analyse the target market.
To excel in your digital marketing career, it’s important to stay abreast of current digital marketing trends. This includes making sure you include popular keywords or hashtags, writing in a clear and creative tone, and staying in touch with Google statistics to find out what people research.
7. Audience targeting and ad placement are the top ways for advertisers to drive more demand.
(HubSpot)
Before creating a digital marketing strategy, find out what the latest trends in digital marketing are. Furthermore, it is crucial to define your audience — what gender or age group you want to reach.
For example, Pinterest and Instagram would be the best advertising ways if you have a beauty business. There are more women than men on Pinterest, and they use the app for inspiration all the time.
Social Media Marketing Statistics
To up their marketing game, business owners can use social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, to advertise their products and services and reach a bigger audience. These platforms have made it easy to interact with the audience and present products and services creatively.
8. 46% of social media traffic to company websites comes from LinkedIn.
(LinkedIn)
LinkedIn is a social media platform that focuses on professional connections. With 675 million monthly LinkedIn users, having a LinkedIn profile will help you with brand awareness.
Furthermore, marketing data shows that the vast majority of companies — about 94% — use the platform to distribute content.
9. 35% of businesses in the UK use Pinterest as a marketing tool.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Pinterest is an inspiration platform with 460 million users looking for ideas on what to wear, cook, or do in their free time. In 2019, it had 335 million monthly visitors, and by the end of 2020, this number increased to 459 million.
Many business owners in the UK have turned to Pinterest to advertise their brands. In 2021, marketing trends indicate that If your products are oriented towards female consumers, Pinterest is the sure way to go, with 77% of its users being women.
10. Instagram story ads generated 35% of audience impressions and 29% of total business spending on the platform.
(SproutSocial)
Most Instagram users spend their time going through stories than scrolling through their newsfeed. Therefore, many marketers in the UK have focused their advertising on stories instead of regular posts.
As Instagram is all about visuals and aesthetics, near the end of 2020, we’ve also seen an increase in the popularity of Instagram reels.
11. 94% of marketers use Facebook ads.
(Lyfe Marketing)
According to marketing facts, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the top three social platforms for advertising. However, Facebook is still the best option for reaching an older audience.
12. 7 out of 10 Snapchat users prefer to watch a series of short videos rather than one long video.
(Search Engine Journal)
The average Snapchat user opens the apps about 30 times a day. Additionally, 60% of all users make in-app purchases.
According to the latest video marketing statistics, many Snapchat users spend up to 32 minutes a day watching videos on the app, sometimes even while shopping in a physical store. However, 90% of people aged 13 to 24 are Snapchat users, so it stands to reason that they’d prefer shorter videos.
13. 78% of sellers who use social media perform better than their competitors.
(WPForms)
When you know what audience and age group you wish to attract, it will be much easier to decide what marketing option is best for your brand.
It’s important to remember current marketing trends showing that 90% of all businesses prefer to advertise online. Social media platforms offer various options, such as sponsored posts, product or service giveaways, discounts and vouchers, and much more.
Email Marketing Statistics
One of the most practical ways to reach your target audience and promote your brand is through email marketing. It can be hard to stand out among a sea of promotional emails that each consumer gets. However, with the proper tools and an effective campaign, your email marketing efforts might just prove to be fruitful.
14. The average open rate for welcome emails is 82%.
(GetResponse)
Email marketing has been available even before we all had computers in our homes. When you create a website for your brand, you can add a newsletter subscription option.
Most customers open welcome emails to check if they have to verify something, so you can take advantage of that and grab your customers’ attention. Marketing trends show that in 2022, welcome emails are still a powerful and relevant strategy.
15. The education industry had the highest email open rate in 2021.
(Campaign Monitor)
According to data on online correspondence in the UK in 2021, recipients opened 28.5% of the emails sent by organisations in the education industry. This is a great figure, considering that email engagement for UK marketers has decreased throughout the year.
The agriculture, fishing, forestry, and hunting industry comes next, with an email open rate of 27.3%.
Content Marketing Statistics
A crucial part of digital marketing is coming up with high-quality content that raises brand awareness. Whether you decide to use a website or social media platform to market your products and services, good quality content, such as blogs, videos, or carefully curated pamphlets, can help bring visitors to your platform. This ultimately translates to more leads that can potentially convert into paying customers.
16. Almost half of all marketers plan to reach customers using content marketing.
(OptinMonster)
Sadly, almost 65% of businesses haven’t included it in their marketing strategy. Content marketing comprises sharing written, downloadable, and visual media for your audience.
Content will introduce people to your brand, expertise, and the products or services you offer. It is essential to stay up to date with the latest trends to determine which techniques work well for your customers and business.
17. 83% of marketers believe that video marketing can generate more leads.
(Forbes)
84% of the audience was convinced to buy or invest in a product or service after watching a brand’s video. Customers prefer vertical and short videos on popular apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
YouTube is also a great platform for video advertisements since it is the fourth most-used platform for marketers. Over two billion people watch YouTube videos each month.
18. Nearly 83% of marketing blog traffic is from desktops.
(HubSpot)
Although a majority of website traffic comes from mobile devices — 54.8% as of the first quarter of 2021 — marketing blogs get more views from desktops. Professionals in the field should keep this in mind when publishing blogs.
However, they should also consider Google’s shift to mobile-first indexing in March 2021 and how it affects website traffic.
Influencer Marketing Statistics
Many brands use influencers to reach their target audience and raise brand awareness. Statistics show that consumers trust influencers more than traditional celebrities. Influencers are viewed as experts in their niche, and as such, their fans trust their recommendations more.
19. 56% of the brands use the same influencers for different campaigns.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
Experienced marketers know it is not enough to find a person with many followers to create a successful influencer marketing campaign. Instead, you need the right fit for your brand. Influencers need to have interest and experience in your field and many followers to catch on to the trend.
20. Globally, influencer marketing was expected to be valued at $13.8 billion in 2021.
(Influencer Marketing Hub)
45% of the brands worldwide use TikTok for advertising. The platform currently has one billion users. For comparison, Facebook has over 2.8 billion users, but only 43% of global brands choose this platform for marketing.
Wrapping Up UK’s Marketing Trends
Marketers need to be aware that the industry is continuously changing and that audiences value authenticity. To elevate your strategy, regardless of your type of business, it is crucial to be creative and persistent and follow the latest brand marketing trends in 2022.
If you aren’t sure about the best way to advertise, you can get inspiration from similar brands. Find out what’s comfortable for you and where the audience’s interests lie. That way, you will make the most of your investments.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to advertising, the UK has the top-performing marketing industry in Europe. According to a recent Advertising Association Report, the country’s marketing expenditure could grow up to £24 billion in 2021.
With such development, advertising can play a vital role in the UK’s position on a global scale. The marketing industry drives the UK economy by creating competition, new jobs, and funding online platforms and search engines.
We can say with confidence that the marketing industry is steadily growing. The internet provides endless opportunities for marketers, and it is doubtful that there will be a drastic decline in the following decade.
Even though the marketing industry experienced a global decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is safe to say that it has gradually rebounded and is continuously growing.
It is difficult to determine how much marketing is done online because businesses use countless different platforms. Digital marketing has become a vital component of any strong marketing strategy and is, by far, the best advertising option. When you promote your brand online, it has the potential to reach millions of people when done right.
Almost all internet users have a social media account. The number rose to 3.6 billion users in 2020. So it comes as no surprise that roughly 78% of business owners use social media for advertising purposes.
Many US companies with over 100 employees use social media for marketing. The most popular options are TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.
Content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing. What’s more, it generates more than twice as many leads, and the industry will be worth more than $412 billion by the end of 2021.
Content marketing is very popular with customers, and it can save you some money along the way. However, according to statistics, 65% of the brands have not yet included this in their marketing strategy.
At the beginning of 2021, we saw an increased interest in content marketing. Furthermore, interactive content, video marketing and voice search optimisation remain essential elements of successful marketing strategies.
Market and technology evolve and change from day to day. To be on top of their game, business owners need to be up-to-date with marketing trends.
Customers can now enjoy shoppable posts, which many social media platforms have already implemented as part of their platforms. Imagine the simplicity of shopping within the app — no need to be redirected to the company’s website and pushed to create an account.
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