There are two types of people—those who use ads to find new products and the advertisers’ biggest nightmare—the ad blockers type.
But even with an ad blocker, you can’t avoid them. They’re on every social media channel now.
So, how many ads do we see a day?
The number may surprise you.
Fun Ads Facts (Editor’s Choice)
- In the 1970s, we only saw 500 to 1,600 ads per day.
- By 2017, the average American was exposed to between 4,000 and 10,000 ads daily.
- Facebook Advertising alone has a reach of 2.11 billion people.
- Meta made $115 billion from advertising in 2021.
- Around 200 million users visit at least one business page a day on Instagram.
- Over 80% of Instagram users browse products and services.
- People who watch TrueView ads for over 30 seconds are 23 times more likely to subscribe to the advertised brand’s channel.
- YouTube made $28.8 billion in ad revenue in 2021.
How Many Ads Do We See a Day in 2022?
Do you check your social media first thing in the morning?
That means you see a couple of dozen ads before getting out of bed.
Then, commuting to work, you pass by tens to hundreds of street ads and billboards.
If the radio’s on, that’s another bunch of ads. Train stations and public transit vehicles are littered with advertisements, too.
Lost count already?
Let’s crunch those numbers.
1. The average American sees 4,000 to 10,000 ads daily.
(Source: Red Crow Marketing)
Let’s cut to the chase.
How many advertisements is a person exposed to in a day in 2022?
According to marketing experts, the average person sees between 4,000 and 10,000 ads in a single day.
Sounds outrageously high?
Think about it for a second.
Every other post on social media is an ad. If you aren’t using an ad blocker, you’ll see banners and popups on nearly every website.
A walk down a busy street in a big city will leave you exposed to dozens, if not hundreds, of billboards. Not to mention the countless shop windows.
It all adds up quickly.
2. We “notice” less than a hundred ads a day.
(Source: Red Crow Marketing)
If someone asked you, “how many ads do you see a day?” you wouldn’t say 4,000. Chances are you wouldn’t even say 400.
Go ahead, try and remember how many you saw yesterday.
Do you have any recollection of the ones you’ve seen so far today?
You can probably remember just a few.
Why does this happen?
To protect us from information overload, our brains screen out most ads.
We only register under a hundred. And we pay conscious attention to even fewer.
This puts advertisers in a bid for our attention.
3. In the 1970s, we only saw 500 to 1,600 ads every day.
(Source: PPC Protect)
Statistics on advertisements aren’t something new. Marketers have been gathering data to measure the performance of campaigns for decades.
Thanks to their diligence, we know that half a century ago, people only saw between 500 and 1,600 ads daily.
So, what changed?
Well, the advent of the internet ushered in an era of online advertising.
Before, people were exposed to print and TV commercials only. And there’s only so much you can fit in a TV program or a newspaper.
On social media, you see a new ad every second. So, the numbers skyrocketed.
4. 38.8% of Americans use ad-blocking software.
(Source: Statista)
Being constantly bombarded with ads while browsing can get annoying quickly; there’s no denying that.
Consequently, many netizens have taken it upon themselves to stop it.
By 2020, 42.7% of global internet users had ad-blocking software. The percentage was slightly lower for the US alone—38.8%.
And the numbers are increasing every year.
This is a cause of concern among advertisers. After all, they’re dropping billions of dollars on ads, and almost half of the target audience doesn’t even see them.
Fun fact: Ad blockers are most popular in Indonesia, where 56.8% of internet surfers use them.
Social Media Advertising Statistics
82% of Americans are on social media.
Globally, nearly four billion people use at least one platform.
In a bid to attract and retain customers, businesses often maintain a presence on multiple social media channels.
Let’s see some stats about the biggest platforms.
5. Meta made $115 billion from advertising in 2021.
(Source: Statista)
Allegedly, Meta’s daily users are gradually decreasing, shedding a decent chunk of its market cap.
But the ads on Facebook and other platforms the company owns still generate a huge profit. In fact, the company derives 98% of its revenue from ads.
In 2021, Meta reported $114.9 billion in revenue from advertising. This is a tremendous jump over its 2020 earnings of $84.1 billion.
6. Facebook controls 24.5% of the online advertising industry.
(Source: Statista)
Most of the ads you see while browsing are run by Google and Facebook.
As of 2022, Google holds 28% of the market, while Facebook has 24.5%. Combined, they account for more than half of the global advertising revenue.
Meta is quickly bridging the gap. Just a few years ago, in 2016, the numbers were 31.5% to 14.3% in favor of Google.
Amazon is also making strides in the ad industry, rising from 0.8% to 6.5% market share in six years.
Meanwhile, Alibaba and Tencent dominate the Chinese market. Globally, they make up 9.1% and 3% of the ad revenue, respectively.
7. Women see 30% more ads on Facebook than men.
(Source: GradSchools)
On average, we see 36 ads a day on Facebook.
Of course, that depends on how much time you spend on the platform. But there are other factors in play as well.
For instance, women see more ads than men. The average female user sees 43 ads daily compared to just 33 for males.
And this is despite the fact that 56.6% of the platform’s users are men.
Why does Meta do this?
Recent research suggests that women engage with ads more thoroughly than men do. This makes them a better pick, as they’re more likely to buy a product.
8. Around 200 million Instagrammers view at least one business profile a day.
(Source: Locowise)
As we mentioned, Meta made $115 billion from ads, but not just on Facebook.
The company also owns other platforms too.
Instagram alone has 1.47 billion users and 25 million business profiles.
Nearly 200 million people visit at least one business page per day. Moreover, a solid 80% follow one or more brands and companies on the platform.
9. Facebook’s advertising has a potential reach of 2.11 billion people.
(Source: Hootsuite)
Facebook has an active monthly user base of 2.91 billion people. According to Meta, 72.5% of them are targeted by advertising campaigns.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that everyone on the platform will see your ad. The ads we encounter are targeted.
Ideally, they’ll reach the users who are most likely to engage with them.
10. The Google Display Network is linked with more than 35 million websites.
(Source: Google)
Despite Meta’s quick rise, Google still sits on the online advertising throne.
The company runs the so-called “Display Network.” This system places your ads on websites it deems appropriate. That way, they reach the users who are most likely to interact with them.
What makes Google ads so desirable is the big audience. In addition to the 35 million websites and apps, the network works with Google services like Google Search, Gmail, and YouTube.
11. YouTube made $28.8 billion in ad revenue in 2021.
(Source: Statista)
Alphabet (Google’s holding company) makes nearly 82% of its revenue from advertising. By far, the most significant contributor is Google Search.
That said, other services are picking up speed.
YouTube stats from 2021 show that the video platform made $28.8 billion in ad revenue. That marks a 46% increase over 2020 when it generated $19.7 billion.
As of 2021, YouTube accounts for 11.2% of Alphabet’s overall revenue.
12. 83% of Pinterest users have bought an item advertised on the platform.
(Source: Pinterest)
Giants like Google and Facebook are hard to beat in terms of audience.
But smaller platforms are still worth it.
Pinterest ads, for instance, can reach over 400 million people.
The best part?
83% of Pinners have bought items advertised on the platform.
13. The estimated spending on social media ads in 2022 is nearly $177 billion.
(Source: Statista)
Social media and search occupy the first two places by predicted budget.
Of the overall advertising spending of $274 billion, $163.2 billion will go to paid searches.
Online video ads are a distant third, at $70.9 billion.
Ads While Commuting
Putting up physical billboards or street ads is one of the oldest advertising methods that is still used.
Despite the rise of online approaches, the out-of-home (OOH) ad industry is still going strong.
14. There are 350,995 billboards in the US.
(Source: Statista)
In the US, billboards have been around since the 1860s, and they show no sign of slowing down.
In 2021, there were 350,995 billboards throughout the country. Of those, 9,600 were digital.
Interestingly, billboard ads aren’t as big elsewhere.
Europe, for instance, has much more restrictive laws governing the placement of billboards.
Plus, distances are shorter, and people rely on public transportation much more. As such, the market isn’t as lucrative as it is in the US.
Fun fact: 88% of people claim they notice billboards, 19% look at them always, and 31%—most of the time.
15. Over 90% of people pay attention to in-taxi digital advertisements.
(Source: Statista)
Taxi ads come in two forms: on-taxi and in-taxi.
Inside the car, you can see posters, stickers, and even backseat ad screens. Studies show that 41% of taxi riders claim they always pay attention to these ads.
I guess there’s little else to do in a taxi, especially if you aren’t the talkative type.
The latter refers to ads on the roof or side of the car. Taxis can ramp up to 2,000 kilometers weekly, mostly in highly-populated areas or dense commercial zones.
As a result, over 90% of city-dwellers notice them.
Mobile Marketing Statistics
Today, people typically use their desktops when they need to do serious work.
Phones, on the other hand, we use mainly for entertainment.
This gives mobile ads an edge.
16. Mobile accounts for 51% of the total digital ad spending.
(Source: Statista)
In 2022, for the first time in history, mobile overtook desktop ad spending. Not so long ago, in 2018, the same figure stood at 44%.
This is, of course, a perfectly natural development of events. Nearly 60% of web traffic originates from mobile devices nowadays.
Given how many people see mobile ads, it’s surprising spending isn’t even higher. That said, it will surely keep rising over the next decade.
17. People remember mobile ads 10% in more detail.
(Source: Econsultancy)
Generally speaking, people are slightly more likely to remember seeing an ad on desktop than on mobile.
But when asked to describe the ad in detail, mobile users fare far better.
Around 47% of people can successfully recall details about in-app ads they’ve seen on their phones. That falls down to 36% for desktop users.
Furthermore, the former report positive attitudes toward brands advertising on apps. Meanwhile, desktop users find them annoying.
18. Mobile gaming accounts for 52% of the total gaming revenue.
(Source: Econsultancy)
In 2021, PC and console gaming shrank by 0.8% and 6.6%, respectively. In the meantime, the mobile gaming market expanded by 7.3%.
That said, most hardcore gamers don’t like seeing ads while gaming. Mobile gamers, on the other hand, are used to them.
With the rise of the mobile market, this is the perfect opportunity for advertisers.
And the data reflects that.
In 2021 alone, they spent $46.7 billion on ads for mobile games.
Fun fact: The pandemic made older people more open-minded toward video games. In fact, 74% of parents now play together with their children. What’s more, 70% are willing to let their kids play more than before.
Wrap Up
How many ads do we see a day?
Considering the development of the advertising field, the answer probably isn’t that shocking.
The more interesting aspect is how many we actually pay attention to.
So, make your ad impactful.
Otherwise, more than half of them won’t even remember they’ve seen it.
Sources
A wayfarer by heart, Jordan fancies journeying into foreign lands with a camera in hand almost as much as he enjoys roving the online world. He spends his time poking at letters and pixels, trying to transmogrify them into something cool.
