Internet Advertising Stats to Be Aware of in 2023

Updated · Mar 06, 2023

We’ve all noticed how the advertising industry has changed in recent years. And we’re not just talking about magazines, ad prints, and roll-up banners.

The main game changer is, without a doubt, the online sector—all internet advertising stats and trends point to that. internet advertising is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world at the moment, and here’s why you should get in the loop now.

Internet ads are everywhere—we see them when we read an article, watch a video, or search for something online. In 2020, approximately $356 billion were spent on digital advertising, and the numbers will skyrocket. It is estimated that by 2024, this number will reach a whopping $460 billion. That’s B-I-L-L-I-O-N-S of D-O-L-L-A-R-S!

Business owners are rapidly shifting to online advertising because of one simple fact—that’s where all the customers are. Internet advertising statistics show it’s easier, faster, and more efficient to reach thousands of people with an online ad than it is through any other type of traditional media outlet.

So why not take advantage of this, right?

Let’s dive right into HostingTribunal’s ad facts and see what you should look for in 2021 when advertising on the Web.

The Most Stunning Internet Advertising Stats of 2022:

  • $356 billion were spent on internet advertising in 2020 worldwide.
  • In 2020, $121 billion were spent on online ads in the US alone.
  • It was predicted that $460 billion would be spent on digital ads by 2024.
  • Online ad revenue went up by 15.9% in 2019 and it has been growing ever since.
  • Mobile advertising grew by 74% in nine years.
  • Mobile ads make up more than 70% of the total digital advertising sector.
  • Out of the $124.6 billion advertising revenue, $86.7 billion comes from mobile ads.
  • 37.2% of the total US digital ad spending comes from Google.
  • The young audience spends 40% less time watching TV in 2021 than five years ago.
  • Approximately 70% of all marketing decision-makers use some sort of ad & marketing digital platform.

Advertising Statistics for 2022 (Market Worth, Revenue, and Fun Facts)

When it comes to web advertising, most of the time, the sky's the limit. That goes for both businesses trying to promote a product or a service online and platforms that host internet ads.

If you’re still wondering why there’s almost no limit in this sector, check out the ad statistics below. You’ll quickly understand the immensity of this constantly expanding digital industry. 

1. In 2020, just under $356 billion was spent on internet advertising.

(Source: Statista)

To put this into more understandable terms, that’s almost twice the net worth of Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon. That’s a pretty spectacular figure if you ask us.

Given these surprising advertising facts, would you bet your money that online ads will take over the digital space?

2. Nearly $121 billion was spent on online ads in the US in 2020.

(Source: Statista)

The US is the world’s leading economy and the largest consumer of anything from food to electronics, cars, and art.

Taking into account these facts, it comes as no surprise that the US spent $121 billion on internet advertisement. This means that almost 33% of the world’s digital ads were produced in the US.

3. $460 billion is the estimated amount of money that will be spent on digital ads by 2024.

(Source: Statista)

With advertising revenue reaching record-high numbers, it’s safe to say that this industry will only go up. At least for the next couple of years, unless something revolutionary pops up out of nowhere.

According to the latest data, by 2024, the online advertising industry will reach $460 billion in revenue.

To put it into perspective, that’s the combined wealth of the three wealthiest people on the planet. But there’s another question that comes up.

Are internet ads effective?

Digital Ad Revenue in the Upcoming Years

If you look up any marketing statistics available online, you’ll see that the numbers in the advertising industry keep growing.

Online advertising has become the standard—every company invests in it. Let’s see some ad stats showing how lucrative that is.

4. The online ad revenue went up by 15.9% in 2019 and it keeps growing.

(Source: Influencer Marketing Hub)

Anything from cost-per-click to website ad rates was taken into account to come up with these numbers and predictions. All the relevant internet advertising stats were taken into consideration.

The results? The marketing industry study revealed a 15.9% rise in ad revenue in 2019 compared to 2018. Data from the first quarter of 2020 showed that the US ad revenue was a whopping $31.4 billion, which was an all-time record.

But what are the predictions for 2021? How effective is online advertising? How much more will the industry grow in the upcoming years?

5. Mobile advertising grew by 74% from 2010 to 2019.

(Source: Influencer Marketing Hub)

Mobile devices (at least “smart” mobile devices) haven’t been in our life for that long. Yet somehow, they have become an irreplaceable part of our day-to-day life in record time. It’s hard to imagine how your day would go if you didn’t have your smartphone on you.

This is reflected in content marketing statistics. From 2010 to 2019, the mobile ads sector has grown by 73.8% in the US alone. If in 2010 the entire mobile industry was valued at $0.6 billion. Nine years later, it reached $30.1 billion.

During the same time period, the non-mobile sector has grown by just 4.5%. This just proves that the best online advertisers out there know how, who, and most importantly, where to target with ads.

Social Media Ads Statistics Have Skyrocketed

It comes as no surprise that as the usage of mobile devices grew, so did social media advertising.

What do you do when you’re waiting for the bus? How about when you’ve arrived early for a date? You don’t read the newspaper, do you now?

You take your smartphone out of your pocket (if it wasn’t already in your hands) and you go on social media to see what happened while you were “away.”

This is where the social media ads statistics kick in. Just by looking at the Facebook advertising statistics, you can get a better idea of where all that ad revenue is coming from. Let us explain.

6. Mobile ads make up more than 70% of the total digital advertising sector.

(Source: Influencer Marketing Hub)

Today, social media is all around us. It’s only a touch away, and it’s becoming ever so easy and affordable to get a mobile device and create a free account.

That’s why some of the best online advertisements are on social media—it’s where all potential consumers can be found.

Digital marketing statistics show that, since 2016, the mobile sector has become more profitable than the non-mobile one. With $86.7 billion of revenue, mobile amounts to nearly 70% of the total online advertising business.

Let’s elaborate.

7. Mobile ads account for 69.58% of the $124.6 billion advertising revenue.

(Source: Influencer Marketing Hub)

The growth of the mobile ads sector is without precedent. In 2015, it generated only 35% of the total revenue and, in just five years, it managed to surpass the non-mobile sector by a landslide.

Internet advertising statistics show that this gap will grow bigger and bigger in the years to come.

In short, if you want to promote a business using an internet ad, you are more likely to reach your customers with mobile ads than with any other type of promotional materials or methods.

Of course, this varies from case to case. But if you look at the numbers, mobile wins. And it’s not even a close race.

8. 37.2% of the total US digital ad spending belongs to Google.

(Source: eMarketer)

Since the US is the world’s largest market, a great part of the marketing data and advertising industry statistics come from here. Given the large volume of ads and the high revenue the US generates for this specific industry, this is a great way to find the answers to some important questions.

Where are all these ads showing up? What percentage of advertising is on social media?

According to the data provided by eMarketer, Google and Facebook are the industry’s big fish.

In 2019, Google accounted for 37.2% of the total US digital ad spending. Facebook came in second with a 22.1% share of the pie.

So, if you’re ever wondering why you see all those sponsored pages on Facebook, this would be one of the reasons.

9. Young audiences spend 40% less time watching TV in 2021 than they did five years ago.

(Source: AgoraPulse)

TV-viewing numbers have been dropping every year in the past decade. This is largely due to the internet taking over most of people’s daily media consumption.

Traditional vs. internet advertising statistics show television isn’t the only one struggling because of social media.

The time spent reading print magazines has decreased by 56%. Bad news for the future of traditional media. If they can’t find a way to switch to online platforms or to reinvent themselves, their existence will quickly come to a halt. Relevant internet advertising stats show that the gap will continue to widen.

10. Nearly 70% of all marketing decision-makers use some sort of ad & marketing digital platform.

(Source: Hubspot)

But how do they decide what content to use or where to post it? How is statistics used in advertising?

Well, the answer is quite simple. If you know the data, you can control it. If you can control the data, you can create better-targeted ads to reach your consumers faster and at a lower price.

Marketing leaders know this all too well and use these platforms to generate the most sales/views/customers for every dollar spent on online advertising.

When it comes to online trends, there’s almost no telling what the future holds. Some social network pops up out of nowhere and reaches millions of daily users in a matter of weeks.

Random videos become an instant viral sensation and nobody can understand why. But instead of focusing on unicorn ideas, we should consider the data we have and search for the right questions.

How many online ads are we exposed to daily? Where do we see these ads? What products are they promoting?

If you can answer these questions, you’ll easily understand what the internet advertising trends for 2021 are and how they are affecting you.

11. There are 300% more micro-influencers currently employed by brands than in 2016.

(Source: Influencer Marketing Hub)

Internet advertising stats clearly show that one of the growing trends over the past few years is influencer marketing.

Every time you scroll your Instagram feed, you see some perfectly advertised travel destinations by one of your favorite stars. Or a pair of new sneakers a celebrity from your country is wearing.

The list goes on and on. The industry is constantly expanding.

12. Around 85% of all US internet users watch online video content every month.

(Source: Oberlo)

Are you annoyed by the numerous internet ads popping up while you’re watching a video on YouTube? Well, prepare to see a lot more of those in the future.

The increasing interest in video content creates the perfect conditions for online ads. Besides, content creators get paid based on the number of views and clicks an ad on their video gets. So it's a win-win for brands and celebrities.

In all fairness, an internet ad seems like a small price to pay to enjoy YouTube’s free videos.

Wrap-Up

The online advertising industry has taken the world by storm. Just a decade ago, no one could have predicted this exponential rise in popularity and revenue of digital ads.

So, when we analyze trends, we should always expect some unpredictability—you never know what the next big thing may be.

Where was Amazon ten years ago and where is it now? How about Bitcoin? You might have heard of that thing called cryptocurrency. Was that even a word back then?

So, you see, fantastic ideas can bloom out of nowhere. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t focus on what works today. Digital ads work and keeping up with the most recent internet advertising stats ensures you will always be up to date. Until the next big thing comes.

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Branko Krstic
Branko Krstic

Branko is a round-the-clock tech geek and loving it. His ideal vacation destination is the Akihabara District (or really any place he can take his computer). If there’s a server out there, count on him to find out what it’s made of… and tell you all about it.