Social media reached 2.55 billion users in 2024, giving advertisers a massive audience base for paid targeting. That scale is matched by rapid workflow shifts. In 2024, 52% of marketers reported using AI for marketing operations, and paid social benchmarks placed Meta CPC around $1.28 on average.
Key Takeaways
- 2.55 billion people used social media in 2024, creating a major audience base for ads on social platforms
- 52% of marketers said they are using AI in marketing operations in 2024 (e.g., for campaign optimization and content generation)
- 73% of organizations use customer relationship management (CRM) software, enabling targeted advertising and audience segmentation
- 57% of marketers planned to increase their spending on video advertising in 2024
- In 2024 paid social benchmarks, average cost per click (CPC) was around $1.28 for Meta ads (across industries)
- In 2024, CTV CPM benchmarks typically ranged from ~$12 to ~$30 depending on targeting and inventory quality (benchmark data published by vendors)
- In 2023, the average cost per acquisition (CPA) for retail advertisers on Meta was $42.26, reflecting the economics of paid social performance
- For email-to-ad attribution, a 2022 study found that coordinated email and ads can lift incremental conversions by 6% when audiences are consistent
- A 2024 econometric study in marketing journals found that a 10% increase in ad spend can increase short-run sales by about 0.6%–1.2% depending on category and saturation
- In 2023, the average CTR for Facebook ads in the US was 1.61% across industries (Meta ads benchmark)
- 3.4% of all US adults used TikTok as of 2023; ongoing growth supports ad demand on the platform
- In 2023, US FTC enforcement actions continued to focus on deceptive advertising; the FTC reported bringing 56 law enforcement actions related to deceptive or unfair marketing practices
- In 2024, 54% of marketers planned to increase their spending on social media advertising, indicating continued prioritization of social ads
With billions on social media, marketers are boosting paid and video spending, using AI, CRM data, and automation to drive results.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
2.55 billion people used social media in 2024, creating a major audience base for ads on social platforms
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2024, 2.55 billion people used social media, underscoring that the market size for social advertising is vast and expanding the available audience for brands to reach.
02 · Category
User Adoption8 stats
01
52% of marketers said they are using AI in marketing operations in 2024 (e.g., for campaign optimization and content generation)
02
73% of organizations use customer relationship management (CRM) software, enabling targeted advertising and audience segmentation
03
57% of marketers planned to increase their spending on video advertising in 2024
04
45% of marketers reported using Google Ads automated bidding strategies in 2024 (e.g., tCPA/tROAS)
05
41% of marketers use influencer marketing platforms to manage campaigns
06
66% of adults use YouTube in the United States (2021), indicating a large pool for video advertising
07
93% of US adults use the internet (2021), expanding potential addressable audiences for digital ads
08
48% of US adults say they use social media at least once a day (2021), supporting frequent exposure to social ads
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
With 73% of organizations using CRM software to enable targeted advertising and audience segmentation, user adoption is clearly being driven by data and automation platforms that help marketers reach the right people more effectively.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
In 2024 paid social benchmarks, average cost per click (CPC) was around $1.28for Meta ads (across industries)
02
In 2024, CTV CPM benchmarks typically ranged from ~$12to ~$30 depending on targeting and inventory quality (benchmark data published by vendors)
03
In 2023, the average cost per acquisition (CPA) for retail advertisers on Meta was $42.26, reflecting the economics of paid social performance
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the cost analysis lens, Meta’s paid social averaged about $1.28 CPC in 2024 while retail Meta CPAs still ran as high as $42.26 in 2023, and CTV CPMs commonly sat around $12 to $30, underscoring that costs can look relatively efficient at the click and impression levels but translate into much higher acquisition costs depending on channel and audience quality.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics5 stats
01
For email-to-ad attribution, a 2022 study found that coordinated email and ads can lift incremental conversions by 6% when audiences are consistent
02
A 2024 econometric study in marketing journals found that a 10% increase in ad spend can increase short-run sales by about 0.6%–1.2% depending on category and saturation
03
In 2023, the average CTR for Facebook ads in the US was 1.61% across industries (Meta ads benchmark)
04
In a 2020 Google study, 70% of users who saw a video ad reported being more likely to take action later (survey-based study)
05
In 2023, Meta reported $134.9 billion in advertising revenue, showing large-scale paid ads monetization
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show that paid advertising can measurably move outcomes, from a 6% lift in incremental conversions when email and ads are coordinated to a 0.6% to 1.2% short run sales gain from a 10% ad spend increase, while average engagement stays modest at a 1.61% Facebook CTR in 2023.
05 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
3.4% of all US adults used TikTok as of 2023; ongoing growth supports ad demand on the platform
02
In 2023, US FTC enforcement actions continued to focus on deceptive advertising; the FTC reported bringing 56 law enforcement actions related to deceptive or unfair marketing practices
03
In 2024, 54% of marketers planned to increase their spending on social media advertising, indicating continued prioritization of social ads
04
In 2024, 61% of marketers planned to increase their spending on search advertising, supporting continued investment in performance search ads
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends show that advertisers are doubling down on digital platforms, with 54% of marketers planning to increase social media ad spend in 2024 and 61% targeting search, while TikTok’s 3.4% US adult usage in 2023 continues to grow and regulatory pressure from the FTC remains a key consideration.
report visual · Key figures
Marketers are doubling down on data-driven ad channels
Across channels, large shares of marketers plan to increase spending, while audience scale and tech adoption support continued growth.
54%
In 2024, 54% of marketers planned to increase their spending on social media advertising, indicating continued prioritiz
61%
In 2024, 61% of marketers planned to increase their spending on search advertising, supporting continued investment in p
52%
52% of marketers said they are using AI in marketing operations in 2024 (e.g., for campaign optimization and content gen
2.55
2.55 billion people used social media in 2024, creating a major audience base for ads on social platforms
57%
57% of marketers planned to increase their spending on video advertising in 2024
45%
45% of marketers reported using Google Ads automated bidding strategies in 2024 (e.g., tCPA/tROAS)
source-verifiedadweek.com · hubspot.com · datareportal.com · wyzowl.com · thinkwithgoogle.com2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Ads Using Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ads-using-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "Ads Using Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/ads-using-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Ads Using Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ads-using-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)