Global ad spend on Facebook and Instagram increased 50% year-over-year, demonstrating more than simply a “pandemic bounce-back” for ad spend, according to new research.
The data, from Emplify, looked at ad spend, organic post performance and influencer trends.
Other key stats include:
• The engagement gap between Facebook and Instagram increased – brand accounts earn 6.4x more interactions on Instagram than Facebook
• Meanwhile, Facebook ad reach dropped 12% globally – despite modest increases in early 2021, growth has slowed down, so it’s vital for marketers to monitor reach fluctuations and adapt their spend accordingly
• Facebook Lives earned 3x the engagement of regular videos, despite accounting for less than 1% of brand posts
• Influencer activity plateaued since March 2021 – potentially signifying the end of the recovery period for influencer marketing spend
• The number of brand posts using #Pride and #PrideMonth more than doubled year-over-year in 2021 as more brands look to speak out on social issues
Emplifi’s data shows global ad spend on Facebook and Instagram increased 50% year-over-year during Q2, while Facebook ad reach dropped 12.4% globally. The report also examines IGTV performance rates, finding that IGTV videos performed nearly as well as photo-based posts and delivered higher engagement rates than standard video posts on Instagram.
“The ongoing increase in social media ad spend is proving to be more than just a pandemic-related ‘bounce-back’ scenario. More and more brands are relying on social media marketing to engage with their audiences meaningfully and at scale,” said Zarnaz Arlia, Chief Marketing Officer, Emplifi. “Social commerce and the formats which support it are also becoming more prevalent as the year goes on. As more brands recognise the value of live streaming and start to leverage more live content to cater to users at different stages of the customer journey.”
Emplifi’s report also includes influencer marketing trends and vital data on organic social media content. For example, the number of posts with the hashtags #Pride and #PrideMonth from brands more than doubled year-over-year in 2021, a clear indicator that brands are boosting their efforts to better connect with audiences through more empathetic messaging.
“As more and more consumers begin to expect a brand’s social media channels to facilitate outstanding customer experiences across many stages of the customer journey, the importance of engagement and interaction data is taking on a greater significance. What we’re seeing is that an engaging and responsive social media presence is no longer just a “nice-to-have” for consumer facing brands, it’s a key point of differentiation,” said Arlia.
Another takeaway: Facebook Live videos earned the highest number of organic post interactions and delivered three-times the engagement rates of standard videos, but account for less than 1% of branded posts. Social media users are engaging far more with live video than traditional content. Ultimately, the report looks at how social media marketing is helping close the customer experience gap.
Download the full report here: Emplifi’s State of Social Media and CX for Q2 2021
Report Methodology
Emplifi’s State of Social Media and CX report looks at trends in Q2 and uses data downloaded at the beginning of July.