H1 2025 Digital Marketing Stats: What Marketers Need to Know

As the first half of 2025 wraps up, global digital marketing continues to show rapid evolution—especially in social media, AI investment, and video storytelling.

1. Social Media & Influencers 📱

• The social media advertising market is projected to grow 12% in 2025, per WARC.
• A significant 59% of marketers say they plan to work with influencers more this year—up from 2024.
• Notably, 76% of general social media users say a social post influenced their purchase—and for Gen Z, that figure jumps to 90%.

2. The Rise of “Social-First Search”

• 41% of Gen Z now turn to social media for product info before Googling; only 32% use search engines and 11% rely on chat-AI.
• For brands, that means content on Instagram, TikTok, and X must be optimized not just for engagement—but for discoverability.

3. Aggressive AI Investment

• 71% of marketers plan to invest at least $10 million in AI over the next three years (vs. 57% in 2024).
• Around 83% of CMOs say they’re optimistic about AI's role in marketing (an increase from last year).

4. Market Uncertainty & Consumer Behavior

• 51% of U.S. consumers rate their concern about tariffs as an 8/10 or higher, yet 66% say they can afford essentials and 48% can still spend on non-essentials.
• Still, 42% are postponing big purchases (up from 28% in early 2024).
• What this means: Marketing must be tactical—balancing promotion with empathy.

5. CMOs in Strategy Overhaul

• 84% of CMOs report that developing & executing marketing strategies is a major struggle.
• Just 15% plan beyond three years, signalling short planning cycles under pressure.
• Marketing budgets now average 7.7% of revenue, with 30.6% earmarked specifically for paid media.

6. Gen Alpha’s Emerging Power

• Over half of Gen Alpha (ages ~0–13) receive allowances, driving $28 billion in global “kid spend”.
• Their influence is projected to reach $5.5 trillion by 2029.
• And importantly, 90% of millennial parents with Gen Alpha kids accept that ever-present digital content is now part of parenting.

7. CTV & Digital Video Boom

• Digital video ad spend is expected to climb 14%, reaching $72.4 billion in H1.
• Over 58% of ad dollars now go into digital video, with CTV growing by 13%.

Source: Marketing Dive, Warc

What It Means for Marketers & Agencies

1. Influencer investment is non-negotiable: With influencer partnerships continuing to rise, brands must refine selection, alignment, and long-term collaboration strategies.
2. Social search is real: Optimizing content for search within platforms is no longer optional—especially for Gen Z. Think discoverability in captions, hashtags, and audio cues.
3. AI is foundational, not experimental: CMOs are building serious AI stacks. From campaign ideation to analytics, brands need applying AI tools where they can scale impact—and monitor strategy alignment.
4. Economic tone matters: With rising consumer caution and tariff anxiety, brand messaging must reflect empathy—balanced with value propositions.
5. TV isn't dead—it's digital: The shift toward digital video and CTV means recalibrating budgets and formats to meet audiences on streaming platforms.

By translating benchmarks into priorities, brands emerge better aligned with consumer behavior and marketing realities across H1 2025 and beyond.

At Smart 360, we help brands turn data into direction—aligning every marketing move with the numbers that matter.

Need help turning these insights into action? Let’s build your H2 strategy together.