What’s In This Post on YouTube User Stats?

Lots. We gathered a ton of stats on how each generation – Generation Z, Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers – uses YouTube. We included info on the number of YouTube users who are from each generation and checked out surveys released by Google to identify those differences and even the small nuances in how older people use YouTube compared to younger users. Plus, you can find a nice roundup of general stats on YouTube usage, penetration, and trends.

Pretty compelling stuff.

Oh, and if you’re looking for more general information about the platform, click over to this post on YouTube statistics!

YouTube Audience Demographics

There are between 2.49 billion and 2.7 billion users on YouTube, making it the second most-used social media app in the world. YouTube is probably the most commonly used social media app across demographics. There’s very little variance from age group to age group in the percentage of them who are on the platform.

According to Statista:

• 94% of US internet users 13-14 years old say they’ve watched YouTube (this is a Pew Research stat)
• 77% of US internet users 15 to 35 years old watch YouTube
• 73% of 36 to 45-year-olds watch YouTube
• 70% of 46 to 55-year-olds watch YouTube
• 67% of those 56 and older watch YouTube, and
• 80% of parents say their children under 11 watch YouTube

These numbers (the ones up here ) show a consistency in use between generations. By contrast, the preferred platform may change depending on the age and gender of the users. For instance…

• Men between the ages of 25 and 44 prefer Facebook (Digital 2023 Global Overview Report – Slide 185)
• Women of the same age lean more toward Instagram (for 25 to 34-year-old women) and WhatsApp (for women 35 to 44 years old).
• Teens 13-14 years old lean more toward YouTube followed by TikTok and Snapchat.
• Teens 15-17 years old lean more toward YouTube followed by Instagram and TikTok.

Point is: most people who are online are also on YouTube, so you can rest assured the consumer you’re targeting is on the platform.

YouTube Usage Habits for the Over 60 Consumer

67% of Baby Boomers, ages 60 – 77, watch YouTube.

Many marketers seem sort of bent on getting Gen Z eyes on their products, but brands can reap huge rewards by targeting the mega-spending generation known as Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers should be a BIG DEAL to brands and marketers. According to Think with Google, they spend at least six hours a day online and own an average of five devices.

Be honest. Internet users over the age of 60 are probably the folks you expect would spend the LEAST amount of time watching YouTube videos. But in reality, the cool kids who make up the 55-and-up crowd account for 17.8 percent of YouTube viewers – that’s like 445 million folks.

HOW THIS COHORT CONSUMES YOUTUBE CONTENT

With an estimated 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring every day, you would think this generation had oodles of time on their hands. But, according to a survey run by Google of YouTube statistics, one of the big reasons more seasoned consumers love YouTube is because it helps them save time.

YouTube is a GREAT resource for getting a better understanding of a product. It’s sort of a mid-funnel buying guide they can easily use without having to go to a store, spend hours on with tech support, or call in a younger (know-it-all) relative. According to HubSpot, 26 percent of these sophisticated shoppers say they discover new products most often on YouTube.

That said… mature consumers are far more likely to respond positively to data-driven product reviews (think “here is the product, here are the specs”) than opinion-based product reviews of another YouTuber’s experience with a brand or product (such as “My boyfriend has one of these and it works really great! Blah! Blah! Blah!).

Video content serves as a vehicle by which elder consumers can learn new skills – something a lot of Boomers are really into post- empty nest. So, whether they want to learn how to play guitar, pick up a new language, or even become a social media influencer themselves, they’re turning to video to learn how to do it.

WHY BABY BOOMERS HEAD TO YOUTUBE :

• How-to videos for learning new skills
• Entertainment roundups to keep up-to-date
• Online tutorials that can save them time
• Getting up on new music
• Product demonstrations and walk-throughs (not necessarily reviews)

YouTube Usage Habits for Gen X Consumers Ages 45-59.

7 in 10 Generation Xers watch YouTube.

Born into a world that drastically changed around them as they grew up, Gen X is probably the most adaptable generation. When the older Gen Xers were the youngest people in the world, having a TV in the home was juuuuust becoming the norm.

Now, programmed TV is becoming obsolete as people spend more of their time consuming content online rather than watching live TV (and TV manufacturers were smart to make televisions essentially 50-inch monitors for watching ESPN+ and YouTube – that definitely kept electronics companies in the game).

HOW GEN XERS CONSUME YOUTUBE CONTENT

Gen Xers spend A LOT of time watching video, and especially old school content – stuff from their teen and adolescent years. In fact, 75 percent of Gen Xers use YouTube to get access to nostalgic videos.

While this generation is all about the nostalgia effect, they’re still spending more time watching video content on their computers and smartphones than they are on traditional TV. Gen Xers account for over 1.5 billion views on YouTube every day, so the incentive to engage with them is definitely there.

Gen Xers aren’t just spending time on YouTube though. While it is an important platform, Gen Xers share content – especially video – more readily to Facebook than any other site. I know. I know – doesn’t fall into the category of YouTube statistics. But…

Their propensity to want to share to Facebook is mirrored on YouTube and Instagram, showing that to reach this generation (well, any generation really), you’ll need to develop a multichannel approach.

WHY GEN XERS HEAD TO YOUTUBE :

• Nostalgia-driven video to take them back to their childhood
• DIY videos they can follow along
• Current news and trending events

YouTube Usage Habits for Millennial Consumers Ages 28 to 44

3 in 4 Millennials watch YouTube.

Millennials – YouTubers who in 2024 will range in age from their late 20s to their early 40s – make up one-third of YouTube’s audience. YouTube reaches more 18 to 34-year-olds than any of the TV networks, and that’s just on mobile devices; we’re not including browser views.

Despite Instagram and Facebook essentially becoming video platforms over the past few years, YouTube is still the video platform of choice for most Millennials. And as YouTube’s been leaning into building out more social features since the pandemic, the platform is largely seen as a social network; it’s become a place where people can connect with one another through video since you can now follow your favorite commenters, it’s a hub for synchronized activities, and it’s the perfect spot for community-focused activites. Much of that synchronicity and community is driven by the 18 to 40 crowd.

HOW MILLENNIALS CONSUME YOUTUBE CONTENT

Millennials are avid YouTubers. Fifty-four percent of Millennials check YouTube every single day. While about 1 in 10 Millennials use ad blockers, and more than half only watch YouTube ads to the Skip Ad point, 29 percent of Millennials actually watch YouTube ads all the way through. And don’t forget our earlier stat about the 90 percent of people using YouTube for product discovery.

Sponsored Content and Creators: Contrary to popular beliefs about how Millennials relate to brands, many Millennials (especially Millennial women and moms) want and expect to see sponsored content (we talked about that a bit in the What Makes Them Buy post), AS LONG AS it’s the right ad targeting the right person on the right platform at the right time. And many Millennials are actually kinda sweet on well-targeted video ads.

Entertainment: Thirty-seven percent of Millennials admit to binge-watching a block of something every day, and upwards of 65 percent of Millennials binge-watch at least once a week. So, it’s good news to marketers that 62 percent of Millennials actually take action after seeing an ad.

Social Commerce: According to Klarna, 49 percent of Millennial YouTubers have used the platform to purchase a product.

MILLENNIALS ARE AVID CONTENT CREATORS AS WELL

I was trying to scratch an itch – and that itch was just my suspicion that Millennials are probably the most active content creators on YouTube. I didn’t find any specific data to support me. But I did find a few breadcrumbs that will push me to keep searching.

There are roughly 303 million content creators in the world and the average age of a content creator is 40 years old. Millennials represent 42 percent of creators globally. And roughly one in four of those creators say they create video content. That’s according to a report published by Adobe called “Creators in the Creator Economy.” In fact, the 2023 YouTube Culture and Trends Report, says that 40 percent of 18 to 44-year-olds identify as video creators.

WHY MILLENNIALS HEAD TO YOUTUBE :

• News and human interest stories to keep up to date
• Unboxing and product review videos to influence their spending
• Quick and fun entertainment content
• Fan content

YouTube Usage Habits for Gen Z Consumers Ages 12 to 27

77% of Gen Zers, ages 12 to 27, watch YouTube.

Enter Gen Z, the largest and most diverse generation in history. These social media natives are growing up in a world of selfies, influencers, and hashtags. They know how to navigate the online world better than anyone else, and their video consumption habits reflect this. Growing up, YouTube had more influence over this generation than big names like Oreo, McDonald’s, and even Lego.

YouTube is their most used platform, closely followed by Instagram or TikTok, depending on their age – all three video-first platforms. So, it’s safe to say that if you’re targeting Gen Z, you need to be targeting them through video. On YouTube.

HOW GEN ZERS CONSUME YOUTUBE CONTENT

Fifty-nine percent of Gen Z video consumption is through social media, where they spend twice as much time as they do on streaming services, and five times as much as on traditional media. What are they watching, though?

Entertainment – While YouTube isn’t the top music streaming platform (Spotify holds this spot), it’s a key channel for new music discovery. If your mind went to TikTok, you’re onto something! TikTok is a key player when it comes to introducing new music to the masses, but YouTube has TikTok beat with the under-25 crowd: 26 percent of this group rely on TikTok for new music discovery while 40 percent name YouTube as their go-to.

When it comes to streaming – listening to your favorite music – Spotify and Apple Music are the top music streaming services, with 60 percent and 26 percent (respectively) of teens using those platforms as their go-to.

Setting the Mood – One of the HUGE shifts that came out of the pandemic was repurposing YouTube as the app you can use to find the content that brings you joy. It’s not a typical social feed driven by what’s trending, but YouTube gives its users the chance to heavily curate the kind of content they watch.

• 83 percent of Gen Z YouTubers have used YouTube to watch soothing content that helps them relax and cope.
• 90 percent say they have watched a video that helped them feel like they were in a different place.
• 53 percent of Gen Zers say like online horror content

Content Creators: This is a pretty big one – six in 10 Gen Z YouTubers say they tune into YouTube to keep up with content from their favorite YouTube creators. And we’re not always talking about your typical social media influencers. We’re talking about a pretty wide range of content creators.

• 60 percent of YouTubers say they’re open to watching content from creators who use AI to generate their content.
• 52 percent are already watching content created by virtual YouTubers
• 47 percent of Gen Zers have watched videos made by fans of a topic or person

The data is pointing to younger YouTubers creating more immersive and all-encompassing experiences for themselves on the platform, heading to YouTube for the freedom to create and to find just about anything, and find it in a variety of different content formats.

WHY GEN Z HEADS TO YOUTUBE:

• For the sheer joy and ease of it
• Humor – They love videos that make them laugh
• Following content creators
• Setting the mood
• New music discovery
• Vibing with their community (often through fandom)
• Short and snappy content to compete with their busy lives and busy minds
• Unboxing and product reviews to keep on top of trends

That’s It for Our Roundup of YouTube User Statistics!

When you’re talking about online video, you should always begin with the powerhouse – YouTube. YouTube is packed with features that can really help you elevate your video marketing. YouTube has blazed a trail that other platforms have tried to follow, but it remains distinguished for its powerful recommendation engine and serves as a go-to platform for community, entertainment, product discovery, vibing out, and digging into moments.

If you happen to be considering YouTube influencer marketing to amplify your strategy this year, reach out! We’re a BOSS YouTube influencer marketing agency.

The post 2024 YouTube Audience Demographics: User Habits by Generation appeared first on The Shelf Full-Service Influencer Marketing.

Since then, other significant changes have happened on and around YouTube. Communities are thriving on the platform. Short-form video’s become a thing. Super long-form video? Also a thing. So, we’ve been keeping an eye on YouTube because it’s constantly changing, and marketers have to make a conscientious effort now to stay up to date with what’s happening on the platform. So, we’ve got YouTube statistics for you.

In this post, we’ve cataloged a list of YouTube stats that will help you understand all the basics about everybody’s favorite platform — how many folks are on the platform, who’s on it, how long they’re spending on the app, and what they’re doing while they’re there. We cover that, and a lot more in this post of the 2024 YouTube statistics, demographics, and usage data. Woot! Woot!!

Essential YouTube Statistics for 2024 Marketing Pushes

#1 YouTube has about 2.5 billion monthly users.

YouTube is the OG of video content platforms. Launched back in 2005 (on Valentine’s Day), YouTube now has over 2.49 billion unique users every month. I’ve actually seen this number as high as 2.7 billion on a trusted site recommended by Google.

Whether you’re leaning more toward 2.49 or 2.7, YouTube is the second most popular social media platform after Facebook. To put that in perspective, there are 5.3 billion people on the internet, and 47 percent of them are using YouTube. That is A LOT of people.

#2 Roughly 90% of YouTubers are outside the U.S.

Only about 10 percent of YouTube users are in the United States. Still, US-based users represent the second largest audience, after India, where 18.5 percent of YouTubers (462 million people) reside. The platform’s available in 100 countries and in 80 languages.

#3 YouTube is the 2nd most-visited website in existence.

Right? No surprise there. YouTube is the second most visited website in existence after Google AND the second largest search engine in the world… also after Google.

#4 A billion hours of UGC and branded content are watched on the platform daily.

And that’s not even hyperbole! The range of content across YouTube is phenomenal, namely because it’s all user-generated content. Over a billion hours of video are watched every day on the platform, and you can find videos on a crazy range of topics from…

…. Learning how to boil an egg so it’s easy to peel

…. To getting a behind-the-scenes look at a movie  you don’t want to admit you firggin’ love (Shut-up! You’re crying!).

… Or listening to the munching sounds of a guy who’s gotten kinda famous for eating on camera

… Me watching my kids watch other kids play games with their parents

… Or kids watching grownups play with dolls.

#5 YouTube reaches more young adults than all the TV networks combined.

On mobile alone a good look at YouTube statistics reveals that the platform reaches more viewers between the ages of 18 and 34 years old than any of the TV networks. In part, because…

#6 About 1 in every 15 YouTubers is watching the channel on a TV.

That’s right. On their big screens. Though 3 in 4 YouTubers access the app from their mobile devices (even when they’re at home), YouTube has 150 million connected TV (CTV) viewers in the U.S.

#7 Most Americans ages 5 and up watch videos on YouTube.

Seriously, if I’m not on there goofing off or using The Huberman Lab as the soothing white noise that blankets my day, my 1st grader is watching The Fun Squad and my 3rd grader is obsessing over episodes of Mr. Beast. And we’re the norm.

In truth, YouTube usage stats confirm that YouTube is unanimously the MOST popular social media app when you take all the age groups into account. The top preferred or top used app changes from demographic to demographic. For instance, young adult men between the ages of 25 and 44 prefer Facebook, while women of the same age lean more toward Instagram (for 25 to 34-year-old women) and WhatsApp (for women 35 to 44 years old). But YouTube is the one app that all generations use just about daily.

According to Statista:

• 77% of US internet users 15 to 35 years old watch YouTube
• 73% of 36 to 45-year-olds watch YouTube
• 70% of 46 to 55-year-olds watch YouTube
• 67% of those 56 and older watch YouTube, and
• 80% of parents say their children under 11 watch YouTube

So, your audience is probably on the platform.

.

YouTube Trends: Video Content Consumption

#8 40% of adults describe themselves as video content creators.

This is one of my favorite YouTube trends because it signals an important shift in both who is creating video and how video is being created. Similarly, four in ten YouTube users between the ages of 18 and 44 would consider themselves content creators. That’s not insignificant! The Future of Creativity: Creators in the Creator Economy, a study published by Adobe, reports that there are roughly 303 million people in the world who identify as content creators — 165 million of whom joined the creator economy since 2020.

#9 More than 500 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube every single minute.

According to the 2023 YouTube Trends Report, 82 percent of people online (18 to 44 years old) say they’ve posted video content to one of the major video platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Stories, Snapchat). What this means is that content creation is becoming the norm, not just limited to a select few content creators who do it for a living.

Technology, cool YouTube features, creative filters, and generative AI are really pushing content creation to the next level, and in so doing, making video creation a more easily accessible and widely used form of expression.

#10 87% of adults are watching at least 4 content formats on YouTube.

Shorts, long-form video, podcasts, livestreams — most adults are grabbing content from YouTube in whatever way they see fit. And that’s a good thing. And with 18 to 24 year-olds, they’ve come to expect it with 67 percent of Gen Zers saying they like when their favorite creators create content in multiple formats.

#11 YouTube Shorts are now racking in more than 70 billion views every day.

YouTube’s short-form video app first rolled out in India after the Indian government banned TikTok back in 2020. Shorts arrived in the US a few months later in the spring of 2021, and has since grown exponentially. From 2022 to the end of 2023, daily views on the app grew from 1.5 billion to 70 billion views a day. And the best part — no one’s had to complain about their YouTube feed being inundated with Shorts — YouTube just kinda went with the flow and users got a chance to discover Shorts on their own. Very cool.

#12 People watch more YouTube on their TVs than they watch Netflix.

People are watching YouTube on their TVs 80 percent more than pre-covid numbers. Over 94 percent of consumers who stream services to their TVs watch YouTube, compared to 75 percent of those who stream Netflix.

And we’re spending more than 40 minutes each session watching content on our mobile devices, too. The platform is steadily spreading throughout our lives to become one of our main sources of video content. When it comes to YouTube statistics, this is an impressive one. In fact…

#13 The data says YouTube is currently outperforming Netflix, Disney Plus, and Prime Video.

Yeah. YouTube has more users than each of those streaming services, and YouTubers spend more time watching video content on the platform than they do watching video on Netflix, Disney Plus, or Prime Video. In my Elon voice, “Hey, Bob!”

Surely, I’m not the only one who has fallen into a recommendation-video-fueled rabbit hole and lost (or invested depending on how you look at it) HOURS to a random, yet interesting, parade of YouTube videos. People are watching more than one billion hours of YouTube videos every day. That’s more than Netflix and Facebook combined

#14 Nearly a quarter of the time people are watching video is now spent viewing live content.

Live streams have become an integral part of the digital environment allowing people to leverage different content formats across platforms to meet different content needs. Live video became a huge deal during the pandemic, and it’s still a staple personally and professionally:

• 42% of people in the US say they’ve watched a live stream
• 40% of marketing execs say they expect to attend work-related conferences and events that are completely virtual
• 52% of live video viewers stream live content via social media networks
• 39% of YouTubers regularly watch live streams

#15 79% of people say they achieve deeper connections when they watch YouTube TV. 

YouTube lends itself well to community building. A few years ago, the idea of virtual presence became a thing — just knowing other people are participating in the same activity. This is true even if the only way of knowing others are participating is by the view counter and the stream of comments on the right side of the screen. It’s sufficient enough to make people feel closer and more connected to one another.

Case in point…

When I grabbed this video embed , 38K people were tuned in to the live stream. At 1:33 PM on a random Wednesday.

YouTube’s Trends Report talks a bit about this: the community that vibed around Lofi Girl’s lofi hiphop channel helped pave the way for a Lofi Girl synthwave channel to be introduced to much anticipation by leveraging YouTube’s Community tab.

The creators of Lofi Girl have built a virtual community around the age-old idea of a study group. And that community engages on YouTube and Discord.

#16 Watching YouTube is considered time well spent.

76 percent of YouTubers agree the platform’s the best place to get a variety of opinions on a topic. It gives users the chance to conduct simple searches to find the content they want to watch, and provides a pretty good catalog of thoughtful perspectives and in-depth commentary. That’s according to data published by Think With Google.

Nearly 7 in 10 YouTubers (69 percent) have gone on a deep dive into a movie, music, or fan theory on YouTube. And believe it or not, 54 percent of those surveyed say they would rather watch YouTube creators break down a major event rather than watch the event itself.

I happen to be an MCU buff, but I never read comic books growing up. So, every superhero movie I watch is just a big surprise to me. “Holy crap! Is Howard Tony’s dad?” Actual quote. I’ve found that an important part of my experience connecting with the massive community of Marvel fans — many of whom watch all the things and read all the comics — is watching Easter egg videos on YouTube to help me understand what the heck I just watched, and to infuse the appropriate amount of excitement and anticipation into my experience ahead of Marvel’s new movies and shows. Most of my Marvel knowledge (and I have A LOT of it) I actually gleaned from watching content created by other MCU fans on YouTube.

Super important. Channels like New Rockstars help me decode the significance of events that transpire in the MCU and imbue me with all kinds of geek knowledge about the mythos and ethos of superhero fandom. It’s my version of filling my wine tumbler with fermented goodness.

Coincidentally, superhero movie fans — we’re the most likely fan group to watch livestreams on YouTube.

#17 Young adults lean into YouTube to help them achieve or enjoy different moods.

YouTubers — especially younger users — leverage the platform to help them find the right content for whatever mood they’re in.

• 83% of young YouTubers have used the platform to watch soothing content that helps them relax and cope
• 90% say they have watched a video that helped them feel like they were in a different place
• 53% say they like watching online horror content

YouTube Statistics: It’s Effectiveness As a Marketing Channel

#18 70% of the content people watch on YouTube are recommendations from YouTube.

YouTube’s algorithm is STELLAR when it comes to matching user behavior with the types of content they are most likely to find interesting. The beauty of this is it nicely positions brands to be found by their audience when these brands invest in YouTube influencer marketing. Just sayin’.

#19 YouTube is a MAJOR product discovery source for users.

It’s not going to be super shocking to learn that 90 percent of YouTubers say they discover new brands or products when they watch YouTube videos.

Case in point: I started seeing Baerskin Hoodie ads a few months ago. Yeah… no, none of these people are African American moms like me… but then I watch A LOT of content about sci-fi and action movies, off-grid living, and surviving the Northern Territories. So, I get why I’m seeing the ads. To the algorithm, I’m sure my watch habits overlap the watch habits of someone who would be into this product. And the targeting was spot-on. I’m ordering these for myself and my daughters. And I recently found out my dad – who hunts, fishes, and works outdoors – owns Baerskin hoodies.

#20 70% of people say they bought a brand after seeing it on YouTube.

Now, compare that to the 40 percent of users who said they had purchased something after seeing it on YouTube just a few years ago. That’s a pretty big jump.

#21 Video ads get 3X the eyes of regular TV ads.

This is important because people are 3X more likely to pay attention to online video ads over television ads. They are twice as likely to give their attention to a YouTube video ad, even over Instagram and Facebook video ads. No doubt that has a lot to do with the platform’s targeting capabilities.

#22 YouTube ranks 3rd with marketers as a preferred social media marketing channel.

Facebook has been the leader in social media marketing since forever. And Instagram is the primary platform for influencer marketing efforts. YouTube occupies a sweet spot that more than half of marketers say makes it worth leveraging. In fact, according to The State of Marketing 2023, a report released by HubSpot, 57 percent of marketers were leveraging YouTube as part of their marketing strategy. Because these are the type of YouTube statistics they know how to leverage.

#23 YouTube also ranks 3rd with marketers for social media platforms that offer the highest ROI.

Brands and marketers continue to allocate resources to YouTube marketing. YouTube ranked third among influencer marketers for most popular platforms and third as the social media platform that offers the highest ROI when selling products directly in the app, according to HubSpot’s 2023 Global Social Media Trends Report.

2024 YouTube Statistics in Conclusion

I’m sure this isn’t the first time you’ve seen a marketer acting like video is the only strategy out there. YouTube probably isn’t the only channel that comes to mind when video marketing is mentioned, but it’s a pretty effective one for running influencer campaigns, amplifying reach, and diversifying the content of your multichannel marketing push.

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn all have video features that can breathe new life into repurposed content and pivot your brand from being a name in the network to being a human-centered collective of professionals that other organizations know, respect, and admire.

Take these YouTube statistics as proof. The platform can add a touch of mid-funnel magic to the sales cycles of marketers and brands. It allows for creative, high-impact storytelling that your team can personalize AND scale.

The post 23 YouTube Statistics for 2024: The Stats and Trends That Drive YouTube appeared first on The Shelf Full-Service Influencer Marketing.

Holiday Shopping Began Much Earlier This Year

Every year, shoppers start grabbing stuff a little earlier. But this year, Black Friday sales OFFICIALLY kicked off November 1st. This came after a Mega Sale period that extended beyond the normal two-day Prime sales. Instead, It began with Target’s Circle Week, which ran from October 1st – 7th,. It then went through Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days from October 10th – 11th. And it ended with Walmart’s Holiday Kickoff Sale from October 9th – 12th.

Many of us are finally settling in a bit after the economic shifts brought on by the pandemic. And we’re still grappling with inflation. In fact, Moody Analytics’ Chief Economist Mark Zandi says that inflation is costing consumers $709 a month more this year than two years ago. Yikes!

This year, 41 percent of holiday shoppers planned to start their shopping by October or earlier. And they’re mostly doing it to spread out their holiday budget.

Cool Takeaways from This Year’s Holiday Strategy

Nearly half of Gen Zers plan to use social media to shop this year.

For years, Facebook has been the leader in social commerce, and a favorite platform for marketing (and holiday marketing!) and paid advertising. But as the buying power of the world’s young adults increases, marketers would be well-advised to keep their eye on them. This year, 48 percent of Gen Zers say they’re planning to do a little social shopping via TikTok and Instagram.

Those are two HUGE platforms shoppers use to find ideas. Thirty-seven percent of shoppers defer to social media before making a purchase. And 85 percent of Gen Zers say social media influences their purchase, at least to some degree.

Online retailers with physical stores can woo customers with convenience and speed.

Believe it or not, younger consumers shop in-store as much as they shop online. And while older consumers are shopping online more, they are suckers for a great in-store experience. (With some friendly and knowledgeable help on standby in case they’re needed.) Add to that the impact social media can have on fueling sales and the word is your brand needs to have multiple touchpoints. In marketing lingo from the brand perspective, or in the minds of consumers, you need multiple destinations.

Social ads are a welcome interruption for shoppers, especially for holiday marketing.

Forty-two percent of Millennials and 50 percent of Gen Zers say social media is THE MOST RELEVANT channel for ads. Millennial women surveyed by Bustle say they expect to see brands represented on social media. Gen Zers say sponsored content resulting from partnerships between brands and their favorite influencers Is an acceptable way for brands to approach them.

Eighteen percent of holiday shoppers get their gift ideas from social media ads. And seven percent say influencer recommendations are a source of gift ideas this time of year. They make room for the unintrusive way in which social media ads and sponsored content show up on social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest because users visit those platforms to source ideas. Interestingly, on Pinterest, eight in ten users ARRIVE on the platform with purchase intent. But only three percent of searches are branded.

That means…. shoppers are looking for products, not necessarily specific brands.

Influencer marketing is a go-to strategy for getting holiday sales.

Most marketers identify the primary BENEFIT of social media marketing on platforms like Instagram and TikTok as increased exposure. But both are also highly shoppable. Instagram is the preferred platform for product discovery, whereas Pinterest is the platform pinners use to plan purchases.

Eight in ten marketers say influencer marketing is an effective strategy. In just the last five years, influencer marketing has gone from being a $500 million industry to being a $21B industry.

No kidding.

So, if you’re still grappling with whether or not you should incorporate social media marketing into this last-minute holiday push, the answer is absolutely.

Without further ado, here is the step-by-step guide to holiday social media marketing.

COPY AND PASTE THIS CODE TO EMBED ON YOUR SITE

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The post INFOGRAPHIC: 2023 Holiday Spending and Trends + Marketing Ideas and Tips appeared first on The Shelf Full-Service Influencer Marketing.

The spooky season is upon us. And that means you’re ready for all the 2023 Halloween spending, trends, insights, and strategies. We love our Halloween statistics.

Before you dig into this massive infographic, I think it’s only right for me to highlight some of the more interesting (read, valuable) Halloween stats contained herein.

Halloween Spending, Sales, and Stats

When autumn finally rolled around in 2020, less than half of us were interested in celebrating Halloween in the traditional sense. (It may have had something to do with the fact that every single day of 2020 seemed a little like Halloween…) For most of us, that resistance was tied directly to still being hesitant to gather in crowds, go door-to-door, or (heaven forbid) take anything out of anyone else’s hands.

We’ve come a long way since those dark days. In fact, this year will see the highest percentage of people celebrating Halloween in nearly 20 years, according to the National Retail Federation.

This year, trick-or-treating is back on the agenda, and candy is still the most popular thing to buy for Halloween. You won’t be surprised that 95 percent of celebrants pick some up for the big day. More than two-thirds of celebrants (68 percent) have plans to hand out candy this Halloween.

Per-Person Halloween Spending tops $108 This Year

2021 was historic for Halloween spending because it was the first year per-person spending pushed past the $100 mark. This year, celebrants are set to spend an average of $108.24 on Halloween festivities, totaling approximately $12.2 billion in sales — the highest in recorded history. 

Candy’s Popular, But the Biggest Investment Still Goes to Costumes

This year, in 2023, each of the top Halloween spending categories — candy, decorations, costumes, and greeting cards — will see significant increases. That’s not just over last year’s numbers but also over 2019 pre-pandemic spending numbers. 

In fact, with the exception of greeting cards, the most popular spending categories for happy Halloweeners have each seen significant growth in sales since 2019. 

• Candy sales are up 39 percent, from $2.6 billion in 2019 to $3.6 billion this year
• Sales of Halloween decorations are up 50 percent, from $2.6 billion in 2019 to $3.9 billion this year 
• Costume sales are up 34 percent, from $3.2 billion in 2019 to $4.1 billion this year

Check Out Our Halloween Infographic

For more info on how you can use influencer marketing in your digital strategies this season, check out our Halloween trends post. And check out this EPIC infographic for more ideas. Bonus: there are campaign strategies, tricks, and treats at the bottom of this sucker!

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About This Author

Sorilbran Stone | Content Strategist

I serve as the resident content strategist and the official Head of Content Marketing at The Shelf. Marketing is my happy place. I’m as happy looking at analytics as I am actually creating a thing. I focus a lot on dreaming up and implementing the best ways to create, publish, and distribute content that will build your brand and get your audience to do a thing.

The post [Infographic] 2023 Halloween Spending, Sales, Stats, and Trends appeared first on The Shelf Full-Service Influencer Marketing.

Behold! The beauty of Konstantin’s design brilliance!! You’re such a friggin’ rock star, Konstantin.

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Now, let’s dig into the data.

How Much Back-to-School Shoppers Are Spending in 2023

The 2023 back-to-school spending season is expected to be the biggest one yet with consumers planning to spend a total of $135 billion in back-to-school and back-to-college spending.

Despite inflation shrinking the amount of bang shoppers can get for their B2S buck, K12 back-to-school shoppers will spend an average of $890 per household on school-related items, according to the National Retail Federation. With a few adjustments:

• B2S shoppers are hitting the stores earlier this year and spending most of their budget by the end of July (upwards of 59 percent of it, according to Deloitte.
• Shopping sustainably isn’t as much a priority this year as it was last year as deals and discounts take center stage.
• While the Dalios and Kyosakis of the world insist cash is trash, 77 percent of B2S shoppers are shopping with it, in lieu of charging purchases to their credit cards.

When it comes to back-to-college shopping, households are expecting to spend right around $1,370 this year. And this includes degree-earning moms and dads. To give you a little context, when we published the 2019 back-to-school post, spending on back-to-college supplies averaged about $977 per household. So, in the last four years, back-to-college spending has jumped 40 percent over where it was before the pandemic hit. And of course, that number doesn’t include tuition or housing expenses.

Deals Take Center Stage This Back-to-School Shopping Season

Okay, we are knee-deep in an economy that is in a fist-to-fist battle with inflation. In the current environment, the majority of back-to-school purchases will be influenced by deals and promotions this year.

The official start of the back-to-school spending season kicked off with a record-breaking Prime Day event that delivered $12.7 billion in sales for Amazon and its merchants. This year, nearly 7 in 10 back-to-school shoppers were planning to take advantage of Prime Day deals exclusively. Nearly 1 in 3 planned to shop other online deals during Prime Day, and 1 in 5 planned to shop in-store deals at other retailers during the Prime Day event.

Shoppers have already seen price increases on staples like apparel and paper. And this year, the idea of deals, discounts and value include conveniences such as easy returns, free returns (no restocking fees), and free shipping with order minimums of $30 or so.

But be warned: shoppers are fully prepared to switch brands if their preferred brand is out of stock or if the price of their preferred brand jumps significantly.

And there are differences in the importance discounts play for K12 back-to-school shopping vs back-to-college shopping. For instance, 45 percent of K12 shoppers will be shopping more sales and doing price comparisons online versus 37 percent of back-to-college shoppers who are zeroed in on finding deals.

Spending Categories: Back-to-School Shoppers Prioritize Necessities

School supplies and clothing remain the top spending categories. With inflation still kinda bossing everybody around, shoppers are compensating for the price increases by boosting their spending on school supplies by 20 percent while decreasing their spending on clothing/accessories and electronics by 14 percent and 13 percent, respectively according to Deloitte.

Across the board, parents, students, and back-to-school shoppers have seen an increase in prices:

• 77 percent of B2S shoppers report higher clothing prices
• 67 percent report higher prices on school supplies
• 59 percent report higher prices for shoes
• 58 percent report higher prices on electronics
• 23 percent say they’re paying more for furniture

Spending More vs Spending Less

Regardless of whether shoppers say they’re spending more or less on back-to-class shopping this year, pretty much all of them are pointing to inflation as the cause.

For shoppers who plan to spend less this year, 51 percent of them say it’s because they have less disposable income. Of those who plan to spend more this year, 75 percent of them say it’s because prices are higher this year. The sweet spot for retailers is to understand that price is of the utmost importance, but discounts, deals, and quality (value for your money) are the big influencers this year.

In-Store vs Online Shopping

We did a little digging in our article on back-to-school trends into the opportunity that exists for brands that are putting down roots in virtual environments. In previous years, we’ve only really looked at the YoY changes in the percentage of people who are shopping online versus those who are shopping in-store.

On the heels of a global pandemic, online schools, and the rise of advanced e-commerce capabilities, four in 10 back-to-school shoppers have been taking advantage of emerging technologies to make shopping safe and convenient. We’re talking shoppable social posts, sure. But also digital wallets, interactive video, and virtual reality. Keep that in mind as you’re structuring your influencer marketing strategies.

When we first rolled out our Back-to-School post back in 2016, e-commerce accounted for just 7.9 percent of back-to-school spending (based on 2015 b2s stats). In 2018, 23 percent of back-to-school spending happened online. This year, with stores open and school in session, 55 percent of back-to-school shoppers will be making some of their purchases online.

Back to School 2023 Is Here

The bright spot for kids is that going back to school often comes with a healthy shopping allowance. The bright spot for marketers is that school shopping often starts early, climaxes with AMAZING sales in mid-July, and glides right into the holiday shopping season.

And parents, well, they (and their wallets) get sort of jammed in between kids and brands, working out the logistics of it all. Use the back-to-school statistics, trends, and strategies to kickstart your winter influencer campaigns.

The post 2023 Back-to-School Spending Infographic + Tips to Rock Your Campaign appeared first on The Shelf Full-Service Influencer Marketing.

For the 7 in 10 Americans who plan to celebrate Father’s Day, finding the best way to represent your undying love and appreciation by presenting Dad with a gift on the third Sunday in June can be a challenge. I mean, what doesn’t this guy already have?

I am one of millions of daughters who will have to come up with a gift idea far cooler than a new tie to go with my dad’s suits. Coincidentally, my dad doesn’t wear suits and if I stuck to buying ties, he would have dozens of ties to pretty-up the same two suits – one tan and one gray. Multiply that by 5 kids, and 11 grands and…

Too many ties.

While we have a few days before we demonstrate our love with a new fishing pole, a riding mower, or a road trip to South Beach (my dad’s a pretty good-looking guy), let’s all take a quick breather from our Groupon frenzies and set aside a few minutes to be inspired, amused and educated about fathers and Father’s Day.

No lame turn-of-the-century biographies or black-and-white photos. No mind-numbing stats that you stop paying attention to after the first few. Just awesomesauce and funky, dad-goodness.

Annnnnd since we’re actually a marketing agency, we published a more tactical Father’s Day marketing guide a few weeks ago. But you’re on the right page if you’re looking for our annual Father’s Day spending infographic – it’s at the end of this post.

Father’s Day Spending Stats

ALMOST HALF THE MEN IN THE US ARE FATHERS, AND MORE OF THOSE FATHERS ARE STAYING HOME WITH THE KIDS.

According to census numbers, there are 74 million fathers in the U.S. ages 15 years and over, and about 164 million men. Nearly 25 million fathers are part of married-couple families while 2 million fathers were single fathers. (Fatherhood.gov)

DADS DON’T REALLY WANT TIES FOR FATHER’S DAY, YET…

Let’s just go right to it. A necktie is the most popular Father’s Day gift. Not the most desired, just the most popular. Truth bomb: Your father probably isn’t looking forward to another tie. In fact, only 19 percent of dads want any clothing or apparel at all for Father’s Day. And 64 percent of dads said they don’t want anything with the words “World’s Best Dad” on it. Another quick tip: Just in general, an e-card is not the answer to any Father’s Day question.

You’re better off gifting Dad your presence for a cool family experience (think fishing or sporting event) or give him some alone time (these were equally desirable to 38 percent of dads). Most of the dads polled (71 percent) would be up for a meal with the kids.

MOST DADS BRING HOME THE BACON. LITERALLY.

More than half of the fathers polled say they are the primary grocery shoppers in their households. There are a handful of things to know about Dads who shop:

1. More dads research the products they buy than moms. About 11 percent of moms research products compared to 24 percent of dads.
2. Men will spend more on products if they are of better quality.
3. While Dad may be okay with researching products, men are not generally coupon clippers. And they are most definitely not extreme couponers. #theirloss

THIS YEAR, 25-34 YEAR-OLDS ARE PLANNING TO SPEND THE MOST PER PERSON ON DADS FOR FATHER’S DAY.

This year, adults between the ages of 35 and 44 years old will outspend other shoppers by an average of $100 on Father’s Day gifts. Last year, 25-34 year-olds were the big spenders here. Not a bad haul for Dad.

43 PERCENT OF AMERICANS ARE SHOPPING ONLINE FOR FATHER’S DAY GIFTS.

Come on, Groupon deals! Daddy needs a new pair of… ?? (That’s the part many of us are still trying to figure out.)

More than one-third of shoppers will hit up department stores to pick up their gifts, and 22 percent will head into specialty stores. Forty-three percent will keep their shopping online. More than half of Father’s Day shoppers are using their phones for everything from grabbing coupons to researching products, to getting inspo, to making actual purchases.  

WE BUY FOR MORE THAN JUST OUR OWN DADS.

It’s true that 45 percent of women and 54 percent of men buy for their own fathers and stepfathers. But women are just as likely to buy for their own husbands (47 percent) as they are for their fathers. Both men and women also shop for sons, grandfathers, brothers, friends, godfathers, and other relatives.

MOST DADS IDENTIFY AS ONE OF THESE: THE OUTDOORS TYPE, A TECH DAD, THE HOME ORGANIZER.

A good way to figure out what to get your dad may be to find out how he self-identifies. A quarter of dads consider themselves outdoor adventurers. Twenty-one percent of dads consider themselves home organizers.  Twenty-four percent think of themselves as either modern, fashionable, or gadget lovers.

My brother-in-law is like that. He once hacked my computer while I was in the middle of talking smack to him. Or more accurately, because I was in the middle of talking smack to him.

MOST DADS WHO USE SOCIAL MEDIA USE IT, AT LEAST IN PART, TO BECOME BETTER FATHERS.

Sixty-one percent of fathers who use social media apply the information and advice they get from social to be better dads.  Social media is a great parenting resource for many fathers today.

DAD WANTS TO HANG OUT WITH YOU ON FATHER’S DAY… BUT IF YOU CAN’T BE THERE, HE’LL TAKE MONEY.

It’s the truth, folks. If your father is anything like the men answering these polls, he doesn’t want the cufflinks. He doesn’t even want those expensive leather shoes with the tassels.

According to Entrepreneur, 37 percent of fathers want gift cards and 29 percent want electronics, or a gadget of some type. Only 8 percent are okay with you taking the liberty to buy a gym membership, and only 7 percent would be happy with a magazine subscription – even one to a sports magazine

AND IF YOU DON’T GIVE HIM MONEY, GET HIM A HARLEY.

Dads are loyal to the brands they know and trust, according to Adweek. Nearly half (48 percent) of dads say they are loyal to brands compared with just 39 percent of moms. That may be true, I’ve never seen my husband wear a shoe that wasn’t some form of Timberland boot.

Eighty-one percent of fathers are even okay with brands sending them location-based mobile offers, and most (58 percent) have taken action on a mobile offer they receive.

There are 10 top brands that get the Dad Seal of Approval:

1. Apple
2. UnderArmour
3. Nike
4. Netflix
5. iPad
6. Lexus
7. Lego
8. Levi’s
9. Kobalt
10. Harley-Davidson

Twenty-eight percent of dads said they always buy top brands without concern for the price.

YOUNG ADULTS ARE HANDING OUT EXPERIENCES THIS FATHER’S DAY.

Brunch, paintball, wine tastings, spa weekends, hunting trips… About 36 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 44 are planning to gift Dad experiences this year. During the pandemic.

DADS ARE SPENDING MORE TIME AT HOME.

Today’s fathers spend double the amount of time they spent with their kids in 1989, and almost triple the amount of time with their kids as fathers did back in 1965. The percentage of dads who say they aren’t spending enough time with their kids dropped from 63 percent in 2017 to 48 percent in 2020, according to Pew Research.

MEN USE SOCIAL MORE AFTER THEY BECOME FATHERS.

While moms still have dads beat on creating a digital footprint, 61 percent of men say they started using social media more after having kids. Dads report getting product tips from social media:

• 44 percent get product or service recommendations from other dads on social
• 70 percent get product or service recommendations that would benefit the entire family
• 71 percent get recommendations for stuff for their kids
• 37 percent say they ask other dads for recommendations on products and services

Seventy-one percent of dads also use social media to keep the rest of the family up-to-date on what’s going on with the kids.

THE ONE THING MOST PEOPLE WILL DO, WHETHER THEY BUY A GIFT OR NOT, IS CALL HOME.

An actual phone call – not a text – is still one of the most popular gifts to give Dad on Father’s Day. Hopefully, the call is verifying the arrival of a gift.

ONE IN THREE FATHER’S DAY SHOPPERS ARE EYEING A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR DAD.

Subscription services boomed during the pandemic as people tried to find ways to find and share a little joy in a time of social distancing. This year, 37 percent of Father’s Day shoppers said they were keen on gifting Dad a subscription of some kind, and there are all sorts of them out there.

GREETING CARDS ARE STILL A POPULAR ITEM.

This year, Father’s Day spending will include about $860,000 on greeting cards. Abotu 58 percent of us will buy them. Last year, I spent $20 just on greeting cards for my dad, my husband, and my ex-husband. It took the kids and me 2 hours to pick out the perfect Father’s Day cards, and the only card that saw any mantle action was the one my preschooler made in daycare. So…

THIS YEAR, MILLENNIALS ARE THE MOST LIKELY GROUP TO CELEBRATE DAD.

Last year, 90 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 24 planned to celebrate Father’s Day this year. This year, Millennials and a handful of the youngest Gen Xers (35-44 year-olds) are the largest demographic celebrating Father’s Day with 89 percent of them planning to make Dad’s day special.

MOST DADS DON’T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT LEAVING THE FAMILY HOME AND GOING TO WORK.

We know that regular exercise helps you keep the extra pounds off, helps regulate your body to minimize the risk of getting metabolic disease, promotes mental clarity, helps stabilize your mood, and delivers an overall sense of well-being. Dads who don’t feel guilty about heading off to work still feel a way for using what could be family time, or time with the kids, to do something as “selfish” (many fathers view self-care as a selfish act) like going to the gym.

THE MOST POPULAR FATHER’S DAY GIFTS ARE…

Hate to say it, but even though many dads say they don’t want anybody buying them any clothes for Father’s Day, clothing is the most popular spending category. Fifty-five percent of those polled say they’ll be buying dad a piece of clothing as part of his Father’s Day haul. Fivfty-two percent will gift Dad a special outing, while 48 percent will give him a gift card.

NO MORE FATHER’S DAY AS USUAL

Father’s Day has been getting a lot more love since COVID hit three years ago. Back then, 77 percent of Father’s Day celebrants said it was especially important to celebrate the holiday in spite of restrictons and social distancing.

Quirky Facts About Dads

“DA-DA” MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE REFERRING TO DADS.

Two years in Mrs. Willie Bell Gibson’s junior high English class taught me that in order to understand a word, I must know the etymology of the word. So, I looked up the word “dad.” Most of us can see how the word “father” looks a lot like the word “pater” – noun from Old English “paeder” which refers to a man in relation to his natural child or children. Doesn’t show up in regular conversation much, but it was poetic enough for British Pop group Simply Red’s song “Holding Back the Years” (46 seconds in).

As it turns out, the words “dad” and “father” are completely unrelated. The word “dad” is believed to be adapted for use by fathers who wanted to make sure the first sounds their babies made when they began vocalizing front-of-the-mouth, consonant sounds referred to them. So, the word “dad” is actually just a remix of the sound “daaa” or “dada”, which are typically the first words babies speak.

Pretty clever move, Dad.

SIX GUYS WERE ON THE STAY-AT-HOME DAD LIST IN THE 1970S.

When Schmidt stayed home to take care of Ruth while CeCe went out and launched her own modeling agency, we were all pretty happy with Schmidt’s growth as a former d-bag, right? He had taken so much pride in his hustle – being the “bad boy of marketing” and raking in all that disposable income for hair chutneys, peacots, sushi platters, Kanye’s belt, and impulse FILA. (If you never watched the show “New Girl,” don’t worry too much about this reference.)

But Schmidt would have been one of just six men (1-2-3-4-5-6 men) in the U.S. in the 1970s who would ever fess-up to being a stay-at-home dad, according to an article by The Huffington Post.

In 2015, 214,000 married fathers with children under the age of 15 identified stay-at-home dads, staying home primarily to take care of their kids while their wives work. The National At-Home Dad Network estimates that in reality, 1.4 million men are stay-at-home dads, and 7 million are the primary caregivers for their kids.

THE AGES OF THE YOUNGEST AND THE OLDEST DADS NEW DADS WILL AMAZE – AND MAYBE TERRIFY – YOU.

Eleven years old. That’s how old one British boy was when he impregnated his 15-year-old next-door neighbor. Their baby boy was born one month after the father’s 12th birthday in 1998. I am intentionally refraining from listing their names, but I grabbed the headline for that story from Daily Mail.

The oldest first-time father, Ramjit Raghav (not to be confused with Raman Raghav, the serial killer), was 94 when his baby boy was born to him and his then-52 year-old wife in October 2010 in Haryana, India. Ramjit was 96 when he had a second child. The late, great Ramjit was laid to rest in 2020 at the age of 104.

OLD SCHOOL TV DADS ARE MORE POPULAR THAN THESE YOUNG WHIPPER SNAPPER TV DADS.

I found two surveys – one by TiVo, the other I found at Ranker.com – which sought to answer one critical questions: Which TV dad do you wish was your own?

While the lists contained essentially the same fictional characters, the order of the lists differed. Ranker.com calculated results based on more than 50,000 votes from 4,000+ voters. It looks like the list is clearly skewed toward Gen Xers. I want to share with you the top 15 answers, in no particular order:

• Sheriff Andy Taylor (The Andy Griffith Show)
• Pa Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie)
• Howard Cunningham (Happy Days)
• Ward Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver)
• Jim Anderson (Father Knows Best)
• Mike Brady (The Brady Bunch)
• Tim Taylor (Home Improvement)
• Reverend Eric Camden (7th Heaven)
• Danny Tanner (Full House)
• Philip Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
• Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
• Dan Conner (Roseanne)
• Gomez Addams (The Addams Family)
• Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

I will be honest here. I have never seen Father Knows Best as I had a very strong aversion to watching TV shows that were in black and white when I was growing up. Except for The Addams Family. My favorite TV dad, Martin Crane (Frasier), played by the late John Mahoney, just missed the list.

[INFOGRAPHIC] The Business of Father’s Day

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About the Author

Sorilbran Stone | Content Strategist

I serve as the resident content strategist and the official Head of Content Marketing at The Shelf. Marketing is my happy place. I’m as happy looking at analytics as I am actually creating a thing. I focus a lot on dreaming up and implementing the best ways to create, publish, and distribute content that will build your brand and get your audience to do a thing.

The post 24 Father’s Day Spending Stats and Quirky Facts [INFOGRAPHIC] appeared first on The Shelf Full-Service Influencer Marketing.

Your Guide to the Business of Mother’s Day

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Moms are getting more and more monetary love each year.

There are 2 billion-ish mothers around the world, and more than 80 million in the U.S. alone.

Mother’s Day makes its rounds in more than 50 countries around the world, and this year, 84 percent of Americans are planning to celebrate. Spending on Mom will reach $35.7 billion in the U.S. this year, making Mother’s Day the second most celebrated holiday after the winter holidays, and the fourth biggest spending holiday, after the Back-to-College, Back-to-School, and winter holiday shopping seasons. 

Shoppers are buying gifts for more than just their own moms.

If there’s such a thing as the Mother’s Day spirit, shoppers certainly have it because they don’t limit their gift-giving to their own moms. 57% of Mother’s Day shoppers will, in fact, be hunting down unique gifts for their mothers and stepmothers. But…

23% of celebrants are shopping for their wives

12% are shopping for daughters

8% shop for other relatives

9% will hit the stores searching for something for their sister

8% will get a gift for Grandma

8% will get something for a friend, and

2% will gift something to a godmother

We’re spending a liiiiiiittle less on dads though.

And you know how we said $35.7 billion would be spent on Mother’s Day this year? Well, that’s more than $245 per celebrant while Father’s Day spending will average about $70 to $80 less per person.

A few of the more interesting shopping trends…

Since last year, 35% of Mother’s Day shoppers were planning to gift their moms subscription boxes. This year, personal services are all the rage, with 34% planning to give Mom the gift of self-care. Another popular category right now is special outings, with 6 in 10 shoppers planning to take Mom out for the day.

Half of people are shopping in-store, too. Capitalize on the procrastinators!

In the last few days before Mother’s Day, in-store shoppers will be heading out to buy gifts. Don’t miss an opportunity to market to them. They may be buying gifts in stores, but they’re doing a bunch of research online, too. So don’t forget to target shoppers with paid ads, Reels, Pinterest, and other platforms where consumers love to find cool ideas for Mom.

Here’s how to grab the attention of those last-minute shoppers…

PPC Campaigns: Mother’s Day clicks don’t start rolling in until the last week, so reserve enough budget for that last big push. Include keywords to target stepmoms, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, wives, friends, and daughters. — Search Engine Journal

Ads: The highest conversions are in clothing and accessories. Ensure you’re reaching the right audience in your vertical by including Mother’s Day-specific CTA’s.

User-Generated Content: Feature UGC of influencers (or consumers) directly on your site and social media. UGC is highly effective in driving conversions and is a great way to showcase new styles and products.

Pinterest: Pinterest is the top-ranking social network for Mother’s Day searches. Out of 65% of the 275 keywords, Pinterest ranks in positions 1-5 on search engines. Enlist influential mommy bloggers to curate gift guides with their favorite gift items from your brand. — Your Digital Retail

Instagram Takeover: Run an Instagram takeover with an influential mommy blogger leading up to or during Mother’s Day. Allow her to curate her favorite mommy gift items from your brand and run a giveaway at the end to get engagement flowing on your account.

The post [INFOGRAPHIC] The 2023 Guide to the Business of Mother’s Day Spending and Trends appeared first on The Shelf Full-Service Influencer Marketing.

The influencer marketing industry has grown exponentially in the last few years, and last year, the industry blew past the $15 billion all the talking heads predicted the industry would be worth. By the end of last year, the market was worth $16.4 billion. That’s a lot of sponsored content!

Cute, but why? Hear me out on this one: We’re more than a decade into the Instagram influencer phenomenon and influencer marketing has gone from being a thing most marketers had no idea how to make work to being a digital marketing staple that 9 in 10 marketers are leveraging.

Happy Periodic Table Day!

We created this Periodic Table of Influencer Marketing, yes for Periodic Table Day (Feb 7th of every year), but also because the seven different sections of this particular infographic containing more than 100 influencer marketing elements can help you nail your influencer campaign, from Tweets to Data.

The Blue Section – Influencer Marketing Elements: Packed with jargon, buzzwords and trending terms. This is just the lingo – words you need to know if you’re thinking about running an influencer campaign.

The Yellow Section – Tools: These are the tools of the trade. Of course, we know we need social media platforms. But you also need content schedulers, image and video editing software, platforms like Lumanu for boosting content, Google Adwords for your retargeting efforts, and of course, The Shelf platform for managing your influencer marketing campaign from start to finish.

The Orange Section – Tactics and Strategies: Some tactics make a bigger impact than others, but tactics and strategies are the methods by which you’ll achieve your campaign outcomes. These can include contests, follower growth, greater reach, and hyper-targeting to reach certain buyer segments.

The Pink Section – Platforms: Instagram is still the favorite for running influencer campaigns, but in 2023, influencer campaigns typically incorporate multiple channels. In addition to IG, go-to platforms for influencer campaigns include Facebook and TikTok, followed by YouTube. I’m talking about podcasts, Triller, Amazon (Live), TikTok, YouTube. Each of these platforms offers certain benefits that will be tough to replicate on Instagram.

The Dark Blue Section – Campaign Goals: Your campaign goals determine almost everything about your actual influencer campaign, including the tools you use, which influencers you choose for partners, and the tactics and strategies you use to achieve the goals. Can’t have a talk about influencer marketing without putting the spotlight on campaign goals, man. You just can’t.

The Green Section – Influencer Types: Once you know your goals, you pretty much know what type of influencer you need to accomplish your goal. Different size influencers can offer different campaign benefits. There are some outcomes larger influencers are better-suited to deliver, while other goals would work better with the participation of micro- and nano-influencers.

The Purple Section – Campaign Elements: Our final section deal with the most important aspect of any influencer campaigns. These are the things no campaign should go live without, the elements that are absolutely necessary for a successful influencer campaign.

Copy the code below to embed the table on your site:

 Happy Periodic Table Day! You’re welcome!

The post The Periodic Table Of Influencer Marketing Elements appeared first on The Shelf Full-Service Influencer Marketing.

Back before “the big flash” (Book of Eli reference, but really, I’m just talking about the pandemic), St. Patrick’s Day celebrants (hereinafter referred to as partiers) were keen on heading outdoors in the nippy March air for parades, bar crawls, parties, and overall mild-to-severe debauchery (depending on the day of the week on which St. Patty’s Day fell).

This year, 54 percent of Americans are planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. And we’re pleased to announce that the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade is back on for the first time since 2019.

St. Patrick’s Day Spending: A Shift Away from Green Decor and Back to Bar Tabs

Traditionally, St. Patrick’s Day has been a time to gather indoors for food and drinks – whether at your house, a friend’s house, or the local bar. Over the last two years, more people have spent more money on themed decor in lieu of heading out during a pandemic. This year, parties, bars, and restaurant outings have made a comeback. One in five St. Patty’s Day partiers plans to hit up parties.

Per-person spending for St. Patty’s Day is expected to be the second-highest in recorded history at $42.33 per person (2020 was the highest at $42.96). And total spending on St. Patrick’s Day will top $5.87B this year. Cha-ching!

By far, 35 to 44-year-olds party hardest… or at least they spend the most, shelling out $49.27 on average for the holiday, followed by 25 to 34-year-olds whose average spend will be $47.34 this year.

We put together an infographic on St. Patrick’s Day spending and trends that’ll provide some interesting insights on how people are marking the occasion. As always, you can copy and paste the embed code at the bottom to embed this infographic on your site.

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As more and more brands begin directing their advertising dollars to podcast marketing and other spoken-word audio formats, you have probably also noticed major social media platforms like Twitter adding audio features that allow content creators to broadcast live audio directly to their audiences.

This trend toward more audio-focused content creation isn’t going anywhere any time soon. The average blog reader spends just 37 seconds reading content. By comparison, Trinity Audio reported the listen-through rate of audio versions of news articles and blog posts is more than 55 percent of audio up to 5 minutes long, and 70 percent for audio over 5 minutes long.

As it relates to influencer marketing, the uptick in the number of creators looping spoken-word audio into their available content formats means a wider audience gleaning even more value from the content being created. So, there are more opportunities for brands to partner with influential creators to reach their existing audiences and find new ones.

We put together this infographic to illustrate some of the data we highlighted in a recent post we published on podcast influencers and podcast influencer marketing.

COPY and PASTE THIS CODE to EMBED THIS GRAPHIC.

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