25+ Shocking Marketing Statistics That Will Change Your Strategy Forever

Most businesses assume they’re up to date on the latest marketing trends because they know the basics. Mobile searches dominate desktop, social ads are everywhere, and video matters.

You’re not going to gain an edge over your competitors with that information.

But when was the last time you heard a marketing statistic that surprised you? I’m talking about data that actually made you pause and reconsider your approach.

That’s exactly what I’ve done here. I compiled the most eye-opening marketing statistics that go beyond the obvious. 

These data points can actually shift how you budget, strategize, choose your channels, and connect with customers. And I’m willing to bet that you don’t know all of these.

Key Takeaways

• Blogs remain one of the most powerful and effective marketing channels
• Social media ad spend is exploding, and the US dominates.
• Pinterest is an untapped goldmine for brand discovery and purchase-driven intent.
• Phone calls aren’t dead and shouldn’t be overlooked.
• Omnichannel campaigns result in higher conversion and retention rates.
• Podcasts are highly trusted and deliver a real ROI.
• Despite being the most popular topic on the planet, AI is still far from being a secret weapon for marketers. 

1). 80% of businesses still use blogs for marketing purposes

Blogging is far from dead. In fact, 80% of businesses still publish blogs on a regular basis. For B2B companies, that number jumps to 91%, and even 80% of Fortune 500s publish blogs.

So don’t give up on your blog just because you saw a frustrated business owner proclaim “blogging doesn’t work” on Reddit. They’re wrong, and the numbers don’t lie. 

Just don’t expect overnight results. Keep providing real value in your blog posts and try to build topical authority as an industry leader. 

2). Blogs generate 67% more leads for B2B businesses 

Here’s where blogging really gets interesting. B2B companies that maintain active blogs see 67% more leads compared to those who don’t.

Furthermore, 74% of B2B marketers say they generate leads directly through their blog content.

If you’re selling to other businesses, then you need to treat your blog as a lead-generation machine. Focus on solving real problems that your prospects face, and don’t be afraid to promote whatever products or services you’re selling. 

3). 36% of digital marketers say that blogging is their top marketing channel

Despite all of the buzz you’re hearing about the “latest and greatest” marketing tactics, blogging is still rated as the second most popular marketing channel.

Blogging only trails social media (44% of marketers say social is their number one channel). 

This speaks volumes about a blog’s continued effectiveness and reliability. Having an active blog can still help you keep pace with new marketing trends, like ranking in AI overviews on Google. 

4). Social media ad spend will hit $276 billion in 2025

Social media advertising reached a new record high of $275.98 billion in dollars spent worldwide. A whopping $103.7 billion of those dollars came from the US, representing 38% of global social ad spend.

This massive investment reflects the proven ability for social media to continue reaching and converting customers.

So while running ads on social media is far from a new strategy, it’s something you can’t neglect or let go stale. Make sure you’re still allocating enough of your budget to compete in this increasingly crowded space. 

5). Social ad spend is growing at a 11.71% CAGR

And there’s no sign of social media ads slowing down in the foreseeable future. 

From 2025 to 2030, social media advertising is projected to grow at an 11.71% CAGR, reaching $480 billion by 2030.

This means that you may need to increase your budget on ads by the same amount over this stretch. I also recommend focusing on quality improvements with your creatives and really narrowing down your targeting. This will help you stay profitable on ads as your costs rise. 

6). 85% of Pinterest users have made a purchase from branded pins

Pinterest is often overlooked in favor of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. But it’s a purchasing powerhouse.

Among weekly Pinterest users, 85% have made purchases from branded pins. 

What’s even more impressive is the fact that 96% of Pinterest searches are unbranded, which makes the platform ideal for brand discovery.

With 570+ million monthly active users saving 1.5+ billion pins per week, Pinterest is arguably the best social media platform for people to discover your brand and products.

7). Pinterest drives 33% more referral traffic to online stores compared to Facebook

Pinterest’s purchasing power extends beyond the platform itself, driving significantly more ecommerce referral traffic compared to Facebook.

So for online sellers, being active on Pinterest is an absolute must. 

In addition to posting your products on Pinterest to help users get inspired, you should also optimize your landing pages for Pinterest users who have a high purchase intent. 

8). Users on Pinterest are 55% more likely to buy a product after seeing a video about it

Most people don’t necessarily associate Pinterest with videos. But over one billion videos get watched on Pinterest every day. 

And video consumption on Pinterest is still growing at 200% year-over-year.

For brands, it means you need to start posting videos on Pinterest. It drastically increases the chances that people will buy whatever product you’re showcasing or demonstrating. 

9). Inbound phone calls convert up to 15x more often than web leads

One thing that’s been increasingly overlooked in our digital-first era is the incredibly high purchase intent of inbound phone calls.

When someone picks up the phone, they’re up to 15x more likely to convert and spend money compared to someone who simply fills out a web form.

It’s worth investing in a proper phone handling system with real people who are trained to maximize these high-value interactions. I’d consider ditching automated answering systems that just frustrate callers and reduce your conversion rates. Especially for certain industries like law firms, where a single inbound lead could be hundreds of thousands for your practice. 

10). Up to 93% of consumers make a phone call after searching for businesses on Google

While the search for a service might begin on Google, up to 93% of consumers will pick up the phone and call a business after searching the web. 

Here’s a breakdown from top industries:

• 93% accounting
• 92% hospitals
• 86% dental
• 84% HVAC
• 78% insurance
• 75% lawyers
• 73% auto repair
• 70% pest control
• 70% moving companies
• 70% senior care

You need to make sure your phone number is accurate and prominently displayed across all digital touchpoints. Claim your Google Business profile and take steps to rank for local searches. 

11). 28% of people call businesses after making a local voice search

Industry-specific data aside, 28% of people call businesses after conducting a local voice search. This is really important information if you rely on local leads. 

Look for ways to optimize your site for voice search while applying local SEO principles. 

12). 40% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn is their most effective channel for high-quality lead generation

LinkedIn dominates B2B lead generation, with nearly half of all B2B marketers ranking it as their top channel for high-quality leads. 

This may not be super surprising given LinkedIn’s professional content and robust targeting capabilities. But I still consult with B2B business owners who fail to have an effective LinkedIn marketing strategy. 

13). 43% of consumers have a profile on LinkedIn

While LinkedIn is known for B2B marketing, 43% of general consumers maintain profiles on the platform.

With 1.2 billion members and 1.77 billion monthly visits, there’s some serious potential for consumer-focused businesses to reach audiences on LinkedIn, too. 

So don’t automatically dismiss this channel for B2C marketing. It’s worth testing to see if your target audience might be able to discover your products or services on LinkedIn, and these types of low-hanging fruits can become your most profitable campaigns. 

14). Omnichannel marketing results in 287% higher purchase rates

When you run campaigns across three or more channels, purchase rates skyrocket—up 287% higher compared to single-channel approaches.

This isn’t a coincidence. It’s a direct result of meeting your customers where they are and reinforcing your message across multiple touchpoints.

So stop thinking in siloed approaches. Plan integrated campaigns that work seamlessly across multiple channels, including social media, email, podcasts, blogs, YouTube, and beyond. 

15). Omnichannel consumers spend more money and have a higher lifetime value

In addition to converting at higher rates, you’ll generate more money from customers who engage with your brand across multiple channels.

These customers spend 30% more compared to single-channel customers, and have a 30% higher lifetime value. Furthermore, omnichannel consumers are 1.7x more likely to make repeat purchases and 46% more likely to recommend your brand to others.

If you can focus on creating a seamless experience across all touchpoints, your investment in omnichannel marketing can pay huge dividends in terms of customer value and brand loyalty. 

16). 61% of digital marketers still rely on third-party data

Surprisingly, 61% of marketers still depend on third-party data for personalization. This number is down a bit from 75% back in 2022, so it’s trending in the right direction.

But 90% of SMBs worry about losing access to this data for marketing purposes. 

You need to start working on your own in-house data collection strategies ASAP. Reducing your dependence on third-party sources will give you an advantage over your competitors, especially considering that privacy laws will likely get stricter in the coming years. 

17). Podcast advertising is one of the most profitable channels

Podcast advertising delivers nearly 5x the ROI compared to traditional media advertising. It also boasts the highest short-term return on ad spend (ROAS) at 4.2, which even outperforms social media at 3.6.

This efficiency makes podcasts an attractive option for businesses looking for measurable marketing results.

So if you haven’t done so already, you should test the waters with podcast marketing. I’ve had tons of first-hand success here, and it works really well for niche audiences. 

18). 60% of people purchased something after listening to a podcast ad

Unlike other channels, podcast ads do much more than build brand awareness. Running ads on podcasts drives action.

Three out of five podcast listeners have made purchases based on podcast advertisements. 

Keep this in mind when you’re creating podcast ads. Focus on clear CTAs and actionable offers instead of general brand-building info. The highly engaged nature of podcast audiences makes them more likely to quickly follow through on your requests. 

19). 80% of podcast listeners say they trust recommendations from the show host

One of the reasons why podcast marketing is so successful boils down to the trust factor. 80% of people who listen to podcasts say they genuinely trust recommendations from hosts.

This is likely because many hosts choose to only promote products or services that align with their own brand. Even though listeners know they’re hearing a sponsored recommendation, they still trust it because they feel connected to the host. 

For marketers, you can use this to your advantage and look for ways to build authentic partnerships with podcasters.

20). 69% of marketing teams have integrated AI into their marketing operations

AI adoption is widespread across the marketing industry, with nearly seven out of ten marketers using some form of AI in their operations. 

This represents a major shift in how marketing work gets done.

So if you haven’t explored AI tools yet, you’re falling behind. Start with simple applications for content generation, email optimization, or customer service automation to get your feet wet, and you can always expand from there. 

21). 20% of marketers dedicate 40% of their budget to AI campaigns

Some marketers are going all-in on AI, dedicating nearly half of their budget to AI-powered campaigns. 

I’m not saying you need to follow this rule immediately. But I do think you should at least dedicate a specific portion of your marketing budget to AI-powered campaigns. Get used to treating AI campaigns as a segment within your broader marketing strategy. 

22). 71% of images on social media are created with AI

AI-generated content on social media has become the new norm, with 34 million AI images generated daily and 71% of images posted on social media being produced by AI. 

There are two ways to look at this from a marketing perspective.

You can embrace AI tools to create content more efficiently, or steer clear of them to stand out from what everyone else is doing. Whatever you choose, just make sure you maintain quality standards to help your brand voice shine. 

23). 74% of businesses have yet to generate positive ROI from using AI

Despite widespread adoption, 74% of businesses aren’t seeing positive returns on AI marketing investments. 35% of businesses say that data literacy and skilled talent are the biggest barriers to generating revenue from AI initiatives. 

So don’t rush into AI unless you’re prepared. It’s worth investing in proper training and data infrastructure before expecting your AI campaigns to pay off.

You’re likely better off starting small and only scaling what actually works. 

24). 85% of AI marketing projects had errors or biased outputs

Another major problem with AI is that the technology is far from perfect.

The vast majority of AI marketing projects contained errors or produced biased results. An additional 80% of those projects failed because of issues with data.

This further confirms what we’ve previously stated, that rushing into AI-powered marketing without a proper plan isn’t going to pay off. 

25). Just 1% of businesses say they’re fully prepared to adapt to AI-related laws

With new AI legislation on the horizon, only 1% of organizations feel adequately prepared for regulatory changes expected in the next five years. For marketing teams heavily invested in AI, this represents a serious compliance risk. 

Marketers need to stay informed about developing AI regulations and start preparing compliance frameworks now. 

Final Thoughts

These lesser-known marketing statistics can help you find opportunities that are hiding in plain sight. 

Let your competitors chase every new trend. You can still crush your marketing strategy by sticking with the basics, like blogging, handling inbound phone calls, and social media advertising (although maybe on some different platforms, like Pinterest). 

Not all of these stats are relevant for every business. So just pick the ones that align with your industries and marketing approach.