Marin Q4 Advertising Report Shows eCommerce Ads Skyrocketing, Instagram and Search Growth Strong

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Digital marketing software firm Marin Software has released its Q4 advertising report, which points to major trends in social, search, and e-commerce. Instagram is taking on an increasingly central role in Facebook’s main business, e-commerce ads are booming YOY, and search remains fundamental to digital advertising, the report shows.

Below are some of the highlights.

eCommerce. Monthly spending on e-commerce ads has increased fivefold since just January 2018. Google Shopping Ads accounted for 36% of search spend, and Marin reports that Shopping Ads are the go-to in the industry as consumers attempt to get their products in front of customers’ wandering eyes.

Search. Paid search spending grew 10% YOY across the globe. Retail spending jumps 12% in Q4 as brands hope to capture holiday dollars in the industry’s biggest season. CTR dipped in Q4, though, sinking to just above 3% after hovering around 3.5% for the rest of the year.

Social. Instagram’s vitality has been burgeoning for years as Facebook’s hold on young users slips, and the numbers from Q4 confirm that perception and suggest it may still be picking up speed. Instagram Stories now has over 400 million daily active users, and the platform captured 18% of total social spend in Q4, doubling the 9% share it snagged in Q4 2017.

Joe Zappa is Street Fight’s managing editor.

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Joe Zappa is the Managing Editor of Street Fight. He has spearheaded the newsroom's editorial operations since 2018. Joe is an ad/martech veteran who has covered the space since 2015. You can contact him at [email protected]