LOCALiQ’s UK State of Digital Marketing Report surveyed more than 500 businesses across the UK, exploring trending marketing topics, challenges, budgets, and marketing goals. This year’s survey offered a treasure trove of data, featuring 850+ individual statistics. Whether you’re curious about satisfaction levels, strategic priorities, technology adoption, or budgets, you’ll find it all here.
Feel free to use and share our stats using the following attribution:
LOCALiQ UK State of Digital Marketing Survey & Report, 2024
On this page:
- Marketing Satisfaction Statistics
- Marketing Training Statistics
- Marketing Strategy Statistics
- Marketing Platform Statistics
- Paid Search Marketing Statistics
- SEO Statistics (+infographics)
- Website Marketing Statistics
- Content Marketing Statistics (+infographics)
- Marketing Technology Statistics
- Google Analytic Statistics
- AI in Marketing Statistics (+infographics)
- Digital Marketing Statistics – Challenges
- Data Privacy Marketing Statistics
- Email Marketing Statistics
- Third-party Cookies Marketing Statistics
- Cost-of-Living Crisis Business Statistics
- Marketing Budget Statistics
- Changes in Marketing Statistics
- Company’s Approach to Marketing Agencies
- Factors in Deciding Digital Marketing Providers
- Factors Limiting Outsourcing
- Ranking of Attributes in a Digital Marketing Partner
- Management Approach by Marketing Tactics
Featured Infographics:
Marketing Satisfaction Statistics
How satisfied are you with marketing performance?
- 10.5% expressed low satisfaction with their marketing performance, giving a rating of 1.
- 41.8% reported moderate satisfaction with their marketing, rating their experience as 2.
- 47.6% indicated high satisfaction with their marketing performance, providing a rating of 3.
Marketing satisfaction by area of marketing
- In Social Media Marketing, 60.7% expressed satisfaction, 23.6% were dissatisfied, 12.7% were unsure, and 3% marked it as not applicable.
- For Personalisation & Targeting, 40.6% indicated satisfaction, 35% expressed dissatisfaction, 15.4% were unsure, and 9% marked it as not applicable.
- In Creativity & Innovation in Marketing Programs, 45.2% expressed satisfaction, 27.8% were dissatisfied, 19.6% were unsure, and 7.4% marked it as not applicable.
- Regarding Digital Advertising, 43.5% expressed satisfaction, 29% were dissatisfied, 13.4% were unsure, and 14.1% marked it as not applicable.
- In Cross-channel Marketing, 38.1% indicated satisfaction, 29.8% were dissatisfied, 14.3% were unsure, and 17.7% marked it as not applicable.
- The breakdown for E-Commerce was 39.3% satisfied, 19.9% dissatisfied, 13.1% unsure, and 27.7% marked it as not applicable.
- Media Mix Planning had 41.3% satisfied, 26.1% dissatisfied, 20.5% unsure, and 12.1% marked it as not applicable.
- For Marketing Measurement, 44.5% expressed satisfaction, 29.3% were dissatisfied, 17.9% were unsure, and 8.4% marked it as not applicable.
- In Customer Response Management, 48.9% indicated satisfaction, 25.8% were dissatisfied, 13.6% were unsure, and 11.7% marked it as not applicable.
- Content Marketing had 52.7% expressing satisfaction, 25.4% dissatisfied, 13.3% unsure, and 8.7% marked it as not applicable.
- In Brand Building, 57.6% indicated satisfaction, 22.9% were dissatisfied, 13% were unsure, and 6.5% marked it as not applicable.
- Events had 49% expressing satisfaction, 20.9% dissatisfied, 11.4% unsure, and 18.6% marked it as not applicable.
- Public Relations had 51.9% expressing satisfaction, 22.9% dissatisfied, 14.7% unsure, and 10.5% marked it as not applicable.
- Marketing Automation was marked by 33.3% satisfaction, 30.3% dissatisfaction, 18% unsure, and 18.4% marked it as not applicable.
- In Digital Strategy, 39.5% expressed satisfaction, 33% were dissatisfied, 16.1% were unsure, and 11.5% marked it as not applicable.
Marketing Training Statistics
Where is more training needed?
-
- 38.2% expressed a need for more training in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
- Data Analytics was identified by 33.5% as requiring further training.
- 30.5% indicated a need for more training in AI – Artificial Intelligence.
- Social Media garnered a need for more training among 30.2%.
- 29.5% expressed a need for more training in Campaign Strategy.
- Content Marketing was highlighted by 27.3% as requiring further training.
- 26.5% expressed a need for more training in Digital Proficiency.
- 24% indicated a need for more training in Coding/Software Development.
- 19.3% expressed a need for more training in PPC/Paid Search.
- Website Design/Management was selected by 17.5% for further training.
- 17.1% indicated a need for more training in Branding & Design.
- 13.5% expressed a need for more training in Display Advertising.
- Listings Management was chosen by 8.4% for further training.
- 6.9% indicated a need for more training in Print Advertising.
- 2.9% expressed a need for more training in other areas.
Marketing Strategy Statistics
Which marketing channels are part of your marketing strategy?
- 53.5% incorporate Website/App in their marketing strategy.
- 51.3% utilise Organic Social Media as part of their strategy.
- 45.5% integrate Email into their marketing channels.
- Digital Content is utilised by 42.9% of the respondents.
- Display Ads are part of the strategy for 40% of the respondents.
- Video marketing is employed by 40% of the respondents.
- 37.1% engage in Paid Social Media Advertising.
- 33.1% incorporate Organic Search Marketing into their strategy.
- Events & Sponsorships are part of the strategy for 32.7%.
- Direct Mail/Print Advertising is utilised by 21.1% of respondents.
- PPC/Paid Search is part of the strategy for 21.1%.
- Audio marketing is employed by 7.6% of respondents.
- TV/OTT is used in the strategy of 6.5%.
- Other marketing channels were identified by 3.3% of the respondents.
How important are the following marketing channels / objectives?
- Social Media Marketing had 13.1% respondents marking it as not important, 40.3% somewhat important, and 46.6% very important.
- Personalisation and Targeting: 14.1% not important, 45.7% somewhat important, and 40.1% very important.
- Creativity & Innovation in Marketing Campaigns: 14.9% not important, 45.9% somewhat important, and 39.2% very important.
- Digital Advertising: 17.8% not important, 44.4% somewhat important, and 37.8% very important.
- Cross-channel Marketing: 21.1% not important, 47.7% somewhat important, and 31.2% very important.
- E-Commerce: 37.3% not important, 35% somewhat important, and 27.8% very important.
- Media Mix Planning: 23% not important, 50.2% somewhat important, and 26.8% very important.
- Marketing Measurement: 10.3% not important, 49.4% somewhat important, and 40.3% very important.
- Customer Response Management: 19.6% not important, 43.4% somewhat important, and 37% very important.
- Content Marketing: 13% not important, 43.1% somewhat important, and 43.9% very important.
- Brand Building: 8.7% not important, 37.6% somewhat important, and 53.6% very important.
- Events: 25.6% not important, 43.1% somewhat important, and 31.3% very important.
- Public Relations: 15.8% not important, 46.9% somewhat important, and 37.3% very important.
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): 13.7% not important, 44.5% somewhat important, and 41.8% very important.
- Search Marketing (PPC): 18.1% not important, 46.7% somewhat important, and 35.1% very important.
- Website: 7.3% not important, 39.2% somewhat important, and 53.5% very important.
- Online Directories & Listings: 18.9% not important, 57.1% somewhat important, and 23.9% very important.
- Print Advertising: 28.5% not important, 47.7% somewhat important, and 23.8% very important.
What are the most important digital marketing initiatives in 2024 for UK businesses?
(Scale 1-10, with 1 being most important)
- Increasing sales revenue ranked as the top priority with an average rating of 2.72.
- Elevating customer engagement emerged as a crucial initiative with an average rating of 2.83.
- Reaching new customer segments was marked as significant, scoring an average of 3.92.
- Boosting brand awareness stood at an average rating of 4.24 among the priorities.
- Enhancing leads for sales teams garnered importance, scoring an average of 4.85.
- Adapting to evolving data and technology standards was marked as a priority with an average rating of 6.58.
- Reducing customer service costs was noted, averaging at 6.63.
- Re-engaging inactive subscribers obtained a notable priority status with an average of 7.33.
- Reducing costs overall was a significant focus area, scoring an average of 7.88.
- Improving deliverability emerged as a priority with an average rating of 8.
Marketing Platform Statistics
Which marketing platforms do businesses in the UK currently utilise?
- Facebook: 30% utilise organic advertising, 33.1% paid advertising, 26.2% use both, and 10.6% do not use.
- Instagram: 28.4% engage in organic advertising, 30.4% in paid advertising, 24.5% use both, and 16.7% do not use.
- LinkedIn: 36.2% employ organic advertising, 31.9% paid advertising, 16.2% both, and 15.8% do not use.
- Snapchat: 12.1% utilise organic advertising, 30.5% paid advertising, 7.1% both, and 50.2% do not use.
- TikTok: 18.1% employ organic advertising, 27.8% paid advertising, 15.3% both, and 38.7% do not use.
- Twitter: 36.3% engage in organic advertising, 30.1% in paid advertising, 12.9% both, and 20.7% do not use.
- YouTube: 29% utilise organic advertising, 31.4% paid advertising, 10.6% both, and 29% do not use.
- Google: 32% use organic advertising, 27.3% paid advertising, 30.4% both, and 10.3% do not use.
- Bing: 18.1% engage in organic advertising, 34.6% in paid advertising, 8.2% both, and 39.1% do not use.
- Threads: 21.6% utilise organic advertising, 25.8% paid advertising, 8.9% both, and 43.6% do not use.
- Other platforms: 14.3% utilise organic advertising, 34.2% paid advertising, 13.8% both, and 37.8% do not use.
Which single marketing platform are UK businesses spending the most on paid ads?
- Facebook: 24.4% of respondents are spending the most on paid ads.
- Twitter: 16.4% indicated spending the most on this platform.
- N/A: 14.9% of respondents did not specify a single platform.
- Google: 13.8% reported spending the most on paid ads on this platform.
- YouTube: 10.2% stated spending the most on this platform.
- TikTok: 6.5% mentioned spending the most on paid ads on TikTok.
- LinkedIn: 5.1% reported spending the most on LinkedIn.
- Instagram: 3.6% indicated spending the most on this platform.
- Pinterest: 0.7% mentioned spending the most on Pinterest.
- Snapchat: 0.4% reported spending the most on Snapchat.
- Bing: No respondents reported spending the most on paid ads on Bing, comprising 0% of the responses.
- Other: 4% of respondents reported spending the most on a platform not listed specifically.
Which single marketing platform are UK businesses are seeing the best ‘return on ad spend’ (ROAS) from their paid advertising campaigns?
- Facebook: 25.2% of respondents reported the best return on ad spend (ROAS) from this platform.
- Google: 18.4% indicated Google as their best platform for ROAS in paid advertising.
- TikTok: 17.5% mentioned TikTok as providing the best return on ad spend.
- Twitter: 13.2% reported the best ROAS from Twitter.
- LinkedIn: 6.4% stated LinkedIn as their platform with the best return on ad spend.
- YouTube: 5.6% mentioned YouTube as delivering the best ROAS.
- N/A: 4.7% did not specify a single platform.
- Snapchat: 2.1% reported the best ROAS from Snapchat.
- Instagram: 1.7% indicated Instagram as their best platform for return on ad spend.
- Pinterest: 1.3% mentioned Pinterest as providing the best return on ad spend.
- Bing: Only 0.4% reported Bing as their platform with the best return on ad spend.
- Other: 3.4% reported other platforms not specifically listed as providing the best return on ad spend.
Paid Search Marketing Statistics
Thoughts from UK Businesses about their Paid Search (PPC) approach
- Best Keywords, Ad Groups, and Account Structure: 45.9% agree they are using the best keywords, ad groups, and account structure for maximum ROI in their PPC strategy, while 13.8% disagree, and 21.3% are not sure.
- Ads Not Reaching Enough People: 46% believe their search and social ads are not reaching enough people, with 23.8% disagreeing, and 12.8% being unsure.
- Bid/Budget Adjustments for ROI: 36.7% claim they know when and how to adjust PPC bids/budgets for optimal ROI, while 23.9% disagree, and 20.1% are unsure.
- Increase in CPC: 43.4% have seen an increase in Cost Per Click (CPC) in their PPC ads in the past 12 months, and 17% disagree, while 22.6% are unsure.
- Decrease in CTR: 29.1% have observed a decrease in Click-Through Rate (CTR) in their ads over the past 12 months, while 30.3% disagree, and 22.8% are unsure.
SEO Statistics
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LOCALiQ UK State of Digital Marketing Survey & Report, 2024
UK Businesses and their SEO Strategy
- Businesses with an SEO Strategy: 61.8% of respondents affirmed that their business does have an SEO strategy.
- Businesses without an SEO Strategy: 38.2% of respondents indicated that their business does not have an SEO strategy.
SEO tactics used by UK Businesses
- Technical SEO: 56.8% of respondents include Technical SEO as a part of their business’ SEO strategy.
- Content Marketing: 46.7% of respondents incorporate Content Marketing into their SEO strategy.
- Keyword Research: 36.1% of respondents utilise Keyword Research as a tactic in their SEO strategy.
- Backlinks & Off-page SEO: 34.9% of respondents include Backlinks & Off-page SEO strategies in their SEO approach.
- Local SEO: 32% of respondents focus on Local SEO tactics in their SEO strategy.
- On-page SEO: 32% of respondents incorporate On-page SEO tactics in their SEO strategy.
- Competitor Analysis: 30.8% of respondents include Competitor Analysis as part of their SEO strategy.
- How often UK Businesses Review their SEO strategy
- Quarterly: 53.9% of respondents review their SEO strategy on a quarterly basis.
- Monthly: 31.7% of respondents conduct SEO strategy reviews on a monthly basis.
- Annually: 12.6% of respondents review their SEO strategy annually.
- Other: 1.8% of respondents have an alternative frequency for reviewing their SEO strategy.
SEO Strategy Effectiveness
- Somewhat effective: 57% of respondents find their SEO strategy somewhat effective.
- Effective: 31.5% of respondents believe their SEO strategy is effective.
- Not effective: 10.9% of respondents don’t find their SEO strategy effective.
- Not sure: Only 0.6% of respondents were unsure about the effectiveness of their SEO strategy.
SEO Strategy Creation
- In-house: 78.7% of respondents have an in-house team responsible for creating their SEO strategy.
- Agency: 21.3% of respondents use an external agency to handle their SEO strategy.
Website Marketing Statistics
Website Management
- Self-management: 72.4% of respondents manage/update their business website themselves.
- External management: 25.5% of respondents rely on an external webmaster/agency for website management.
- No website: Only 2.2% of respondents indicated they don’t have a website for their business.
Website Traffic
- Increase in traffic: 41.6% of respondents observed a rise in website traffic in the last 12 months.
- Decrease in traffic: 25.8% of respondents reported a decline in website traffic during the same period.
- Stable traffic: 22.1% noted no change in their website traffic over the past 12 months.
- Uncertainty: 10.5% were unsure about any changes in their website traffic within the last year.
Website Optimisation
- Optimised for mobile: 81.8% confirmed their website is optimised for mobile devices.
- Not optimised: 13.4% admitted that their website is not currently optimised for mobile.
- Uncertainty: 4.8% were unsure about the mobile optimisation status of their website.
Website Accessibility
- Optimised for accessibility: 73.4% confirmed their website is optimised to be accessible for all users.
- Uncertain: 14.6% were unsure about the accessibility optimisation status of their website.
- Not optimised: 12% stated their website is not currently optimised for accessibility.
Website Redesign
- Planning redesign: 77.6% intend to redesign or improve their website within the next 12 months.
- No plans: 22.4% indicated they don’t plan to redesign or improve their website in the coming year.
Content Marketing Statistics
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LOCALiQ UK State of Digital Marketing Survey & Report, 2024
Content Marketing Strategy
- Content Marketing Usage: 74.5% of respondents utilise content marketing as part of their current business strategy.
- Non-usage: 25.5% indicated they do not use content marketing as part of their strategy.
Content Formats Utilised
- Blogs: 59.5% of respondents include blogs in their content strategy.
- Images: 54.1% utilise images as part of their content strategy.
- Video: 43.4% use video content.
- Infographics: 41% incorporate infographics in their content strategy.
- Case Studies: 35.6% employ case studies.
- Podcasts: 18% utilise podcasts as part of their content strategy.
- Other: 4.4% indicated using other content formats in their strategy.
Metrics Valuable in Measuring Content Marketing Strategy
- Website Traffic: 28.8% of respondents find this metric valuable.
- Sales: 26.8% see sales as a crucial metric.
- Conversion Rate: 15.6% consider the conversion rate essential.
- Engagement on Social Channels: 12.2% value engagement metrics.
- Follower Growth on Social Media: 8.8% find follower growth important.
- Lead Generation: 6.3% focus on lead generation metrics.
- Not Sure: 1.5% were uncertain about the valuable metrics.
- Format with the Highest ROI
- Blogs: 29.2% stated blogs have the highest ROI.
- Images: 17.8% find images to have the highest return.
- Video: 17.3% indicated video content delivers high ROI.
- Infographics: 14.9% reported infographics having high ROI.
- Case Studies: 10.4% find case studies valuable for ROI.
- Podcasts: 4.5% stated podcasts offer the highest return.
- Other: 5.9% mentioned other formats yielding high ROI.
Content Distribution Online
- Repurpose Content Across All Channels: 36% repurpose the same content.
- Even Mix Across Channels: 33% distribute content evenly.
- Specific Content for Each Channel: 31% create tailored content.
Format with the Highest ROI
- Blogs: 29.2% stated blogs have the highest ROI.
- Images: 17.8% find images to have the highest return.
- Video: 17.3% indicated video content delivers high ROI.
- Infographics: 14.9% reported infographics having high ROI.
- Case Studies: 10.4% find case studies valuable for ROI.
- Podcasts: 4.5% stated podcasts offer the highest return.
- Other: 5.9% mentioned other formats yielding high ROI.
Content Distribution Online
- Repurpose Content Across All Channels: 36% repurpose the same content.
- Even Mix Across Channels: 33% distribute content evenly.
- Specific Content for Each Channel: 31% create tailored content.
Marketing Technology Statistics
Technologies Currently Used in Marketing
- Marketing/Analytics/Measurement Tools: 44% utilise these tools.
- CRM System: 40.2% employ a CRM system.
- Email Service Provider (ESP): 33.8% use an ESP.
- Advertising Platforms: 33.1% utilise various advertising platforms.
- Marketing Attribution Tools: 28.2% incorporate attribution tools.
- Marketing Automation/Journey Management: 25.9% employ automation tools.
- Content Management Platforms: 21.4% use CMS platforms.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): 21.1% use AI in marketing.
- Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Platforms: 15.4% employ ABM platforms.
- Customer Data Platforms (CDP): 15% use CDP.
- Data Management Platform (DMP): 13.2% utilise DMP.
- Interaction/Personalisation Management Tools: 12% use such tools.
- Other: 3.8% mentioned using other technologies.
- Metrics Valuable in Measuring Content Marketing Strategy
- Website Traffic: 28.8% of respondents find this metric valuable.
- Sales: 26.8% see sales as a crucial metric.
- Conversion Rate: 15.6% consider the conversion rate essential.
- Engagement on Social Channels: 12.2% value engagement metrics.
- Follower Growth on Social Media: 8.8% find follower growth important.
- Lead Generation: 6.3% focus on lead generation metrics.
- Not Sure: 1.5% were uncertain about the valuable metrics.
Struggle with Innovative Marketing
- Yes: 75.3% of businesses struggle with maintaining innovative marketing tactics, strategies, and technologies.
- No: 24.7% reported no struggle in this regard.
Google Analytics Statistics
Usage of Google Analytics:
- Yes: 76% of businesses use Google Analytics to track their marketing performance.
- No: 24% do not utilise Google Analytics for tracking.
Transition to Google Analytics 4
- Self-transition, Learning Phase: 54.2% made the switch to Google Analytics 4 themselves and are still in the learning phase.
- Automatic Transition: 22.7% waited for Google to switch them automatically.
- Full Utilisation: 20.2% made the switch themselves and are fully utilising the platform.
- Won’t Use GA4: 3% stated they won’t use Google Analytics 4.
Impact of Google Algorithm Updates
- Updates had Little Effect: 30.4% stated the updates didn’t significantly impact their business.
- Decrease in Traffic: 29.3% experienced a decrease in website traffic due to updates.
- Increase in Traffic: 20.7% saw an increase in website traffic.
- N/A: 19.6% chose not applicable.
AI in Marketing Statistics
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LOCALiQ UK State of Digital Marketing Survey & Report, 2024
Utilsation of AI in Marketing
- Currently Using AI: 43.8% are currently utilising AI in their marketing strategy.
- Not Currently Using: 40.5% are not presently using AI.
- Plan to Use in Future: 15.7% intend to use AI in the future.
AI Usage in Digital Marketing
- Campaign Optimisation: 48.7% use AI for campaign optimisation.
- Written Content Creation: 47.1% employ AI for written content creation.
- Graphic Design: 27.7% utilise AI for graphic design.
- Image/Video Generation: 21% use AI for generating images/videos.
- Marketing Automation: 21% apply AI for marketing automation.
- Customer Service: 13.4% use AI for customer service.
AI Benefits in Business
- Increased Marketing Volume: 68.1% reported AI helped increase the volume of marketing output.
- Improved Marketing Quality: 42.2% stated AI improved the quality of marketing output.
- Idea Generation: 34.5% found AI beneficial for idea generation.
- Cost Reduction: 25.9% reported AI helped in reducing costs.
- Skill Gap Bridging: 19% said AI helped bridge skill gaps.
Reasons for Not Using AI
- Lack of Understanding: 76.5% cited not understanding AI technology as a reason for not utilising it.
- Perceived Lack of Benefit: 14.4% feel they wouldn’t benefit from AI usage.
- Trust Issues with Technology: 9.2% lack trust in AI technology.
Expected Impact of AI on Marketing Team Size
- No Change: 47.2% don’t anticipate changes in team size due to AI.
- Expansion of Team: 34.1% foresee team expansion due to AI allowing focus on more areas.
- Likely Team Size Reduction: 18.7% might reduce team size as AI can automate processes.
- Utilisation of Google’s AI Technologies in Paid Search
- Non-Utilisation: 46.8% are not currently utilising Google’s AI technologies for paid search.
AI Usage Categories
- 29.3% use AI for budget optimisation
- 20.5% use AI for bidding
- 17.5% use AI for creatives
- 12.2% use AI for audiences in paid search
Digital Marketing Statistics – Challenges
Challenges in Digital Marketing
- Accessing and Leveraging Customer Data: Ranked at 3.54 on average, this challenge involves utilising data from various channels and sources.
- Defining Target Audience: Ranked at 4.12, understanding and defining the target audience is a significant hurdle.
- Coordination Across Channels: With a 4.33 ranking, coordinating marketing efforts across multiple channels (email, social, display) proves challenging.
- Understanding User Intent: Averaging at 4.7, deciphering user intent for enhanced conversions is another obstacle.
- Lack of an Effective Strategy: Ranked at 5.47, the absence of a robust strategy impacts digital marketing success.
- Innovation and Creativity: Averaging at 6.97, the challenge lies in fostering innovation and creativity within marketing strategies.
- Proving ROI: Averaging at 7.27, demonstrating return on investment remains a concern for businesses.
- Budgetary Constraints: With a 7.53 average, inadequate budgeting poses a hurdle in executing marketing plans.
- Unclear Analytics Data: Averaging at 8.01, difficulties arise in interpreting and leveraging data obtained from analytics.
- Lack of Training/Experience: Ranked at 9.31, the absence of sufficient training or experience in digital marketing is a hurdle.
- Rising Competition: With a 9.82 average, increasing competition presents a challenge in standing out.
- Absence of Marketing Software: Averaging at 11.4, lacking necessary marketing software hinders operations.
- Keeping Up with Trends: Averaging at 12.12, staying abreast of new trends proves challenging in digital marketing.
- Channel Attribution: Ranked at 12.13, attributing success accurately across various channels is difficult.
- Idea Generation: With a 13.27 average, generating innovative ideas for marketing poses a significant challenge.
Internal Challenges
- Gaps in Team Knowledge/Skill Sets: 32.7% identified this as a significant challenge, highlighting the need for enhanced expertise within the team.
- Lack of Time/Time Management: 26.5% struggle due to time constraints, affecting their ability to manage tasks effectively.
- Limited Resources for Team Expansion: 19.6% face challenges in growing their teams due to resource limitations.
- Campaign Management Across Multiple Channels: 8.7% find it challenging to run campaigns successfully across diverse channels.
- Integrating Digital Advertising into Overall Mix: 6.2% encounter difficulties integrating digital ads into their comprehensive marketing strategy.
- Insufficient Design Resources: Similarly at 6.2%, they lack the necessary resources for creating ad designs.
Desired Tactics but Lack Resources/Skills
- SEO: 38.4% wish to implement SEO but lack the resources or skills required.
- Website Upgrade/Maintenance: 30.2% desire improvements in their website but face resource constraints.
- Search Marketing (PPC): 27.5% aim to incorporate PPC into their strategy but lack the necessary resources or skills.
- Content Marketing: 26.3% want to enhance content marketing efforts but face limitations in resources or skills.
- Paid Social Media Advertising: 18% wish to implement this tactic but lack the necessary resources or skills.
- Display Advertising: 14.5% aim to utilise display advertising but lack the resources or skills.
- Organic Social Media: Similarly at 14.5%, they desire to improve organic social media but face resource limitations.
- Email Marketing: 14.1% aim to incorporate email marketing but currently lack the necessary resources or skills.
- Online Directories/Listings: 12.2% want to utilise online directories but face constraints in resources or skills.
- Print Advertising: 7.1% wish to implement print advertising but lack resources or skills.
- Other: 3.5% have additional tactics they’d like to implement but lack resources or skills to do so.
Data Privacy Marketing Statistics
Data Privacy Changes Impact
- Affected Marketing: 52.6% confirmed that data privacy changes have influenced their marketing strategies in the past 12 months.
- Not Affected: 47.4% indicated that these changes haven’t impacted their marketing approaches.
Email Marketing Statistics
Email Open Rates
- Decrease in Open Rates: 40.3% reported a decrease in their email open rates over the past year.
- No Decrease: 34.1% mentioned that they haven’t witnessed a decrease in their email open rates.
- Uncertain: 25.6% were uncertain about the changes in their email open rates.
Third-party Cookies Marketing Statistics
Third-party Cookies Phasing Out
- Plan in Place: 39.9% stated they have a strategy in place to address the phasing out of third-party cookies.
- No Plan: 30.6% admitted not having a plan to account for this change.
- Uncertain: 29.5% were unsure if they had a plan to handle the phasing out of third-party cookies.
Cost-of-Living Crisis Business Statistics
Impact of Cost-of-Living Crisis on Marketing
- Affected: 66.5% stated that the cost-of-living crisis has affected how they conduct their marketing activities.
- No Impact: 33.5% indicated that this crisis hasn’t affected their marketing approach.
Marketing Budget Statistics
Marketing Budget Distribution
- £3,000 to £4,999: 13.6%
- £5,000 to £9,999: 13.2%
- £1,000 to £2,999: 12.8%
- £10,000 to £24,999: 12.1%
- Less than £500: 10.3%
- £50,000 to £119,999: 8.8%
- Don’t Know: 8.4%
- £25,000 to £49,999: 8.1%
- £120,000 or more: 6.6%
- £500 to £1,000: 6.2%
Budget Prioritisation
- Advertising: Ranked at #1 with an average of #2.21
- Tools and Technology: Ranked at #2 with an average of #3.05
- People (e.g., wages, training): Ranked at #3 with an average of #3.19
- Content: Ranked at #4 with an average of #3.23
- Events and Sponsorship: Ranked at #5 with an average of #4.21
- Account-Based Marketing: Ranked at #6 with an average of #5.11
Budget Cuts in the Past 12 Months
- Yes: 58.5%
- No: 41.5%
Areas of Budget Cuts
- Search Marketing (PPC): Approximately 33.5% of respondents reduced investment in PPC advertising.
- Content Marketing: About 31% of participants trimmed budgets allocated to content creation and marketing.
- Print Advertising: Around 23.9% decreased spending on print advertising.
- Display Advertising: Roughly 21.9% cut funds designated for display ads.
- Social Media Advertising: Approximately 20% reduced budgets for social media ads.
- Online Directories/Listings: Around 18.7% decreased investment in online directories or listings.
- SEO: About 18.7% of respondents reduced spending on search engine optimisation efforts.
- Website Maintenance: Approximately 16.1% reduced budgets allocated to website maintenance.
- Email Marketing: Around 8.4% decreased investment in email marketing campaigns.
Annual Spending Breakdown
Social Media Advertising:
- Less than £1,000: 36.7%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 31.3%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 16.2%
- £10,000+: 6.6%
- Not Sure: 9.3%
Search Engine Optimisation:
- Less than £1,000: 38.4%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 31.4%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 14.3%
- £10,000+: 4.3%
- Not Sure: 11.6%
Search Marketing/PPC (Paid Search):
- Less than £1,000: 34.2%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 32.3%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 10.9%
- £10,000+: 10.1%
- Not Sure: 12.5%
Content Marketing:
- Less than £1,000: 39%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 31.1%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 10.4%
- £10,000+: 5.2%
- Not Sure: 14.3%
Website Design:
- Less than £1,000: 29.9%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 37.4%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 14.6%
- £10,000+: 5.1%
- Not Sure: 13%
Display Advertising:
- Less than £1,000: 36.1%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 33.7%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 13.1%
- £10,000+: 5.2%
- Not Sure: 11.9%
Listings Management:
- Less than £1,000: 41.1%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 28.5%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 10.6%
- £10,000+: 3.7%
- Not Sure: 16.3%
Print Advertising:
- Less than £1,000: 34.1%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 32.9%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 13.5%
- £10,000+: 8.3%
- Not Sure: 11.1%
E-Mail Marketing:
- Less than £1,000: 39.4%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 30.7%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 12.4%
- £10,000+: 6%
- Not Sure: 11.6%
Brand & Design:
- Less than £1,000: 35.3%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 31.7%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 14.1%
- £10,000+: 4.8%
- Not Sure: 14.1%
Conversion Rate Optimisation:
- Less than £1,000: 39.6%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 30.4%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 7.6%
- £10,000+: 5.2%
- Not Sure: 17.2%
Public Relations:
- Less than £1,000: 37.1%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 34.7%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 8.4%
- £10,000+: 4.8%
- Not Sure: 15.1%
Other:
- Less than £1,000: 35.2%
- £1,000 – £5,000: 31%
- £5,000 – £10,000: 6.2%
- £10,000+: 6.2%
- Not Sure: 21.4%
Changes in Marketing Statistics
Planned Changes in Marketing Tactics
Organic Social Media:
- Grow – Do More: 49%
- Maintain: 44.1%
- Reduce – Do Less: 4.6%
- N/A: 2.3%
Paid Social Media Advertising:
- Grow – Do More: 32%
- Maintain: 38.9%
- Reduce – Do Less: 16.6%
- N/A: 12.6%
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation):
- Grow – Do More: 45%
- Maintain: 39.5%
- Reduce – Do Less: 8.5%
- N/A: 7%
Search Marketing (PPC):
- Grow – Do More: 30.7%
- Maintain: 44.1%
- Reduce – Do Less: 13.4%
- N/A: 11.8%
Content Marketing:
- Grow – Do More: 38.1%
- Maintain: 43.7%
- Reduce – Do Less: 9.7%
- N/A: 8.5%
Website Upgrades/Maintenance:
- Grow – Do More: 41.2%
- Maintain: 40.1%
- Reduce – Do Less: 13.6%
- N/A: 5.1%
Display Advertising:
- Grow – Do More: 20.3%
- Maintain: 48.2%
- Reduce – Do Less: 12.7%
- N/A: 18.7%
Online Directories/Listings:
- Grow – Do More: 17.6%
- Maintain: 50.8%
- Reduce – Do Less: 11.6%
- N/A: 20%
Print Advertising:
- Grow – Do More: 14.7%
- Maintain: 47.6%
- Reduce – Do Less: 23.4%
- N/A: 14.3%
Approach to Marketing Trends:
- Pre-Produced Long-Form Video:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 22.2%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 34.5%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 15.9%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 27.4%
Pre-Produced Short-Form Video:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 31.2%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 30.5%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 24.2%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 14.1%
Livestream Video:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 21.1%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 25.6%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 23.2%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 30.1%
Influencer Marketing:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 21.3%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 26.9%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 16.1%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 35.7%
Interactive Content:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 25.1%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 28.3%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 21.1%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 25.5%
User Generated Content:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 22.9%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 26.9%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 25.3%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 24.9%
Virtual Customer Communities:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 17.1%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 29.8%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 20.2%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 32.9%
Pre-Produced Audio:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 15.3%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 32.9%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 20.5%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 31.3%
Live Audio:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 14.9%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 31.9%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 13.3%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 39.9%
Virtual Experiences:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 15.2%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 29.6%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 18.4%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 36.8%
Webinars:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 23.6%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 28.8%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 22.4%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 25.2%
In-Person Events:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 32%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 35.6%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 15.8%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 16.6%
Social Media DMs For Customer Service:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 26.1%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 31.3%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 14.9%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 27.7%
AI For Content Creation:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 28.3%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 29.1%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 22.7%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 19.8%
AI For Marketing Automation:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 28.3%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 28.7%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 20.2%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 22.7%
Multi/Omni-Channel Marketing:
- Currently utilising and will do more: 30.7%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 33.2%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 13.5%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 22.5%
AI for customer service (chatbots, Chat GPT-generated responses):
- Currently utilising and will do more: 21.1%
- Currently utilising but will do less: 32.9%
- Not currently utilising but would like to: 17.9%
- Not currently utilising and will not use in 2024: 28%
Marketing Challenges Over the Past 12 Months
- Yes: 79.3% of respondents feel that marketing has become more challenging.
- No: 20.7% believe marketing has not become more challenging.
Confidence in Marketing Strategy
- Yes: 72.4% feel more confident in their marketing strategy compared to the previous year.
- No: 27.6% do not feel more confident in their marketing strategy this year.
Efficiency in Tracking Marketing Performance
- Yes: 75.3% stated they are able to track their marketing performance more efficiently compared to last year.
- No: 24.7% indicated they cannot track their marketing performance more efficiently than last year.
Planned Changes in Advertising Spend Across Platforms
Facebook:
- Increase Spending: 35.4%
- Decrease Spending: 21.7%
- No Change: 22%
Instagram:
- Increase Spending: 24.7%
- Decrease Spending: 22.7%
- No Change: 25.1%
YouTube:
- Increase Spending: 15.6%
- Decrease Spending: 31.5%
- No Change: 21.8%
Twitter:
- Increase Spending: 16.3%
- Decrease Spending: 26.4%
- No Change: 24%
TikTok:
- Increase Spending: 22%
- Decrease Spending: 25.9%
- No Change: 15.1%
LinkedIn:
- Increase Spending: 26.8%
- Decrease Spending: 22.2%
- No Change: 20.2%
Pinterest:
- Increase Spending: 13.3%
- Decrease Spending: 17.6%
- No Change: 26.7%
Snapchat:
- Increase Spending: 13%
- Decrease Spending: 15%
- No Change: 24.5%
Google:
- Increase Spending: 36.3%
- Decrease Spending: 21.2%
- No Change: 17%
Bing:
- Increase Spending: 22.7%
- Decrease Spending: 17.6%
- No Change: 23.5%
Future Plans in Digital Advertising
Planned Actions in the Next 12 Months
- 45.1% plan to spend more on digital advertising than last year.
- 38.5% will expand their in-house marketing team for better digital marketing management.
- 38.5% intend to use more creative automation in their strategies.
- 35.3% are considering including AI in their marketing strategies.
- 25.1% plan to invest more in digital advertising tools and technology.
- 19.6% plan to outsource digital advertising more.
Company’s Approach to Marketing Agencies
Building Expertise In-House for Digital Marketing:
- 83.6% agree to build expertise in-house for digital marketing.
- 16.4% disagree with building in-house expertise for digital marketing.
Affordability of Outsourcing Digital Marketing:
- 56.2% express an inability to afford outsourcing their digital marketing.
- 43.8% disagree with the statement that they can’t afford to outsource.
Preference for Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Tools:
- 74.5% are in search of DIY tools for digital marketing solutions.
- 25.5% disagree with seeking DIY tools for digital marketing.
Preference for Collaborative Work with Marketing Partners:
- 66.7% prefer working with marketing partners in a collaborative environment, sharing responsibilities.
- 33.3% disagree with preferring collaborative work with marketing partners.
Preference for Full Outsourcing to Focus on Other Areas:
- 34.9% express a preference for outsourcing all digital marketing to focus on other business aspects.
- 65.1% disagree with preferring full outsourcing of digital marketing.
Desire for Provider Training and Teachings:
- 62.2% express a desire to partner with a digital marketing provider offering training and teaching for increased self-reliance over time.
- 37.8% disagree with the idea of wanting provider training and teachings for self-sufficiency.
Factors in Deciding Digital Marketing Providers
Wide Range of Products and Services:
- 69% consider it important that the provider offers a wide range of products and services, from DIY to full service.
- 31% find it not important.
Expertise in All Types of Digital Marketing Solutions:
- 72.5% consider it important that the provider has expertise in all types of digital marketing solutions.
- 27.5% find it not important.
Expertise in Business Vertical:
- 68.8% consider it important that the provider has expertise in their business vertical.
- 31.2% find it not important.
Brand Recognition and Establishment:
- 49.6% consider it important that the provider is a well-known and established brand.
- 50.4% find it not important.
Single Point of Contact for Digital Solutions:
- 66.1% consider having one point of contact for all digital marketing solutions used important.
- 33.9% find it not important.
Direct Access to Specialists:
- 61.6% consider it important to directly communicate with digital marketing specialists for each tactic, avoiding a specific point of contact.
- 38.4% find it not important.
Understanding Business Goals:
- 74.2% consider it important that their representative takes time to truly understand their business and goals.
- 25.8% find it not important.
Provider’s Educational Offerings:
- 70.6% consider it important that the provider offers education for them and their employees.
- 29.4% find it not important.
Training for Self-Reliance:
- 67% consider it important that the provider helps train them to become more self-service or self-sufficient.
- 33% find it not important.
Offering Improvement Suggestions:
- 72.2% consider it important that the provider offers suggestions on how they can improve their digital marketing.
- 27.8% find it not important.
Local Presence of Provider:
- 55.7% consider it important that the provider is local to their community or area.
- 44.3% find it not important.
Factors Limiting Outsourcing
Budgetary Constraints:
- 71.7% find budgetary constraints a significant factor limiting outsourcing more digital marketing to external partners.
In-House Expertise:
- 30.4% state they have in-house expertise, which acts as a limitation for outsourcing digital marketing.
Time Constraints:
- 24.3% are limited by time constraints, hindering their ability to outsource more digital marketing efforts.
Understanding Business Goals:
- 19.8% express concerns about external partners’ inability to understand their business goals, affecting their outsourcing decisions.
Perceived Need for Outsourcing:
- 15.8% indicate they don’t perceive a strong need for their business to outsource digital marketing, serving as a limitation for seeking external partners.
Ranking of Attributes in a Digital Marketing Partner
Expertise:
- Ranked #1, with an average score of 2.08, signifying it’s the most sought-after attribute.
Affordable:
- Ranked #2, with an average score of 3.19, indicating the importance of cost-effectiveness.
Good Value:
- Ranked #3, with an average score of 3.89, reflecting the desire for services that offer quality and effectiveness for the price.
Approachable:
- Ranked #4, with an average score of 5.17, indicating the preference for a partner who is easy to approach and communicate with.
Local Market Knowledge:
- Ranked #5, with an average score of 5.3, showing the importance of understanding the local market.
Focused on the Customer:
- Ranked #6, with an average score of 5.65, signifying the emphasis on customer-centric strategies.
Credible:
- Ranked #7, with an average score of 6.52, highlighting the importance of credibility in the partner.
Knowledge of Our Business:
- Ranked #8, with an average score of 6.79, indicating the need for a partner that comprehends the client’s business well.
Reputable Brand:
- Ranked #9, with an average score of 8.03, suggesting the significance of partnering with well-regarded brands.
Training and Support:
- Ranked #10, with an average score of 8.37, indicating the desire for partners that offer ongoing training and support.
Management Approach by Marketing Tactics
Website:
- 36.6% handle everything in-house without assistance.
- 52.8% use software or engage with a partner/agency for support.
- 8.5% have all work completed by software or a partner/agency.
- 2% did not provide a clear indication.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO):
- 33.3% manage SEO entirely in-house.
- 42% use software or partner services for support.
- 13.2% rely solely on software or external partners.
- 11.5% did not specify.
Search Marketing (PPC):
- 31.7% handle search marketing internally.
- 42.1% utilise software or external partners.
- 13.3% have all work completed by software or a partner.
- 12.9% didn’t provide a clear response.
Social Media Advertising:
- 42.3% manage social media advertising in-house.
- 40.2% use software or partner services.
- 5.8% have all work completed by software or a partner.
- 11.6% did not specify.
Email Campaigns:
- 44.4% handle email campaigns internally.
- 38.6% use software or a partner.
- 4.6% rely solely on software or a partner.
- 12.4% did not provide a clear response.
SMS Campaigns:
- 17.1% manage SMS campaigns in-house.
- 36.3% use software or partners.
- 7.3% have all work completed by software or a partner.
- 39.3% didn’t specify.
Organic Social Media:
- 50.8% handle organic social media internally.
- 32.9% utilise software or partner assistance.
- 9.6% have all work completed by software or a partner.
- 6.7% did not specify.
Online Listings Management:
- 28.1% manage listings in-house.
- 39.1% use software or partner services.
- 4.3% have all work completed by software or a partner.
- 28.5% did not provide a clear response.
Content Marketing:
- 42% handle content marketing internally.
- 35.3% use software or a partner.
- 10.1% rely solely on software or partners.
- 12.6% did not specify their approach.
State of Digital Marketing Report 2024
Exclusive insights and data from the marketing strategies of over 500+ UK businesses.
