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How Much Money Are Social Media Ads & Apps Causing Us To Spend?

Between ads and outfits/products, I see on social media I’ve definitely made some purchases I wouldn’t have previously. Some purchases I’ve made have I’d consider home runs. Other impulse buys…

Social media ads
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Between ads and outfits/products, I see on social media I've definitely made some purchases I wouldn't have previously. Some purchases I've made have I'd consider home runs. Other impulse buys were more of a moment of weakness. These items will just take up space and remind of that moment of weakness. If you can't tell, I'm someone who does buy into "influencers". But do other viewers respond well to these types of posts? Do they actually work? And who is buying this stuff? Best SEO Companies decided to find out.

During the study they found that the average person has spent $133 on purchases from sponsored content in the past six months. I don't know for sure but I'd guess I'm above average. Lately, studies showed a major increase in the number of #ad posts. 26.7% increase from 2020, to be exact. This revenue is great for the social media industry. However, more ads are not typically user-friendly or widely enjoyed.

These days, influencers have made an impact on nearly every aspect of everyday life. Even people’s beauty routines are being heavily influenced by social media personalities. This begs the question: Do people feel that sponsored content makes a social media page more or less authentic?

Key Findings:

  • In 6 months, people spent on average $153 on products bought via Instagram and $143 via TikTok

  • 35% of Gen Zers are more likely to buy something via product endorsement than a targeted ad; Millennials are equally likely

  • 1 in 4 people feel sponsored content makes social media more authentic — 2 in 5 people find influencer sponsored content entertaining

  • Consumers feel sponsored posts on YouTube are the most entertaining (39%), and sponsored posts on Twitter are the most authentic (42%)

Check out the full study here.

Top 10 Social Media Influencers With The Largest Portion of Sponsored Content

Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.