The continued growth in social media ad spend points to more than a simple "bounce back" from the pandemic, according to Emplifi. The unified CX platform’s data findings highlight how brands are increasing their investment in social platforms to improve customer experiences and drive social commerce.
New York, 4 August, 2021 – Emplifi, the leading unified customer experience platform, today released its "State of Social Media and CX" report, highlighting key data points for social media ad spend by industry and region, organic post performance, influencer marketing, and CX trends for Q2 2021. Emplifi’s data shows global ad spend on Facebook and Instagram increased 50% year-over-year during Q2, while Facebook ad reach dropped 12.4% globally. The report also examines IGTV performance rates, finding that IGTV videos performed nearly as well as photo-based posts and delivered higher engagement rates than standard video posts on Instagram.
"The ongoing increase in social media ad spend is proving to be more than just a pandemic-related ‘bounce-back’ scenario. More and more brands are relying on social media marketing to engage with their audiences meaningfully and at scale," said Zarnaz Arlia, Chief Marketing Officer, Emplifi. "Social commerce and the formats which support it are also becoming more prevalent as the year goes on. As more brands recognize the value of live streaming and start to leverage more live content to cater to users at different stages of the customer journey."
Emplifi's report also includes influencer marketing trends and vital data on organic social media content. For example, the number of posts with the hashtags #Pride and #PrideMonth from brands more than doubled year-over-year in 2021, a clear indicator that brands are boosting their efforts to better connect with audiences through more empathetic messaging.
"As more and more consumers begin to expect a brand's social media channels to facilitate outstanding customer experiences across many stages of the customer journey, the importance of engagement and interaction data is taking on a greater significance. What we're seeing is that an engaging and responsive social media presence is no longer just a "nice-to-have" for consumer facing brands, it’s a key point of differentiation," said Arlia.
Another takeaway: Facebook Live videos earned the highest number of organic post interactions and delivered three-times the engagement rates of standard videos, but account for less than 1% of branded posts. Social media users are engaging far more with live video than traditional content. Ultimately, the report looks at how social media marketing is helping close the customer experience gap.
Download the full report here: Emplifi’s State of Social Media and CX for Q2 2021.
Report Methodology:
Emplifi's State of Social Media and CX report looks at trends in Q2 and uses data downloaded at the beginning of July.
About Emplifi
Emplifi is the leading unified CX platform that brings marketing, commerce and care together to help businesses close the customer experience gap. More than 7,000 brands, including Delta Air Lines, Ford Motor Company and McDonalds, rely on Emplifi to provide their customers with outstanding experiences at every touchpoint. For more information, visit www.emplifi.io.
