Has your client been considering mixing up their direct-​to-​consumer advertising strategy? They’re not alone. According to a study by Measured, there are a few changes on the horizon for direct-​to-​consumer marketers across multiple industries. 

How Direct-​to-​Consumer Advertising Will Change in 2022 

Social Media Ruled the Roost in 2021 

Last year, direct-​to-​consumer advertising was primarily made up of social media marketing. According to Measured's study, the most popular channels in direct-​to-​consumer advertising mixes were: 

• Facebook: 79% of marketers used this last year 
• Instagram: 77% 
• YouTube: 65% 
• TikTok: 29% 
• Snapchat: 24% 
• Pinterest: 22% 

Social media made up four out of the top five marketing channels of 2021. The only channel that wasn’t social was number three: Google/​Bing search (68%). So, if your client values social media and search ads, according to Measured, they seem to be on the right track. 

Current Marketing Budget Breakdown 

Now, just because social media ads make up the majority of the channels direct-​to-​consumer advertisers use the most doesn’t necessarily mean that is also where the money goes. When it comes to the division of marketing budgets, the order is a bit different. According to Measured, here’s how direct-​to-​consumer advertising spend is currently divvied up on average: 

• Google and Bing Search: Accounts for 20% of the average marketing budget 
• Facebook: 17% 
• Instagram: 12% 
• YouTube: 12% 
• Catalogs and Direct Mail Ads: 6.5% 
• Local Linear TV: 5.1% 
• National Linear TV: 4% 
• TikTok: 3.6% 
• Audio and Podcasts: 3.6% 
• Product Listing Ads and Product Shopping Ads: 3.2% 
• Affiliate and Influencer: 3.2% 
• Snapchat: 3% 
• Pinterest: 2.5% 
• Programmatic Display: 1.8% 
• Connected TV and Over-​the-​Top TV: 1% 

How does your client’s current direct-​to-​consumer advertising budget compare? Are they missing a few channels that other marketers prioritize? It may be time to take another look at their strategy. 

The Future of Direct-​to-​Consumer Advertising 

Social media may have been top dog in the past. But over the course of the next 12 months, things are about to change. According to Measured, direct-​to-​consumer marketers are going to be allocating the biggest percentage of their marketing budgets to Google next year. The top media marketers expect to allocate spending within the next 12 months to (in order): 

• Google Search 
• YouTube 
• Instagram 
• Product Listing Ads 
• Facebook 
• TikTok 
• Catalogs and Direct Mail 
• TV 
• Audio 

So, while Google ads may unseat social media ads in the coming year, your client shouldn’t give up on adding social ads to their marketing strategy. Social channels still make up many of the top channel slots for 2023. But it may be time for your client to consider investing more in search advertising. 

What Types of Direct-​to-​Consumer Advertising Should Your Client be Using? 

Knowing what other direct-​to-​consumer advertising specialists plan on doing with their marketing budgets over the course of the next 12 months is an important first step. But one size does not fit all in the marketing world. If your client copies other marketers’ strategies, they’ll have the same one as everyone else, including their competition. You want to make sure that they stand out, but also are using the media channels that will get them the most attention and response. How can you know what those channels are? 

AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel can help. All you need to know is the target audience of your client. Search for their target audience’s profile and you’ll be able to see which types of advertising media influenced the highest percentages of that audience to take action within the last year. Though change is coming, it’s always safe to base a marketing strategy on what has worked in the past. Just don’t forget to take the advice of Measured’s research and add a healthy mix of digital and traditional ads to your client’s direct-​to-​consumer advertising strategy. 

Photo by Magnet​.me