Global Ad Spends to Cross Trillion Dollar Mark by 2024

Advertising budgets have been ballooning dramatically to reach unprecedented numbers, and it turns out that 2023’s global ad spends have increased by 4.4%. This puts current global ad spends at around $963.5 billion, the largest total budget that has been seen in history. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this increase is showing no signs of stopping.

According to data published by the World Advertising Research Center, global ad spends will continue to rise, with an estimated 8.2% increase on the cards. Not only is this twice the growth rate for 2023, but it will also push global ad spends past the trillion dollar mark for the very first time. However, it bears mentioning that just five companies are controlling a majority of the ad dollars entering the ecosystem, and based on the current trend, this will become even more prevalent in 2024.

The five companies in question include Amazon, its Chinese rival Alibaba, Alphabet, ByteDance and Meta with all things having been considered and taken into account. In 2023, they collectively receive around half of all global spending, or 50.7% to be precise. By 2024, this proportion is slated to grow to 51.9%, which seems to suggest that these companies are getting far more dollars from digital ads than smaller companies out there.

Even more interestingly, while most media owners saw little to no growth in ad revenue, these companies saw their ad revenues increase by 9.2% in 2023. Their growth rate will further go up to 10.7% in 2024, controlling an ever greater portion of the ad revenues that are coming into the industry.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, the fastest growing industry is not tech related, but rather that of financial services. They will receive around $15.5 billion in ads as political spending ramps up. Over in the tech sector, Alphabet reigns supreme with a 22% share of all global ad spends going to it. Their share of online search ad revenue will reach 83.1% by 2024.

Read next: Consumers Have High Expectations for the Tech Sector, But Companies Are Falling Short
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Research Finds Significant Racial Biases in Self Driving Cars

Autonomous vehicles are in many ways considered the path to the future because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing people to travel with ease. However, researchers in King’s College London and the Peking University collaborated on a study which revealed a significant danger of AI based self driving cares, namely that they are biased against people of color and children.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that adults were 19.52% more likely to be detected by self driving cars than children. This could make them more dangerous for kids than might have been the case otherwise, suggesting that they are not quite safe enough to rely on in the modern era. As for the racial bias, autonomous vehicles had a 7.52% higher success rate when detected light skinned individuals as compared to those that have a darker skin tone.

The disparity becomes even greater at night with all things having been considered and taken into account, reaching as high as 9.86%. This seems to indicate that people of color are at higher risk of being run over by self driving vehicles that are incapable of detecting them with their AI sensors.

The main issue here might be the data set that is being used to train these vehicles. These data sets contain the inherent biases of humanity, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, not all that much is being done to reduce these biases which might lead to a downturn in self driving vehicles in the future.

Interestingly, there was not all that much of a gender disparity based on the findings in this study, coming in at just over 1%. This just goes to show that some biases are harder to get rid of than others, and children in particular would not be able to stay safe if this is not corrected. It will be crucial to tackle this problem head on instead of allowing it to become more significant as the industry grows.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

TikTok’s Becoming a Hub for Mobile Gamers, Here’s Why That Matters

TikTok’s stunning rise in the world of social media has upended the delicate balance of the industry, and the Chinese app is not showing any signs of slowing down. One of the recent strategies adopted by TikTok was to appeal to the mobile gaming community, and it turns out that this worked exceedingly well for the platform with all things having been considered and taken into account.

According to data presented by Sensor Tower, TikTok has widespread appeal among mobile gamers. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the people that play 17 of the top 20 mobile gaming apps out there were also likely to use TikTok. This just goes to show that the social media platform is highly favored by this niche, putting it into a prime position to receive an inordinate chunk of digital ad spends.

TikTok is rapidly becoming a bit of a hub for gaming, with numerous minigames as well as the 30 days of gaming on TikTok campaign putting it front and center. Furthermore, many gamers are using TikTok because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing them to discover new games.

This enables games to find a larger audience than might have been the case otherwise, with the consumers themselves satisfied by how TikTok helped them along. TikTok itself is enjoying its heyday with its visionary approach of combining various forms of media thereby boosting its revenues.

By playing both sides of the fence by catering to gamers and developers alike, TikTok is creating a new form of digital monetization that other companies will likely want to replicate. Meta and its apps Facebook and Instagram may soon try to take a few pages out of TikTok’s book, as would YouTube. TikTok is in a unique position since it combines both video streaming and social media into one package, thereby making it the single biggest threat to face well established social media platforms since the industry first began a couple decades ago.

Read next: 56.4 Percent of Social Time Goes Towards Video in 2023, Here’s Why It Won’t Grow Much More
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Disparity in User Attention and Ad Spending Between TikTok vs Instagram

A recent report by Insider Intelligence sheds light on the shifting landscape of user attention and ad spending between TikTok and Instagram among US adults. The statistics show a significant rise in time spent on TikTok compared to Instagram, which has consequences for the advertising industry.

In 2023, US individuals aged 18 and up are predicted to devote around 4.43 billion daily minutes to TikTok, surpassing Instagram's 3.91 billion daily minutes. This disparity is especially noticeable given TikTok's lower user base than Instagram. TikTok has an estimated 82.3 million monthly adult users in the United States, trailing Instagram's 118.4 million. Although TikTok claims 150 million monthly active users across all age groups in the United States, Meta Platforms, the platform's owner, claims over 2 billion monthly users globally.

While TikTok's user attention prevails, Instagram maintains its lead in advertising spend. The projected ad revenue per adult user per hour spent on the apps is expected to be six times higher for Instagram than for TikTok in 2023. This can be attributed to Instagram's broader scope and association with Meta and its suite of apps, which advertisers prefer.

TikTok is positioned to close the ad spending gap as it continues to acquire users and improve engagement. The app's substantial daily time spent among US adults, which increased by nearly 547% between 2019 and 2023, demonstrates its growing importance. However, Instagram's feature called "reels," which was created to fight TikTok's attractiveness, may help Instagram maintain its lead.

TikTok surpassed Instagram in daily minutes in 2022, and the estimate is that TikTok will beat Facebook in this aspect by 2025. Despite TikTok's progress, industry experts say it is still not on a level with Meta's extensive services.

The report highlights YouTube's undeniable dominance in terms of the daily time users spend on the app, surpassing both TikTok and Instagram. This showcases YouTube's unrivalled ability to capture and captivate users for extended periods. The undeniable success of YouTube can be attributed to its impressive watch time, which is further boosted by the utilization of longer videos.

This serves as a testament to its dominant position in the online video streaming industry. However, it is worth noting that TikTok users spend more time per day on the platform than YouTube users on their respective platforms. This highlights the remarkable impact and influence TikTok has achieved in a relatively short time.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically influenced our online behaviour, leading to a significant increase in the time we spend on social media platforms. This surge can be attributed to the necessity of staying connected and informed during these challenging times. Although Facebook may see a slight decline in daily time spent, other platforms such as Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit are expected to experience significant growth in this aspect. This indicates that users gravitate towards these platforms and spend more time engaging with their content.

In conclusion, the report underscores the dynamic shifts in user behaviour, emphasizing the competition for user attention and advertising dollars between TikTok and Instagram. Instagram's entrenched position, in part due to its affiliation with Meta, presents a challenge for TikTok, but TikTok's continued growth and innovation indicate a promising trajectory in the advertising landscape.

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by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World

Instagram Testing "Invisible Mode" to Enhance Chat Privacy

Social media giant Instagram is reportedly testing a new feature that could give users more control over their message visibility. Alessandro Paluzzi, a well-known source for uncovering hidden app features, recently shared a screenshot hinting at the potential introduction of an "Invisible Mode" or "Disable Seen Status" option within Instagram's chat functionality.

This innovative feature could allow users to read messages without the sender being alerted to their activity, addressing a long-standing concern around message visibility and recipient privacy.

The existing system in Instagram displays a "Seen" indicator at the bottom of a conversation thread once a user has viewed a message. This notification serves the purpose of informing the sender that their message has been read. While AI writing assistants offer various benefits, it's crucial to consider the impact on recipient privacy.

One such concern is the "Seen" status feature, which indirectly discloses whether or not someone has been active on the platform, even if they have their Activity Status turned off. This unintended consequence may raise privacy concerns for some users. In addition, the "Seen" status on messaging platforms subtly shows how long it has been since the recipient opened the message. This valuable insight further explains the user's communication behavior and habits.

The proposed "Invisible Mode" would empower users to disable the "Seen" status, allowing them to peruse messages without triggering the acknowledgment notification on the sender's end. In a demo shared by Paluzzi, the feature is showcased as an option that Verified Organizations can enable. With the introduction of the "Invisible Mode" feature, users gain greater control over their online interactions and messaging habits.

By toggling this mode on, senders will no longer receive any notification indicating that their message has been viewed. This straightforward concept empowers users to decide when and how to engage without compromising privacy or inadvertently signaling their activity to others. This game-changing feature lets you take charge of your digital presence and enjoy enhanced control.

Instagram's existing Activity Status feature indicates when a user was last active on the platform, shown through a green dot or a timestamp next to their profile picture. While users can toggle the Activity Status on or off, the "Seen" status feature does not offer such customization. This imbalance in privacy controls is an area where the proposed "Invisible Mode" could fill a crucial gap, allowing users to manage their interactions more nuancedly.

However, it's crucial to note that the feature is still in testing and hasn't been fully rolled out to all users in all locations. Instagram's track record of iterative product rollout implies that the development team is constantly tweaking its offers in response to user input and usage patterns. As a result, the eventual implementation of "Invisible Mode" will most likely consider the platform's different needs and preferences.

Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms Inc., has recently been aggressively investigating potential changes to its platform. In addition to the prospective acquisition of "Invisible Mode," the forum has tested other features.

These include a feature that enables users to tag an entire group at once in their Stories, a move aimed at streamlining the content-sharing experience. Additionally, Instagram has been experimenting with a Meta Verified content feed designed to exclusively showcase content from paying app users.

Instagram is committed to expanding into a comprehensive platform that meets the diverse needs of its users. Elon Musk's platform intends to be the go-to destination for various services, from payments and banking to jobs and dating. The purposeful implementation of features such as "Invisible Mode" matches this ambitious aim, catering to user expectations for greater control over their digital interactions.

While Instagram's "Invisible Mode" may answer the long-standing yearning for a discrete reading experience, it's crucial to remember that the world of technology is constantly changing. The potential influence of the feature on user behavior, interactions, and overall engagement remains to be explored.

As the feature progresses through testing and potential deployment, observing how users embrace this newfound control over their online presence and interactions within the platform will be intriguing. As Instagram continues to expand its offerings, it's clear that the platform is on a path to shape the future of digital communication and social interactions.

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by Rubah Usman via Digital Information World

Just 18% of Consumers Trust Brands With Their Data

Getting access to consumer data is essential for brands because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing them to market more effectively. However, it turns out that the vast majority of customers simply aren’t comfortable with handing over their private and sensitive data to brands. According to a study conducted by CCW Digital, just 18.29% of all consumers trust brands with their data and also expect them to send a moderate number of messages.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that 24.9% said that they trusted brands, but they were concerned that they might start getting far too many messages and emails containing promotions. A similar proportion, or 24.46% to be precise, stated that they have the opposite concern, namely that they’re not worried about getting too many marketing emails and promotions but rather they simply don’t trust brands to do the right thing here.

Meanwhile, 30.35% of consumers said that they neither trust brands with their data nor do they expect brands to send a reasonable number of messages with all things having been considered and taken into account. This just goes to show that there is a startling crisis of trust for consumers, and this makes them less willing to provide their data than might have been the case otherwise.

One thing that bears mentioning is that this indicates 57% of consumers feel like their experiences have been on a downward trajectory. Just 4% are of the opinion that customer experiences have gotten better, which seems to suggest that brands need to do more to ensure that they are satisfied.

Nearly 40% of customers, or 38.96% to be precise, stated that the emails that they are receiving are not personalized. If brands want customer data, they need to put it to good use and personalize any and promotional materials that they are sending out, otherwise customers will have far less of an incentive to allow brands to track and make use of their data for various purposes.

Read next: 56.4 Percent of Social Time Goes Towards Video in 2023, Here’s Why It Won’t Grow Much More
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

What’s Trending In The SEO Landscape For 2023? This New Report Has The Latest Updates

It wouldn’t be wrong to mention how 2023 has brought forward a long list of changes for those professionals hailing from the SEO industry. And many of the changes served as major hurdles but you cannot forget the great many opportunities that arose as well.

The SEO landscape did undergo quite a bit of reshaping and we saw competition reach new heights while the launch of generative AI boomed like no other technology out there today.

Thanks to the Search Engine Journal, we were able to get the latest insights from over 3800 SEO experts from a wide range of backgrounds. This would unveil the newest trends taking place in the industry. We’re outlining them for our readers below to help them achieve the growth and transition required to enter the next step in their career as an SEO professional.

A total of three integral parameters were outlined from this industry. These were highlighted as causing a major shakeup.

For starters, most professionals reported in detail how much they struggled with content strategy. Then we saw search engine giant Google revamp the guidelines for rating quality where they were left with no choice but to include experience, trust, with authority to the criteria.

Next up, we saw them mention more about how hard it was to prove and even track the values for SEO. A large figure of experts attained budget approvals and even had problems related to client relationships being listed as hurdles. That went on to indicate how much of a struggle it was to communicate the significance and effect of the work in such a competitive industry today.

Thirdly, we saw generative AI be listed down as getting the right kind of help to better content generation. This would execute a distinctive pattern for results but that also means it’s getting harder and harder to produce results that are unique and serve as competition for others. Still, professionals do hold great optimism about them serving as the best source of help to attain great outcomes.

Among the 3800 professionals hailing from the SEO industry, we were provided with more insights regarding how to get better success. Below, we’re unveiling the main highlights explored.

Competition sought for getting new talent onboard seems to be the leading point of interest of experts and they feel that can really cause a major shift in the industry. Secondly, attaining the 5-year milestone is another crucial point of interest in any SEO professional’s career. Stats proved how close to 49% of those in the manager role while 56% in the director position were seen having as much as 5 to 10 years of experience.

Then, close to 27% of those in the manager role had work experience in the 2 to 4-year bracket and that shed light on how much demand there was on nailing your SEO skills. But on the other hand, those having less than 5 years of experience are on the rise to getting better and newer opportunities and they’re doing everything in their power to seek that.

Lastly, close to 78% of those studied from the SEO industry had designated themselves as a freelancer possessing experience of five years or less. Meanwhile, 69% are turning to firms in the hopes of great job opportunities for leading positions. And they are more keen on receiving SEO agency positions than getting the classic in-house role.

Lastly, 48% of experts are seeking higher budgets while 42% don’t see budgets changing must. And in terms of indicators for success, raw traffic isn’t being relied upon much.

Read next: Forecasting SEO Patterns for the Year 2023
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World