In 2020 brands spent $98bn on social media advertising worldwide. Over the past four years that spend has been growing at 20% per year making it the highest growth digital marketing category. This growth rate has tracked the number of active Instagram users. We are witnessing the birth of a powerful new media format, with both the disorder and opportunity that generates. In this report we examine the role that sponsored social media posts should play in a wider marketing strategy. Specifically, we use our immersive randomised controlled trial approach, BehaviourLab, to explore some key questions.
Our newsletters cover the latest MRS events, policy updates and research news.