Newsletter sign-up
Does my company subscribe?
Contact Sales:1-800-405-0844
EMARKETER
Log in
Become a ClientGet a DemoPricing
ArticlesPricing

Products

See All Solutions →
By ProductEMARKETER PRO+Analyst Access Program
By Use CaseDetermine Market SizingDevelop StrategiesAllocate BudgetBenchmark PerformanceWin New BusinessDevelop Go-to-Market StrategyStay InformedThought LeadershipSee All Use Cases →
Advertising & Sponsorship
Boost your brand and generate demand with media programs.
Learn More →

Events & Resources

Learning Center
Read through guides, explore resource hubs, and sample our coverage.
Learn More →
Events
Register for an upcoming webinar and track which industry events our analysts attend.
Learn More →
Podcasts
Listen to our podcast, Behind the Numbers for the latest news and insights.
Learn More →

Topics

See All Topics →
Advertising & MarketingSocial MediaContent MarketingEmail MarketingVideoBrowse All →
Ecommerce & RetailEcommerce SalesMcommerceRetail SalesSocial CommerceBrowse All →
Financial ServicesBankingPaymentsFintechWealth ManagementBrowse All →
GeographiesAsia-PacificCentral & Eastern EuropeLatin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern Europe
HealthValue-Based CareDigital TherapeuticsTelehealthOnline PharmacyBrowse All →
TechnologyConnected Devices5GArtificial Intelligence (AI)Browse All →
More IndustriesReal EstateCustomer ExperienceB2BTravelSmall Business (SMB)Browse All →

Latest Articles

Explore our Research →

The big answers: EMARKETER Daily quiz

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

TikTok advertisers are rapidly shifting to automated campaigns

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

Pinterest leans into commerce, CTV, and C-suite appointments for growth

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

Netflix bets big on expensive content to sustain growth

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

Where banks can step in amid changing 401(k) rules

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

Wealthfront tries to teach a lesson in customer engagement

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

Differences in consumers’ ability to save is exacerbating the wealth divide

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

How the new dietary guidelines are rewriting consumers’ definition of 'healthy'

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

AI giants might face a reckoning in 2026, experts say

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026

YouTube juggles genAI tools and crackdown on AI slop

Article |
 Jan 21, 2026
Browse All →

About

Our Story
Learn more about our mission and how EMARKETER came to be.
Learn More →
Our Clients
Key decision-makers share why they find EMARKETER so critical.
Learn More →
Our People
Take a look into our corporate culture and view our open roles.
Join the Team →
Our Methodology
Rigorous proprietary data vetting strips biases and produces superior insights.
Learn More →
Newsroom
See our latest press releases, news articles or download our press kit.
Learn More →
Contact Us
Speak to a member of our team to learn more about EMARKETER.
Contact Us →
EMARKETER

Q2 2023 Paid Social Forecast and Trends

Automation, Innovation, and Hesitation Slow Social Spending Growth

Report by Max Willens  |  May 18, 2023
Download
Report
Deck
The One-Pager
Share
Table of Contents
Report Snapshot
Single-digit growth will define social’s next few years.
Social ad spending’s near-term prognosis has gotten worse, not better.
Short-form video is still hindering social ad spend growth.
TikTok: Advertisers keep spending, despite more ban talk and growing pains.
Meta: Cheap and cheerful.
Facebook: A notable revision to our forecast.
Instagram: The app is ‘reeling’ advertisers in.
Platform trends: The rise of the machines.
Platform trends: Social platforms want to ride retail media’s coattails.
User trends: Societal scrutiny of social is at an all-time high.
Insider Intelligence Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
With user penetration nearly complete and time spent starting to plateau or decline on many platforms, social networks have run out of easy paths to incremental budget among their advertisers.
Topics
Social Media Ad Spending
US
Table of Contents
Report Snapshot
Single-digit growth will define social’s next few years.
Social ad spending’s near-term prognosis has gotten worse, not better.
Short-form video is still hindering social ad spend growth.
TikTok: Advertisers keep spending, despite more ban talk and growing pains.
Meta: Cheap and cheerful.
Facebook: A notable revision to our forecast.
Instagram: The app is ‘reeling’ advertisers in.
Platform trends: The rise of the machines.
Platform trends: Social platforms want to ride retail media’s coattails.
User trends: Societal scrutiny of social is at an all-time high.
Insider Intelligence Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery

Report Snapshot

With user growth slowing and measurement limitations proving intractable, social networks are in the middle of a pivot they hope will support a new phase of growth. While the industry shifts, US ad spending growth in 2023 will be some of the slowest we’ve recorded for the channel.

Key Question: How is social network ad spending changing? Which ad formats are gaining traction?

US Social Network Ad Spending, 2021-2025 (billions, % change, and % of digital ad spending)
E-Mail ChartDownload

KEY STAT: Social network ad spending this year will grow at the slowest rate we’ve ever recorded.

Download
Report
Deck
The One-Pager
Share
Table of Contents
Report Snapshot
Single-digit growth will define social’s next few years.
Social ad spending’s near-term prognosis has gotten worse, not better.
Short-form video is still hindering social ad spend growth.
TikTok: Advertisers keep spending, despite more ban talk and growing pains.
Meta: Cheap and cheerful.
Facebook: A notable revision to our forecast.
Instagram: The app is ‘reeling’ advertisers in.
Platform trends: The rise of the machines.
Platform trends: Social platforms want to ride retail media’s coattails.
User trends: Societal scrutiny of social is at an all-time high.
Insider Intelligence Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
With user penetration nearly complete and time spent starting to plateau or decline on many platforms, social networks have run out of easy paths to incremental budget among their advertisers.
Topics
Social Media Ad Spending
US
Table of Contents
Report Snapshot
Single-digit growth will define social’s next few years.
Social ad spending’s near-term prognosis has gotten worse, not better.
Short-form video is still hindering social ad spend growth.
TikTok: Advertisers keep spending, despite more ban talk and growing pains.
Meta: Cheap and cheerful.
Facebook: A notable revision to our forecast.
Instagram: The app is ‘reeling’ advertisers in.
Platform trends: The rise of the machines.
Platform trends: Social platforms want to ride retail media’s coattails.
User trends: Societal scrutiny of social is at an all-time high.
Insider Intelligence Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery

authors

Max Willens

Contributors

Jasmine Enberg
Principal Analyst
Zach Goldner
Forecasting Analyst
Paul Verna
Principal Analyst
Already have a subscription?Sign In

Access All Charts and Data

Gain access to reliable data presented in clear and intelligible displays for quick understanding and decision making on the most important topics related to your industry

Become a Client
Unlock Unlimited Insights with PRO+
EMARKETER

Geographies

EMARKETER

Media Services

Free Content

Contact Us →

Worldwide HQ

One Liberty Plaza9th FloorNew York, NY 100061-800-405-0844

Sales Inquiries

1-800-405-0844sales@emarketer.com

* Copyright © 2026 
EMARKETER Inc. All Rights Reserved.