Infographic: 2016’s Biggest Social Advertising Trends

I’m about to go on vacation, which means I’ve been searching for the best clothing and gear to buy for my trip, adding my favorites to my Amazon wish list. Those picks, in turn, have been following me to social media sites like Facebook, reminding me how excited I am to travel—and that I still need to buy another cute outfit before I go.

That’s what today’s marketers want: targeted ads that get consumers excited. And increasingly, they’re buying those ads via social.

A new infographic from Kenshoo reveals that social has grown significantly in the marketplace. Marketers are increasing their social spend by 50 percent year over year, and click-through rates have grown 64 percent. The big factors: the rapid evolution of Facebook as an incredibly powerful advertising platform, and the introduction of Instagram ads.

Search is also showing a significant boost, with spend growing by 8 percent year over year. Savvy marketers know that mobile is the best platform for both search and social; in fact, mobile accounts for the majority of growth in paid search spend.

Marketers are also embracing more product listing ads, which have expanded from 8 percent to 26 percent of all search impressions. But most of the product listing ads that catch my eye come from Facebook, which is another testament to the power of social.

Take a look at the infographic below for more insights into marketing trends—and see if you can remember the last social media ad that made you excited to buy.