In 2026, viral marketing leverages shareable content, social algorithms, and user amplification to drive exponential reach at low cost. Short-form videos and influencer collaborations dominate, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram fueling rapid spread across global audiences.
This shift empowers brands to bypass traditional paid channels, as user-generated buzz and organic shares convert viewers into advocates. With social commerce and live events accelerating virality, marketers prioritize authentic, high-engagement formats that spark conversations and purchases.
To support data-driven decisions in 2026, this article compiles over 70 viral marketing statistics from primary research, platform data, and industry reports. Organized into key categories, each includes the exact numeric finding, study year, publisher, and direct source.
Scope and Methodology
• Includes only publicly available viral marketing statistics relevant for 2026.
• Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
• Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
• Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
• No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.
Key Viral Marketing Statistics for 2026
- Social media contests and giveaways generate engagement rates up to 34%, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Global social media ad spend reaches 219 billion dollars in 2026, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Video ads on social media deliver 48% higher engagement rates compared to static image ads, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Social media marketing delivers an average ROI of 5.2 dollars for every 1 dollar spent in 2026, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Video-based campaigns generate 34% higher conversion rates than static ads across all platforms, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- The global influencer marketing industry surpasses 24 billion dollars in 2026, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Short-form video accounts for 43% of all social media content consumed in 2026, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Global social commerce sales reach 1.3 trillion dollars in 2026, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- TikTok has 1.9 billion active monthly users, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing Statista.
- 37% of U.S. adults use TikTok, based on a 2025 study by Hootsuite citing Pew Research.
- TikTok converts 43.8% of users into buyers, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing eMarketer.
- 60.9% of social shoppers have made a purchase via Facebook, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite.
Adoption and Usage Statistics
- The average social media post engagement rate across platforms in 2026 is 1.8%, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Nano-influencers (1K–10K followers) generate engagement rates at 4.8%, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- TikTok influencer campaigns see average engagement rates of 5.7%, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Reels drive 22% higher engagement compared to other Instagram post types, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Brands that post video content at least twice per week see 41% higher engagement rates, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- TikTok users spend an average of 55 minutes daily on the app, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Over 60% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer short videos when learning about products or services, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, based on a 2026 study by The Digital Elevator citing Wyzowl.
- 93% of video marketers say video is an important part of their marketing strategy, based on a 2026 study by The Digital Elevator citing Wyzowl.
- 69% of video marketers have created social media videos, based on a 2026 study by The Digital Elevator citing Wyzowl.
Audience and Behavioral Statistics
- 72% of consumers say they have purchased a product directly through a social media platform, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Over 55% of consumers report purchasing after watching a brand video on social media, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- 60% of Gen Z consumers say they prefer discovering products through TikTok or Instagram over search engines, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Live video is watched by 37% of social users monthly, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- 69.6% of marketers leverage Facebook in their marketing strategy, based on a 2026 study by HubSpot.
- People watch 138.9 million Facebook and Instagram Reels every minute, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing Statista.
- TikTok reached one billion users in 2021, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing Statista.
- In 2021, 21% of U.S. adults used TikTok, increasing to 37% in 2025, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing Pew Research.
- Millennials are the biggest shoppers on Facebook, with 67% planning to shop the same or more on the platform over the next five years, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite.
- 1 in 7 global shoppers say they will primarily shop on social media within the next five years, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite.
Channel Performance Statistics
- The average cost per click across social platforms in 2026 is 5.26 dollars, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- The average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) across social platforms in 2026 is 9.18 dollars, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts collectively generate more than 120 billion daily views, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- YouTube Shorts surpass 70 billion daily views, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Vertical video accounts for 95% of all mobile video consumption, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Globally, people watch 3.4 million YouTube videos every minute, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing Statista.
- 251 million emails are sent every minute, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing Statista.
- 5.9 million Google searches are conducted every minute, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing Statista.
- The average number of replies per X post increased 107% year over year in 2024, from 1.64 in 2023 to 3.4 in 2024, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing Statista.
Conversion and Acquisition Statistics
- TikTok drives 28% higher engagement-to-conversion rates compared to Instagram Reels, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Shoppable content delivers 1.7 times more conversions than non-shoppable branded posts, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- User-generated content increases conversion rates by 4.6% on average, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Micro-influencers (10K–100K followers) drive 60% higher conversion rates compared to celebrity influencers, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Shoppable video ads deliver conversion rates 1.7 times higher than static image ads, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Live shopping events on social media convert at rates as high as 30%, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Snapchat AR try-on ads boost purchase intent by 25%, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Email signups from social campaigns convert 24% better when paired with personalized retargeting ads, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Pinterest shoppers have 80% higher average order values compared to Facebook or Instagram shoppers, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- 35% of social shoppers have made a purchase via TikTok, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite.
Trust, Influence, and Perception Statistics
- Over 80% of marketers say influencer campaigns deliver stronger ROI than traditional digital ads, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Brands that use influencer partnerships report 41% stronger ROI than those relying on paid ads alone, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Instagram remains the leading influencer platform, used by 72% of brands for collaborations, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Fashion, beauty, and lifestyle account for over 40% of influencer marketing spend in 2026, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- 70% of marketers plan to increase their influencer budgets in 2026, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Influencer marketing spend is expected to surpass social and digital ad spend in 2025, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing eMarketer.
- Short-form video is the most influential social content for recall and effectiveness, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite citing eMarketer.
Revenue and Business Impact Statistics
- Short-form video ads deliver 1.6 times higher ROI compared to static ads, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Influencer fraud costs brands nearly 1.3 billion dollars annually, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Twitter (X) ads have only 28% of marketers reporting positive returns, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Over 70% of marketers say measuring ROI from organic social remains their biggest challenge in 2026, based on a 2026 study by NewMedia.
- Video commerce accounts for the largest revenue share in social e-commerce, based on a 2026 study by Hootsuite.
- The global influencer marketing industry exceeds the 30 billion dollar mark, based on a 2026 study by Together Agency.
- More than half of marketers report increasing influencer budgets year over year, based on a 2026 study by Together Agency.
References
- https://newmedia.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics
- https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-statistics/
- https://thedigitalelevator.com/blog/content-marketing-stats/
- https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics
- https://togetheragency.co.uk/news/influencer-marketing-trends-for-2026