The digital advertising world is changing fast. Meta is seeing strong growth, TikTok is facing setbacks, and Google’s search market share has dropped below 90% for the first time in nearly a decade. Here’s what marketers need to know for their ad strategy this year.
Meta’s Ad Revenue Grows While TikTok Struggles
Meta’s ad revenue kept growing in late 2024. U.S. ad spend on Meta increased by 15% year-over-year (YoY) in Q4, up from 9% growth in Q3. Facebook ad spend grew by 11%, while Instagram ads saw a 20% boost during the holiday season.
Meanwhile, TikTok’s ad spend fell sharply—down 51% from Q4 2023 to Q4 2024. Even though TikTok still grew overall in 2024, with total ad spend reaching $4.8 billion (a 27% YoY increase), uncertainty about its future in the U.S. has advertisers rethinking their budgets.
Brands spent $0.19 on TikTok for every $1 on Meta, a ratio similar to Pinterest but higher than Snapchat ($0.15 per $1 on Meta).
Amazon and Walmart Are Growing Fast
Amazon’s demand-side platform (DSP) saw ad spend jump 36% YoY in Q4 2024. More advertisers are also investing in Prime Video ads, boosting interest in Amazon’s ad platform.
Walmart is also on the rise. Sponsored Products ad spend grew by 53% YoY in Q4, with 88% of all Walmart search ad spend going to Sponsored Products. This shows Walmart’s strong momentum in retail media advertising.
Google’s Market Share Drops Below 90%
For the first time since 2015, Google’s global search market share dropped below 90% in late 2024. Here’s what happened:
- October – 89.34%
- November – 89.99%
- December – 89.73%
Google still dominates search, but its share in the U.S. also dropped—from a high of 90.37% in November to 87.39% in December. The biggest declines were in Asia, where search engines like Baidu and Yandex are gaining users.
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Meta’s growth, TikTok’s challenges, and Google’s search shifts show how fast digital advertising is evolving. Marketers need to stay flexible and invest in multiple platforms to stay competitive.
With AI-powered ad tools and new platforms emerging, 2025 will be a big year for change in digital advertising.
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