6 November 2026

Digital Marketing 2027: What the DataReportal Report Reveals

Digital marketing is changing along with the ways people communicate, search for information, watch videos, and make purchasing decisions. Audiences use different devices to spend time online, engage with social platforms, and increasingly turn to artificial intelligence tools. For brands, this means it is important not only to be present in the digital environment, but also to understand where and how to engage with potential customers.

This article explores the main digital marketing trends revealed by the Digital 2027 Global Overview Report and looks at how audience behavior is changing.

Almost three-quarters of the world’s population use the internet

According to DataReportal’s October 2026 data, the world’s population stands at 8.32 billion. Of this total, 6.15 billion people — 73.9% — use the internet. There are 5.86 billion unique mobile subscribers, equivalent to 70.4% of the population.

Social media also reaches a significant share of the audience: there are 5.81 billion active user identities worldwide, equal to 69.9% of the population. This figure represents the number of accounts, not necessarily unique people.

Another notable indicator is the use of generative artificial intelligence. Every month, 3.24 billion people use these tools, equivalent to 38.9% of the world’s population.

For marketers, these figures show the scale of the digital audience and the role that mobile devices, the internet, social platforms, and AI play in everyday life. To build effective communications with consumers, it is important to understand how people use these channels and how their habits are changing.

Smartphones remain the primary device for accessing the internet

Among internet users aged 16 and over, 96.1% use a mobile phone to access the internet, while 93.8% use a smartphone. Laptops or desktop computers are used by 58.2%, and tablets by 28%.

Android accounts for around two-thirds of mobile web traffic

In July 2026, Android devices accounted for 68.38% of web page requests from mobile phones, while iOS devices accounted for 31.58%.

Digital advertising accounts for more than three-quarters of the advertising market

In 2026, global advertising spend across all channels is expected to reach $1.26 trillion. Of this, $967 billion will go to digital advertising, including search and social media advertising. This represents 76.8% of total advertising spend.

The digital segment is growing faster than the overall market: annual growth is forecast at 8.7%, compared with 6.4% for all advertising channels. For brands, this means that digital channels remain central to media planning, while budget allocation needs to take campaign objectives and audience behavior into account.

Spending on programmatic advertising continues to grow

In 2026, global spending on programmatic advertising is expected to reach $797 billion. By comparison, the figure stood at $471 billion in 2021. The market has grown by almost 70% in five years.

This shows that programmatic buying has become a significant part of the advertising market, and the automation of ad placements continues to expand.

In 2026, programmatic advertising accounts for 82.5% of global digital advertising spend. In 2021, its share was 78.8%. It has grown by 3.7 percentage points over five years.

Programmatic advertising automates the selection of ad placements and the management of campaigns. As the market grows, advertisers need to assess not only the volume of media bought, but also the quality of inventory, the precision of audience targeting, and campaign results.

Mobile advertising: how brands can reach digital audiences

Mobile devices remain an important point of contact with audiences. Advertising in mobile apps can therefore support communication at different stages — from introducing a brand to users to encouraging engagement and visits to a website or app.

BYYD helps brands launch advertising campaigns in mobile apps and tailor them to their objectives. Campaigns can use geographic and demographic targeting, interests, app categories, and audience behavior data. A range of ad formats is available, including fullscreen, video, interactive ads, and other formats designed for the mobile environment.

During a campaign, the team analyzes performance across apps and audience segments and adjusts placements based on results. This approach helps advertisers manage their budgets and adapt their communications as the campaign progresses.

For more than 11 years, BYYD has been helping companies with mobile advertising and continuously improving its tools to meet the evolving needs of the market. Check out our case studies and send us an email – let’s launch your next campaign together.