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AI adoption is no longer the challenge—trusted context is. Most organizations have AI tools, but many still rely on disconnected, stale, or unverified data, limiting the quality and trustworthiness of AI-generated outputs. Meltwater MCP brings trusted, real-time intelligence into AI assistants.

Your Best Context is Already in the Room

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics?
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.
Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.
Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

Ready to up your marketing game, advance your knowledge, and do all the networking? You’re in luck! We’ve compiled a list of the best social, content, and digital marketing conferences to attend this year. 

These invigorating events provide attendees with opportunities to hear from inspiring speakers, level up their skill sets, and learn what's happening from a forward looking perspective.

It can be very easy to remain heads down, just trying to get through the day-to-day, but this diverse list of marketing conferences is a chance to get out of the weeds, remember why we love what we do, and connect with other passionate colleagues about this exciting time in our industry. Read on!

Looking for PR events? Check out our list of 2026 PR conferences!

Meltwater Summit is where creativity and innovation intersect for enriching professional growth and networking experiences. Elevate your expertise, be inspired and empowered as you chart the course for success in the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, PR, and communications. 

Thought leadership sessions: Gain a deeper understanding of emerging trends and future opportunities in inspiring talks led by industry visionaries.

Future-proof your approach: Stay ahead in the fast-moving digital world with talks on AI, adapting to changing consumer behavior, industry-shaping trends, building effective influencer partnerships, and much more.

Strategic insights: Uncover unique strategic insights from PR, marketing, & communications leaders at top brands and agencies, providing a roadmap to level up your martech stack.

Hands-on workshops: Participate in expert-led product workshops and earn onsite certifications in important digital marketing skill sets.

Make meaningful business connections: Engage in impactful networking breakouts and happy hours with seasoned executives and rising stars.

Warning: major FOMO alert. 🚨 Badges for #SXSW2026 are now on sale. 🙌  Link in bio 🔗 #SXSW #Innovation #Music #Film #TV #conference #festival #atx #austin

In fact, SXSW is a place where tech, film, music, education, and culture converge for an exciting and illuminating conference to find out what’s new in the cultural zeitgeist. 

Hubspot's official marketing conference, Inbound, is a 4 day event: part incubator, part accelerator, with ample business building opportunities. It's a can’t-miss conference for networking and inspiration. President Barack Obama is among the list of past speakers so…they definitely pull out all the stops! 

Content Marketing World is a much anticipated yearly event put on by the Content Marketing Institute. Attendees are treated to a packed 4 days of high profile speakers and innovators, mentorship opportunities, and tons of fun along the way! Past speakers have included: Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Hasan Minhaj, and Mark Hamill.

B2B Marketing Exchange is a marketing conference that aims to “take the boring out of B2B.” It features 5 different tracks where B2B professionals can learn visual storytelling, community-building, fresh sales enablement strategies, and much more.

Search Marketing Expo, put on by Search Engine Land is the essential marketing conference for SEOs and content marketers. There are three main events held throughout the year, each catering to different skill levels and needs. 

Social Media Marketing World is a social media manager's dream marketing conference, covering strategy, trends, paid social, content marketing, and much more, it’s become an essential event for your social media marketing arsenal. Put on by Social Media Examiner, this year's conference will be held in Anaheim, California.

The Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference is the leading marketing conference in Europe. The conference covers a multitude of topics to help digital marketers put their best foot forward and stay on trend with their digital marketing strategies. This year, the conference will be held in Cologne, Germany.

Another European marketing conference, the OMR Festival boasts an eclectic mix of high profile speakers (past speakers include Quentin Tarantino, Ashton Kutcher, among others in the arts and sciences such as musicians and historians). Sessions during the 2-day event feature “inspirational and unique content on the most-relevant digital marketing trends and topics.”

Web Summit holds events around the world, in Rio, Lisbon, Toronto, and Hong Kong. They welcome “the people who are tackling the big challenges facing industry today” and have received numerous accolades for their tech-industry focused programming. Past speakers have included the Queen of Jordan, Noam Chomsky, and Naomi Gleit, head of product at Meta.

These are some of the frequently asked questions about PR conferences. Have specific questions about Meltwater Summit? Check out our Summit FAQ here.

1. How do I choose the right marketing conference for my goals?

To choose the right marketing conference for your goals, start by identifying the specific area you want to focus on (such as content marketing, demand generation, brand, SEO, social, or growth). Then review the agenda, speaker backgrounds, and attendee profiles to make sure the sessions align with your objectives and experience level. It can also be helpful to browse past years content to see if the conference content aligns with your needs.

2. Are marketing conferences worth attending?

Yes, marketing conferences can be a very worthwhile investment especially when they provide practical frameworks, real-world case studies, and opportunities to connect and commiserate with peers facing similar challenges. Many marketers see value in new strategies, tools, and ideas they can apply immediately.

3. What topics are marketing conferences focused on in 2026?

This year’s marketing conferences are spotlighting AI and automation, data-driven personalization, measuring content performance, community-led growth, creator partnerships, and the increasing overlap between marketing, sales, and customer experience.

Top 10 Marketing Conferences to Attend in 2026

Influencer marketing is a powerful marketing channel for businesses, enabling them to reach wider audiences and find new customers. Working with influencers has become an integral part of a brand's marketing strategy, and if this list of influencer marketing statistics is any indication, it shows no signs of slowing down. 

In fact, an Influencer Marketing Hub survey found that a whopping 90% of marketers believe that influencer marketing is effective and 72% of marketers agree that influencer marketing provides higher quality customers.

These influencer marketing stats clearly showcase the value of influencer marketing — and how it can help you increase sales, customer retention, and social media following.

Learn more in our Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing.

Influencer Marketing Statistics You Need to Know in 2026

Social Platforms Are Empowering Content Creators

Here are some top influencer marketing statistics to showcase the power they have in social media to influence purchases and other important KPIs for your team:

69% of consumers trust what influencers say and recommend (Shopify)

Today’s consumers are heavily influenced by reviews and recommendations from trusted friends, family members, peers, and influencers.

In fact, 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, according to Digital Marketing Institute. Furthermore, 69% of consumers trust what influencers say and recommend. 

Authenticity, transparency, and the ability to compare different products and opinions are vital for purchasers today, which is why finding trusted influencers to partner with as a brand is hugely important for influencing sales and customer retention.

AI is entering the influencer marketing chat

38% of marketers say they they use AI for influencer marketing on a limited basis, while 22% reportedly use it extensively. (Digital Marketing Institute)

Tip: Learn more about AI influencers and using AI in influencer marketing

Spending on influencer marketing is estimated to reach 13 Billion by 2027

Currently, 25% of brands already spend about 40% of their marketing budget on influencers (Shopify).

51% of marketers say influencer marketing helps them acquire better customers (Digital Marketing Institute) 

When you use influencers to promote your products or services, you’re skipping several steps ahead of the hurdle that is proving the value to a cold customer. In other words, you’re reaching potential customers who are already predisposed to be interested.

Community building is a key goal of influencer partnerships for 46.9% of marketers (Influencer Marketing Hub)

This growing priority speaks to the unique power of finding relevant influencers with the intention of working with them over the long term. Long term partnerships facilitate greater audience trust, and build brand awareness in a holistic way, encouraging customer loyalty and longevity.  

People who who follow influencers are less likely to be turned off by sponsored posts or videos when they know: 1) the influencer enjoys working with a particular brand and 2) that brand supporting the influencer allows them to continue making the content their subscribers and followers enjoy.

Measuring influencer ROI is getting easier, but it is still a challenge for 60% of marketers (Shopify)

The methods for measuring ROI from influencer marketing, as well as the ways influencer success is quantified are growing in sophistication, but demonstrating ROI remains a top challenge.

Tip: Influencer marketing platforms like Meltwater make it easy to pull metrics, and follow campaign performance in real time. Click here for a demo!

Email subscribes is a growing method for tracking ROI 

In 2023, the number of marketers using email sign-ups as a way to measure ROI from influencer marketing nearly doubled, from 16% in 2022 to 31% in 2023. 

Relatability is key to influencer success

One of the reasons influencer marketing is so effective is their ability to be relatable to their audience. In fact 61% of consumers say those with relatable personalities are the most appealing to them. This further enforces that while celebrity voices can be important in the influencer ecosystem, you don't need to shoot for a celebrity endorsement anymore and finding an influencer your audience can actually relate will yield results.

34% of brands say they have difficulty finding influencers (Influencer Marketing Hub)

Part of this comes from the concern over fake influencers (67% of brands are concerned about influencer fraud). With AI-powered tools like Klear from Meltwater, it is getting easier for brands to quickly spot when an influencer is a good or bad fit.

You can also compare the best influencer management platforms on the market.

B2B companies say that Brand awareness is the top goal for 67% of B2B companies using influencer marketing (Sprout Social) 

Other main priorities for B2B influencer programs include: increasing credibility, increasing customer loyalty, and boosting engagement. 

Instagram is the preferred influencer marketing channel by most marketers

57.1% of brands prefer Instagram for influencer marketing, according to Influencer Marketing Hub. That's compared to 51.6% who prefer TikTok.

Instagram Reels are a huge purchase driver

79% of Instagram users (aged 18-24) have made a purchase after viewing a Reel. (Sprout Social)

88% of TikTok's creator base are nano influencers

Brands should think twice about overlooking the power of nano and micro creators. They often have highly dedicated and engaged audiences, and are typically less expensive to work with than larger creators.

1. Micro-influencers inspire up to 60% more engagement than other influencers.

2. Cost is a factor with 44% of marketers saying they prefer micro-influencers because they cost less.

3. Micro Instagram influencers boast an average engagement rate of 3.86%, while mega-influencers see only 1.21%.

Gen Z discover products largely through influencers 

A driving force when it comes to engaging with influencer content, Gen Z are more likely to make purchases based on influencer recommendations, and they express greater trust in influencers than older social media users. (Shopify)

Wondering how much influencer marketing costs? Learn more about influencer pricing. We also asked ourselves What Does ChatGPT Think About the Future of Influencer Marketing?

There is a strong incentive from top social media sites to keep creators making content for their platforms. Creator funds, certifications, and comprehensive dashboards displaying engagement and other success metrics are par for the course. 

TikTok, Reddit, and Meta have creator funds set up to nurture content creators and influencers.

Pinterest launched “Creator Code”, a fund designed to elevate underrepresented creator communities

Snapchat has a certification program to help advertisers achieve success on their platform

YouTube has a Media Kit feature in addition to their other creator tools, as well as consistently providing more ways to break down and showcase engagement metrics.

The influencer market will continue to become more competitive and brands should pay close attention to where their target audience for influencer campaigns lives. Because now, influencers on those platforms have more tools at their disposal to create even more engaging and high-quality content.

So there you have it! Will you be implementing an influencer marketing strategy in 2026 after reviewing these impressive influencer marketing stats? If the answer is yes, don't forget to contact a Meltwater representative to learn about our Meltwater influencer management solutions.

Tip: These are the best social influencer management platforms and social influencer marketing tools.

Are brands shifting budgets toward smaller creators?

Yes, brands are increasingly shifting budgets toward micro and nano creators. Smaller creators are prized for authenticity and measurable engagement, which drives real results beyond impressions. This reflects a broader trend away from big-name influencers toward creators with genuine niche impact.

Do consumers trust influencers more than brands in 2026?

Yes, data shows that consumers are increasingly trusting influencers over traditional brand messaging. Influencers are typically seen as more relatable and authentic, especially when content feels real and personal.

Are virtual influencers gaining traction in 2026?

Yes, virtual influencers and AI influencers are growing, but they aren’t replacing human influencers. Instead, they’re becoming a complementary strategy for specific goals like round-the-clock content, novelty branding, and creative storytelling.

Learn more about the current status of influencer marketing, tactics, tools, and more in our free Ebook:

The Most Important Influencer Marketing Statistics for 2026

As a marketer, using social media strategically offers great opportunities for rapid growth. Because these platforms reach so many consumers today, marketers can use them to generate leads, create brand awareness, gather useful data about their audience and industry, share news, create content, and engage with their community. There are over 5 billion social media users today, and the number is growing fast.

What does all this mean? Well, with the number of people using social media, it's clear marketers need to rely on data they trust in order to plan campaigns, budget, and activate social media marketing efforts, and secure stakeholder buy-in. 

And as marketers ourselves, we know it can be overwhelming to search for the accurate and up to date social media statistics. So we created a source of truth with the essential facts and statistics that you need to know about social media in 2026.

Want to see more market-specific social media stats? Check out the social media statistics for Australia, see social media statistics for Malaysia, learn more about social media statistics in the Philippines, check UK social media statistics, see Swedish social media statistics, social media statistics for Hong Kong, South African social media statistics and take a look at UAE social media statistics.

70+ Social Media Stats You Should Know Right Now

Did you know that Facebook is still the top social media platform by usage? And that in 2021, digital ad spending increased by 38.3% from 2020? Or that consumers trust brands more if they have interacted with them on social media?

These are things you need to know, so here are 70+ social media statistics to keep in mind as you create your social media plan for 2025 and beyond!

Top social media networks by session duration: YouTube (14 minutes), TikTok (9 minutes), Facebook (7 minutes) (Global Digital Report)

People spend roughly 18 hours and 36 minutes a week on social media sites (Global Digital Report) 

Additionally, the average user accesses at least 6.75 social media channels daily (Global Digital Report)

60% of GenZ logs on to social media for 3 hours or more per day. (Later)

Total active social media users around the world: 5.6B. (Total internet users: 6.4B) (Statista)

There is a 4.8% increase in unique social media identities, year over year (between 2024 and 2025) (Global Digital Report)

78% of brands want to build brand awareness through social media. 47% use it to increase brand engagement, while 46% use it to connect with customers (State of Social Media 2026)

+22% of organizations are operating with Advanced social programs, compared to 2025 (State of Social Media 2026)

B2C companies have the highest number of Advanced social programs (State of Social Media 2026)

89% of marketers say that they use social videos for marketing (SproutSocial)

73% of them say that explainer videos are a preferred format (SproutSocial)

85% of B2B organizations say LinkedIn drives the most ROI. (Hootsuite) 

Team bandwidth is one of the biggest challenges for managing a social media program according to 59% of marketers (State of Social Media 2026)

28% of American consumers say they anticipate making more purchases in 2025 after seeing related posts on Instagram. (SproutSocial) 

80% of social media users log on to TikTok for funny or entertaining content, over other platforms (2026 Global Digital Trends Report)

Social media is a primary brand research tool for 80% of female users between the ages of 16-24 (2026 Global Digital Trends Report)

71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the brand to their friends and family (Lyfemarketing)

YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally. (HubSpot)

Global Reddit usage is predominantly male (60%). (DemandSage)

17% of marketers repurpose the same content across various social media channels, with no alterations. 48% repurpose content with minor changes to suit different platforms. (HubSpot)

A majority of companies employ between 0-2 people for social media (State of Social Media 2026) 

Paid social content is a top driver of ROI for B2B organizations (HubSpot)

The top reason for using social media for all age groups is "keeping in touch with friends and family" (2026 Global Digital Trends Report)

Reading news stories is the 2nd most popular reason for using social media for users between the ages of 45-65. For users between the ages of 16-44 the second most popular reason is filling up spare time. (2026 Global Digital Trends Report)

31% of social media users, age 16-24, say they are following social media influencers, the highest percentage among all age groups. (2026 Global Digital Trends Report)

Carousel posts are 24% more popular for marketers in 2026 compared to 2025 (State of Social Media 2026)

There are approximately 1.2 billion monthly active users on LinkedIn. (DemandSage)

Men between the ages of 25-34 occupy the largest percentage of LinkedIn's advertising audience (19%). (2026 Global Digital Trends Report)

Only 6% of B2C companies plan to spend more time on LinkedIn in 2026, compared to 15% of B2B companies (State of Social Media 2026)

Bill Gates is the most followed profile on LinkedIn. His page has 38.7M followers (2026 Global Digital Trends Report)

LinkedIn is the 3rd most popular channel for social media marketers (State of Social Media 2026) 

158 job applications are submitted through LinkedIn every second (DemandSage)

LinkedIn is highly effective for marketing and lead generation. 40% of B2B marketings rate the channel as the best for driving high quality leads. (SproutSocial)

Businesses that hold LinkedIn livestreams generate 24 times more comments than regular videos (DemandSage)

There are 3 billion worldwide monthly active users on Facebook (DemandSage)

28% of marketers say Facebook ads drive the best ROI (SocialPilot)

There is a +5.7% increase in Facebook's global ad reach (2025-2025) (Global Digital Report)

Women who are aged 65+ use Facebook the most. (Global Digital Report)

There are over 140 billion Reels posted on Facebook each day (DemandSage)

85% of users prefer to watch videos on Facebook without sound (DemandSage)

The Meltwater Blog

Top 10 Marketing Conferences to Attend in 2026

The Most Important Influencer Marketing Statistics for 2026

70+ Social Media Stats for 2026

How to Track LLM Prompts and Measure AI Visibility

The Power of Content Marketing: A Complete Guide

What is Brand Management and Why is Good Branding Important?

Fitness Apps Brand AI Visibility Index

B2B Social Listening: How to Turn Insights into Action

PR Pitch GEO Optimization: How PR Professionals Should Craft Pitches for AI Search and LLM Responses

The State of PR in 2026: What 1,100+ Comms Leaders Told us About the Future of the Industry

The 10 Best Brand Management Software and Tools 2026

PR + GEO: How to Win Visibility in AI Search & LLM Answers