The state of digital advertising—what it means for AEC marketers

The 2025 State of Digital Advertising report from digital market intelligence company Sensor Tower reveals key trends shaping the global digital ad landscape. U.S. digital ad spend reached $137 billion this year, with social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube dominating the market. While the report primarily focuses on consumer markets, its insights offer valuable takeaways for business-to-business (B2B) industries, including architecture, engineering and construction (AEC).

Here’s how AEC marketers can leverage these trends to refine their strategies and stay competitive.

1. Social media channels dominate digital advertising

According to the report, social platforms accounted for more than 70% of total U.S. digital ad spend in 2025, with monthly ad spend projected to surpass $10 billion by the end of Q4. In particular, Meta's social networks account for 65% of social ad spend, with Facebook leading the way and Instagram gaining ground as Reels videos drive increased engagement and ad revenue. Reddit, a still relatively small but rapidly growing channel, is forecast to be the fastest-growing platform. Some of this growth can be attributed to increased traffic from chatbots, which frequently cite Reddit in their responses. According to Sensor Tower's Web Insights, Reddit's web visits in the U.S. climbed 28% year-over-year in Q2 2025.

AOE’s recommendations for AEC marketers:

• Boost social posts to promote products and services as well as to humanize the brand (i.e., employee stories or community impact initiatives).

• Leverage short video formats to highlight projects and products, innovative techniques, safety practices/tips, client testimonials and/or sustainability efforts in engaging, bite-sized formats.

• Use Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts to showcase project portfolios, time-lapse construction videos, product demos, behind-the-scenes content, etc.

• Add multi-image carousels to your LinkedIn posts to increase engagement. These posts see higher engagement rates (6.6%) than video (5.6%) or single-image posts (4.85%), according to Social Insider. While multi-image posts are performing better on LinkedIn, video has seen a rapid increase in engagement over the last year; a trend that is expected to continue.

• Select platforms strategically to target specific demographics: For example, use LinkedIn for B2B connections, Instagram for younger professionals, TikTok and Snapshot for young audiences of all types and YouTube for broad appeal. Additionally, Pinterest users are more likely to be young women, while older men are more likely to use X and LinkedIn.

2. Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping marketing messages

AI-related messaging has grown exponentially, with U.S. advertisers more than quintupling their spending on AI-focused campaigns since 2023. Brands across industries are embedding AI into their products, as well as in their marketing strategies and ad creatives to promote AI features. These creatives are meeting audiences where their curiosity lies: in searching for innovative AI tools, solutions and capabilities.

AOE recommends:

• Highlight AI-driven tools like Building Information Modeling (BIM), project management software or AI-enhanced safety protocols.

• Use AI to personalize ad campaigns, tailoring messages to niche audiences like contractors, architects and developers.

• Position your brand as a leader in innovation by showcasing how AI-enhanced products improve efficiency and safety in construction.

3. OTT and streaming ads are a growing opportunity

Over-the-top (OTT) streaming services like Hulu and Peacock saw a 21% year-over-year increase in ad spend. While these platforms are more expensive and geared for mainstream audiences, they offer unique opportunities for large-scale campaigns. For example:

• Use streaming ads to promote safety or sustainability initiatives or recruit skilled labor.

• Focus on platforms that align with your audience. The following are demographics to consider: Mobile app users for Hulu, Disney+, Peacock and Netflix broadly appeal to women and younger users. Netflix and Disney+ are particularly popular with those under the age of 24, while Hulu, Peacock and HBO Max have the highest share of users age 25-34. Free streaming options that do not require subscriptions and exclusively monetize through ads—like Pluto TV and Tubi—are more appealing to older viewers, with Pluto TV tending to skew more toward men.

4. Short video is the future of engagement

Short video formats are capturing more user attention, with Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts leading the way. Nearly half of Instagram’s Android users’ time is now spent on Reels, and ad revenue from this format continues to grow. (This uptick corresponds with a big drop in the share of ad spend from Facebook Stories and a more modest drop from the Main Feed.)

A caveat: Employing more short videos doesn't necessarily mean more ad revenue. Facebook and Instagram capture a large share of ad spend despite lower audience and time spent compared to other platforms. For instance, Instagram accounts for nearly 32% of social ad spend but ranks fourth in audience size and mobile usage. Similarly, YouTube Shorts sees 31.5% of short video time but only 16% of ad spend. This highlights that main feed ads on Facebook and Instagram remain highly effective, even as short video gains popularity.

AOE recommends:

• Create quick, engaging videos showcasing project milestones, safety tips or client testimonials.

• Humanize your brand with employee stories or community impact initiatives.

• Balance creativity with user experience to ensure your ads resonate without overwhelming viewers.

5. Social platforms’ demographic insights can target with precision

Different platforms attract distinct audiences. LinkedIn is ideal for reaching decision-makers, while Instagram and Pinterest appeal to younger, design-focused users.

AOE recommends:

• Tailor your campaigns to the unique demographics of each platform for maximum impact.

• Use LinkedIn to target executives and decision-makers with ads about innovative products or services.

• Leverage Instagram and Pinterest to connect with younger audiences interested in design, architecture or home improvement.

Focus on safety and sustainability

With safety and sustainability as key industry trends, AEC marketers can differentiate their brands by emphasizing these values. For example:

• Highlight eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient designs and AI-driven safety protocols in your campaigns.

• Position your brand as a leader in sustainable and safe construction practices to appeal to environmentally conscious clients.

  
  

By aligning with these trends, AEC marketers can optimize their digital advertising strategies, effectively reach their target audiences to stay ahead in a competitive market. Need help developing and executing a digital advertising strategy? Contact the AOE Team today!

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Case study: ACPA’s We Are Safer Together ad campaign

In January 2023, the American Concrete Pumping Association (ACPA) launched a safety campaign to raise awareness of ASME B30.27, the Safety Standard for Material Placement Systems. The campaign emphasizes the responsibilities of every trade working with or around concrete pumps, with the ultimate goal of ensuring jobsite safety for all.

At the heart of the campaign is a microsite, WeAreSaferTogether.org, designed as a one-stop resource for anyone involved with concrete pump equipment. The challenge was to reach the right audience—pumpers, contractors and others on job sites—and drive them to the microsite.

To achieve this, ACPA worked with AOE to create an ongoing awareness campaign. As part of this effort, we leveraged AOE’s partnership with the Feathr digital advertising platform to launch 19 highly targeted ad campaigns in the first year. These included:

• Mobile and historical geofencing to target audiences by location or event.

• Search keyword to serve ads to relevant online searchers.

• Affinity audience targeting for construction professionals.

• Email campaigns to reach key stakeholders directly.

• Email mapping to get digital display ads in front of those on ACPA’s email lists.

• Meta email mapping to reach email prospects on Facebook and Instagram.

These efforts resulted in a 176% increase in website traffic.

First year results:

685,832 impressions (aka views—number of times ads were seen)

147,835 total reach (unique people who viewed ads)

120,298 net new audience

3,741 total clicks

.55% CTR (click-through rate—percentage of clicks out of the total number of impressions)

$7,271.81 media spend

ACPA allocated a robust advertising budget to achieve fast, impactful results, including outsourcing ad development and deployment to Feathr’s experienced team. However, AOE and our clients have successfully used lower-cost options within the platform. At a minimum, costs include an annual subscription fee and monthly ad spend, making it a flexible solution for campaigns of varying budgets.