Mobile Advertising in Turkey 2024: Market Analysis and Key Benefits

Mobile advertising is becoming a popular marketing tool worldwide. This also applies to Turkey, where brands are increasingly turning to digital channels to attract the attention of audiences and boost sales.

Below, we will provide important population data in general. Also we will answer the question of how people prefer to learn about a brand and provide more details about digital advertising and its mobile segment.

If you are interested to know more about programmatic advertising in Turkey in 2023 – read this material.

Key Demographic Data for Turkey

As of the beginning of 2024, Turkey’s population has continued its steady growth, reaching 86.04 million people. The increase of 451 thousand people since the beginning of 2023 indicates the country’s population growth dynamics are being maintained.

In terms of gender distribution, it’s worth noting that there is almost an equal ratio of men (50.1%) to women (49.9%) in the country.

The average age of Turkey’s residents is 32.0 years. Analyzing age groups, the following population categories can be identified:

• Children (under 18 years old): 27.3%
• Youth (18-30 years old): 25.9%
• Adults (31-64 years old): 28.0%
• Elderly (65 years old and older): 19.0%

Internet Usage in Turkey by Device Type

In Turkey there were 74.41 million internet users, accounting for 86.5% of the total population. Almost all of them, namely 98.2%, have access to the internet through mobile devices.

The breakdown of internet access methods in Turkey is as follows:

• Smartphones: 97.3%
• Desktops: 63.9%
• Tablets: 34.7%
• Gaming consoles: 10.3%

The popularity of the mobile segment is also confirmed by the share of mobile web traffic, which stands at 73.05%. Meanwhile, the share of desktop traffic is 25.54%, and tablets account for 1.39%.

Overall, the share of mobile internet in Turkey is 59.2%.

Average Time Spent Online by Turks and Reasons Behind It

Turks spend an average of 6 hours and 57 minutes on the internet. Since 2023, this time has decreased by 26 minutes.

According to preferences in using devices to access the internet, smartphones take the first place. Users spend an average of 4 hours and 7 minutes online through smartphones, while only 2 hours and 50 minutes are spent through desktops.

The reasons why Turks prefer to spend time on the internet are diverse. They include:

• Searching for information
• Receiving news and information about events
• Watching tutorials
• Seeking inspiration
• Studying products and brands

Social Media Statistics in Turkey in 2024

In January 2024, the number of active social media users in Turkey was 57.50 million. However, an analysis by Kepios showed that the number of users decreased by 400 thousand.

This number of social media users accounted for 66.8% of Turkey’s total population. However, it’s worth noting that social media users may not be unique individuals.

A broader analysis shows that in January 2024, 77.3% of all internet users in Turkey, regardless of age, used at least one social media platform.

In terms of gender, 47.1% of social media users in Turkey were female, while 52.9% were male.

Mobile Connections in Turkey in 2024

As of the beginning of 2024, Turkey had registered 80.69 million cellular mobile connections, according to GSMA Intelligence. However, it is important to note that many individuals may use more than one mobile connection, for personal and professional purposes, leading to a significant excess of connections over the population.

According to GSMA Intelligence, in January 2024, the number of mobile connections in Turkey accounted for 93.8% of the total population.

Over the period from the beginning of 2023 to the beginning of 2024, the number of mobile connections in Turkey increased by 37 thousand, representing a growth of 0.05%.

How do people prefer to receive information

The most popular device in Turkey is mobile phones, owned by 98.9% of the population. Over the past year, the number of smartphone users has increased by 1.2%, while the number of feature phone owners has decreased by 6.3%.

Given that mobile phones are the primary device for residents of Turkey,

• 98.8% use the internet via smartphones,
• 90.6% use the internet via desktops/laptops,
• 95.9% use social networks,
• 76.2% watch streaming TV.

Interestingly, only in the category of internet usage via smartphones is there an increase in interest, while in other categories, there is a decline. This is likely due to the fact that people find it more convenient to receive information through mobile devices in their daily lives.

Mobile App Market in Turkey

The total number of app downloads in Turkey stands at 3.94 billion, reflecting a year-on-year growth in downloads by 5.5%.

On average, users spent $908.6 million on in-app purchases over the year, indicating a 31.1% increase in investments.

This implies that developing proprietary apps or utilizing mobile advertising makes sense to attract users’ attention to a brand where the audience spends most of its time.

For instance, among the most popular apps are social networks, messengers, photo and video editing apps, and mobile games.

Games hold a special place in the market as they engage a large audience. According to surveys, 86.1% of Turkish users play games on any device. Among the most popular games for download in Turkey in 2024 are:

• Roblox
• Pubg Mobile
• Brawl Stars
• Subway Surfers
• Candy Crush Saga

E-commerce in Turkey: Popular Segments

With each passing year, online shopping is becoming increasingly prevalent. For companies investing in advertising, it’s important to know which product categories consumers are paying attention to.

In 2024, the most popular category was electronics, with a turnover of $8.26 billion. Following that are:

• Fashion: $3.88 billion
• Food: $480 million
• Beverages: $100 million
• Furniture: $580 million
• Beauty/Care: $920 million
• Toys/Hobbies: $250 million
• Over-the-counter pharmaceuticals: $110 million

How Turkish Audience Prefers to Learn About Brands

The primary source of information about brands for the Turkish audience remains search advertising, accounting for 39.1% of the total volume. It is followed by:

• Advertising on social media: 38.5%
• Television advertising: 36.4%
• Advertising in mobile applications 31.8%

When it comes to interacting with a brand’s digital marketing, the most popular method is researching about the brand before making a purchase. This is followed by:

• Visiting the brand’s website
• Clicking on banner ads on the website
• Clicking on advertising on social media
• Downloading or using the brand’s application

It can be concluded that search advertising remains an important channel. However, it is worth noting that some organic traffic may be influenced by media advertising, as users often search for a brand after seeing advertising, for example, in an application or on a website.

Advertising Expenditure in Turkey

The advertising market in Turkey is actively growing each year. Total spending on online and offline advertising amounts to $2.83 billion, representing a yearly growth of 6.2%.

The digital segment holds a significant share of the total advertising expenditure, accounting for $1.51 billion or 53.3%. This underscores its pivotal role in the modern advertising industry.

Regarding the allocation of budget within the digital segment, the top 3 categories are:

• Search advertising: $497.2 million
• Video advertising: $396 million
• Banner advertising: $359 million

Interestingly, more than half (53.2%) of the expenditure in the digital segment is dedicated to mobile devices.

Programmatic Advertising in Turkey 2024

It is noteworthy that a significant portion of advertising expenditures in Turkey is conducted through programmatic advertising, accounting for 75.4%.

Interestingly, statistics from Statista predict that by 2028, 77% of digital advertising revenue will come from programmatic advertising. Considering the current trend, where the share of programmatic advertising already exceeds 75%, it is anticipated to reach 90%, according to our experts’ opinions.

Regarding programmatic advertising in Turkey, expenditures amounted to $1.15 billion, reflecting a yearly growth of 10.3%.

All facts about the digital market in Turkey indicate that advertisers are increasingly focusing on the mobile segment due to the high activity of users on mobile devices.

To enhance effectiveness and convenience, they actively leverage programmatic advertising tools. The advantage of programmatic advertising lies in precise targeting, which contributes to increased interaction levels with the audience.

By the way, our company, BYYD, specializes in advertising within mobile applications and has numerous successful case studies with well-known brands. You can learn more about them by following this link.

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