Social Media

Over half of Gen Zers discover products primarily on TikTok and Instagram: Google’s relevance is fading as social search takes over.

Nextdoor bets on AI-driven content to fuel long-term growth: The platform’s NEXT initiative will transform past user discussions into monetizable recommendations, prioritizing engagement over short-term ad revenues.

This week, new advertisers enter the podcast space, consumers discourage brand desperation, and brands take notes from Netflix.

Reels may get its own app: Instagram is reportedly exploring a standalone platform as it vies to draw attention away from TikTok.

A dedicated Instagram Reels app could give Meta an edge over TikTok—or fragment its audience. If users resist another app, Instagram’s video dominance could take a hit.

"You're spending a lot of money. Do you know where your ads are?'" Jonah Goodhart, co-founder and CEO of Mobian, said on our "Behind the Numbers" podcast, evoking the classic PSA. Meta announced in January it would replace fact checking with Community Notes, worrying advertisers about brand safety.

YouTube strives to make ads less disruptive: The platform is changing its approach to mid-roll ads to appease viewers, creators, and brands alike.

The uncertain future of TikTok and the changing social media landscape has made complicated partnerships and engagement measurement in the creator economy. But creators are ready.

Snapchat enhances brand safety features: The changes stand in contrast with Meta scaling back its brand safety commitments.

Instagram introduces Testimonials: The addition to Partnership Ads lets creators get paid for sponsored comments to boost Instagram’s influencer marketing ecosystem.

While retail media networks (RMNs) sell brand safety and predictability to marketers, influencer marketing boasts direct access to loyal audiences. Pairing these two channels together, experts stress, can drive significant growth for brands. Nine in 10 US marketers plan to promote their creator partnerships via RMNs in 2025, according to an October 2024 LTK survey.

X adds automated, AI-generated ad creation: The move is another attempt for X to win back brands the platform lost.

On today’s special edition podcast, we talk about how brands are rising to the challenge of finding the right influencers and creators for campaigns. Listen to the discussion with Senior Analyst, Minda Smiley, as she hosts N’Yaisha Aziz, Global Social Media Lead at Uber, and Rodney Mason, the Head of Marketing and Brand Partnerships at LTK. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Shoppable beauty ads lose luster: Industry KPI engagement data suggests the sector’s social commerce wave is slowing.

A lot happens in a week, so every Friday we're going to analyze all the new data and provide you with some of the key takeaways. Welcome to Friday 5.

With Facebook’s ad growth slowing, Meta is paying influencers to revive the platform—but can cash alone compete with TikTok and Instagram’s cultural dominance?

Nine in 10 consumers worldwide have a profile on Facebook, according to a January report from Sprout Social.

Paywalls, contextual ads, and in-platform transactions could enhance Reddit’s profits without alienating its community-focused user base.

On today’s special edition podcast, we discuss the evolution of creator content, how content is migrating off social channels, brand partnerships and the implications of AI on content. Join Vice President and Principal Analyst, Jasmine Enberg as she hosts Nicole Weltman, Head of Social from Taco Bell, Bryan Reisberg, Creator, CEO, and Co-Founder of Little Chonk, and Sarah Crockett, Senior Vice President and CMO of DSW. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.