Social Media

BeReal’s latest feature zeroes in on celebs: RealPeople feed of intriguing people aims to boost engagement with app.

TikTok is launching ad product Pulse Premiere, an extension of Pulse that allows publishers like Condé Nast, Buzzfeed, and NBC to make money off of ads featured by all of their own content, according to the Wall Street Journal. The new product is part of TikTok’s efforts to make the platform more appealing to publishers, even as risks of a US ban loom.

Snapchat didn’t learn from Microsoft Bing growing pains: The My AI chatbot is disturbing social media users, with some wanting to delete the app. Tech companies are wise to exercise caution.

Snap is having trouble monetizing because Snapchat is primarily a chat platform, and “messaging apps are notoriously difficult to monetize,” according to our analyst Jasmine Enberg. The company could lean into its software as a service retail offerings, but consumers also aren’t sold on AR for shopping. Just 12.4% of US adults use AR for shopping, according to our forecast.

Australia's creator economy has an authenticity problem: Many influencer campaigns don't include proper disclosures.

After service interruptions and a fee of $50,000 a month to access Twitter’s API, the MTA is now relying on its own apps and alerts. Other utilities could follow suit, shedding value for Twitter.

On today's episode, we discuss what the new normal looks like at Netflix, why its ad-supported tier isn't helping much, and what the first DVD ever mailed by the company was. "In Other News," we talk about Meta, TikTok, and YouTube facing off at this year's NewFronts and whether instant videos could be the next big AI development. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

Reddit pilots chat channels to expand communication options: Move seen as effort to boost users’ time spent with platform and not on rivals like Discord.

Shorts wants to take ad dollars from TikTok: YouTube uses the NewFronts to tout their short-form video format.

Bluesky generates a buzz: Twitter lookalike app draws VIP interest, could bode well for decentralized networks.

Thirty-one percent of US adults said social media has a positive effect on their mental health, per YouGov. However, almost as many (30%) feel it has a negative influence. Across generations, millennials are most likely to report a positive effect, while Gen Xers are more likely to cite a negative impact.

As the first digitally native generation, marketers must recognize that what works for older demographics won’t necessarily work for Gen Z. On social media, Gen Z expects brands to understand the different ways they use each channel, while on streaming, content remains king (though price is an important factor).

Pinterest beats analyst expectations, but faces greater costs and large net loss: Can the platform spend to grow during times of relative austerity?

Pinterest partners with Amazon to attract more advertisers and improve shopability: The move allows the social media platform to benefit from booming retail media demand, while growing Amazon Ads’ reach and inventory.

On today's episode, we discuss whether social media in the future will become less social or if it will go away altogether, what the streaming wars' battle royale looks like, how easy it would be to replace Twitter and TikTok, how people think their demographics are portrayed in ads, the fight for the car screen, where Americans have moved in the last 10 years, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of reports editing Rahul Chadha, analyst Blake Droesch, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.

Meta outperforms in Q1, aided by China advertisers: As cost cuts continue, the company’s Q2 outlook suggests growth may be returning.

Gen Zers value authenticity; male beauty consumers ask marketers to keep it simple; and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) beauty consumers want representation. Here are tactics to reach three different beauty consumers across #beautytok.

A possible TikTok ban reveals demographic fault lines: Young voters and Democrats are far more likely to oppose a ban.

ByteDance’s Lemon8 makes waves on the app charts: TikTok’s owner is expanding in the US with another app. It won’t evade scrutiny, but there’s a chance of success internationally.

The company will open up the metaverse to teens and invest in games to drive VR adoption just as Apple firms up plans to compete in immersive AR/VR.