TikTok is rolling out its Shop feature to all 100 million US users (per our May forecast), using a tab on the home screen to drive users to the marketplace and allowing videos directly containing purchase links, in order to drive in-app ecommerce traffic.
Patreon diversifies beyond payments with chat rooms: Is this enough to ensure its sustainability as a standalone service?
TikTok continues to grow as a search platform: A report found 51% of Gen Z prefers the app over Google. Meanwhile, the latter braces for a search antitrust trial.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether YouTube Shorts are cannibalizing long-form content, Instagram and Facebook users potentially being able to pay to avoid ads in Europe, how Netflix's password crackdown is getting on, whether serving multiple ads at once is a good idea, the impact of the Digital Services Act's arrival, how long it would take you to drive around every road in the US, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, analyst Bill Fisher, and forecasting analyst Zach Goldner.
“[Meta] has become more profitable for sure, but it is a leaner, meaner, and hopefully more efficient company,” our analyst Debra Aho Williamson said on a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.” The company’s 21,000 jobs cuts certainly helped boost its margins. “I think that this sets Meta up for a much better second half of this year.”
Spending on sponsored content will rise 3.5 times faster than social ad spending will this year. Social ad spending, including YouTube, still dwarfs influencer marketing spending, at $83.72 billion versus $5.14 billion in 2023, per our forecasts. But the different spending patterns are a clear indication that creators aren’t tied to social media. The trend holds true on every platform, as marketers continue to shift more budget into influencer marketing, particularly video.
On today's podcast episode, our vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti hosts a mock-debate-style analyst showdown on Meta versus TikTok. Analyst Debra Aho Williamson and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman go head to head, advocating on behalf of Meta (Debra) and TikTok (Jeremy) to prove which social platform is the bigger threat in three areas: getting people to spend time on each app, meeting advertisers’ needs, and AI innovation.
While Meta, Google, Apple, and programmatic display are all investment areas for M&C Saatchi Performance, the agency is shaking up some approaches for 2024. “We’re investing in all the tried-and-true performance basics,” said Jonathan Yantz, managing partner at M&C Saatchi Performance. “But we’re most excited about the CTV [connected TV] and influencer/creator spaces, since both are so dynamic now.”
TikTok leans into messaging: It’s ByteDance's move to counter Instagram's dominance and evolve as an all-encompassing digital hub.
Competition in the VR/XR ecosystem is heating up, and strategic hardware-software alliances could accelerate competition for Apple's premium products.
Social media fatigue is rising as users seek genuine connections over algorithm-driven content. Tech companies aren’t taking the hint.
Apple and Microsoft are targeted in new probes. Failure to comply with DMA rules could result in loss of business and alter Big Tech’s balance of power.
Effect House by TikTok rolls out: As TikTok broadens its AR horizon, creator incentives play a pivotal role in its evolving digital strategy.
Key stat: US influencer marketing spend will grow more than three times faster than social ad spend in 2023, and it will remain ahead through 2025, according to our forecast.
Meta mulls over ad-free options in Europe: Marketers need to brace for potential changes in audience targeting and ad costs.
Brooklinen is putting an emphasis on authenticity and relatable, real-world experiences in its paid social creative.
Meta's strategy to bolster Threads: Given Threads' declining user base, Instagram's promotional push could be a double-edged sword in the engagement game.
Is social media dead? Not exactly. But it has become “less social and more media,” as Insider reported.
Whether EU regulators are satisfied could set a global precedent for tech regulation, affirming smaller players like Slack in challenging market dominance.
Reels' next frontier: Instagram's strategic play against TikTok's and YouTube's video offerings, maximizing advertising opportunities.