Pinterest’s commerce efforts pay off: The discovery platform reported strong growth in both user numbers and ad revenues for Q4, driven by its shopping ad offerings.
Snapchat hits 265 million DAU: The platform saw a 22% year-over-year jump in daily active users in Q4, but it’s not so bright-eyed about Q1 because of a rocky January and upcoming iOS changes.
Live, audio-first platforms will likely have to have to address content moderation challenges with AI-enabled transcription and captioning tools.
eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Nicole Perrin discusses whether major marketers will pull spending on social platforms because of brand safety and ethical concerns, what to make of Facebook's new advertiser “topic exclusion controls” test, and the types of content consumers prefer brands avoid the most. She then talks about tech companies introducing rules that favor their own business models, Facebook's relationship with political content, and whether Google is waving goodbye to Australia.
Earlier this week, Mars Wrigley’s M&M's brand gave fans a sneak peak of its Super Bowl ad via Zoom, its first-ever "virtual" debut. It’s just one of several efforts the company is working on leading up to Sunday’s big game.
Platforms invest in Black creators: Kicking off Black History Month, Big Tech companies are emphasizing support for Black creators, rolling out new initiatives altogether as they work to uplift the community and take a stand.
Can social media ban all the bullies?
eMarketer junior forecasting analyst Zach Goldner and senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Oscar Orozco discuss how US media use will change in 2021: Are fewer Americans watching TV, which digital devices are being used more, and how much time is spent with TikTok and Disney+? They then talk about how much people are willing to pay for TV streaming, virtually co-viewing digital content, and whether video games have replaced music as the most important aspect of youth culture.
Instagram limits sharing posts to Stories: The platform says that users complained about the practice, betraying a growing discontent with the amount of influencer marketing and business cross-promotion on the app.
You’ve got mail—from Facebook: The social giant is the second after Twitter to announce plans for a subscription newsletter service, but a lack of trust in the platforms could deter journalists.
eMarketer principal analysts Mark Dolliver and Sara M. Watson, vice president of research Jennifer Pearson, and junior analyst at Insider Intelligence Blake Droesch discuss the pivotal decision of Facebook's Oversight Board to ban former President Donald Trump, private search engines making a push, whether social media damages teenagers' health, whether baby boomers will want to shop online post-pandemic, Apple's reported paywalled podcast platform, what happens to astronauts when they're in space, and more.
Social media memes have been around for over a decade, but the last twelve months have solidified their position as a staple of digital communication. While the topics themselves are no laughing matter, lighthearted humor about shared struggles has become a coping mechanism—or simply a much-needed distraction—for many.
eMarketer senior analyst at Insider Intelligence Jasmine Enberg discusses when travel (and travel advertising) will recover and some good and not-so-good examples of how travel advertisers are running campaigns. She then talks about whether Twitter can make a space for healthy conversations, our expectations for WhatsApp, and the significance of social platforms ending the year looking more alike than ever.
Twitter gets newsier: The social company bought newsletter publishing platform Revue as it works to provide creators an opportunity to grow their audiences and hopefully bring them back to Twitter.
eMarketer senior analyst at Insider Intelligence Ross Benes discusses Netflix's Q4 earnings and market position. He then talks about whether lesser-known streaming services can make some noise, YouTube's shoppable videos, and how Peacock's exclusive streaming deal with WWE Network can make its content offering more attractive.
Influencer marketing will keep booming this year. Instagram will capture a great deal of this growth in the short term, but TikTok is beginning to make a name for itself as an influencer marketing destination.
UK Facebook users to get curated news: Facebook is expanding its News tab to the UK after securing licensing deals with the country's major news providers.
eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Debra Aho Williamson discusses TikTok's future: Can it keep operating in the US? If so, what will user growth and engagement look like going forward? She then talks about marketers' attitudes toward influencer marketing, major social media trends of 2021, and the prospects of live shopping on social media in the US.
TikTok ramps up its effort to pull in creators: The short-form video app launched a portal for creators, where TikTok creators can get advice on how to monetize content.
Memes can be an inexpensive and powerful tool for brands to connect and engage with their audiences on social media. They can help build brand equity and awareness through in-the-moment, lighthearted content.