TikTok is the social commerce platform of the moment, as brands and marketers look to cash in on the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt phenomenon. While TikTok may not have as large a shopper base as Facebook or Instagram, its shoppers are highly active and engaged.

Our analyst Andrew Lipsman is joined by Sara Livingston, head of customer solutions at Rockerbox, to discuss where direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands' Facebook ad budgets are flowing since iOS tracking changes disrupted ad targeting and measurement last year. Find out why Google, TikTok, and connected TV are capturing more spend and how D2C budgets are likely to migrate in the coming years.

On today's episode, we discuss whether Donald Trump's new "Truth Social" platform can make some noise, Facebook rebranding the News Feed, whether LinkedIn is the best social network, Uber and Lyft's rebound, how Apple changed Facebook, an unpopular opinion about Disney, where Valentine's Day came from, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of forecasting Oscar Orozco and analysts Blake Droesch and Peter Vahle.

On today's episode, we discuss how concerned everyone should be about Facebook's latest Q4 earnings showing that daily active users were shrinking for the first time ever. Then for "In Other News," we talk about consumers' current feelings about social commerce and the likelihood of social media subscriptions catching on. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

On today's episode, we discuss the main takeaways from Facebook's corporate name change to Meta, Instagram's affiliate shops development, how out-of-stock messages could affect advertising, Instagram Reels ads versus TikTok paid ads, selling out this year's Super Bowl ads, reacquainting yourself with the commute, a hidden secret in the number pi, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer analyst Blake Droesch and principal analysts at Insider Intelligence Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna.

Two years in, Meta’s latest ecommerce effort fails to resonate: Retailers are frustrated by the lack of basic elements, such as the ability to display products in multiple colors.

Two years in, Meta’s latest ecommerce effort fails to resonate: Ecommerce could soften the blow to its ad business, but it’s struggling to catch on.

While TikTok may not have as large a shopper base as Facebook or Instagram, its shoppers are highly active and engaged. TikTok is a strong driver of purchase intent. If #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has taught us anything, it’s that a seemingly random assortment of products, from yoga pants to carpet cleaners to ranch dressing, can quickly go viral and lead to sales.

How should businesses view these global trends and events? How are behaviors and spending changing? In this report, Insider Intelligence analysts weigh in on the questions they’re being asked by both clients and the media about the shifting landscape in key areas like digital advertising, retail and ecommerce, and financial services.

Indeed, it seems Facebook has become the dystopian reality that the metaverse was designed to escape from. Despite its expansion of services and widening influence, Facebook remains a legacy web portal at its core. It is still subject to the rules and laws that govern the World Wide Web.

Facebook: Fewer New Product Launches as Priorities Shift. Facebook had a relatively slow Q2 in terms of new features and ad products. It makes sense: Building the metaverse isn’t cheap, and Facebook is also dealing with major challenges to its ad business. Ad and Monetization Product Updates. Meta Is Developing ‘Basic Ads’.

YouTube Will Bet Big(ger) on Livestream Shopping. YouTube isn’t the largest social commerce platform, but it isn’t the smallest either. With its wide array of creators and content, YouTube is already an important source of inspiration for US social buyers. However, its total buyer base is partially limited by its less developed commerce ecosystem—especially when compared with Facebook and Instagram.

The targeted model will dominate the West due to tighter privacy rules, rising scrutiny of Big Tech monopolies, and consumers’ penchant for shopping around. Standalone apps are widely accessible through mature, platform-based app marketplaces, which will limit super apps’ scale.

Retail media advertising sits at the intersection of two major digital disruptions unfolding in Latin America: the meteoric rise of ecommerce and reallocation of ad dollars toward digital formats. While still nascent, retail media will play a larger part of brands’ marketing strategies in 2022.

Cybersecurity firm Mandiant released a report indicating that Beijing-linked Dragonbridge used thousands of fake social media accounts on Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter to spread disinformation, per The Register. The US Department of Defense is investigating Dragonbridge's campaign against Australia-based Lynas Rare Earths, which has a $30 million Pentagon contract to build a plant in Texas.

Data from ecommerce software company Triple Whale showed that TikTok has been the biggest beneficiary as advertisers diversify their portfolios: Ad spending on Facebook among its customers fell by 23.5% between Q4 2021 and Q1 2022, while spending on TikTok grew by around 105%.

Over 500 million people in Europe will use social networks monthly in 2022—with more than half hailing from Central and Eastern Europe. Facebook will remain the largest platform, but its lead is shrinking as Instagram and TikTok expand.

Insurtechs like Root and Lemonade commit the bulk of their digital ad budgets to Facebook, while most incumbents focus on desktop display, per February 2020 Pathmatics data. (Allstate is an exception, having raised Facebook spend from 1% of its digital ad spend in 2016 to over half starting in 2018.).

Brand Spotlight: Petco Tests Live Shopping on Facebook. When petcare company Petco hosted a live fashion show and dog adoption drive in early 2021, it tapped creators to keep viewers engaged and bring in audiences. Petco promoted the event through a paid social ad campaign, in partnership with Blue Hour Studios.

Meta is aggressively pursuing ecommerce. “As Apple's changes make ecommerce and customer acquisition less effective on the web, solutions that allow businesses to set up shop right inside our apps will become increasingly attractive,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during the company’s Q3 2021 earnings—likely a play to boost retailers’ adoption of Facebook and Instagram Shops.