Our exclusive primary research survey reveals which platforms US social media users feel most comfortable buying on, and why trust is essential for the future growth of social commerce.

Lower receptivity to advertising on social could indicate a deficiency of trust. According to a January 2021 YouGov survey that asked which advertising types are deemed trustworthy, US adults were least likely to cite social media advertising. Just 19% said they find ads on social media either very or somewhat trustworthy. Consumers in other global markets had higher levels of trust.

eMarketer principal analyst Mark Dolliver, junior analyst Blake Droesch and vice president of content studio at Insider Intelligence Paul Verna discuss polarization on Facebook, whether kids spend more time on TikTok or YouTube, how much people trust influencers, Facebook trying to make TV social, out-of-home advertising in Q1, podcast ad skipping, pyramids where they shouldn't be and more.

Move over, celebrities and mega-influencers. Creators with smaller followings will be the strategic play in the influencer marketing world in 2022.

Younger generations are more likely to buy products based on influencer recommendations, as well as consider them reliable. However, these demographics still see influencers as less trustworthy than other sources.

Trust is paramount: “The risks of live content are high,” said Nicholas Vincent DiSanto, vice president of influencer platform Activate by Impact. “So, you must choose an influencer you trust. That's really the fundamental first component, and it influences all the subsequent decision-making.”.

Move over, celebrities and mega-influencers. Creators with smaller followings will be the strategic play in the influencer marketing world in 2022. Consumers view nano- and micro-influencers as “people like me,” which makes them more likely to trust and take action based on their recommendations.

Many consumers don’t think politics and influencers should mix. In a CivicScience survey from February 2020, around the time of then-presidential candidate and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s meme drop, just 14% of US internet users strongly or somewhat supported political campaigns working with influencers. There’s also an issue of trust.

The explosion in vertical video is creating both opportunities and challenges for the Story format. Stories are evolving quickly on Instagram and remain a top venue for influencer activations. But Twitter’s decision to kill off Fleets shows they aren’t popular on all platforms.