Despite how consumers feel about it, politics remains a core part of the social media experience. This report explores how marketers should navigate social in the aftermath of the 2020 US presidential election.

Consumers care about companies’ values, but they have varying expectations of how brands reflect these values. To navigate the polarized political and social landscape, companies need to begin with a clear understanding of their brand values, communicate with authenticity, and strike a balance between engagement, action, and restraint.

Communities, creators, and connection are the keys to success for brands looking to generate sales on TikTok in 2022.

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.

Our fifth annual primary research survey reveals the level of trust US social media users have in nine major social platforms, and the role trust plays in the willingness to engage with advertising on those platforms.

On today's episode, we discuss the main takeaways from Snapchat and Twitter's Q4 performance. Then for "In Other News," we talk about why social platforms are pivoting toward more professionally created content and the significance of Snapchat testing mid-roll ads within Stories. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg.

Among US social video viewers, YouTube is the most popular place to watch live content, with 52.0% tuning in on the platform. Facebook ranks as their second app of choice, used by 42.6% for live video, while Instagram and TikTok tie for third with 33.4%.

The influx of political content and ad dollars for the upcoming US presidential election will inevitably impact commercial advertisers on social media. Understanding the political ad cycle and consumer attitudes toward political content can help brands better reach their audiences.

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.