The number of social network users in Canada continues to climb, as a wider variety of platforms become available that can satisfy user appetites for information, entertainment, and personal expression.

Augmented reality (AR) is becoming more widely available on social platforms. It’s mainly been a tool for entertainment and brand awareness, but the pandemic is pushing marketers to explore new use cases.

The coronavirus pandemic is changing how people interact, and mobile devices have served as a social and entertainment lifeline as Americans stay at home and practice social distancing measures. This report looks at how US adults are using those devices.

eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst Jasmine Enberg, and junior analyst at Insider Intelligence Blake Droesch discuss what they're paying attention to in 2021, and why: the rise of social entertainment, WhatsApp's next move, and stalling social commerce.

Social entertainment is here to stay. With the dramatic rise of TikTok, along with the growing number of traditional social platforms and standalone apps in this space, we are convinced that short, user-generated videos will be a lasting part of the social media landscape, particularly for organic and influencer marketing, paid advertising, and social commerce.

On today's episode, we discuss some digital audio developments from Spotify and iHeartMedia, how podcast advertising can add value, in-car audio entertainment, and what the first flavor of advertising on social audio platforms will look like. We then talk about what to expect from this years' Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Podcast Upfronts, how people are approaching podcast moderation, and the market for podcasts created for children. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Peter Vahle.

The return of live sports produced a flurry of licensing activity from broadcast networks and streaming services—including digital video, social, and ecommerce platforms. It also reignited concerns about the sustainability of pricing models for sports video and TV.

Remember in 2016 when Twitter decided it wasn’t a social network but rather a news app? It even went so far as to move the Twitter app into the “news app” section of app stores. TikTok is doing something similar; it’s trying to distance itself from rivals by positioning itself as an entertainment platform. But the lines between social and entertainment are blurred.

Social, entertainment, ecommerce, and collaboration are likely to take off first. The metaverse will be an upgraded experience from the current Chinese internet, where applications including social networking, video, and commerce have thrived over the past two decades. New immersive experiences like designing one’s virtual home likely will draw consumers’ attention.

The number of social network AR users continues to grow, and social networks are moving to offer more useful applications. They’re working to capitalize on more monetizable shopping, branding, and entertainment experiences. The rollout of 5G wireless networks will be a boon for XR applications.

As the first true generation of digital natives, Gen Z has had round-the-clock access to on-demand information, streaming entertainment, and instantaneous communication since birth. This report examines trends in Gen Z’s technology and media use.

Among teens, TikTok has become the most favored social/entertainment app, per Piper Sandler, paving the way for more social selling through the platform. The relative newcomer has already surpassed YouTube and Snapchat to become the third-most-popular social commerce platform for the 18-to-34 age group, per our survey.

But since memes also tap into several of the trends that the pandemic has accelerated—from the growth in user-generated content (UGC) and influencer marketing, to “making social media fun again” through social entertainment—it’s likely that memes will continue to flood many social feeds in 2021 and beyond.

In this year’s “Key Digital Trends” report, we examine changes coming to the digital media and technology landscape in 2021—including legislation, privacy, entertainment, social media, and more—and why they matter to marketers.

Spread social budgets across multiple platforms. As platform diversity continues to expand, focusing social media budgets on a single social network will limit your audience. TikTok’s rapid rise in user growth now makes it a viable promotional vehicle. Users favor certain social networks for a variety of aims—connecting with others, entertainment, and personal expression.

Social, entertainment, and ecommerce are likely to take off first. The metaverse will be an upgraded experience from the current Chinese internet, where applications including social networking, video, and commerce have thrived over the past two decades. New immersive experiences like designing one’s virtual home will likely draw consumers’ attention.

The metaverse has the potential to disrupt everything from business travel and the future of work to gaming, health and fitness, entertainment, marketing, and education. But despite the constant buzz surrounding the metaverse, it is still very early in its development. This means technology companies are racing to define their own metaverse business models. A look back.