TikTok was the No. 1 mobile app in the US last year, with 94.0 million downloads, a 6% increase over 2020. Runners-up Instagram and Snapchat reached 64.0 million downloads and 56.0 million downloads, respectively, meaning the three most downloaded apps in the US were all photo- and video-sharing platforms.

Meta’s earnings miss shows the vulnerability of its ad revenue model: The company could be in for a $10 billion hit from Apple’s privacy changes, and the rise of TikTok isn’t helping.

On today's episode, we discuss what the next, most important initiatives will be for TikTok. We then talk about what YouTube plans to do with its short-form video format "Shorts" and whether LinkedIn's audio events will work out. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

Some brands are now dedicating up to 90% of their marketing budget to social advertising. Those who embrace automation and drive cross-platform campaigns are the advertisers that will win in 2022.

TikTok takes up more of its users’ time than any other social media platform in the US. This year, adult TikTok users will spend an average of 38 minutes per day on the short-video app. Twitter ranks second, with a daily average of 35 minutes, while third-place Facebook will see 31 minutes per day from the average adult user.

Creator funds see mixed success: Social platforms offer more monetization tools than ever, but many content providers still struggle to get paid.

US Instagram ad impressions are split mostly between two formats. For the US clients of performance marketing firm Tinuiti, 47.0% of impressions came from the feed and 42.0% from Stories in Q4 2021.

Instagram introduces subscriptions as it vies for control of the creator economy: As Instagram’s cachet diminishes among younger audiences, it hopes monetization tools will keep creators from turning to other platforms.

Snapchat’s user base in the region grew almost 70% in 2021, to 107 million, compared with just 3.4% in North America.

Close to 75% US marketers will tap influencers for campaigns this year, up about 5 percentage points from 2021.

US marketers' interest in TikTok for influencer marketing has skyrocketed since early 2020, as the app has transformed from a novelty to a social media mainstay. Nearly two-thirds of US influencer marketers plan to use the video sharing app in 2022.

Asia-Pacific will no longer produce huge increases in new social network users, but the sheer scale of the region means it should remain front and center for social media marketers. Facebook will remain on top, but TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are making waves.

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.

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.

TikTok is now the third-largest worldwide social network, according to our inaugural forecast. It will have 60% more users than Snapchat and twice as many as Twitter this year.

Nearly 400 million people in Latin America will use social networks in 2022. Facebook remains the region's biggest platform, but it will experience its slowest user growth on record this year as TikTok and Instagram make gains.

TikTok is the fastest-growing social platform amid slow overall social network user gains in the UK. Facebook remains the dominant force, but as its user base ages, its grip will begin to slip.

TikTok is now the third largest social network in the US, ahead of Snapchat and Pinterest. Facebook won’t be able to stop the teen exodus, Instagram’s user base is growing older, and Twitter will start losing users.

TikTok aims to generate $12 billion in ad sales this year: Reaching that goal requires the social video platform to lure more large advertisers.

Social video advertising is now capable of driving benefits throughout the funnel. Advertisers expect to prioritize a few key paid social strategies in 2022, including developing more native video ad creative, promoting creator videos as paid ads, investing more in ISR, and supporting efforts around still-emerging shopping livestreams on social platforms.