More than a quarter (26%) of marketers worldwide use YouTube for influencer marketing strategies, according to a September 2024 report by the Influencer Marketing Hub. Another 25% uses the platform for organic content marketing.

TikTok, World Health Organization join forces to combat medical misinformation: After being scrutinized for the impact that misinformation on its platform has had on younger users, TikTok is taking a page out of YouTube’s book to fight it.

YouTube is doubling down on social connectivity and AI tools to stay competitive with rivals like TikTok and Meta. The platform’s new suite of features introduced last week include Communities, a fan’s ability to boost creators’ videos, generative AI (genAI) video tools, and gifting. These innovations mimic what’s working on other social media platforms as YouTube seeks to remain social even as it builds out its connected TV business.

A third (33%) of US influencers believe that if TikTok is sold or banned in the US next year, Facebook Reels will become the next major player in short-form video, per August 2024 data by First Insight. Instagram Reels is close, at 32%.

More than double the percentage of marketers worldwide say their primary goals on YouTube are top-of-funnel, driving brand awareness, versus bottom-of-funnel, driving conversions, per August 2024 data by the Influencer Marketing Hub.

Facebook and YouTube dominate, but the rise of unverified stories poses a challenge to credible reporting.

The number of companies that generate more than $1 billion in annual US CTV ad sales grew from two in 2020 to five in 2024

Platforms owners like Meta and Snap face scrutiny over data exploitation and child privacy laws. Regulatory action could disrupt their ad-based profits.

The number of companies generating more than $1 billion in annual US CTV ad sales more than doubled from two in 2020 to five in 2024. With ad dollars spreading out among services, a few streaming platforms stand out because of their heavy usage.

Social shoppers find inspiration for their purchases from many different types of content, but none more so than creator, influencer, or celebrity influencer content.

MrBeast’s season of scandal dampens Prime Video’s game show plans: A class action lawsuit alleges sexual harassment on the set of a game show aimed at young audiences.

YouTube claims 10.4% of daily time spent with TV in the US, according to July 2024 data by Nielsen.

New AI tools promise to boost Shorts content, but a flood of formulaic videos could make creators disappear in the algorithm noise.

YouTube pause ads grow with smart TV rollout: As YouTube explores passive ad formats, it must balance ad revenue with audience satisfaction amid mixed reactions from users.

In seven charts, this report tells the story of some of the most critical trends that digital leaders need to know about in 2024 and beyond.

Contrary to popular belief, not every creator has a podcast. But those who do are a driving force behind the roughly $1.50 billion US creators will generate from digital audio distribution channels this year.

Gen Z’s complicated path to purchase leans heavily on digital platforms and channels. But offline resources still play a key role.

Shopping has spread across the entire social ecosystem. Our survey of social shoppers found that the kinds of goods and services people buy differ meaningfully across the platforms.

Next year, US monthly social network users will reach 236.4 million, exceeding the 228.6 million linear TV viewers, according to our June 2024 forecast.