BuzzFeed has created a commerce site for its lifestyle brand, Goodful, while Time has launched a platform for product recommendations and reviews. TikTok’s Pulse Premiere program offers publishers 50% of ad revenues and a brand safety guarantee.

TikTok is going all-in on in-app purchases; Meta is focused on shoppable ads; and YouTube hopes to gain a competitive advantage through its strong creator relationships. All of this is happening as we forecast US retail social commerce sales will grow nearly 30% this year to hit $68.92 billion

US marketers will spend over $1 billion more on influencer marketing in 2023 than they did last year, per our forecast. We lay out six tactics to maximize the impact of those dollars.

Reels and Shorts are gaining users and adding ad options. They still lag TikTok in several key areas, but now is the time for video advertisers to give them another look.

Snap’s new product lineup, revealed at Snapchat Partner Summit 2023, proves the company is still as innovative as ever. But under the excitement lie big questions about the state of its core ad business.

Gen Zers make up about 20% of the US population, and they’re growing up. The digitally native generation has unique shopping habits after going through the pandemic during their formative years. From TikTok to the creator economy to payments trends, here’s how our analysts predict Gen Z will change shopping.

Generative AI will serve as a creative spark for sponsored content and spur new growth in the creator economy.

TikTok has broken social media with its addictive short-form videos, according to The Economist. While “broken” may be a bit strong, our analyst Debra Aho Williamson agrees that TikTok has irrevocably changed the way we engage with social media, including how much time we spend on the platform.

Plummeting VC investment in creator economy startups may make it seem like the creator economy was overblown. But VC investment is just one part of the picture, and brands should not take the funding chill as a sign to slow spending on influencer marketing.

Creator economy features have stopped working on Twitter: Whether they’re being abandoned or are broken due to missing personnel is anyone’s guess.

The creator economy has permeated nearly every industry and redefined how people think about making a living. But the landscape is changing, driven by shifts in relationships between the key stakeholders.

The South by Southwest festival returned to Austin, Texas, in full force this year, with discussions on the future of technology, brands, and marketing. Here, we lay out the top trends and takeaways.

TikTok’s future in the US is at an inflection point. Marketers who rely on the app must be prepared to pivot quickly if there is a significant change in the way the platform operates.

A TikTok ban would put influencer payment policies to the test: YouTube and Instagram are eyed as alternative platforms as the TikTok debate heats up.

Generative AI is a powerful brainstorming and content refinement tool for both marketers and creators. It will streamline the content creation process, but marketers need to be aware of its limitations.

TikTok still won’t give clear info on creator payouts: Its new Creativity Program promises higher revenues but conveniently skirts around the specifics.

The “de-influencing” influence: The new trend of creators recommending what not to buy reflects a tough economy, disdain for fakery.

Facing signal loss and challenging macroeconomic conditions, advertisers are pumping the brakes on social network ad spending. But social video is shining through the gloom.

Meta succeeds against US regulators but takes a major blow in the EU: Meta insists that news isn’t part of its business model, but its pivot to Reels hits a major roadblock.

One year after the company’s name change, Meta’s business is in disarray. We explore the reasons for the downturn, our two-year outlook, and how companies that rely on Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta platforms should adjust their strategies.