Pinterest and LinkedIn get top marks on social media trust report card: Research reveals users have low confidence overall in platforms’ ability to safeguard their information.

Next year, for the first time, more than half of US social network users will buy via social platforms.

Advertisers are ditching a tumultuous Twitter in the wake of Elon Musk’s erratic behavior, combined with an underwhelming (or downright concerning) earnings season for Big Tech.

As political advertising grows, social media's role has evolved: More ad collars are flowing to CTV now, though campaigns are approaching influencers to support candidates.

Following a turbulent third quarter in advertising, our updated forecast shows it’s not all bad news.

Twitter and TikTok regulatory losses would be Meta’s gain: Musk’s Twitter acquisition has attracted federal scrutiny and TikTok could get banned. There might be hope for Facebook and Snapchat after all.

UK consumers’ hearty appetite for ecommerce hasn’t extended to social shopping. But there is strong potential for growth as TikTok triggers a new wave of community-driven commerce.

In the last year, Meta—and the overall US digital ad market—have changed significantly. Here are seven strategies from our “The Future of Meta” report that marketers should embrace in the new year.

Insights from the Future of Meta report: We look at key VR hardware and software opportunities for Meta’s future as the company leverages its dominance in VR headsets to build its vision for the metaverse.

Despite the fact that Meta has bulked up its ad offerings quite a bit this year, its ad revenues were down nearly 4% in the third quarter.

Meta faces rocky road to reverse underperformance: Q3 shows revenue outlook weakening as metaverse projects swell expenses.

For many, Facebook’s new name introduced “the metaverse” as a concept. But a year out, most people have not entered the metaverse. Right now, Meta’s facelift doesn’t appear to have legs. (Quite literally—the little Horizon Worlds avatars still don’t have legs.)

About half of US Gen Z and millennial social users make purchases on social media, compared to 38% of US adults overall. Boomers are the least likely to buy via social.

There’s still a large percentage of social media users who don’t buy via social. Understanding what makes current social buyers buy can help brands and platforms increase sales and potentially grow their customer bases.

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.

Last October, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was rebranding as Meta and setting its sights on the metaverse, which he dubbed the “successor to the mobile internet.” But 12 months and more than $15 billion later, the company has little to show for it.

BeReal is the newest kid on the social media block. The app has already captured the attention of Gen Z, and its growing popularity has sparked copycat features from Snapchat, Instagram and, yes, even TikTok. But do brands of all stripes need to embrace BeReal—or is it not ready for primetime just yet

One year later, a new headset—and , a whole set of challenges: Nearly one year and $15 billion later, Meta’s vision for the metaverse remains optimistic even if a focus on business and productivity apps seems premature and risky.

Just 18% of US social media users are confident that Facebook protects their privacy and data, down from 27% last year. Confidence is particularly low among the oldest and youngest users surveyed, at 10% within the baby boomer generation and 18% within Gen Z.

Q3 wasn’t an easy quarter for Meta. Snap is in a tough spot. TikTok was the elephant in the room amid its rivals’ disappointing Q2 earnings calls.