Despite Meta’s strong year, ByteDance is close behind: TikTok owner’s $29 billion in Q2 revenues rivals US giant, which lags far behind in growth.

Amazon turns to Meta, Snap partnerships to keep TikTok at bay: As the retailer moves in on social commerce, TikTok is beefing up its supply chain.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss a new lawsuit against Meta for designing its products to be addictive to kids, new paid ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram, and where Threads engagement is at. "In Other News," we talk about whether we will ever come together again on social media and if AI can help us get there. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

Meta showcases robust Q3 growth with $34.15 billion in revenues: Facebook and Instagram parent surges, despite Threads struggling to find its footing.

Overly complicated ideas don’t go viral on Reels. “Be brutal in the simplicity of your idea,” Rory McClenaghan, group strategy director at Molson Coors’ internal agency, Volt, said at Advertising Week New York 2023. If you can’t explain the Reels idea in four frames or fewer, it’s probably too complicated.

Meta introduces Broadcast Channels to Facebook and Messenger: The goal is to improve user engagement—but subscribers could get notification fatigue.

Even as TikTok ad revenues tick up, Meta will still account for 75.0% US ad dollars spent on social media this year, according to our forecast.

Facebook and Instagram Reels are growing in popularity, and provide an opportunity for brand marketers to extend their reach and engage with key audiences. With Meta’s new AI-powered brand suitability controls for Reels, marketers will be more empowered to craft suitable environments for their ads.

Next year, US influencer marketing spend will hit $5.89 billion, and 82.7% of marketers will use influencer marketing, according to our forecasts. While that figure still pales in comparison to the $75.08 billion going to social network ad spend, influencer marketing is growing at a faster rate.

Meta proposes ad-free subscriptions for EU users: A strategic shift ahead of 2024's Digital Services Act, with global implications.

In July and August, the US ad market saw its first consecutive two months of growth in over a year, according to Standard Media’s US Ad Market Tracker. Platforms are focused on keeping that momentum alive with several updates. Multiple platforms are boasting improved AI targeting and enhanced connected TV ad solutions. Here is everything new in September.

Just over 80% of US Gen Zers ages 15 to 26 use YouTube monthly, and almost the same percentage use Instagram or TikTok, per our July 2023 survey. More than half still visit Facebook. And though BeReal was the trendy app last year, only 15.1% of Gen Z respondents use it.

As retail media grows, it is changing. At the moment, search remains retail media’s bread and butter and sales ads are the best awareness drivers. In the future, in-store media and shoppable video ads may take on a bigger role. But no matter how ad formats change, one thing is for certain: Measurement will be key for retail media’s continued growth.

Streaming video and music top Gen Z adults’ media activities, but their digital lives aren't just about entertainment. The multitasking, multidevice cohort treats the intersection of media and technology as a lifeline for socializing and staying informed.

The old form of social networking may be dying. But our forecast shows people spend more time on social platforms, so marketers need to be aware of what the new era of social media looks like. Gen Z and TikTok certainly dominate social media headlines, but Meta maintains a stronghold, even as it struggles to make new endeavors like Threads take off.

US banking digital ad spending growth has slowed to a trickle and pushed marketers to rethink their allocation strategies. But 2024 looks more promising.

TikTok continues to attract a lot of attention, both good and bad. The hype around its heavily engaged and coveted Gen Z audience is real. But concerns over alleged privacy violations have made it a target for regulators, and user trust of the platform has suffered as a result.

Our forecast data reveals a mismatch between marketers who have been quick to transition to digital platforms, and consumers who are still spending time on traditional media like TV, newspapers, and radio. This year, 74.6% of all US ad spending will go toward digital media, while US adults will only spend 62.1% of their daily media time with digital, according to our forecast.

TikTok Shop became available across the US last week. The social video platform has a lot to gain in retail and ad revenues, but it risks facing the same challenges Meta has had with social commerce on Instagram—users' reluctance to actually complete purchases in app. But with sister app Douyin setting the blueprint for TikTok’s social commerce endeavors, the platform isn’t starting from scratch. Here’s a look at TikTok’s social commerce strategy and potential in five charts.

TikTok and Meta still struggle with content moderation: Threads has blocked search terms related to COVID-19, while TikTok cast too wide a net reining in Qanon.