AR, VR, and video games present opportunities that marketers can tap into right now.

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

Read the latest Insider Intelligence stories about the metaverse.

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.

ES: Pricing, performance, and ease of use dictated who owned the market in the early days of personal computing. Today, VR ecosystems and platforms continue that trend as the metaverse takes shape: Consumers, developers, and content producers will eventually decide the future of the metaverse, but they will be limited by hardware’s capabilities. We look at the state of VR hardware, the key players, and how gaming could serve as a gateway to VR/AR adoption.

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.

Is the Banning Surveillance Advertising Act a threat? Even if the US bill to limit targeted ads doesn’t pass, its introduction signals a legislative landscape that favors privacy more than ever.

We break down the metaverse and how it can define the future of computing, gaming, finance, social media, and business: AR and VR technologies, expanding virtual platforms and ecosystems, as well as an appetite for more immersive experiences are pushing the boundaries of reality into the virtual world.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 featured a reimagined world of commerce and marketing: The products displayed in Las Vegas last week revealed new ways for marketers to blend the physical and virtual worlds.

Facebook is back in the FTC’s sights: The social media giant’s acquisition strategy is under scrutiny as the next wave of antitrust legislation rears its head.

Video is a growing part of advertising on social media. Here’s how advertisers are using video ads on social platforms to drive ad performance throughout the funnel.

Meta could have created its own AR/VR OS but chose to use a modified version of Google’s Android: Short-term convenience could lead to long-term problems in the metaverse.

Rounding up news from the last days of 2021: The news cycle didn’t stop over the holidays. These are some of the most notable stories from the last two weeks.

Despite relatively low levels of adoption, social commerce features multiply: Meta-owned platforms lead the way when it comes to social commerce features, but TikTok, Pinterest, and others are working hard to catch up.

The metaverse will be put to the test in 2022: Some firms may find their metaverse dreams held back by wearable technology, while others attempt to woo brands to their spaces.

Facebook has a cyber mercenary problem: Meta blocks 1,500 Facebook and Instagram accounts that targeted over 50,000 users—potentially the tip of a wider surveillance iceberg and another smear on Facebook’s reputation.

In Latin America in 2022, digital payments will make gains, consumer expectations around ecommerce will shift, corporate sustainability and social issues will come to the fore, SMBs will bank on social commerce, and retail media networks will make their presence felt.

Among US gamers, Facebook Gaming is the most popular destination for viewing live gameplay, with 42% watching esports and other gaming livestreams on the platform.

About two-thirds of US consumers want to integrate at least two of their digital activities, according to PYMNTS. Western users also seem receptive toward a bundled experience.