It’s still early days, but augmented reality is showing real potential for social commerce. Brands can use the technology to improve the experience and help customers make more informed purchase decisions.

Every national market in the world will finish this year with more ad spending than in 2020. In most categories, worldwide growth records will be shattered. But 2021 was a very unusual year, following a very unusual 2020.

Gen Zers make heavy use of many social networks to create connections, consume multimedia, play games, and share content.

On today's episode, we discuss the most interesting takeaways from Amazon's Q3 earnings, why the online store's sales hit the brakes, and how Amazon's ad business is coming along. We then talk about Walmart testing an SMS-assisted ecommerce tool called “Walmart Text to Shop,” how new brick-and-mortar stores might look different, and Pinterest's new shoppable live series called Pinterest TV. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Andrew Lipsman.

Our fifth annual primary research survey reveals the level of trust US social media users have in nine major social platforms, and the role trust plays in the willingness to engage with advertising on those platforms.

If they strike a deal, Pinterest would help the payments giant tap into the massive US social commerce industry.

The number of US social buyers on Pinterest grew 30.5% in 2020, for a total of 12.0 million, per our estimates. By the end of 2021, that number will grow another 16.4% to reach 13.9 million.

The explosion in vertical video is creating both opportunities and challenges for the Story format. Stories are evolving quickly on Instagram and remain a top venue for influencer activations. But Twitter’s decision to kill off Fleets shows they aren’t popular on all platforms.

The pandemic was disastrous for many retailers; we estimate that total retail sales worldwide plunged 2.8% in 2020. Though, while many physical stores were shuttered, digital retail sales soared by over 25% in a single year.

Livestreaming was an existing trend that gained newfound relevance during the pandemic. Over the past few months, nearly all of the major US social networks have expanded their services and introduced new livestreaming opportunities, many of which are aimed at boosting commerce on the platforms.

Social commerce is rising rapidly worldwide. But to what extent can the US market mirror that of China, the world leader in social commerce?

On today's episode, we discuss Twitter's post-election malaise, Reddit's growth engine, and LinkedIn's and Pinterest's pandemic pivots. We then talk about Nextdoor's ceiling, TikTok being allowed to stay in the US, and the implications of young creator burnout. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Debra Aho Williamson.

In 2021, the number of monthly Facebook users in the US will increase by less than 1% year over year, the platform’s lowest annual growth rate to date. Much of this deceleration is due to last year’s higher-than-expected growth of 3.3%, which was driven by changes in media habits during the pandemic.

Even as the U.S. starts to open up again, consumers are still shopping online, and Shopify, a leading commerce platform that lets merchants manage their online retail operations in-house, is well positioned to capture the growing online market as it continues to strike new partnerships.

Pinterest gets a Shopping List: The new feature strengthens Pinterest's lower-funnel capabilities, a key ingredient for its social commerce ambitions.

On today's episode, we discuss which platforms have the most creator-friendly environments, how influencer marketing is evolving, and what the next stage of the creator economy will look like. We then talk about Pinterest's new livestreaming feature, the popularity of influencer marketing on TikTok, and how companies should navigate social media coming out of the pandemic. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer senior analyst at Insider Intelligence Jasmine Enberg.

Social media usage gains from 2020 have largely ended. Facebook will have its lowest growth rate ever, Instagram’s user base is getting older, and Twitter is coming down with a case of post-election malaise. However, TikTok and Reddit are still attracting users at an accelerated pace.

Average daily time spent with media shot past the 10-hour mark last year, pushing media consumption to new levels in Canada.

Snapchat goes all in on AR ecommerce: The platform's long history with augmented reality innovation gives it a boost over competitors like Amazon or Pinterest looking to leverage AR for shopping.