Daily social network time is reaching a plateau, as the explosive growth in social video is approaching a saturation point. Even growth in time spent with TikTok is slowing, a sign that there’s a limit to how much social video people want to consume daily.

What were the three biggest ad-related takeaways from Meta’s stellar Q2 2023 earnings report? Reels’ revenues, AI ad products, and a return to ad growth in Europe.

With the rise of TikTok and all its copycats, there’s a lot to keep track of in terms of paid advertising. Creators frequent TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and Spotlight in some capacity, but the ad ops on each platform vary. Here’s a quick guide to what’s available on each platform.

Meta’s Q2 points to continued rebound: An 11% revenue increase shows that new products and advertising offerings are helping right the ship.

Following three consecutive quarters of ad revenue losses, YouTube faces an urgent need to restore growth. This could present marketers using YouTube with opportunities to target audiences on both connected TVs and smartphones.

Reels revolution: Meta doubles down on short-form video to better compete with TikTok.

With user penetration nearly complete and time spent starting to plateau or decline on many platforms, social networks have run out of easy paths to incremental budget among their advertisers.

On today's episode, we discuss how Meta was able to snap its negative ad revenue growth streak, how Reels is helping Instagram grow time spent on the platform, and what Meta's metaverse plans are at this point. "In Other News," we talk about what Americans actually want in a social media platform and whether BeReal's new "Bonus" feature can help keep its momentum going. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

Both companies are fighting to grab a larger share of digital ad spending growth.

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.

A ban isn’t swaying brands from spending on TikTok: Apple, Pepsi, and DoorDash are among brands increasing ad spend despite hefty political problems.

Short-form video is the hot topic of 2023 Newfronts: TikTok, Meta, and YouTube are all presenting as the dominant short-form app faces existential threats.

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.

Instagram is shutting down its livestream shopping business: The move is the latest sign of US shoppers' disinterest in livestream commerce.

On today's episode, we discuss the significance of Facebook's 2 billion daily active user milestone, what's contributing to continued negative growth, and what to expect from the metaverse this year. "In Other News," we talk about how much Reels and YouTube Shorts are creeping up on TikTok's short video lead and how Americans feel about where social media is headed. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

TikTok’s future is anything but guaranteed: While the app remains king of video for now, Meta and Google are making strides to steal market share.

Previously, we didn’t expect video to hit the 50% milestone until after 2024. With advertisers preserving more of their social video budgets during the downturn, this trend was accelerated.