social media

How will social media change as consumers move toward more private and ephemeral experiences? Read our insights on how social media will adapt.

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Insights

Blog

“TikTok Shop” Launch Makes US Social Commerce Plausible

Kelsey Chickering September 12, 2023
ByteDance officially launched its social commerce experience, “TikTok Shop,” in the US. It includes features such as a dedicated shop tab for searching products or browsing product categories, the ability for creators to tag products for purchase, an affiliate funnel for sellers, secure checkout, and brand product portfolios. So far, over 100,000 creators signed up […]
Blog

For Most Twitter Users, “X” Won’t Mark The Spot

Mike Proulx July 24, 2023
Twitter's name change marks the beginning of the end for the app that once defined the microblogging space.
Blog

Overscripting Will Sabotage Your Creator Partnerships

Kelsey Chickering July 17, 2023
In Forrester’s Q1 2023 B2C Marketing CMO Pulse Survey, nearly three-quarters of US B2C marketing and advertising execs say that they plan to partner with creators and influencers in 2023. This doesn’t mean that all of these partnerships will succeed, however. In our just-released report, Best Practices For Creator Marketing Campaigns, we found that overdirection is […]
Blog

Meta’s Advertising Backbone Guarantees Threads’ Monetization

Kelsey Chickering July 6, 2023
Last night, Meta launched its rival app to Twitter, Threads, in 100 countries. This new app is garnering initial excitement and downloads, but it still has a long road ahead to scale and retain an audience, integrate new features, and eventually monetize through advertising. The easiest part for Meta will be monetizing Threads because if […]
Blog

Interoperability Will Be Key To Meta’s Threads Success

Mike Proulx July 5, 2023
Though Meta's "Threads" shows promise at its initial launch, it's met with an already crowded Twitter-alternative market.
Blog

From Breakup To Makeup: e.l.f.’s Creator-Led Media Strategy Spins Sorrow Into Sales

Kelsey Chickering May 30, 2023
E.l.f. exemplifies a creator-led media strategy with premium content. Discover how the brand hit the mark with their TikTok couple collab.
Blog

The Rise Of The Creator Economy: Creators Displace Advertising Paradigms

Kelsey Chickering May 10, 2023
With more than 300 million creators worldwide, the creator economy has grown exponentially over the last several years and shows no signs of slowing down. Creators — individuals who make and monetize social media content — matter to brands because they wield the power to make ideas, trends, songs, or products go mainstream overnight. They […]
Blog

A TikTok Ban? It’s America First, Taking Aim On Short-Form Video

Mike Proulx March 23, 2023
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee today amidst rare bipartisan agreement that the app poses a national security threat to the US and should be banned. A TikTok Ban Is Preemptive, Based On Suspicion, Not Substantiation The statements made and questions asked by members of Congress today are […]
Podcast

Social Media Turmoil Drives New Ad Strategies

What It Means March 9, 2023
The turmoil happening in social media may be a good thing for advertisers. Find out why as Principal Analyst Kelsey Chickering discusses the current and future state of digital advertising in this episode.
Blog

Meta Verified Copies Twitter But Courts Creators

Mike Proulx February 22, 2023
If Meta’s announcement about its pilot subscription service sounds familiar, that’s because it bears a striking resemblance to Twitter Blue. Paying users will get a coveted verification badge and increased prominence. There are other benefits such as better customer support and account protections, but the question remains: Will Facebook and Instagram users choose to pay […]
Blog

Twitter Needs Advertisers, But Advertisers Don’t Need Twitter

Kelsey Chickering December 28, 2022
Recent concerns around brand safety should prompt advertisers to test elsewhere.
Blog

Consumers Haven’t — And Don’t Plan To — Shop Via Social Media

Kelsey Chickering November 16, 2022
US consumers have little interest in doing their shopping — let alone holiday shopping — on social media platforms.
Blog

Twitter Blue Is Still Singing A Sad Tune

Mike Proulx November 10, 2022
Twitter's blue checkmark no longer signals legitimacy. That underscores our guidance to marketers to take a wait-and-see approach to media investments on Twitter.
Blog

Grounding Twitter Ad Dollars Is Common Sense, Not Activism

Kelsey Chickering November 4, 2022
Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has been — at best — chaotic and tumultuous. Advertisers are uncertain about what direction the company will take: What will happen with content moderation? Will Twitter become a mainstream Gab with a steady flow of disinformation? While Musk has tweeted that “nothing has changed with content moderation,” racist tweets have surged […]
Blog

Advertisers Pause In Twitter Purgatory

Mike Proulx November 4, 2022
When Twitter first announced its intent (back in April) to be acquired by Elon Musk, Forrester said that disinformation and hate speech are ultimately at stake — and that ad dollars are at risk. In the days following last Friday’s closing of the deal, GM paused its paid advertising on Twitter. Soon after, IPG’s Mediabrands […]
Blog

Meta’s Short-Form Video Strategy Isn’t Reeling In Market Share

Mike Proulx September 6, 2022
The company's TikTok alternative simply isn't winning, new Forrester data indicates.
Blog

The EU Strikes Again As A Global Leader In Mindful Media: Updated “Code Of Practice On Disinformation”

Kelsey Chickering June 28, 2022
The EU announced an updated Code of Practice on Disinformation, aimed at combating the online spread of disinformation via regulatory measures, including “demonetizing the dissemination of disinformation.” Forrester’s research shows that the monetization of disinformation is a vicious cycle in which the ad supply chain infrastructure supports and funds — often inadvertently — the spread […]
Blog

Elon Musk’s Twitter Acquisition Has Become Part Of The US Culture War

Mike Proulx May 31, 2022
We’re still several months away from the anticipated close date of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition — whether it’s on again or off again depends on the day. A lot has happened in just the five weeks since the deal was announced, and we anticipate more will happen between now and October. But rest assured: We […]
Blog

The Majority Of Chinese Social Media Users Are Social Savants

Xiaofeng Wang May 18, 2022
Compared to their US counterparts, online adults in China are far more likely to use social media to buy products and interact with brands. Here are three takeaways for marketers.
Blog

Twitter: Elon’s Battle Over Free Speech Is A Fight Against Content Moderation

Mike Proulx April 25, 2022
What will actually happen to Twitter if Musk takes over is mere speculation at best. But we do know that users are polarized.
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