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They are YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. There are also more Gen X social network users than linear TV viewers, and YouTube is closing in.

Social commerce still has plenty of room to expand in the US. With discovery and inspiration as the key characteristics of social commerce, TikTok won鈥檛 be Amazon鈥攂ut it will bring in new Gen Z shoppers.

Despite TikTok鈥檚 strong growth, most brands continue to turn first to Instagram for influencer marketing. Instagram remains a must, but there are good reasons for more marketers to commit to TikTok鈥攁nd YouTube Shorts.

US adults spend more time on Facebook (20 minutes) than any other platform, followed by TikTok (18 minutes), per our June 2024 forecast.

Instagram Reels users can now play videos at 2x speed, a feature that鈥檚 currently available on TikTok. Facebook revamped the Friends tab to show friends鈥� stories, reels, posts, birthdays, and friend requests. A similar tab is already established on X, Reels, and TikTok. Updating algorithms: Reels is already a near clone of TikTok and was released in 2020 in response to the latter鈥檚 popularity.

The combination of TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat is still the essential social media starter pack for teens. Teen users are spending more time on TikTok than they do on Snapchat and Instagram combined, per our forecast鈥攂ut it鈥檚 decreasing overall. Time spent on TikTok has decreased among 12- to 17-year-olds for the second straight year (down 10 minutes in total).

The Trump administration could be a lifeline for TikTok. But saving the app is easier said than done, and Trump could change his mind. The 'TikTokification' of social media will outlast the potential TikTok ban. Every platform is preparing for a TikTok ban. Every social app is now a short-video platform. Some are also combining short, long, and live video into one TikTok-like feed.

Among banned apps, TikTok was likely affected the most. We estimate that TikTok had 79.0 million users in 2019, with that figure expected to grow 58.1% YoY prior to the bans.

Visual demonstration is the main reason TikTok users seek brands on the platform. The content that resonates most with consumers is both relevant and engaging. 58% of US TikTok users say relevance is the most important characteristic of brand recommendation, while 42% say the same about video length.

鈥淭he main feedback we get is that there鈥檚 a lot of uncertainty about the future of TikTok in the US,鈥� he added. Despite a second 75-day extension to keep TikTok in the US for now, the possibility of a deal is increasingly murky amid the ongoing trade war between the US and China.

Uncertainty around TikTok hasn鈥檛 given Meta a major boost. If TikTok is ultimately banned in the US, Meta stands to gain massively: Facebook and Instagram would capture about 40% of reallocated US TikTok ad dollars should the app disappear, per our December 2024 analysis.

Whether or not TikTok gets banned in the US, Snapchat stands to gain from TikTok鈥檚 volatility. Advertisers are increasingly hesitant about investing in TikTok, with the platform鈥檚 CPMs falling significantly. Creators are diversifying their content and investing in alternatives like Snapchat.

Platform-based tools: For many creators and brands, TikTok and Reels both offer all the tools that they will need. These tools allow for quick and seamless creation, but can be limited in their capabilities. TikTok can be a one-stop shop for creators and brands who don鈥檛 need extensive editing tools.

Neutrogena debuts product line on TikTok Shop in a bid to woo Gen Z skincare obsessives: The brand hopes to regain market share in the dermatological space after ceding ground to L鈥橭r茅al鈥檚 CeraVe and La Roche Posay.

Mayhew leverages his experience as an agency creative director to make viral social videos about the world of marketing on LinkedIn and TikTok, and will be launching a longer-format YouTube show next month filmed in different office spaces around New York.

Since the launch of TikTok Shop in September 2023, brands and retailers have been able to set up storefronts on the app and sell directly to viewers with embedded checkout. Beauty is a top-selling category on TikTok.

Meanwhile, the rise of TikTok, and dimming likelihood of a ban, puts pressure on Instagram to keep up. Just 9.7% of Gen Zers consider Instagram their 鈥済o-to鈥� social platform for search, per our research, compared with 23.1% for TikTok and 34% for YouTube.

Zooming out: Substack is continuing its push to broaden its offerings and gain more traffic by recruiting YouTube and TikTok creators with dedicated audiences. Substack launched its TikTok Liberation Prize in January, awarding TikToker Aaron Parnas $25,000 for posting a clip persuading TikTok viewers to join Substack.

TikTok affiliate marketing will struggle. TikTok is shifting its focus back to live shopping as brands grapple with reports of high rates of returns, consumer fatigue, and the threat of a TikTok ban. LTK will be a force to be reckoned with. Its technology has quietly underpinned social shopping behavior for years and will form an even bigger part of the commerce landscape in 2025.

When vice president Kamala Harris launched her presidential campaign in late July, she needed to quickly make a splash with voters. Social media, and TikTok in particular, was the ideal platform. 鈥淚t's on TikTok where Kamala is really shining,鈥� said our analyst Jasmine Enberg on a recent edition of the Behind the Numbers podcast. Here are three things to consider about Harris鈥檚 social media and campaign strategy.

Amazon isn鈥檛 taking its Q2 miss lightly: The retailer aggressively pushes to drive growth by partnering with TikTok and Pinterest, testing a speedy delivery service, and courting Chinese sellers.

Political fatigue, reputational concerns, a pullback from TikTok, and heavy competition from other digital media will likely combine and come to a head. The potential TikTok ban looms large, but time spent on TikTok was declining even before the regulatory storm.

Amazon launched shoppable ads on Prime Video and entered a partnership with TikTok to enable purchases of Amazon products via ads on the TikTok app. Walmart expanded its retail media offering to linear TV (using QR codes) through its partnership with NBCUniversal.

Retailers with ties to China, like Temu and TikTok Shop, have gained popularity in the US. Now, a wave of Japanese-based retailers and retail concepts has come to the US, signaling a potential shift for the retail landscape.