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Successful creator campaigns on TikTok rely on partnering with creators who align well with the brand and consistently show love for its products. In 2024, US influencer marketing spend on TikTok is projected to reach $1.403 billion, per 蘑菇AV鈥檚 forecast. Brands that take a genuine approach to collaborating with creators ensure credibility, are more likely to connect with followers, and inspire purchases.

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.

While YouTube鈥檚 ad revenue is smaller than what Meta will generate from Reels on Facebook and Instagram, it鈥檚 neck and neck with TikTok, and far outpaces streaming platforms.

Amtrak avoids instant swipes with attention-grabbing, 鈥渁lt鈥� content geared toward a younger, digitally native audience for Instagram, TikTok, and X. For example, Amtrak posted an image on Instagram in January that read, 鈥淚 wake up, I choo choo.鈥�. Source: Amtrak on Instagram. Amtrak says this more trivial content drives users toward educational content.

With platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest offering turnkey ad solutions for SMBs, Reddit must match ease-of-use and targeting sophistication or risk being overlooked. While Reddit is leaning into user control鈥攍etting people block ads from individual advertisers鈥攊t still needs to prove to brands that their dollars can drive results. These new tools could help do that.

Last week, YouTube reported that ad revenues were up 13% YoY to $8.7 billion and connected TV (CTV) views grew 130%, demonstrating the platform鈥檚 massive potential for advertisers. Between Shorts, YouTube鈥檚 flagship short videos that competes with TikTok and Instagram Reels, and its foray into CTV, YouTube is central to digital advertising. Here are five charts demonstrating just how big YouTube鈥檚 reach is.

Why it matters: Pinterest鈥檚 shopping ambitions typically get less attention than those of competitors like TikTok, but the platform has established itself as a powerful influence in the customer journey鈥攅specially for Gen Z.

While Google will still account for 62.1% of total UK search ad spending, per our forecast, that share is declining, and revenue growth is slowing as users turn to social platforms like TikTok and AI chatbots for searches. The AI angle: Google鈥檚 AI Overviews and burgeoning AI Mode for search have attracted significant scrutiny from publishers, competitors, and now regulators.

We could see similar features integrated into established social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok. Source: seven39.

TikTok Shop鈥檚 explosion is the driving force, with other volume growth spread across Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to view our full forecast for US retail social commerce sales. Payment gateways will compete for this share of retail sales. Major players include Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal-owned Braintree, and Visa-owned Authorize.net.

On TikTok, however, replays are excluded from view counts, making it difficult to draw an apples-to-apples comparison between the three. Platforms can also overreport or overstate metrics. Some platforms, like Facebook, have been accused of doing so intentionally, while others use vague definitions that can help artificially inflate figures.

Search is undergoing a seismic shift. Google is still the go-to for most inquiries, but generative AI is changing how people search, and leading people to explore alternative search engines. Meanwhile, paid search dollars are moving to retail media networks as shoppers begin their searches on Amazon and other retailer sites. And Gen Z鈥檚 search habits look different from older generations, with the cohort flocking to social media sites like TikTok and using visual search and chatbots.

The turmoil at TikTok and in the political landscape have accelerated their growth, and prompted other platforms to offer major cash incentives or bonuses to TikTok creators. Our take: The creator economy and influencer marketing are maturing, and that鈥檚 causing some growing pains.

Albertsons, Costco, and Instacart are enhancing their retail media offerings. TikTok Shop reached a $1 million livestream. And three-time consecutive first place winner Walmart is developing immersive ways to shop and catering product lines to younger shoppers. Here鈥檚 our Unofficial Most Interesting Retailers List for June 2024.

Citing security concerns, the bill now goes to Gov. Greg Gianforte, who banned TikTok on state-owned devices. TikTok is pushing back, but other states could accelerate all-out bans.

Nearly three-quarters of US TikTok users will also use Instagram this year, making it the most popular alternative to the social video app, per our forecast. That鈥檚 good news for Instagram Reels, which is positioning itself as a viable successor in the event of a US TikTok ban.

TikTok鈥檚 magic is no longer in its mystery. The illusion of TikTok content being personalized for users through an all-powerful algorithm is fading. Two weeks ago, Forbes reported TikTok鈥檚 use of a secret 鈥渉eating鈥� tool. But TikTok鈥檚 heating controversy doesn鈥檛 mean marketers should immediately retreat to Instagram Reels. Rather, they should think of TikTok and Reels as two different tools.

TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are where Gen Zers spend most of their daily time. Across the US population ages 18 to 24, time spent on TikTok will average 58 minutes per day in 2023, compared with 38 minutes for Instagram and 30 minutes for Snapchat.

E.l.f. Beauty鈥檚 鈥淢ake up over Makeup鈥� campaign, which launched in May, was a departure from what many think of as creator marketing. The campaign brought creators Chris Olsen, who boasts 12.1 million followers on TikTok, and Ian Paget, who has 2.5 million followers on TikTok, together after their high-profile breakup for a conversation and makeover.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what a TikTok ban could do to the creator economy, if chatbot influencers are the future, and the changing ways creators are making their money. "In Other News," we talk about who Americans trust most (and least) with AI. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg.

Lemon8 makes a splash in US as lawmakers mull TikTok ban: New app quickly gains followers, but Chinese ownership could raise concern.

Only 8.3% of users who noticed shopping-related content changes said their TikTok usage decreased, the same report found, according to our April 2024 鈥淯S Social Commerce鈥� survey.

On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss what TikTok's flywheel looks like, its latest efforts to build out its own shopping platform, and what the social network has that Meta doesn't. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank our top four existing TikTok copycat apps. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Jasmine Enberg.

TikTok鈥檚 rapid ascent in social commerce is drawing comparisons to Amazon鈥檚 flywheel strategy. The platform is taking multiple steps to achieve its goal of quadrupling its global ecommerce business to a potential $20 billion in annual merchandise sales through TikTok Shop. Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 working, what isn鈥檛, and what has yet to be seen.

TikTok still won鈥檛 give clear info on creator payouts: Its new Creativity Program promises higher revenues but conveniently skirts around the specifics.