Innovations in Search and Social [October 2022]

What’s new in the realms of paid search and social media? Basis’ Senior Vice President of Paid Search and Social compiles all the latest news, trends, and resources each month for easy access.

D2C Brands Spent 231% More on TikTok in Q2 [:03]

TikTok’s Q2 2022 ad spend surpassed both Snapchat and Twitter—combined! eMarketer says the explosion was driven primarily by brands with revenues of $1M to $5M, showing the app’s power to help median brands connect with niche consumers in authentic ways.

New Report Confirms Search Advertising is Thriving Amid Economic Uncertainty [:03]

New forecasts from eMarketer show that search ad spending shows no sign of slowing, even in the context of economic upheaval. Google’s growth continues to outpace competitors, with Microsoft as their top search challenger. This article also references the news that TikTok is growing as an alternative search engine, especially with Gen Z.

Social Media Update: Q3 2022 [:15]

eMarketer’s latest quarterly break-down of social media updates includes YouTube news for the first time, discusses how BeReal competitors stack up, and explores how marketers can navigate the most important recent industry changes. Bonus: this companion piece dives even further into how all the social platforms stack up against each other, as similar feature sets surrounding video and e-commerce become more comparable between them.

10 Biggest Announcements from Google Search On 2022 [:04]

Search Engine Land recaps the major announcements from Google’s recent Search On event, touching on Google Search, News, Shopping and more. The updates around Google’s plans for more visual search results listings are particularly interesting, as well as the highlighted “discussions and forums” listings (Reddit stands to benefit greatly.) Also covered at Search On: 9 updates specific to Google Shopping.

TikTok Plans to Build U.S. Fulfillment Centers [:02]

According to recent jobs posted to LinkedIn, TikTok may be taking on warehousing, delivery, and customer service returns through new fulfillment centers in a bid to grow native shopping in the platform. Clues point to Seattle as a possible location for this, although they may be working with other vendors nationwide to transport goods. This positions TikTok as not only a threat to other social platforms, but also possible competitor to Amazon, Google, and other retail networks.

An Analyst’s Take: Is BeReal for Real? [:06]

The short answer is… maybe? Here, eMarketer breaks down the app’s opportunities and challenges in detail before coming to the conclusion that while it has a long way to go to compete with the big guys, its functionality and ease of use make BeReal a clear a hit with consumers. While the app’s uniqueness is likely to wear off (especially as those same features are copied by other social platforms), it provides a good testing ground for marketers while it is still around.

Social Media and News Fact Sheet [:02]

Pew Research Study released new findings around the crucial role social media plays in news consumption today. There are some powerful statistics in this report, showing that while certain platforms are used regularly by large percentages of the US population, those aren’t necessarily the same platforms they’re turning to for up-to-the-minute news. This report also breaks down the demographics and political partisan leanings of news consumers across platforms.

Reddit Report: Key Engagement and Brand Opportunities [:12]

Based on interviews with more than 2,000 regular users, Reddit shared insights on how people use their platform to connect, as well as the important role it plays in engaging communities around topics they’re passionate about. They also pointed out that Reddit users are excited to welcome brands into their communities and sub-groups, but want to build meaningful connections with them in addition to just seeing ads.

Report: Influencer Marketing in 2022 [:16]

Contrary to other reports, eMarketer does not believe the influencer industry has taken a hit this year due to microeconomic conditions. With the industry now worth more than 5 billion in the US, they predict production budget cuts will continue to lead to growth in creator-led ad content.

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