Creator Economy Scoop: Pinterest as an internet oasis
The Creator Economy Scoop is a roundup of the weekly news, data and trends that are defining the industry. (graphic by Lindsay Hill)
YouTube launched new shopping features, Meta is leveling up Messenger and a Beyonce country album means cowboy aesthetics are dominating Instagram. Here’s the rest of this week’s scoop:
Quick numbers 💯
30 billion hours of shopping related videos were watched on YouTube in 2023 [1]
55% - YouTube gives up 55% of every ad dollar it generates to content owners who upload videos [2]
21% of 18- to 24-year-olds start their search with with TikTok, while 5% start on YouTube [3]
75% of marketers rely on third-party cookies worldwide [4]
What you should know ☕
Instagram university newsletter: Spring trend forecast
- Country aesthetic is stronger than ever—flooding our feeds from @dualipa @sza @bellahadid and @camilla_cabello
- Return of the 2010s— OG filters like Valencia and X-Pro II are back and people are posting square posts
- Social listening is where the magic happens
- The future of social is niche communities
- Brands like Tory Burch are leaning into the actively engaged superfans on platforms where they can connect without an algorithm getting in the way.
- Things are getting political whether or not creators and brands are ready for it
- “You know what I really like? Pinterest. I’ve got a lot of stuff saved. I deleted Instagram and Twitter on my phone. I have TikTok and I have Pinterest… Puppies, breakfast, workout videos, and bootie shorts. I see all the content I want to see,” Megan Thee Stallion
Paramount is considering a VidCon sale
Consumers worldwide prefer online over in-store search
- 72% of consumers almost always or mainly searching for electronics online
- When it comes to purchasing, consumers also buy electronics (55%), clothing (54%), and toys, books, and games (52%) always or mainly online
Dove pledges to never use AI in its advertising
- For Dove, real beauty means no artificial intelligence
- Unilever brand pledges to never use AI in its advertising to portray real people
- 73% of women feel more pressure to be beautiful than they did eight years ago
Dude Perfect raises more than $100M in investment
The state of influencer-brand deals 2024
- US marketer spending on sponsored content on social media will rise by 16.0% this year to $8.14 billion.
Social platforms 📲
Meta 📸
- Meta announced new features in Messenger conversations, including high def images, shared albums with friends and the ability to send files up to 100MB
YouTube 📹
- YouTube launched new shopping features:
- Affiliate Hub which lists Shopping partners, commission rates, promo codes, and enables creators to request samples from brands
- Shopping Collections which allows creators to curate their own virtual stores
- Creators can now connect their Fourthwall shop
TikTok ⏰
- TikTok confirmed it’s testing a new photo app, TikTok Notes
- TikTok plots using virtual influencers for advertising
