This first article is about one of the most interesting findings in the report: emerging social channels are challenging marketers to get more creative with social ads.<\/p>\n
Hootsute\u2019s study shows the perceived effectiveness of Snapchat (+1,200%), TikTok (+700%), and Pinterest (+140%) for advertising skyrocketed among marketers. <\/p>\n
Just take a look at the comparison between this and last year\u2019s responses to the question \u201cWhat social platforms do you consider the most effective for reaching your business goals?\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/lAqKR2zj-YF_GYOrJAikaysRgOj_3IughHSihNUi2Ex-WufLPVkAvgTagPT8A1IIeLXdJIZQD0qasOApK0yGLLI6Cc_e1qljmxGX9tKxTDGPtinjjLl8V6K6oKAtWiLaqBk1ZutH\")
TikTok is making a huge noise<\/h2>\n
TikTok reached 1 billion users in September<\/a> and is expected to grow to 1.5 billion in the next year<\/a>. It is becoming dominant among a younger generation with an entertainment feed that showcases users\u2019 friends, idols, and influencers in creative video scenarios, like dancing and making jokes. <\/p>\n According to Forrester<\/a>, 63% of US Gen Z youth (ages 12\u201317) use TikTok. A year ago, that number was 50%. And Snapchat, which we\u2019ll discuss soon, retained its user base at 54% between 2020 and 2021. Take a look:<\/p>\n As TikTok continues to grow, two other platforms have shown considerable growth during the past two years: Snapchat and Pinterest. <\/p>\n What do they have in common? They both contend that the best advertising is more organic and appears natural within users\u2019 feeds.<\/strong><\/p>\n Snapchat was launched in the middle of the last decade. It\u2019s a mobile app where users can share photos, videos, and educational content. This platform is most used by the Generation Z demographic. The service has been growing at a rate of 20% quarter over quarter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pinterest was launched more than ten years ago and it continues to specialize in inspirational content. Pinterest\u2019s user base aligns with those that seek curated decor, design, and lifestyle influences. It\u2019s a platform on which content is easily shareable between other Pinterest users and across other social media channels. So, like Google, the search feature is integral to the platform\u2019s success.<\/p>\n This characteristic is what led to Pinterest\u2019s growth during the pandemic. As people were in lockdown, they started to use shop more online. And, if they couldn\u2019t visit physical stores, Pinterest brought them an online alternative. The social media service grew by 100 million users.<\/p>\n The competition between these platforms is, honestly, making things a bit more interesting to watch. Each one is aggressively rolling out new features\u2014like shoppable videos or interactive filters\u2014to keep eyeballs engaged, sometimes for hours. Marketers who want to stay ahead of the curve can\u2019t afford to ignore these tweaks, even if it means shifting budgets or testing formats that felt risky a year ago. It\u2019s not all fun and games; staying current means lots of time spent lurking (or doomscrolling, if you\u2019re less optimistic) just to keep up.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth noting that small brands, not just the big names, are finding ways to use these trends to their advantage. Take, for example, a local bakery jumping on TikTok challenges\u2014sometimes they end up with viral moments that blow past what a traditional ad campaign could do on Facebook. Authenticity gets rewarded, and even the smallest player might catch lightning in a bottle, at least for a week. Success stories keep popping up, and honestly, there\u2019s a bit of FOMO in the air for anyone late to those trends.<\/p>\n TikTok, Snapchat and Pinterest have a huge focus on content in common, particularly when it comes to advertising. TikTok\u2019s tagline for their marketing arm is \u201cDon\u2019t make ads. Make TikToks.\u201d. <\/p>\n Pinterest encourages advertisers to \u201cStop interrupting. Start inspiring.\u201d.<\/p>\n Snapchat wants brands to \u201cBecome a part of Snapchatters\u2019 everyday conversations.\u201d.<\/p>\n Of course, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest have paid ad platforms that can boost the reach advertisers\u2019 content. Their discourse, however, encourages brands to be part of the conversation<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At Rock Content<\/strong>, we believe that content is an incredible approach for marketing. In the US, for instance, 70% of the people prefer to get information about a company or product from content, according to Demand Metric<\/a>.<\/p>\n When these emerging social media networks ask brands to create a conversation, they look for natural interaction, like an influencer participating in some sponsored challenge on TikTok, or a brand sponsoring sofas on Pinterest while the users look for inspirational home decor.<\/p>\n There are some brands doing a good job with their more native content:<\/p>\n On Twitter, the NBA focuses on news. On TikTok, the league chooses comedy and memes.<\/p>\nSnapchat and Pinterest are also shining!<\/h2>\n
Make content, not ads!<\/h2>\n
NBA<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/KHH7uG0R-N_5RH9NnTSEjDIjnfJpfS1SOUmgHTWkL6v3IrpVPZOTgBhMfeptRmqbFf4imww_3DIEeZqQZxf_4f7FEIzyy_9n7j4Iz71kPPyuEddKNZRzv8RexSyo7cb29e69VCxQ\" "\\"Chart\\"\/")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/AjNkrk5DyvpERNrrOcyu7NMgPPEnOsc4y2ZJUzFRFojmveGCAl5PTsezE6hcVKzI8HaapIv-EQYjh2lvt3ZCfvRAqApB5BXEHVu-YsOJf4U87kXiiX_wa3Sv6P1iqb9h03MKPLBv\")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/uTojBO5cWpbBIbTuE4m8oAEUqNbuV4wA17VITPOflq7XTtp64y9SElephGxfQuAzaRnlrYJDA-GbrnGNjbi-mbqoNxUKyJx7aSvzm55Lfk6L9Jp64-THC-rZ8gYZIQJKB9Souwlt\")