Social Search Is Taking Off

How Advertisers Can Benefit as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat Take On Google

Report by Debra Aho Williamson  | Jun 14, 2023
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The social search opportunity is growing, fueled by changing consumer behaviors and AI.
Social search is used for more than just shopping.
How should advertisers approach social search?
Insider Intelligence Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
Social search is growing, fueled by consumer behavior and AI—and so are the search ad opportunities on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and others. But search on social media isn’t the same as traditional search. Here’s what advertisers should know.
Topics
Social Media Marketing
United States
Table of Contents
Report Snapshot
The social search opportunity is growing, fueled by changing consumer behaviors and AI.
Social search is used for more than just shopping.
How should advertisers approach social search?
Insider Intelligence Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery

Report Snapshot

More consumers are starting their searches on social media, and search ads are a rising opportunity. The format lacks many of the features advertisers expect from traditional search, but it’s still a worthwhile option to explore.

Key Question: How can advertisers reach consumers who use social media to search for things to buy, do, or learn?

Where US Adults Start Their Online Product Searches, Gen Z* vs. Total, Q1 2023 (% of respondents)
E-Mail ChartDownload

KEY STAT: US Gen Z adults are significantly more likely than adults overall to start online product searches on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram, per a February 2023 Jungle Scout survey.

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    Table of Contents

    1. Report Snapshot
    2. The social search opportunity is growing, fueled by changing consumer behaviors and AI.
    3. Social search is used for more than just shopping.
    1. How should advertisers approach social search?
    2. Insider Intelligence Interviews
    3. Sources
    1. Media Gallery

    Charts in This Report

    Where US Adults Start Their Online Product Searches, Gen Z* vs. Total, Q1 2023 (% of respondents)Top 5 Channels Internet Users Worldwide Use to Research Brands, by Age, Q4 2022

    Interviewed for This Report

    Randolph Browning
    Night Market
    President
    Interviewed April 24, 2023
    A.J. Storinge
    Night Market
    Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer
    Interviewed April 24, 2023
    Julie Towns
    Pinterest
    Vice President and Head of Product Marketing and Product Operations
    Interviewed May 9, 2023

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    authors

    Debra Aho Williamson

    Contributors

    Man-Chung Cheung
    Senior Researcher
    Jasmine Enberg
    Principal Analyst
    Chris Keating
    Director, Research
    Natalie McGranahan
    Senior Researcher and Taxonomy Manager
    Jennifer Merritt
    Vice President, Content
    Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf
    Senior Analyst, Digital Advertising & Media
    Amy Rotondo
    Director, US Research
    Tracy Tang
    Senior Researcher