Debra Aho Williamson leads Insider Intelligence’s research on social media marketing, advertising, and usage. She is a sought-after analyst, regularly appearing on Bloomberg Television and in major media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the BBC for her expertise on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter. She is also a regular guest on the Insider Intelligence podcast “Behind the Numbers.”

Debra’s passion is to pinpoint how consumer communication patterns are changing and advise clients on how those changes will affect their marketing strategies. She was one of the first analysts to spot the social media marketing trend and developed one of the earliest forecasts for social media ad spending and social platform ad revenues. Her body of research on social media—encompassing more than 15 years—may very well be one of the largest in the world. Debra’s speaking engagements include presentations to the Association of National Advertisers, Advertising Age, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and The Drum.

Debra is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied English literature and oboe performance. Although she no longer plays the oboe, she still counts Joseph Conrad as one of her favorite authors.