Digital Debrief | March 2023

March was an eventful month for digital marketing, with several big announcements from major platforms like Meta, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google. We saw updates ranging from new ad formats to algorithm changes, and the rollout of new features like shoppable pins, and native post-scheduling. Additionally, there were advancements in AI and visual creation tools, along with the continued rise of social audio (??LinkedIn). So let's do this, here are the biggest stories of the month and what they mean for the digital marketing landscape.

Meta:??

Meta lays out AR and VR plans?

Meta has updated its roadmap for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology. The company aims to create AR glasses to replace smartphones, develop virtual office spaces, invest in AR/VR content, and build a creator ecosystem. They also updated progress on Project Cambria and Project Aria.?

New features for Facebook Reels?

Meta has added new features to Facebook Reels including longer clips of up to 60 seconds and a new "save audio" option for saving sounds for later use. The feature also now supports the ability to upload and share audio from other users' videos, as well as the ability to collaborate with other creators on Reels. These new features are intended to make it easier for users to create and share engaging content on the platform.?

New dataset to help AI maximize inclusion??

Meta has launched a new dataset called "DIVERSE" for AI training. The dataset contains over 45,000 videos of people from diverse backgrounds to reduce AI bias. It is available for free to researchers and developers to improve AI applications and ensure fair and ethical AI development.?

Messaging has re-entered the chat, I mean app??

Facebook is working on a project to integrate its messaging platforms, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct. The project, known as "Interoperability", aims to allow users to communicate across platforms seamlessly. While each app will still operate as a standalone service, Interoperability will enable users to send messages and make calls between the different apps without having to switch between them.?

Social audio is shelved ?

Facebook has shut down Audio Rooms in Groups and will instead focus on new audio tools in Facebook's main app, starting with podcast playback options. The Audio Rooms feature was tested in some groups but Facebook is now exploring ways to integrate live audio experiences into other parts of the platform. The company plans to start testing new audio experiences in the coming months, with plans to add short-form audio clips called Soundbites later this year.?

Instagram: ?

New ad formats are here ?

Instagram has launched two new ad formats: "Reminder Ads" and "Promoted Results." Reminder Ads remind users about upcoming product launches, sales, and events, and Promoted Results allow businesses to pay to have their accounts appear at the top of search results when users look for specific keywords. Instagram is rolling out these ad formats globally to all businesses over the coming weeks.?

LinkedIn:??

LinkedIn provides new segmentation options?

LinkedIn has introduced new segmentation options for its Company Engagement Report, a tool that helps businesses understand how their content is performing on the platform. The new options allow businesses to segment the report by location, seniority, industry, and function, providing deeper insights into the audience engaging with their content. These new segmentation options are intended to help businesses refine their LinkedIn marketing strategy and create content that resonates with their target audience.?

Collaborative articles are here??

LinkedIn has launched "Collaborative Articles," a feature that suggests contributors and topics using AI for articles. This allows multiple members to contribute to the same article to create more engagement and discussions on the platform. The AI will suggest topics and contributors based on a user's interests and activity.?

New algorithmically suggested posts?

LinkedIn has added a feature that suggests algorithmically generated posts to boost engagement. The suggested posts are based on topics and themes that a user has engaged with in the past. This is part of LinkedIn's efforts to increase engagement and user activity on the platform.?

Native scheduling launches

LinkedIn has added a new feature that allows company page managers to schedule native page posts ahead of time, similar to the post scheduling options available on other social media platforms. This will enable page managers to publish content at the most appropriate times for their target audience, without having to manually post them in real-time.?

Social audio is here?

LinkedIn has also recently launched a social audio feature called LinkedIn Live Audio Rooms, which allows users to participate in live audio conversations and panel discussions on various topics. This feature is currently available in the United States and will be rolling out globally soon.?

Share a post with multiple members at once ?

LinkedIn has added a new feature that enables users to share a post with multiple members at once. The feature is designed to streamline the sharing process and increase post reach, which is particularly useful for businesses and marketers looking to amplify their content. Users can now select up to 100 connections to share a post with at once.?

AI-generated profile summaries and job listings ?

LinkedIn has introduced two new AI-powered features that aim to enhance job search and hiring on its platform. The first feature is AI-generated profile summaries, which can automatically provide a summary of an individual's profile, including their experience, education, and skills. The second feature is AI-generated job listings, which automatically create job descriptions based on the details entered by recruiters. The features are intended to improve efficiency and accuracy in job matching on the platform.?

Twitter?

New Direct Message features?

Twitter is planning to introduce improvements to its direct messaging (DM) feature, including end-to-end encryption for increased security and privacy. This will prevent anyone, including Twitter, from reading users' messages. Other planned features include the ability to send voice messages, which is already available in other messaging apps, and the option to react with emojis.?

Removing archive of recorded live-streams??

Twitter has announced that it will be removing its archive of recorded live streams, which includes streams from Periscope, on April 1st. The company has stated that the decision was made due to declining usage and the increasing costs of maintaining the archive. Users will still be able to download their own streams until the deadline, but after that, all content will be deleted.?

New Bookmark Count view?

Twitter has added a new feature that allows users to see the number of times their tweets have been bookmarked. The feature, which is visible in the tweet's details view, provides a simple way for users to track the popularity of their tweets and gauge user engagement.?

New API Access Tiers?

Twitter has announced three new tiers for API access, aimed at different types of developers. The new tiers, called Elevated, Premium, and Enterprise, offer varying levels of access and functionality, and are designed to make it easier for developers to build and scale their applications. The Elevated tier is aimed at smaller-scale developers, offering access to standard API endpoints and enhanced access to product features. The Premium tier is aimed at mid-sized developers, offering more advanced features and increased access to data, while the Enterprise tier is aimed at larger organizations with complex needs, offering custom solutions and support. The goal of these changes is to provide developers with more flexibility and choice, while also ensuring that Twitter's platform is secure and well-managed.?

New description for verified accounts ?

Twitter has updated the description of its verified accounts, clarifying that being verified does not mean that the platform endorses an account's views or actions. The update comes in the wake of criticism directed at Twitter for its verification process, which some users claim has given a veneer of legitimacy to harmful accounts.?

No more legacy verified accounts ?

Twitter has announced that it will begin removing the verification badges from accounts that no longer meet the updated criteria for verification. The move is part of Twitter's ongoing efforts to rebuild its verification system, which was paused in 2017, and resumed in May 2021. Twitter's updated verification criteria include a profile photo, header image, and a confirmed email address or phone number, among other things. ?

Reddit?

‘Reddit Talks’ is being shut down??

Reddit has announced the shutdown of Reddit Talks, a new audio-only chat feature that was being tested on the platform. The company cited low usage and difficulty in moderating the content as the reasons for shutting down the feature. Reddit Talks allowed users to host live audio discussions on the platform, similar to Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces.??

New ‘Watch’ feed of video content?

Reddit has announced the launch of a new "Watch" feed that features video content from subreddits that allow video uploads. The new feature is part of Reddit's ongoing efforts to expand its video capabilities and compete with other social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. The Watch feed is personalized for each user and is designed to help them discover new video content based on their interests. The feature also includes a "Live" section for real-time video content and a "Discover" section for popular and trending videos.?

TikTok?

New insights into top-performing ad copy?

TikTok has added "Keyword Insights" for marketers to track the performance of their promoted content. This feature shows which keywords users are searching for when ads are displayed, helping advertisers optimize their campaigns and target relevant keywords. Keyword Insights is available for organic and paid content and provides more transparency and data-driven insights for advertising partners.?

New ‘Series’ feature launches?

TikTok has introduced "Series Fund", a new monetization option for eligible creators. The feature provides upfront payments to creators with at least 100,000 followers who have produced a series of videos on the platform. It's part of TikTok's Creator Fund program, which offers monetization opportunities to creators and expands support for the creator community.?

You can now restart your TikTok algorithmic recommendations??

TikTok has announced that it will soon allow users to "refresh" their algorithmic recommendations on the app. This feature will enable users to reset their personalized content suggestions based on their interests and interactions within the app. The new feature is designed to provide users with greater control over their content experience and help them discover new content based on their current preferences.?

New guidelines for using AI-generated content ?

TikTok has announced updates to its community guidelines, including expanded policies on user safety, privacy, misinformation, and hate speech. The platform also added new features such as tools to filter comments and content, expanded parental controls, and the ability to report impersonation. TikTok said it will continue to work with experts and organizations to improve its policies and keep its community safe.?

Pinterest: ?

New display options and shoppable items in Shuffles App?

Pinterest has launched a new display format for its Shop collection page and Shop the Look Pins that allows users to view shoppable items separately. With this feature, users can now see all the shoppable products featured in a Pin or board in a separate tab, making it easier for them to shop. Pinterest is also adding new customization options to its Shop collection page, allowing brands to create a unique look for their collections by adding custom covers and headlines. In addition to the display options, Pinterest also announced a new feature that will allow creators and brands to tag their products with shoppable product pins in the 'Idea Pins' format and in Shuffles. This will enable users to purchase the products directly from the pins without leaving the app, creating a more seamless shopping experience. ?

Search Engines?

New site names, favicon, and sponsored label on Google desktop search??

Google has updated its desktop search results page with a new design that includes changes to site names, favicons, and sponsored labels. The new design aims to provide users with clearer information about search results and improve the user experience. The changes include larger and bolder site names and favicons, as well as a new green "Ad" label to indicate sponsored content. The redesign follows a similar update to mobile search results in 2019 and reflects Google's ongoing efforts to make its search results pages more visually appealing and informative.?

New ‘Trends’ portal??

Google has launched a new portal for its Google Trends service, which offers users a centralized hub for exploring search trends and data. The new portal provides access to a range of features, including a real-time dashboard that highlights trending topics, a tool for comparing search terms, and curated data sets for specific industries and categories. The portal also includes a "data stories" section, which showcases notable trends and insights from Google's data.?

Visual creation tools integrated into Edge and Bing ?

Microsoft has integrated OpenAI's DALL-E, a visual content generation tool, into its Bing search engine and Edge web browser. The integration allows users to generate unique and imaginative images based on a set of text-based prompts and provides additional creative tools to help users further refine their generated images.?

Bing chat answers rolls out ?

Bing has introduced a new feature called "Bing Chat Answers" which allows users to have a conversation with the search engine to get answers to their queries. The feature uses a conversational AI model that can answer follow-up questions to provide more accurate results. This is part of Bing's effort to enhance its search capabilities and make it more user-friendly.?

Technology??

AI coming to Google Workspace?

Google is bringing its generative AI technology to Workspace, including Docs and Gmail, to help users with a variety of tasks. This technology includes "Smart Canvas," which offers real-time collaboration and content suggestions, and "smart chips," which provide contextual information and tasks. Additionally, Google is introducing "template galleries" in Docs, Sheets, and Slides, which offer pre-designed templates for common use cases.?