Digital Debrief | March 2024

Welcome to the March edition of the Digital Debrief. This month, we've got a jam-packed edition covering the latest updates and trends across all the major social media platforms. Here's a quick glimpse of what we'll be diving into:?

• Meta?unleashes new ad features for online stores?
• Instagram?shakes things up with hashtag search and DM upgrades ??
• TikTok?helps creators understand what their audience wants?
• Snapchat?offers new ways for brands to connect with users?
• LinkedIn?empowers you to navigate your career path within your company?
• X?(formerly Twitter) tests built-in blogging and gives away free blue checkmarks?
• Search Engines?get a major quality boost with the March update?

We'll delve deeper into each platform and these exciting updates throughout the rest of the Debrief. ?

General:?

Election integrity agreement?

Big tech companies like Meta, Snap, and TikTok are teaming up to fight misinformation during elections. They signed a new agreement to improve how they handle elections on their platforms. This means clearer rules for political ads, better communication with election officials, and making sure everyone has access to accurate voting info.?

Meta?

Ad updates and new features?

Meta just announced a bunch of new ad features , especially for online stores and people using Advantage+ campaigns. Here's the cool stuff:?

• Reels video ads: They'll automatically resize your video ads to fit Reels and Instagram/Facebook stories, making them look sharp. Plus, they can create different versions of your ad to see which one works best.?
• Fancy catalog ads: You can now use short videos in your catalog ads, not just pictures. They also let you upload a hero image and Meta's AI will pick the best products from your catalog to show with it.?
• More shopping options: Businesses using Magento or Salesforce can now create Shops ads directly in their systems. Meta is also making it easier to buy stuff directly from collaborative ads (with creators or other businesses).?
• Reminder ads upgrade: You can now include links to new products or sales in your reminder ads. They're also expanding them to Reels and letting you remind people about events.?
• Product tag ads hit Facebook: These ads let people see product info when they hover over them, coming to Facebook soon.?
• More ad tracking: Meta's giving advertisers better analytics on how their collaborative ads are doing and letting them test them with Advantage+ campaigns.?

Instagram: ?

Promo code ads?

Instagram sellers, you can now add promo codes directly to your?Instagram ads . This means you can tempt people to buy with discounts and track exactly how many sales your Instagram ads are driving with those codes. It's basically the same thing Facebook has been doing with promo codes, and apparently it's been working well - people are buying more stuff!?

Hashtag search expands ?

Big change to hashtags. Tapping a hashtag now shows you a whole bunch of search results for that topic, just like the Explore tab. This means you can find accounts, Reels, and other cool stuff, not just the top posts. Basically, Instagram wants you to explore more and discover new things. It also means you gotta make sure your target keywords are in your profile description so people can find you easier. Overall, it's a good thing for finding new accounts and content, but we still miss being able to sort by date posted!?

More DM updates ?

Instagram is adding new features to make chatting with people more convenient , because that's what most people are doing on the app now. Here's the update:?

• You can edit your messages for 15 minutes after sending them (just like WhatsApp).?
• You can pin your most important chats to the top for easier access.?
• You can turn on read receipts for all your chats or specific ones (finally!).?
• You can choose a fun theme for your chats to personalize them.?
• You can save your favorite stickers for easy access.?

?TikTok?

Organic brand engagement is down ?

Several reports have found that engagement with brand content has dropped by half in a year! This could be because there are just more brands on the app now, all fighting for attention. Or maybe the content itself isn't cutting it anymore. Either way, the key takeaway is that TikTok engagement isn't what it used to be. ?

New search insights report ?

TikTok is launching a new tool called "Creator Search Insights" that helps you see what people are searching for on the app. This way, you can tailor your content to what interests people and get more views.?

Here's what the tool does:?

• Shows you popular search terms related to your content?
• Lets you see trending topics across the app?
• Filters results by category (e.g., sports, science)?
• Highlights "gap topics" - things people search for but there aren't many videos about?

Basically, it gives you a roadmap for what content to create to get more engagement. On top of that, TikTok will soon reward creators who make videos based on these search trends.?

Snapchat?

New sponsored filters ?

You can now add AR filters as ads . Basically, you can create branded overlays that people can add to their Snaps. This is a cheaper option than full AR experiences because you can use existing designs and templates. It's not the same as those fancy AR filters you swipe through, but it's a new way to reach people on Snapchat and get them to notice your brand.?

Partnership for brand safety ?

Snapchat is teaming up with a company called IAS to make sure your ads appear next to safe content. Apparently, most of Snapchat is already pretty safe for ads, but this partnership will give advertisers even more data to feel confident about putting their ads on Snapchat. Also, Snapchat is giving advertisers more control over where their ads appear. You can now choose to only show your ads next to content that's been extra-checked for safety.?

New lenses and features ?

Snapchat's got some new features to play with! Here's the rundown:?

• AI-powered Lenses:?These Lenses can change your pics into different themes, like turning your selfie into a festive scene.?
• Video Templates:?Easier to create highlight videos from your Memories with music and stuff.?
• Longer Videos:?You can now record and upload videos up to 3 minutes long for Snaps, Stories, and Spotlight (which previously had a 1-minute limit).?
• Easier Camera Access:?The Snap camera is becoming easier to find throughout the app.?
• Snapchat+ Updates:?Subscribers can now create a combo avatar with their Bitmoji and a more realistic Bitmoji of their pet!?

LinkedIn ?

New features to navigate opportunities within your current company ?

LinkedIn is rolling out new features to help you navigate your career within your current company , especially as AI shakes things up in the job market. Here's the breakdown:?

• Next Role Explorer:?This fancy tool shows you potential career paths within your company based on what similar employees have done. It even highlights the skills you need to make the jump.?
• Flag Your Interest in Internal Roles:?Let people know you're open to new opportunities within your company and get alerts for relevant openings. LinkedIn Learning can also suggest courses to help you gain the skills you need for the new role.?

Basically, LinkedIn is trying to be your one-stop shop for career advancement. This is a big deal because AI is changing the job market fast, and people are looking for new opportunities. LinkedIn is also offering 250 FREE courses on generative AI?to help you stay ahead of the curve. ?

Who viewed my profile update ?

LinkedIn just made your "Who Viewed Your Profile" list a little less creepy! Here's the update:?

• It used to just show you a bunch of strangers who looked at your profile. Now, it highlights people who MIGHT be interesting, like those who can get you a job, work at a company you follow, or are a big deal in your industry.?
• It even shows you if a "LinkedIn Influencer" checked out your profile.?

Promoted content expansion ?

Advertisers now promote content from ANYONE on LinkedIn, not just your own employees via thought leader ads .?

• Promote any user's content:?You can now pay to promote testimonials, reviews, or any image/video post from anyone on LinkedIn (if they approve it).?
• Find the right content:?Search for specific people or browse posts by URL to find content that aligns with your brand.?
• Promote for awareness or engagement:?This works for brand awareness or getting people to interact with your promoted post.?
• Transparency for users:?People will see a label that shows the content is a paid promotion.?

This could be a great way to leverage organic content and endorsements from people you don't directly employ to reach a wider audience on LinkedIn.?The only downside is that the person who created the post you promote doesn't get paid for it (yet). Hopefully, LinkedIn will add a revenue sharing option in the future.?

Company page messaging available to all brands?

Big news for businesses on LinkedIn! You can now chat with potential customers directly through your company page .?

Here's the deal:?

• Message button on your profile:?A "Message" button is now live on your company profile, making it easy for visitors to contact you.?
• Turn it on or off:?You can choose to enable or disable messaging in your inbox settings.?
• Organize your messages:?Admins can assign topics to messages to keep things tidy.?
• Use social media management tools:?LinkedIn is partnering with companies like Hootsuite to let you manage messages through your favorite social media tool.?

Basically, LinkedIn is making it easier for people to connect with businesses directly on the platform. This is a big deal because more and more people are using private messages to connect with companies.?

Dedicated video feed might be coming ?

LinkedIn is testing a TikTok-like video feed ! Here's the scoop:?

• It's a full-screen feed of short videos, kind of like TikTok.?
• You can swipe through videos, like and comment on them.?
• This is still a small test, but it might be coming to everyone soon.?

The big question: will there be enough interesting business videos to fill this feed? Maybe we'll see more LinkedIn influencers using video and less boring text posts. But there might also be a lot of annoying "success" videos too.?

Connected TV + Live Events for B2B?

LinkedIn is rolling out new features to help you advertise using video! Here's the breakdown:?

• CTV Ads:?Reach professionals on their TVs! You can now run video ads on platforms like Paramount+ and Roku alongside your regular LinkedIn campaigns.?
• Premium Streaming Ads:?Target high-powered decision-makers with video ads on NBCUniversal streaming services.?
• Live Event Ads:?Promote your upcoming LinkedIn Live events directly in the app to get more viewers.?

Basically, LinkedIn is making it easier to use video ads to reach a wider audience, both on and off the platform.?

Twitter / X?

Blogging platform ?

X is adding a built-in blogging platform called X Articles . Here's the rundown:?

• More in-depth content:?X Articles lets you write longer posts with images, videos and formatting options, unlike the usual short X posts.?
• Stand out from the crowd:?Articles have a special layout and icon to grab attention in your profile and feed.?
• Limited access:?Only people who pay for X Premium+ or are verified organizations can use X Articles for now (it costs $16 per month).?

This is all part of X owner Elon Musk's plan to make X an "everything app" with all sorts of features. He also wants to encourage more long-form content, especially from "citizen journalists" who share his views.?

Free check marks are back ?

X is giving away free blue checkmarks again ! ?

• Free X Premium for high followers:?If you have over 2,500 people following you who pay for X, you get X Premium for free.?
• Free X Premium+ for even higher followers:?If you have over 5,000 followers with blue checkmarks, you get the even better X Premium+ for free.?

This is Elon Musk's latest attempt to get more people to pay for X. The idea is that if you see important people with blue checkmarks, you'll want one too and pay for X Premium.?

Search Engines ?

Major March core update ?

Google launched a major update to improve search results ! Here's the rundown:?

• Less junk, more helpful content:?Google is cracking down on low-quality content and websites that try to trick you. This includes automatically generated content, repurposed expired domains, and websites that host low-quality content from other sources.?
• Identifying helpful content:?Google's update is better at understanding what content is actually useful for people searching online. This means you should see more results from sites with trustworthy information.?
• More diverse results:?Google is working to show a wider range of content in search results, including content from forums and user discussions. This could be helpful for finding different perspectives on a topic.?