Influence Next Newsletter #4

Welcome to the Influence Next Newsletter!

Hello Everyone,

We're thrilled to bring you the latest updates and insights from Influence Next, your go-to source for all things social commerce and AI innovation. As we gear up for our highly anticipated event in London on January 16th, 2025, here's what's happening.

An Experiment in AI Engagement

Meta’s latest AI upgrades, unveiled at its annual Connect conference, could change online shopping through voice-activated assistants and image-recognition technology on social media platforms.

The tech giant reported that over 400 million people use Meta AI monthly, with 185 million engaging weekly across its products. Meta claims its AI assistant will become the most used globally by the end of the year.

“AI-generated images and captions can supercharge social media marketing. Brands can make content that feels custom-made for each user, at a large scale,” Mike Vannelli, an industry expert, told PYMNTS. He added, “AI can analyze what users like and help businesses make targeted campaigns. This leads to more engagement and better returns on investment.”

Meta announced Llama 3.2, a big advancement in its open-source AI model series, alongside its consumer-facing updates. This new release includes small and medium-sized vision language models (11B and 90B parameters) and lightweight, text-only models (1B and 3B parameters) designed for edge and mobile devices.

The vision models can analyse images, understand charts and graphs, and perform visual grounding tasks. The lightweight models, optimised for on-device use, support multilingual text generation and tool-calling abilities, enabling developers to build personalised applications supposedly prioritizing user privacy.

Features Could Drive Engagement

New features include voice interaction capabilities. Users can now talk to Meta AI on Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram DM and get spoken responses. Meta is rolling out various voice options, including AI voices of celebrities like Awkwafina, Dame Judi Dench, John Cena, Keegan Michael Key, and Kristen Bell.

Owais Rawda, senior account manager at Z2C Limited, told PYMNTS, “Voice-interactive AI creates a more personal customer experience. It gives quick answers, making shopping easier.”

Users can also share photos with Meta AI for analysis and editing. The AI can identify objects in images, answer questions, and edit pictures on command. For example, users can ask Meta AI to identify a flower in a hiking photo or get cooking instructions for a dish they’ve photographed.

Meta AI’s new editing capabilities allow users to request photo changes, from altering outfits to replacing backgrounds. The company is also testing an AI translation tool for Reels that automatically translates audio and synchronizes lips in videos, starting with English and Spanish.

Meta is expanding its business AI tools to companies using click-to-message ads in English on WhatsApp and Messenger. These AI agents can chat with customers, offer help, and assist with purchases.

The company said ad campaigns using AI features got 11% more clicks and 7.6% more conversions than regular campaigns. Over a million advertisers are using these tools, making 15 million ads in the past month.

Vannelli highlighted changes in customer service: “Meta AI makes shopping smoother. Customers don’t have to switch between pages or wait for a human to respond.”

Meta is also enhancing its Imagine feature, allowing users to create AI-generated images of themselves as superheroes or in other scenarios directly in their feeds, Stories and Facebook profile pictures. These images can be easily shared and replicated by friends.

As Meta refines its AI offerings, its approach to data use, transparency, and user control will be crucial in shaping the adoption and success of these new features. These AI advances represent a big step in Meta’s strategy to integrate AI into its core products, potentially reshaping how businesses and consumers interact in the digital marketplace.

Let's see how this works

Using an AI Social Media Co-Pilot called Pygma I created a post using an AI Twin. It was not funny or particularly inspiring but the pics were nice. I don't have a lot of followers on Instangram and I use it very little but my stats were way up on my usual posts (mainly dogs, kids and promotional reels for my business). Maybe I am not the perfect test case but it would be interesting to see how it works for others. Check out Pygma and let me know how people react to your AI posts.

Upcoming Event: Influence Next London

Join us in the heart of London for a day packed with thought-provoking sessions, interactive workshops, and unparalleled networking opportunities. With industry leaders like Get Response, EManaged, and OM 360 on board as sponsors, this event promises to be a game-changer. Don't miss the chance to connect with over 250 brand and technology executives shaping the future of commerce.

Spotlight on Sponsors

A big thank you to our sponsors, Get Response, EManaged, and OM 360, for their support and commitment to driving innovation. Their participation underscores the event's significance in the social commerce landscape. Interested in sponsoring? Reach out to us to learn how you can gain premium exposure and engage with industry pioneers.

Tech Talk: AI in Social Commerce

Discover how AI is revolutionizing social commerce. From enhancing customer experiences to optimizing influencer marketing strategies, AI is at the forefront of this transformation. Stay tuned for our upcoming podcast episode where experts delve into the latest trends and technologies.

Community Corner

We're proud to foster a community that thrives on collaboration and growth. Join our LinkedIn group to engage with like-minded professionals, share insights, and stay informed about the latest developments in the industry.

Get Involved

Want to be part of the action? Whether you're interested in attending, speaking, or sponsoring, Influence Next offers numerous ways to get involved. Visit our website for more details and secure your spot today.

Thank you for being a part of the Influence Next community. Together, we're shaping the future of social commerce, one innovation at a time.

Warm regards,

The Influence Next Team