Instagram’s Head Shares Algorithm Insights, LinkedIn Enhances Ad Attribution and X Adds Partnership with Visa In Push To Be Everything App

Welcome to Prosek’s Digital Download: where industry-leading insights in financial services and digital marketing collide.

Can you believe it’s February already?! January was an eventful month in the digital world. We saw the TikTok ban come and go (more on that here!), several social platforms launch video feeds, AI rule the discussions at Davos and DeepSeek take the AI world by storm.

In this edition of the Digital Download, we’ll cover insights from Instagram on how their algorithm operates, an update from LinkedIn on their new advertising analytics methodology and Elon’s push to make integrate payments into X. Come for the updates, stay for the marketing inspiration.?

Plus, with the Super Bowl this weekend, we'll have a special preview on the commercials you’ll want to be sure you see this Sunday. We can’t wait for kickoff!

- Brett Sosnik

3 Can’t-Miss Digital Updates

Social Media and Advertising

Instagram Shares Algorithm Insights To Inform Strategy

• What’s happening: Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, recently posted a Q&A video outlining how the platform’s algorithm operates behind the scenes and the methodology for ranking content. He noted three key variables that help amplify reach: Average Watch Time: The amount of time users are watching each video. Likes Per Reach: The total number of Likes on the post. Sends Per Reach: The number of times the video was shared by a user to someone else. These factors have varying weights depending on the audience's relationship with your account. Connected reach represents followers, and will rely more heavily on likes. Unconnected reach encompasses non-followers, and shares play a larger role in gauging resonance with new viewers.
• Why it matters: It’s always been imperative to closely monitor watch time, likes and shares, but the validation from the app’s top executive is proof that these data points are crucial. It’s crucial to follow the fundamentals of creating compelling content by leaning into creativity and emotion, using instantly compelling hooks and showcasing brand value to help achieve these performance metrics.

LinkedIn Outlines Improved Approach to Ad Attribution

• What’s happening: LinkedIn is rolling out an improved advertising attribution model that combines multi-touch attribution (MTA) and marketing mix modeling (MMM) to more effectively analyze campaigns. Rather than rely on traditional, presumptive models, this new approach allows for analysis of both user click behavior and big-picture behavioral data, incorporating multiple touchpoints and more data from the entire marketing funnel.
• Why it matters: This new system will arm marketers with more accurate insights and more easily map customer journeys in their advertising campaigns on LinkedIn. With a clearer view of which touchpoints are driving conversions, advertisers can allocate their budgets more efficiently, potentially leading to a higher return on investment. Early tests of this new model have shown a 150x increase in credit attribution.

Elon Musk’s X Begins its Push into Financial Services with Visa Deal

• What’s happening: X signed an agreement with Visa, the largest U.S. credit card network, to allow real-time payments directly within the app. The X Money Account service, launching later this year, will give users a digital wallet within the app that they can link to their debit cards and bank accounts to enable peer-to-peer payments and fund transfers. CEO Linda Yaccarino says it will be powered by Visa Direct, Visa's instant money transfer service, to ensure payments are secure and instant.
• Why it matters: X’s push into financial services builds on Elon Musk’s vision for the social platform to become an “everything app”, similar to WeChat, where users can engage in many ways across various forms of content, all without having to leave the platform. Adding a payment component similar to Venmo and Zelle could help increase the userbase amongst younger generations as well as allow creators to more easily receive payments from their content revenue sharing or sponsored content. It’s ultimately an attempt at enhancing platform innovation to grow the user base, encourage more content and bring more brands and advertisers back to X.

Good Reads

• LinkedIn Provides Thought Leadership Tips
• Reel Potential: Short-Form Video's Role in Reshaping B2B Marketing
• Meta Begins a ‘Small Test’ of Ads on Threads
• Bluesky Adds Dedicated Video Feed

Countdown to Kickoff: Super Bowl Commercial Edition

The 2-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday in Super Bowl LIX in an attempt to be the NFL’s first ever 3-peat champion. For many, the allure of Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just the game, it’s the commercials too. This year, Fox is set to broadcast the big game (and also stream on Tubi) and has entirely sold out of their advertising inventory, and at least 10 of the 30-second commercial spots have sold for $8 million each (up from last year’s $7 million record). In anticipation for kickoff, here’s some things to know and previews of a few commercials that have already made their way online:

What to watch for: In addition to ads from the usual snack/beer/finance/auto companies, newcomers should bring fresh energy to the broadcast:

• First-time appearances: Brands such as Instacart, Coffee Mate, NerdWallet, Totino’s Pizza Rolls, H?agen-Dazs and Ritz will air their first Super Bowl ads
• Trending topics: There’s usually an up-and-coming industry that steals the spotlight, and this year is no exception. Industry insiders believe Artificial Intelligence and Pharmaceuticals will be prevalent in many commercials this year.
• Live, Laugh, Love: Marketing experts anticipate lots of focus on humor, nostalgia and celebrity appearances
• Superficial messaging: Given the contentious state of society, there is likely to be a heavy reliance on tropes rather than bold, progressive statements.

Sneak-Peeks: If you want to ruin all the fun and play spoiler at your Super Bowl party, here’s some brands that have already released their commercials or have teased what is to come:

• SquareSpace (Teaser): A Tale As Old As Websites
• NerdWallet (Teaser): Did You Just Say Something?
• GoDaddy: Strap In
• Hellman’s: When Sally Met Hellmann’s
• Instacart: We’re Here
• Michelob Ultra: The ULTRA Hustle

You can find all the previews and commercials housed on YouTube’s Ad Blitz page, and more info on Marketing Dive’s Super Bowl Ad Tracker and Brand Innovators Ad Tracker. Plus be sure to check out USA Today’s Ad Meter for the ranking of the best and worst commercials after the game!

Marketing Inspiration

Global Investment firm EQT Group posted a carousel to LinkedIn explaining the stages of private equity. Combining the interactive format with simple and straightforward copy helps to provide educational insight into a complex topic, all within this single piece of content.?

With the start of the new year, many firms have been publishing 2024 year in review posts encapsulating their accomplishments, transactions and team success last year. Private Equity firms TSG Consumer Partners and American Securities both used video animations to bring this to life and showcase their activities to their audiences.

Daniel Shapero, the COO at LinkedIn, has been leaning into the platform’s new vertical video capabilities, publishing short, informal, direct-to-camera style video content. Most recently, he attended the World Economic Forum at Davos and did a video series recapping each day that he attended across the 4 days, including themes from Day 2 detailing the convos on AI.