July 25th Edition

Platform Updates:

• Meta Launches New Small Business Support Program, Including Online and IRL Elements?-?Link
• Meta has launched a new?Small Business Studios?project, which will provide both online and in-person training elements to help small businesses make the most of their marketing efforts across both Facebook and Instagram.
• Meta’s Reallocating Resources Away from Bulletin and its News Tab, Which Could See Publishers Lose Out -?Link
• Reports suggest that Meta is now looking to?scale back its investment in news content and newsletters, via its ‘Bulletin’ platform, in favor of focusing on the creator economy, and its metaverse-forward plans.
• Meta Adds New, In-Stream Payment Options for SMBs?-?Link
• Meta’s looking to give its eCommerce ambitions another push, with the launch of?payments between users and businesses within Messenger chat, providing another way to facilitate transactions in its apps.
• Instagram Adds New Business Search Tools Within IG Maps -?Link
• Instagram has?launched a new map search feature, which will provide another way to discover local businesses, and get more information about them, within the app’s tools.
• YouTube Announces New Shopify Integration, Expanded In-Stream Commerce Tools and Listings -?Link
• YouTube’s taking the next steps in its gradual integration of eCommerce tools, via a?new partnership with Shopify, which will enable Shopify merchants to feature their products across their YouTube channels and content.
• TikTok Provides New Insight into the Potential of Live-Stream Shopping [Infographic] -?Link
• TikTok recently?commissioned a new survey by Ipsos?to provide more perspective on why brands should be looking to live-stream commerce in the app.
• Twitter Shares New Research into the Roles that Social Media Engagement Has on Purchase Activity -?Link
• Twitter has?conducted a new study?into the impact that brand mentions within tweets have on actual shopping behaviors, and whether product discussions in the app lead to conversion.
• Meta tweaks Facebook app to act more like TikTok.?-?Link
• An update will highlight a new Home tab that will serve content from people outside a user’s Facebook connections as well as from friends and family.
• Instagram is making almost all videos Reels and will show them to way more people -?Link
• Welcome to the new era of Instagram, as it shifts even further into an all-Reels, all-the-time machine to keep users’ short attention spans inside its app instead of TikTok.
• Twitter Connect Playbook -?Link
• Recent share from Twitter that outlines best practices, ad capabilities, & case studies for the platform.

--------------------?Industry Highlights:

• Aerial Advertising is seeing a resurgence -?Link
• Impactful approach as it ties to the cultural shifts of lessening screen time, while still allowing for creative flexibility.
• KFC releases an 80s style horror film featuring Killer Pizza in Spain -?Link
• Execution is great here, they pre-screened for journalists before launching on Twitch & eventually YouTube, including a real # on promotional posters to order the pizza.
• Best Marketing Campaigns of the Week?-?AdForum?-?Link
• Recent Ad Campaign highlights from around the world.
• Creativity Top 20?-?AdAge -?Link
• The AdAge Creativity Top 20 reflects the most viewed work on the site each day. The view counts are updated daily. This is a solid resource for weekly, timely updates on impressive campaigns from a variety of sectors that?people are paying attention to & reading about - and the agencies that produced them.
• How We Plan Our Social Media Content Strategy at Later -?Link
• Later’s 2022 Social Media Content guide/strategy.
• Duolingo wants to expand your High Valyrian ahead of 'House of the Dragon'?-?Link?&?Link
• You'll need to download the language learning app to read billboards promoting HBO's 'GoT' spin-off
• Liquid Death x Bert Kreischer VHS Promo | Body By Bert -?Link
• Comedian stars in canned water brand's latest silly branded content stunt

--------------------?Social Trends:

• TikTok is a growing source of news among UK adults -?Link
• The social media site is now the fastest growing source of news for adults in the UK, currently being used by seven percent of people over 18.
• Creators continue to experiment with AI-Generated art?-?Link
• Creators all over TikTok, Reels, and elsewhere continue to expand their creativity by using the power of AI image generators like Dream, Midjourney, and DALL-E.
• Kids & teens now spend an average of 91 mins on TikTok per day vs 56 mins on YouTube per day, Globally -?Link
• This new data is based on kids’ and teens’ use of TikTok and YouTube across platforms, which was compiled for TechCrunch by parental control software maker Qustodio using an analysis of 400,000 families who have accounts with its service for parental monitoring. The data represents their real-world usage of apps and websites, not an estimate.

--------------------?Content Creator Updates:

• IG Reels Updates -?Link
• Instagram announcing new features making it easier and more fun to collaborate, create and share Reels. These updates include: Reels Video Merge, Reels Templates, Remix Improvements, and Dual Camera
• LinkedIn Announces a New Expansion of its Creator Accelerator Program?-?Link
• LinkedIn has?announced?an expansion of its Creator Accelerator Program, which will see chosen LinkedIn creators invited to take part in a new initiative designed to help them improve their LinkedIn skills, and maximize their in-app presence.
• LinkedIn Shares New Insights into the Growth of ‘Creator’ Job Postings [Infographic] -?Link
• What Makes a Good Gaming Streamer [Infographic] -?Link
• Social apps are looking to lean Gaming Streams by pushing live-stream commerce as a key monetization option… But who are the top gaming streamers, and what are the requirements for being successful in the field”? This?infographic?from?Flux Panda?provides some perspective, which could help you get a better handle on the gaming landscape.

--------------------?Other Engaging Posts of the Week:

• Trendy Brand Fonts [Reel] -?Link
• Designer Chrome Extensions [Reel]?-?Link
• Influencer Insurance - “Notch”:?https://www.get-notch.com
• Interesting product offering to protect creators when their accounts are hacked, making it impossible to do their job and create content.

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