Latest Social Media Updates - Edition 7

The social media landscape is ever-evolving and marketers need to stay updated to get the best results. In order to help you stay on track, we’ve put together some of the latest updates to social media platforms in the past few weeks.

This edition focuses on Meta’s AI chatbots, TikTok's new creative assistant, Twitter’s Partnership with Google to deliver ads and finally, Youtube’s New Video View Campaigns (VVC) Dive into the myriad of updates that are reshaping the way users and advertisers interact on these platforms.

Meta

Meta Announces AI Chatbots & More at its Connect Developer Conference

AI-Powered Persona Chatbots Integration

Meta is set to introduce AI-driven persona chatbots on platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. This initiative not only aims to enhance user engagement but also offers developers the capability to design their distinct AI assistants.

Key Announcements from the Connect Developer Conference:

Search Integration: A partnership with Microsoft's Bing will empower the AI assistant to efficiently search and provide answers to users' inquiries.

AI Image Generation: Meta has showcased the capability to generate imagery using artificial intelligence.

Celebrity-inspired Chatbots: The integration will feature 28 distinct chatbots, modelled after well-known celebrities. Highlights include a chatbot named after Cook Roy Choi, termed "Max", specialising in culinary suggestions, and a text-based adventure bot represented by US rapper, Snoop Dogg.

While the initial beta release is targeted at the US audience, Meta has projected further releases tailored to various sectors, ranging from gaming and philosophy to fashion in the coming weeks.

Insights from Earlier Reports:

The Financial Times had previously hinted at Meta's ambition to develop persona-based chatbots. During the conference, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, clarified that the purpose of these chatbots extends beyond answering questions. They are envisioned as tools for entertainment, fostering connectivity and facilitating tasks.

Metaverse Ambitions:

Zuckerberg has reemphasized Meta's commitment to the metaverse, envisioning a future where digital interactions parallel physical engagements. Furthermore, there's a prospective plan to integrate these AI characters into the metaverse. Meta is approaching this initiative with caution, prioritising the resolution of potential concerns, especially surrounding user privacy and safety.

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Update:

Meta showcased the upcoming generation of the Ray-Ban smart glasses. Notable features include the capability to live stream directly to platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Future iterations, scheduled for 2023, will incorporate advanced features such as architectural recognition and real-time translation of signs in various languages.

Meta's Advantage+ Campaigns: A Best Practice Guide

Meta's Advantage+ campaigns have been making waves, demonstrating the power of AI and automation to tailor responses in line with audience preferences. If the buzz around Advantage+ intrigues you, there's a fresh resource that might catch your interest.

Meta has rolled out its “Meta Advantage Best Practices Guide”. This document delves deep into the nuances of the process, shedding light on the underlying mechanics.?

While the full 24-page guide is available for download, here's a concise breakdown of its central themes:

Performance Metrics: The guide emphasises how Advantage+ campaigns can amplify brand performance. However, it's crucial to note that results may vary. While some marketers have celebrated stellar outcomes, others have faced challenges. The takeaway? Advantage+ campaigns might not be the golden ticket for every brand, but when leveraged effectively, they can yield significant results.

Diverse Offerings: One size doesn’t fit all. Meta's guide offers a comprehensive look at the various Advantage+ pathways, underscoring the distinct advantages of each route.

Latest Additions: Stay in the loop with the newest features integrated into the Advantage+ ecosystem, ensuring your strategies remain contemporary.

Actionable Insights: Beyond theory, the guide is packed with hands-on advice on how to hone the performance of your Advantage+ campaigns. Sprinkled with real-world case studies, it aims to inspire and steer your thought process.

With the shifting sands of privacy regulations imposing stricter data collection norms, Advantage+ campaigns present an innovative avenue. They harness Meta's inherent knowledge framework, ensuring your ad initiatives remain sharp and impactful.

Curious for more? Dive into the details with Meta's Advantage Best Practices Guide. It's full of tips for marketers keen on staying ahead in their Meta marketing efforts.?

New Report Shows Dip in Facebook & X Referral Traffic

Recent studies have shown a notable decrease in the number of visitors coming from Facebook and X to various websites over the past year. Essentially, these platforms aren't driving as much traffic to sites as they used to.

Drawing from data by Similarweb and analysis from Axios, there's been a significant drop in visits to news websites from Facebook by around 80% since September 2020. Similarly, X has seen a decline of about 60% in the same period. A major reason behind this shift is both Facebook and X are increasingly focusing on short videos, aligning with user preferences.

Facebook's own statistics reveal that the views of posts containing links have seen a nearly 50% drop over the past two years. One factor behind this could be Facebook's decision to reduce political content based on user feedback. Additionally, the surge in popularity of short videos cannot be ignored, especially when Facebook and Instagram combined are registering over 200 billion video views daily.

Furthermore, Facebook is using advanced technology to recommend posts to users. This means users are now seeing a mix of content—some from friends or pages they follow, and some based on their interests. This shift in content delivery could be altering user engagement patterns.

The scenario on X has its distinctions but leads to a similar conclusion. Elon Musk, the man behind X, has indicated a preference for direct posts within the app. As a result, posts containing links are being given less priority, and like its counterpart, X is putting a greater emphasis on video content.

For those sharing content on these platforms, this shift suggests that link posts might not be as effective as before. Some publishers are adapting by sharing the main points of a story as an image and then providing the link in the comments, while others are incorporating more visual content like pictures and videos to capture attention.

To wrap it up, the declining trend in link clicks implies a need to reconsider strategies on social media. The current data points towards the fact that traditional methods of simply sharing links might need some rethinking.

TikTok

Introducing TikTok's "Creative Assistant"

TikTok has rolled out its innovative “Creative Assistant”, a tool designed to streamline and enhance your advertising journey. This assistant is more than just a tool—it's a guide, facilitating better ad creation by providing relevant examples, apt tools, and even generating sample ad scripts, all curated from TikTok’s Creative Center.

In the words of TikTok:

“Our journey towards augmenting creativity and efficiency has taken us on novel routes of innovation. This assistant is designed to be your go-to partner while crafting for TikTok. It's like having a vast reservoir of TikTok-centric creative insights at your fingertips."

Key Features:

• Offers guidance on TikTok’s advertising best practices.
• Highlights exemplary ads relevant to your industry.
• Efficiently crafts ad scripts tailored to your needs.

Though some of these offerings are not entirely novel, the Creative Assistant aims to optimise and simplify the user experience. To get started, navigate to TikTok’s Creative Center and activate the assistant via the top-right icon.

TikTok Unveils Halloween AR Features & Trending Hashtags

As Halloween approaches, TikTok is unveiling a range of opportunities for brands to shine this spooky season.

What's New?

TikTok's fresh rollout includes a plethora of Halloween-themed AR effects and tools. Particularly striking are the makeup-inspired effects—perfect for brands in the fashion or beauty sectors. These effects not only captivate users but also offer a vibrant platform for innovative brand campaigns.

Engagement Opportunity:

The "Spooky Halloween" challenge is active on TikTok. Brands teaming up with Effects House creators might just have a spotlight moment here, with the added perk of vying for a $2,500 prize. With October 12th marking a surge in Halloween content, this period is ripe for launching seasonal brand initiatives.

Harnessing Trending Hashtags:

Trending Halloween hashtags can be a game-changer for brand visibility on TikTok. Top tags to consider integrating into your campaigns include:

#Halloween

#TikTokHalloween

#HalloweenMakeup (11.6B views)

#HalloweenCostume (10.5B views)

#PumpkinSeason (9.3B views)

#SpookyTreats (4.4B views)

#HalloweenDecor (3.6B views)

#BooBasket (215.6M views)??

#HorrorBookTok (111.6M views)

#spookybooks (34.8M views)

Strategic use of these hashtags can elevate brand visibility and user engagement levels.

Why It Matters:

TikTok's impact is formidable. A whopping 80% of its user community affirms that content on the app drives their buying behaviours. By syncing with TikTok's Halloween momentum, brands can optimally position themselves for heightened outreach this month.

For those keen on a detailed exploration of TikTok's Halloween tools and offerings, refer to this link. Remember, Halloween on TikTok isn't mere festivity—it's a significant marketing opportunity waiting to be tapped.

Instagram

Instagram's New Sharing Feature: A Focus on Group Engagement

Instagram is making strides in enhancing group sharing dynamics. The latest feature allows users to share a Story with several group lists simultaneously, offering a refined approach to content visibility.

In a demonstration by Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, the platform now displays multiple lists, extending beyond the existing “Close Friends” feature. This grants users the flexibility to share their stories with handpicked groups, ushering in an era of tailored content sharing.

The pivot towards this more intimate form of engagement is evident, considering the rising trend of users favouring Direct Messages (DMs) over traditional feed posts or Stories. Recognizing this pattern, Instagram has also enabled sharing feed posts exclusively with "Close Friends", further amplifying the shift towards close-knit engagement.

This evolution in social media behaviour signifies users increasingly treating their feeds as discovery platforms, pulling intriguing content into smaller, personalized engagement circles.

From a branding perspective, this development is promising. It paves the way for brands to finely segment their audience, delivering curated updates that resonate with distinct user clusters. While curating Stories for up to 250 members in a group might necessitate more groundwork, the payoff in terms of relevance could be substantial.

To note, this enhanced Stories sharing capability is now accessible to all Instagram users, emphasising the platform's commitment to fostering meaningful interactions. Marketers should see this as an avenue to forge deeper, more focused connections with their audience subsets.

X (Twitter)?

X Partners with Google Display Network

In a strategic pivot, X has now integrated with the Google Display Network. After grappling with a significant dip in ad revenue, X is exploring a fresh avenue: outsourcing parts of its ad inventory.

The crux? Brands can now engage X's home feed inventory via Google Ads Display campaigns. Although the intricacies of this collaboration are kept under wraps, here's why it's pertinent for marketers:

Extended Reach: X boasts over 200 million active daily users, which marketers can now access through the familiar terrain of Google Ads.

Ad Placement Concerns: X's relatively lenient advertising guidelines might place your campaigns adjacent to unrestricted content, sometimes even offensive. A balance between reach and brand safety is paramount.

The Revenue Context: Post Elon Musk's acquisition, X observed a 59% ad revenue nosedive in the US. Given that in 2022, a whopping 90% of X's earnings were ad-driven, the dip was considerably detrimental. It's evident why new strategies, like the induction of CEO Linda Yaccarino and the current Google alliance, are on the table.

Tom Ruff, from the digital marketing agency Journey Further, pinpoints the potential enormity of this partnership, stating that if Google's data merges seamlessly with X, it might just shape the most robust marketing database. The union can reimagine user journeys across search and display campaigns. However, without cohesive campaigns and data synchronisation, the anticipated leap might falter.

Google Weighs In: Google's take, as voiced to Ad Age, highlights their stance on expanding opportunities for advertisers. While the door to a more expansive audience has been opened, advertisers still retain control over ad placement. Google maintains that partnering publishers must adhere to its policies.

For marketers, this evolution signifies a renewed and potentially more potent channel to engage audiences. As the dynamics between X and Google unfold, brands can anticipate and strategise for a redefined social advertising experience.

X Debuts a New Ad Format - That You Can’t Block or Hide!?

X is transitioning to an intriguing ad product that is notably distinct from traditional digital advertisements. These ads are subtle, with no clear identifiers, challenging users to distinguish them from regular content.

Key Features of the New Ad Product:

Subtlety: The ads lack a distinguishable label, leaving users unaware that they are engaging with promotional content.

Lack of Source Identification: These ads come without an associated account, further obscuring the identity of the advertiser.

Feedback from the user community, as reported by Mashable, indicates that interactions such as liking or sharing these promotional posts aren’t possible.

Why Marketers Should Take Note:

User Experience Concerns: The influx of such ads might modify how users perceive and engage with content on X. If users consistently encounter indistinguishable ads, it could dilute engagement quality.

Signals from X: The introduction of this ad format might suggest that X is grappling with challenges in securing advertisers for more transparent, targeted ad campaigns.

Appearance & Interaction: These promotional posts emulate typical X content, presenting text alongside an image. An additional layer of camouflage is provided by a simulated avatar, closely mimicking user profile images. As of now, these discrete ads have been identified on the X mobile application, with their presence on the desktop version still under observation.

Ad Content Insights: Ads leveraging this new format appear to align with characteristics often seen in less reputable, click-bait campaigns. To date, recognised brands haven't been associated with this ad mode.

Navigation Dynamics: Users venturing a click on these promotional posts, even on the simulated avatar, are navigated to external web pages.

Contextual Developments: X's recent moves, including collaborations with external partners like Google, point towards efforts to rejuvenate its ad revenue streams. The absence of this new ad format from X's internal ad campaign manager, as highlighted by Mashable, indicates that they might be delivered via third-party channels.

YouTube?

YouTube Enhances Audience Insight Tools?

In its latest move, YouTube has refined its analytics platform, amplifying the tools available for audience insights, a feature crucial for marketers and creators alike.

1. Deep Dive into Viewer Data:

For the first time, creators can discern between new and existing viewer data. By understanding the engagement patterns of both audience segments, marketers can craft tailored strategies, optimising reach.

2. Enhanced Studio Experience:

With a refreshed design, YouTube's studio platform is now more user-friendly, streamlining the content creation and analysis journey for marketers.

3. Audience Segment Analysis:

A noteworthy addition is the "New and Returning Viewers" tab in Studio Analytics. Here, content performance can be evaluated based on audience types. Further, newly-introduced filters simplify data analysis at both channel and video levels.

4. Insight into Memberships:

YouTube provides three key features for better membership analytics:

Total Members Card: View the total number of members with a focus on recurring and gifted memberships.

Members Join From: Understand how content aids in converting memberships.

Membership Cancellation Reasons: This insight, although not available in detailed report views, sheds light on why members opt out.

5. TextField Modernisation:

YouTube has uplifted its shared text field component across platforms. This update brings a more modern visual design, covers key areas, and provides better error management.

Conor Kavanagh, YouTube's monetisation policy lead, highlighted the significance of understanding why members choose to end their memberships. With the newly added optional survey upon cancellation, marketers can garner actionable insights to refine their offerings. Furthermore, he emphasised the game-changing capability for creators to now see and compare how new and returning viewers interact with their content.

Implications for Marketers:

These enhancements are more than mere updates. For marketers, they represent a profound opportunity to comprehend audience interactions deeper, allowing for improved content strategies and heightened engagement. YouTube's advancements underscore the importance of leveraging audience data to make informed, effective marketing decisions.

YouTube Launches Video View Campaigns

YouTube has taken another step towards optimised advertising with the global introduction of Video View Campaigns (VVC). Central to this update is the integration of artificial intelligence, enabling advertisers to more accurately pinpoint and captivate their target audience.?

The upshot? Your ad efforts resonate better, ensuring you get higher returns on your investment.

So, what makes VVC stand out? It’s a forward-thinking campaign type that utilizes AI to streamline ad delivery. This ensures that your best creatives reach audiences who are not just likely, but eager, to engage with your brand. With VVC, you're not just limited to one ad format. It wisely mixes:

Skippable in-stream ads.

In-feed ads.

Shorts ads.

These are all orchestrated to squeeze every drop of value out of your budget. The proof is in the numbers: a Google study highlights that, with VVC, advertisers can anticipate up to 40% more views at a 30% reduced cost per view compared to conventional in-stream skippable CPV campaigns.

For brands and marketers aiming to forge a deeper, more impactful bond with their audience, YouTube's VVC offers a promising avenue. Adapt, optimise, and elevate your advertising game. Find out more here?

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