The Power Of Dynamic Advertising, TikTok Avatars And This Week’s Biggest Social Media Headlines

Stuck trying to navigate the social maze? Don’t stress - we’ve rounded up the biggest social media headlines of the week (so you don’t have to!) Plus, alongside each one, we’ve shared our advice, helping you identify how to use the development to benefit your business.?

We’re Snappin’ to Ibiza?

If there was a ‘Best Newcomer Award’ for social media features, dynamic ads would have the trophy in the bag and be on the way to the aftershow in a glitzy limo.?Despite being only in its very early days, we’ve already seen how dynamic ads have the potential to generate far higher ROIs for brands.?For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, dynamic ads are digital adverts (most commonly published on social media), which automatically tailor their content to best fit the viewer in front of them.?

For instance, say you sold delicious herbal teas. Through dynamic advertising, your advert would display the tea types that are most likely to be enjoyed by that specific viewer. To another, a different assortment of teas are displayed.?The social media platform achieves this by building up a knowledge about the user, including their interests, buying habits and what previously engaged them.?

Snapchat has been the latest platform to expand this marketing tool. Its recent Dynamic ads adaptation has enabled travel companies to get a slice of the pie.?Now, travel companies can use Snapchat to advertise dreamy destinations to users. What’s more, this isn’t just any location with widespread appeal. It’s the holiday spot that’s proven to be the most tempting to that exact viewer.?Snapchatters can now be advertised picture-perfect holidays, which create their vision of the ultimate getaway.?It’s just the latest development in the ever-evolving world of dynamic ads. And, it presents huge opportunities to marketers.?With them, brands can keep putting their best foot forward, for every single viewer. As you can imagine, this means more successful advert metrics across the board.?This is definitely one to keep your eye on.?

Make your own TikTok mini-me?

Don’t fancy yourself as a TikTok celebrity? It’s no bother - now, it’s even easier to get your face up on the big screen.?TikTok has just announced that it’s introducing customisable avatars. These (which will work very similarly to Snapchat’s avatar characters and Apple’s Memojis) will allow users to create a lil’ avatar that looks just like them. You can customise your digital doppleganger with hairstyles, makeup, piercings and other accessories.?Yes, it’s a cute update. But beyond that, it also presents interesting opportunities for brands.?Firstly, it creates a new way of conversing online, and a more personable way to engage in the comments section.?

Secondly, you might be able to feature your actual products in the customisation options. Although this is, right now, reserved for the big brands (who are currently securing partnerships with TikTok), this could be something that we see expand in the future.?

A whole new place to shop - what’s Twitter up to

There are some big changes happening to Twitter’s shopping experience. With a bit of luck, it’ll soon rival the streamlined shopping channel of Insta.?It plans to introduce new tools for retailers, which will enhance product selling and promotion on the platform.?Firstly, its Product Detail pages create a dedicated space for brands to upload information about a product. Customers can use this page to learn more about the product, find a link to the brand’s online shop, and engage with relevant hashtags and the conversations that are happening there.?Then, its Product Drops feature will work alongside this. When they’re planning to drop a new product, brands can create a Product Drop ad post. Then, users can click the image, and be taken to the relevant Product Detail Page.?

Finally, if they’re excited by your launch and want to make sure that they get their hands on it, they can actually set an internal reminder through Twitter. Then, they’ll get a little ‘ping’ 15 minutes before the planned drop.?As far as UX goes, this is about as seamless and supportive as social media shopping gets.??

Glam up your grid

After a series of tests, Instagram has now made its new pinned posts feature available to the public.?Now, you can pin a max of three posts onto the top of your grid. This includes posts published at any time (even if they’re from WAAY back).?This gives you even greater flexibility about how you’d like your grid to look.?Obviously, the first three spots are the ‘money shots’ of your profile, so make them count.?

You could feature your most popular images, your most creative posts, current competitions, or the photos that best embody your brand - either way, ensure your viewers get a clear sense of who your brand is, and what makes it unique, right from the get-go.

SS team ??