In our final Digital Update for the year, we’ve got Google’s 2024 Year in Search, where they’ve given business owners 2024 search insights based on user habits to help them make better decisions in 2025. Along with an exciting new update from Instagram that lets you trial your Reels. Ready to say goodbye to 2024?
What’s new with Meta?
Meta Expands Penalty Avoidance Education to Instagram Creators
Instagram creators, rejoice! Meta’s giving you a second chance! They’re expanding their “penalty-avoidance education program” to Instagram. If you accidentally trip up and break a rule for the first time, you won’t get a dreaded “strike” right away. Instead, Instagram will show you some educational materials about the rule you broke. Think of it as a chance to patch things up before things get serious! This is a great way to avoid unnecessary penalties and keep your account in good standing, which is crucial for any business owner using Instagram for marketing.
📔 Other noteworthy updates from Meta this week:
👀 Tests Spotted on Meta this week:
- Meta tests a “No Edit” tag to flag images that haven’t been edited in Stories
- Meta has been testing options to hide Like Counts on Reels and Replies on Threads
If you’re a business owner or marketing team that wants to solidify your point of difference, win customers and grow your market share — enquire now to meet your dream team.
What’s new with Instagram?
Instagram Launches Trial Reels Audience Sampling
Imagine you’ve been brainstorming some seriously creative content ideas for Instagram, but you’re worried they might scare off your existing followers. Well, fret no more! Instagram is rolling out a new feature called Trial Reels that’s basically like a first date for your content – a low-stakes way to see if it’s a good match with a wider audience. By sharing your Reel with a select group of non-followers, you can gauge interest and engagement before sharing it with your entire fanbase. This is a fantastic way to experiment and find new content ideas that resonate with a broader audience, without jeopardising your relationship with your existing followers.
How to use Trial Reels:
- Create your Reel as usual.
- During the sharing process, select the “Trial” option.
- Choose how long you want your Trial Reel to be available for viewing (24 or 72 hours).
- Share your Reel!
- After the trial period, you can see the engagement metrics and decide whether to share it with your entire audience or discard it.
Hear from Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, directly here.
Whether it’s the first time you’re outsourcing, it’s time to break up with your agency or you need a dream team to help you fill the shoes of your Marketing person while they’re out of action. Consider us your plug and play marketing team. With a wide range of skills and specialties, flexible packages and monthly contracts, we’re here to support you through every season of business. You ready? Enquire here.
What’s new with Google?
Google’s 2024 Search Insights: Top Trending Searches and Insights for Marketers
Google’s Year in Search report, has revealed the top trending 2024 search insights of the year. From global events like the US election to pop culture sensations and sports, the report gives us a glimpse into the collective curiosity of internet users. As marketers, we can leverage these insights to understand our audience better, identify emerging trends, and tailor our content strategies accordingly.
Key findings:
- The most Googled world events and people in 2024 were the World Cup, the US Presidential Election, and Elon Musk.
- The most Googled news events were climate change, the war in Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The most Googled songs were “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez, and “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift.
- The most Googled movies were “Avatar: The Way of Water”, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, and “Top Gun: Maverick”.
- The most Googled TV shows were “Wednesday”, “Stranger Things”, and “The Last of Us”.
- The most Googled sports were cricket, football, and basketball.
- The most Googled people were Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
- The most Googled locations were India, the United States, and Brazil.
- The most Googled “how to use” queries were “how to use ChatGPT”, “how to use BeReal”, and “how to use Midjourney”.
- The most Googled “hummed to Google” songs were “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez, and “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift.
- The most Googled “this year, people searched in new and more effortless ways” queries were “how to use Lens and Circle to Search”, “how to use voice search”, and “how to use Google Assistant”.
By understanding the top search trends can significantly impact a business’s marketing strategy. By leveraging these insights, businesses can create more effective content, improve their SEO, and ultimately, attract and engage their target audience.
What’s new with TikTok?
TikTok Adds Shop Education Resources
TikTok is giving sellers a chance to really get to know them better with their new educational resources! They’ve launched an Account Health Report, which is basically a handy way to see if there’s anything about your profile that might be putting your customers (think of it as a compatibility check). There’s also a Creator Policy Quiz, to test how well you know your audience. And if that wasn’t enough, TikTok are even hosting live events in some cities – like speed dating for businesses!
While the update itself may not be available to Australian business owners yet (we’re still waiting to hear from TikTok on this one!), these new educational resources can be a great way for businesses to improve their understanding of the platform and create content that resonates with their target audience. By using these resources, businesses can build stronger relationships with their potential customers and increase their chances of success on TikTok.
TikTok Offers Shop Credits to Attract More Users
TikTok’s steps up efforts to attract more users and boost its revenue in the U.S. before a potential forced sell-off. To woo new users, TikTok is offering shop credits. They’re also trying to get existing users more invested by rewarding them for their activity. It’s a desperate move, but TikTok is hoping that by showing off its popularity and potential, it can convince the U.S. government to reconsider.
Our top tip:
TikTok’s new shop credits program could be a great way for businesses to attract new customers. However, it’s important to remember that this is a temporary measure, and you’ll need to have a strong marketing strategy in place to keep customers coming back for more.
Our plug and play marketing team will guide your audience from brand fans to repeat buyers. Click through our quick and easy quiz to discover the best way we can support your business as you grow! Once you submit your answers we’ll be in touch with the next steps.
📔Noteworthy updates from LinkedIn this week:
📔 Other noteworthy updates or tests:
So there you have it. 2024 was a BIG year for AI, and transparency for Instagram and Google maintained on top despite predictions. Feel free to sign up for our weekly updates here (plus so much more hot goss) so you never miss the best updates. AND don’t forget, if you do miss out you can always go back to last weeks blog posts here.
XOXO
Oh My Digital Team
