Ready to see what’s hot in the digital world this week? Instagram has introduced four exciting new story stickers to elevate your customer experience and create more engagement (and sales) while we continue to see major platforms leverage AI integration for advanced marketing tactics. Plus, catch up on TikTok’s legal showdown with the US government. Keep scrolling for all the updates!

What’s new with Meta?

Meta launches their updated lead generation guidelines

AI integration remains a driving force in platform development, as seen by Meta’s recent rollout of advanced lead generation guidelines. These new and improved guidelines use AI to bolster campaign effectiveness, providing marketers with tools to craft successful lead-generation strategies.

The top recommendations:

• Utilisation of Instant Forms (to streamline the lead capture process)
• Instant Forms with Conditional Logic (to allow for forms to change accordingly based on users real-time responses) 
• CRM integration via Conversions API (to facilitate seamless data transfer and personalised follow-ups)
• Advanced AI targeting with Advantage+ Audience and seasonal trend alignment (to maximise campaign impact) 

Meta upgrades Meta Verified

Meta has expanded access to its verification for business subscription package allowing brands in various countries to purchase verification badges for their FB and Insta profiles. This expansion provides brands with more options to enhance their online presence but does come with some potentially hefty costs. 

New Subscription Tiers:
The platform is also introducing new subscription tiers with various price points and benefits including:

• Enhanced profiles
• Search optimisation
• Featured account displays
• Link in reels
• Employee impersonation protection
• Customised messaging chats
• Account reviews by Meta experts 

The features provide businesses with functionalities that may be useful to those more heavily invested in Facebook and Instagram marketing. We cannot wait to see results from brands investing in these packages.

Meta launches AI creation tools

Meta is adding even more enhanced AI creation tools for advertisers on Instagram and Facebook meaning greater ad creation possibilities and more effective campaigns.

These tools include:

• Updated image generation feature (generate full image variations based on the original ad creative)
• Ad text variation feature (The ability to create variations for ad headlines, with the potential to reflect the brand’s tone of voice)

With these additions being trained on the best-performing ads on the platforms we are so excited to try this out and hopefully see some promising results.

👀 Tests spotted on Meta this week

• Meta has been spotted testing a new option of enabling users to cross post updates to Threads
• In a controversial possible update, this test has been spotted allowing Facebook group members comment anonymously. We’re just hoping admins can still preview and control comments for liability reasons!
• Two new Facebook features have been spotted in testing, including Search Optimisation and Help with Discovery (sounds good to us!)
• Facebook has also been spotted experimenting with profile shapes. If they roll this out, it might be time for brands to do an audit of their page to make sure their branding still looks consistent online!
• And in other news, a possible glitch was spotted sparking a rumour that Meta might be removing exclusions

Want some help running your Paid Ads? Book a free 20-minute-chat here and never worry Meta updates again.

What’s new with Instagram?

Instagram drops useful new stickers

Instagram stickers are an amazing tool for enhancing engagement with your audience and adding extra creativity to your stories. As avid users of stickers ourselves, we were so excited to discover some new stickers have been added to the mix including:

1. Add Yours Music Sticker

Instagram have given two of our fave Story tools, “Add Yours” and “Music” a little mix-up by combining them together. And we’re here for it.

As you can see in this example, you can choose a song and invite your audience to add their own music to the story template, adding it to their story.

Ways brands could use this:

• Ask your audience to share their experience at your venue (with a song)
• Motivate your audience by encouraging them to share a song that summarises their mood to kick goals
• Ask your audience to share funny songs that highlight their feelings when using your products/services

2. Frames Sticker

Our FAVE update, the “Frames” sticker lets you upload a photo to the polaroid “frame” and ask your audience to “shake to reveal”.

Ways brands could use this:

• Shake to reveal a new product
• Shake to reveal a clue to a secret launch
• Shake to reveal a highlight from a recent event
• Shake to reveal a new team member
• Shake to reveal an answer to a poll or question sticker

3. Reveal Sticker

Following up in a close second, the Reveal sticker lets you post a hidden story, that requires your audience to message you to uncover.

Ways brands could use this:

• Message to access an exclusive offer
• Message to access first access to a product/service
• Message to get a hot lead magnet directly messaged to you
• Message to book a free chat
• Message to uncover a hot tip or trick

4. Cutouts Sticker

Following up in a close second, the Reveal sticker lets you post a hidden story, that requires your audience to message you to uncover.

Ways brands could use this:

• Message to access an exclusive offer
• Message to access first access to a product/service
• Message to get a hot lead magnet directly messaged to you
• Message to book a free chat
• Message to uncover a hot tip or trick

Instagram revamps its hashtag functionality

Instagram has revamped its hashtag functionality to improve content discovery. Previously when tapping on a hashtag the user would be led to a feed of top posts, but now they are directed to a broader search results page, similar to the explore page. 

By diversifying the content discovery options the change aims to enhance user engagement. 

Consequently, for marketers focused on organic reach, the strategy needs to shift towards optimising all aspects of business profiles and content to secure visibility across diverse search result categories, rather than exclusively targeting the “top posts’ of a hashtag.

👀 Tests spotted on Instagram this week:

• Instagram has been spied testing a new “Imagine Me” sticker. What it does yet? No clue, but we’re curious to test it out.
• Instagram has been caught out testing a direct create story button, while previewing another story. Not really sure how functional this one is, but when inspiration strikes, right?

Want to take Instagram off your hands? Book a free 20-minute-chat here and have a months worth of content scheduled at all time, your comments replied to and NEVER have to struggle with content ideas again!

What’s new with YouTube?

YouTube adds a streamlined ad campaign setup option within studio

To simplify the process of promoting videos, YouTube has introduced an ad campaign setup option directly within the YouTube studio to those channels with advanced features and over 1000 subscribers. This new feature allows creators to easily boost their content through the simplified setup and targeting options, in comparison to the more advanced ad setup through Google Ads.

👀 Tests spotted on YouTube this week

• YouTube has been spotted introducing a live test of its latest generative AI feature, offering content inspiration to select YouTube Studio users. The AI-driven tool aims to simplify the creative process by providing personalised content suggestions based on viewer trends. 
• YouTube has been spotted testing a shopping feed. We LOVE this feature and hope it rolls out!

Book a free 20-minute-chat here and get strategic with the content going out to your LinkedIn connections. Build relationships, grow connections and establish yourself as an authority in your field of expertise without your connections even knowing we’re the marketers in your pocket.

What’s new with TikTok?

TikTok initiates legal action against US legislation

TikTok has launched legal actions against the US government over a recently approved bill that would force it to be sold to a US-based owner. The bill is deemed unconstitutional by TikTok, which argues that it unfairly targets the app without legitimate cause. TikTok asserts that the bill is based on speculative concerns and lacks evidence of any actual threat posed by the app. The case is set to be heard in the Federal Court, with TikTok challenging the bill’s legality on grounds of constitutional violation.

TikTok launches new Live features

TikTok is encouraging creators to use Desktop to go live with new features including:

• Customize your LIVE videos (widgets like Goal, Alert, Chatbox)
• Interactive features (including LIVE Goal, Highlight)
• Chat in live
• Live Analytics

Whilst it looks to be aimed at gamers, business owners could get creative with this feature and pave the way with a unique strategy to get in front of their competitors. Check it out here.

TikTok introduces automatic labelling of AI-generated content

TikTok is expanding its labelling practices beyond content produced with its own AI features. The platform will now automatically label any AI-generated content that is originated from external platforms by attaching metadata. This global rollout, set to to take effect in the coming weeks aims to enhance transparency for all users and deter misleading AI-generated content.

👀 Tests spotted on TikTok this week:

• Last week Hayley spotted the dislike button on her TikTok account but it has disappeared this week. Who knows if this is a new feature coming or whether it is a glitch. She found that the button was constantly getting in the way so she is not sad that it’s gone.

Struggling to get results with TikTok? Book a free 20-minute-chat here and we’ll prepare a strategic content calendar, along with direction for filming, editing all of your TikTok’s, posting and community management. And we provide a monthly report so you can see exactly how it’s contributing to the bigger picture.

📰 In other news:

• We couldn’t expect any less than a new feature in OpenAI’s ChatGPT and there have been rumours swirling surrounding a potential new search feature currently in development. This feature would enable ChatGPT to search the web for answers to user queries, completed with cited sources. This emergence of ChatGPT as a search alternative to Google could mark a significant shift in the digital landscape. 

Not a huge week, but a good one! Feel free to sign up for our weekly summary here 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

OMD SQUAD