Tag Archives: monday news

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 21 March 2022

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Facebook Is Developing Reactions to Reels

Facebook is now extending reactions to Reels as another way to respond to its short-form video content.

Users can choose from seven different reactions, including emoticons. At the moment, you can only like or comment on posts. You can also express how you feel about the video with emoticons, while this is not required. There is, however, no mention of full testing or a release date.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebooks-developing-reactions-for-reels/620670/

The Secret to Hopping on TikTok Trends

TrendTok Analytics is a tool for producers to discover the most recent and up-and-coming trends on TikTok, and it notifies users when a new sound is popular. Under the audio, you can see data like connected hashtags, the number of current views, and AI prediction.

The software uses artificial intelligence to compile a list of customised trends related to the creator’s niche, as well as to predict viral trends before they occur. Creators who pounce on trends before they reach their apex discover that their videos are more likely to be shared with more people, resulting in higher audio usage.

Link: https://www.forusapps.com/trendtokapp

Heineken Parodies Metaverse with Virtual Brew

Within the metaverse, Heineken claims to have created the world’s first virtual beer.

The beer will only be accessible at Heineken’s virtual brewery on Decentraland, where guests of a launch party learnt how the beer is manufactured while feasting on “pixelated lobster and caviar” and interacting with Heineken brand ambassadors.

The virtual brew, which advertises “no calories, no hidden ingredients, and no beer,” was designed as a humorous activation that taps into the hoopla around the metaverse and virtual goods while also building brand awareness.

They said that Heineken Silver, their new virtual beer, is an ironic joke. It’s a self-aware concept that mocks them and a slew of other firms who are attempting to enter the metaverse with products that are best appreciated in the real world.

Metaverse platforms like Decentraland have become excellent (virtual) real estate for marketers hoping to cash in on the growing popularity of virtual goods and experiences.

The virtual brewery also serves as a learning tool for Heineken. Virtual yeast, called as A-Pixels, may be seen brewing in horizontal tanks within the virtual brewery. The A-Pixels are a substitute for the actual A-yeast used by Heineken to produce their real-life beer.

Link: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/heineken-parodies-metaverse-with-virtual-brew/620597/

IG Reels Audio Hack

Due to copyright, Business accounts do not have access to music from recording artists because they don’t want their name attached to a brand. (Most sources come from 2021)

If you encounter such a scenario where you are unable to find the audio, just download the video with the audio you want, then import the audio when posting on your client’s account. When you import audio, IG will prompt you to name your audio and you can just give the credit to the original song and artist.

Link: https://destination-digital.co.uk/news-blogs-case-studies/lets-get-reel-can-instagram-reels-work-for-business-accounts/

TikTok Is Rolling Out Snapchat-style Stories

Using the same editing tools, effects, filters, and noises as when taking a photo or video for TikTok’s basic function, adding a video or photo to a narrative is a breeze. Stories, unlike ordinary TikTok videos, do not appear on your profile or feed and are deleted after 24 hours.

How it works: When you’re watching a video, you’ll notice a blue-circled profile image. When you tap it, you’ll be sent right to that user’s storey feed. If you’re reading a user’s profile, you’ll notice the same blue circle, and hitting the profile photo will take you to the story. 

The key difference between this and, say, IGS is that users can comment publicly on stories and see who has read the content. Rather than sending a list of private story views and replies to a DM, TikTok Stories will display user comments on the story itself, as well as an additional tab that allows users to see who has viewed any given tale. Perhaps it will pave the way for increased transparency in interaction and two-way exchanges in stories.

Link: https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/17/22983504/tiktok-snapchat-stories-rollout-feature

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 07 March 2022

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TikTok Expands Maximum Video Length to 10 Minutes

TikTok seems to be pushing the limit of our attention span from expanding the limit to 3 minutes, and now 10 minutes.

This new version may pit TikTok against YouTube, which has traditionally dominated as the most popular long-form multimedia site. Longer videos help TikTok to compete more effectively with YouTube (which favours long-form content), as well as attract an older audience and enhance overall app engagement time. Longer-form material, according to TikTok, is easier to monetize and keeps users on the network longer.

However, YouTube would appear to be more appealing to long-form video creators because the platform offers more revenue prospects and is easier to monetise because ads do not have to be a direct component of the content.

For makers of long-form content, there are well-established apps with better-incentivised platform possibilities. It’s unclear that many producers will want to make long-form material on TikTok until the app offers greater incentives and new creative tools, such as making their platform editable and uploadable on the desktop.

Link: https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/28/22954525/tiktok-maximum-video-length-10-minutes

Instagram Announces Closure of Separate IGTV App, Removal of In-Stream Video Ads

As part of IG’s efforts to simplify its video offering, the company will shut down its standalone IGTV app and remove the option for in-stream video ads, focusing on short-form video content rather than Reels, which have been a big contributor to engagement growth.

While creator revenue would be harmed, IG plans to replace it with Reels, which will use sticker ads. Creators who have earned money through this method will be reimbursed with a one-time monthly payment based on their current earnings.

Here are some video-making tips from Instagram:

Keep it short. Our audience loves short, interesting videos, and reels are the greatest method to achieve that.

Focus on immersive. Optimize your video content to be viewed vertically. This means using high-resolution, 9×16 vertical videos with no borders, where the text does not cover the majority of the screen.

Make a good first impression. Pull the viewer in within the first few seconds and keep them interested for the duration of the video. The first three seconds are critical!

Be consistent. Create an editorial calendar that you can stick to. You don’t have to post a video every day; just make sure you go at a pace that works for you.

Avoid visibly recycled content: We’ve heard that our community wants to see reels that are uniquely made for Instagram. This is what they find the most entertaining and inspiring. Avoid posting reels that are visibly recycled from other apps (i.e. contain watermarks).

Consider the material. We avoid recommending reels that focus on potentially sensitive content, as well as content that is overly promotional or too commercial. You can refer to our Community Guidelines and Recommendations Guidelines for more information.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-announces-closure-of-separate-igtv-app-removal-of-in-stream-vide/619532/

Can Brands Stay Safe in the Metaverse?

Brand safety should be at the forefront of marketers’ thinking as they consider how the metaverse fits into their plan. However, there is evidence that, as with other digital platforms, as the platform’s popularity develops, so does extremist or hate groups’ interest.

With that in mind, the question is how do brands keep their metaverse space from being overrun by hateful players? According to experts, the metaverse may be less risky than other platforms.

So a good example is, for instance, if you want to launch an NFT for brands, there’s generally a discord that comes along with it. And those communities can shoot down a discord as well. So the community is a lot more in control as to what’s happening

One way to enhance brand safety is through the use of “smart contracts.” These are programs that are stored in the blockchain that only activate under certain conditions. If the conditions of the smart contract are violated, the program fails to run. If brands built certain rules into a mandatory smart contract before selling someone an NFT or allowing them to enter into a virtual space, they may be able to keep themselves safe.

The metaverse is quite at an early stage and its ability to gain wider adoption could be hurt as a broader reckoning around digital privacy takes place. There are numerous concerns over the amount of data that the metaverse will create on its users, such as biometrics.

With the technology being so new, some experts are asking if brands are moving too fast given how consumer adoption remains low.

Link: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/can-brands-stay-safe-in-the-metaverse/619589/

Users Can Start Earning Ethereum “Tips” on Twitter

Twitter introduced “Tips” in early 2021, which allows users to earn money from their followers.

Twitter has allowed users to add their Ethereum address to their profile after letting them to add their Bitcoin address in September 2021.

Twitter’s announcement is just another proof of the firm’s interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology since the company allowed users to use their NFTs as profile images earlier this year.

Link: https://sea.mashable.com/tech/19417/how-to-add-a-cryptocurrency-address-to-your-twitter-profile

Instagram Launches Automated Captions for Feed Videos

Instagram has taken the next step with the addition of auto-generated captions in Instagram feed videos, following the launch of automatic captions for IGTV uploads in 2020 and the expansion of captions to Stories last year.

The ability to add automated captions to all components of the app, including Reels (through the ‘Captions’ sticker), which is now Instagram’s fastest-growing engagement surface, has been one of the most requested features within Instagram community.

Users will now be able to switch on auto-captions for any Instagram feed post, providing another way to expand consumption options in the app. It will also assist creators in maximising viewership in both sounds on and sound off situations, which might be a huge benefit. 

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-launches-automated-captions-for-feed-videos/619617/

LinkedIn Acquires Marketing Analytics Platform Oribi to Improve its Marketing Solutions Offering

Oribi’s analytics tools enable simplified event tracking and response, by highlighting the key insights that can be taken to capitalize on performance trends.

This means it will be able to employ automated tagging and code-free technology to analyse and measure website conversions, providing insight into user behaviour that can be used to improve performance.

As an example, assisting a marketer in identifying better leads to assisting a recruiter in identifying the best applicants.

This has the potential to help LinkedIn better conform with evolving privacy trends by enabling improved response monitoring without the need for third-party cookies or in-app tracing.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-acquires-marketing-analytics-platform-oribi-to-improve-its-marketi/619542/

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 21 FEBRUARY 2022

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Instagram Adds Stories Likes to Provide Insight on Viewer Engagement

You can ‘like’ any Story in your feed with Stories Likes. You’ll notice a new heart icon at the bottom of your Stories screen in the app, which when tapped will send the creator of that Story alike. Only the creator will be able to see them, and they will not be sent as a direct message.

This might be a new approach for Instagram to rate the Stories in your feed and highlight the ones that are most likely to be of interest. This can also be used to assess engagement.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-adds-stories-likes-to-provide-insight-on-viewer-engagement/618827/

Google Shares Privacy Sandbox Roadmap for Android and the Web

Replacing the FLoC proposal following the FLoC trials is The Privacy Sandbox, alleged to “preserve privacy while showing relevant content and ads”.  The goals of the Privacy Sandbox include:

  • Build new technology to keep your information private
  • Enable publishers and developers to keep online content free
  • Collaborate with the industry to build new internet privacy standards

Privacy Sandbox for the Web will phase out third-party cookies and limit covert tracking, also aligned with Google’s shift to the topics API, the alternative to cookie-based tracking. Key takeaways from the Topics API for marketers include

  • Focus on affinity and intent, rather than demographics
  • Higher focus on search data to determine interest
  • Change in nurture cycle as topics data is deleted every 3 weeks

This roadmap is said to be prepared in alignment with the W3C standards.

(W3C publishes documents that define Web technologies. These documents follow a process designed to promote consensus, fairness, public accountability, and quality. At the end of this process, W3C publishes Recommendations, which are considered Web standards.)

Link: https://privacysandbox.com/proposals/floc 

LinkedIn Adds New Elements to its ‘Services’ Listings to Help Freelancers Generate Business

LinkedIn has added two new aspects to its Services Pages, allowing freelancers and small businesses to list and be found for the services they provide on their LinkedIn profiles.

The additional aspects will provide you with more ways to give your services listings more legitimacy. For starters, LinkedIn will now allow users to link their LinkedIn Company Page to their Services listing. So, if your SMB or consultancy has a business page, you can now create a link between your Services display and that page.

Furthermore, LinkedIn will also allow members to include a media showcase on their services sites. The new options provide you with more methods to entice potential clients, and they could be extremely useful in advertising and presenting your expertise in new ways.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-adds-new-elements-to-its-services-listings-to-help-freelancers-g/619082/

JP Morgan becomes the first bank to join the Metaverse 

JPM set up shop in Metaverse Decentraland in Metajuku mall where their lounge features a live tiger, spiral staircase and an illuminated portrait of CEO Jamie Dimon. They have a blockchain arm which they started only in 2020 and now a virtual office in the metaverse, joining the likes of Walmart, Disney, Nike and Warner Bros. 

They estimate the metaverse economy to be worth USD1 trillion dollars in yearly revenue and predict that there will be gig workers earning income just by providing services in the metaverse alone

Link: https://fortune.com/2022/02/16/jpmorgan-first-bank-join-metaverse/

Will virtual influencers be the next big thing in K-POP?

According to a researcher at Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation (KOBACO), COVID-19 has led people to look for a more entertaining digital experience.

Han Yoo Ah, a virtual influencer, just inked a contract with YG Entertainment, the same company that gave birth to Big Bang and 2NE1. Her first album is expected to be released at the end of February.

Speaking involves “natural acting motions,” which requires more advanced technology, according to the K-entertainment industry. It is also easier to programme virtual influencers to sing than it is to programme them to speak. 

If you’re interested in hearing how effectively these virtual influencers “sing,” Rozy, South Korea’s first virtual influencer, will release her first single “Who Am I” on February 22.

Link: https://www.google.com.sg/amp/s/m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.amp.asp%3fnewsIdx=323801

https://instagram.com/rozy.gram?utm_medium=copy_link

Instagram Shares New Overviews of the Key Ranking Factors for Feed Posts, Stories and Reels

As Instagram competes with TikTok, Reels has its own algorithm. The TikTok algorithm is finely tailored to user interests, and as you scroll around the app, it will swiftly adapt to show you more of what you’re interested in, similar to how Instagram’s Reels algorithm is expanding.

The focus elements have been re-ordered for Reels, so that your participation in the Reels stream took priority above information about the post and its author, as it does in the main feed.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-shares-new-overviews-of-the-key-ranking-factors-for-feed-posts-s/619076/ 

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 14 FEBRUARY 2022

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NFL Opens Snapchat Playbook for Super Bowl Sunday

The NFL is teaming up with Snapchat for a number of Super Bowl activations, including three shows that will stream on Snapchat Discover, Cameo stickers that can be used in the app, and top plays from the season that will be shared in Spotlight.

The league also collaborated with Snapchat on a National World Lens based on the company’s TV ad, which will air during halftime. The Lens will be unlocked with a Snapcode and will be promoted on the NFL’s social media channels. For the first time, the NFL is integrating Snap’s Camera Kit into its One Pass app, which gives you unique access to NFL events.

The NFL and Snapchat are attempting to increase participation during an event that is not only the year’s most-watched television broadcast but also one that is becoming increasingly dependent on mobile devices. When it comes to sports, 87% of Snapchat users prefer it to other apps, making it an important platform to watch the event on.

Link: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/nfl-opens-snapchat-playbook-for-super-bowl-sunday/618537/

Mr Beast – Video Growth Framework

Capturing attention through thumbnails, headlines and introduction.

  • Mr Beast’s Squid Game It included all of the game’s key aspects, such as the life-size doll, the green and red suit, and the players’ (fear/stress) vs. guards facial expressions (happy)
  • “I played Squid Game In Real Life!” vs. “$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!” in the video title. The latter generates a sense of surprise, which leads to the next point: creating a curiosity gap.

Creating a curiosity gap by releasing information throughout the video to optimise audience retention.

  • For example, other YouTubers who created squid game videos took about 1-4 minutes to get the games started, while Mr Beast’s optimised his audience retention by taking only 16 seconds to introduce the video and then jump straight into the first game.

Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/dickiebush/status/1491945998742085651?s=21

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8ZbGnwXjj4

The Rollout of TikTok Stories

All users of TikTok now have access to the app’s Stories feature. If you haven’t made a story yet, you’ll see a notification at the bottom of the screen prompting you to do so when you start the app. 

The Story will expire in 24 hours, just like Instagram and Snapchat Stories, but it will appear on users’ FYP in the same way as regular video content does on the app. Instead of showing up as separate stories, you can access all of the Stories published by the user on your FYP page within 24 hours.

The little tag in the top right corner distinguishes a Story from a regular post. While Stories is progressively gaining traction among content creators who want to try it out, because it’s similar to Instagram Stories, it may take some time for other users to catch on.

Twitter Tests New ‘Articles’ Option, Potentially Enabling Long-Form Posts in the App

Twitter’s currently working on a new option called ‘Articles’, which appears to provide a means to create blog posts within the app, which would then, assumably be shareable, in some form, via tweet.

It’s unclear how it would work in practice, but it’s something Twitter is working on.

Some have speculated that this will be a Twitter Blue option, or at least that this will be the case at first, with paying customers able to make long-form pieces that they can subsequently publish in the app. Of course, the true value is in the mechanics of how it works and how Twitter would display these longer postings in the app. However, it’s worth noting that Twitter hasn’t given up on the idea of longer-form writing in tweets.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/twitter-tests-new-articles-option-potentially-enabling-long-form-posts-i/618228/

Instagram Experiments With Stories Highlights to Reels Conversion Option, Longer Reels Clips

Instagram is currently allowing you to convert an Instagram story highlight to a reels clip. The process then enables you to synch the highlight to music, providing a whole new way to create Reels content. 

This allows you to recycle your best posts, and boost your overall Instagram engagement.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-experiments-with-stories-highlights-to-reels-conversion-option-l/618227/

Adidas’ Controversial Bare Breasts Campaign – Great Example of Why Strategy & Creative Go Hand-in-Hand

Adidas created a 24-square grid of “real” breasts to promote their new sports bra range, which comes in 43 different versions for a better fit. Consumers reacted negatively to the promotion, and marketing professionals were split on how to respond.

Customers were outraged because their children follow Adidas on social media, and they believed this was inappropriate. Marketing experts believe that this was done for shock value, given the target audience for sports bras already knows that all breasts are different and that different people require different sorts of support. As a result, the question of what this ad was aiming to achieve in terms of awareness by having bare breasts in front of the camera was raised.

Adidas claimed to be “normalising” breasts of various shapes and sizes, but this failed to materialise as breasts had to be censored on several social platforms to comply with platform guidelines, and their 43-variant sports bra range did not adequately cater to all sizes or shapes, offering only compression rather than encapsulation. For example, according to Adidas’ sizing chart, a 4x bra fits anywhere from a 46DD to a 48A.

Link: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/adidas-bare-breast-tweet

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/02/10/adidas-bare-breast-ad/

Instagram Stories Poll Stickers Are About to Get a Major Upgrade

New poll sticker styles are being tested on Instagram Stories, allowing users to add more than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’ alternatives to the poll. New text customization capabilities and the ability to add up to four different response options are included in the new poll sticker.

This new option is not yet available to everyone, so keep an eye out for it!

Link: https://later.com/blog/instagram-stories-poll-stickers/

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 24 JANUARY 2022

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BBC and The Guardian Chinese dish recipes showcased with a side of joss paper and funeral envelopes

Meanwhile, The Guardian’s “Pork and crab dumplings with spicy sour sauce” dish featured a side of longevity joss paper for decorative purposes. Joss paper is traditionally burnt by the Chinese to pay respects to the departed and for ancestral worship. They can also be used during the worship of deities in Chinese folk religion. The feature has also caught the attention of the Twitter verse, with Vivienne Chow, a correspondent for the art market website, Artnet, tweeting about it.

BBC Food has since responded to Chow on Twitter, saying it is “very sorry for this error”. “We have taken down the image and will investigate the situation further and review our processes to put more rigorous checks in for styling,” the media outlet said.

Link: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/bbc-guardian-cny-dishes-mistakes?utm_source=newslette[…]m=email&utm_campaign=20220118_singapore_daily_bulletin

Instagram Expands Video Remix Option to All Videos, Not Just Reels Clips

Instagram is allowing users to remix all videos that are posted in the app, not only Reels, expanding your creative response and engagement choices. The remix functions, she believes, allow you to reply to/provide a different take on someone else’s video. We’ve seen IG embrace a lot of TikTok-like features, so there’s a good chance we’ll see more.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-expands-video-remix-option-to-all-videos-not-just-reels-clips/617465/ 

Twitter debuts hexagon-shaped NFT profile pictures

NFT profile pictures are displayed as hexagons on Twitter, which distinguishes them from the conventional circles available to other users. When you tap on the images, information about the art and who owns it appears. Only Twitter Blue subscribers have access to this feature right now.

Twitter, like other tech businesses, is scrambling to capitalise on crypto developments like NFTs, a sort of speculative asset that authenticates digital objects such as photographs, videos, and virtual world land.

Last year, the social media site offered the ability for members to send and receive Bitcoin.

Link: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/twitter-hexagon-nft-profile-pictures-launch-2449941

TikTok and Instagram to test letting creators charge subscriptions

In certain areas, including India, France, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates, Facebook debuted ‘Subscriptions’ in 2020, allowing creators to earn money via monthly subscriptions. 

TikTok and Instagram producers may soon have another money stream, as both companies are investigating ways for creators to charge customers for access to their unique content and live streams via paid subscriptions.

TikTok’s premium subscription test comes after Instagram announced that it, too, is testing paid subscriptions with a small group of creators and influencers. The various tiers will range in price from $0.99 to $99.99 per month, depending on what the creator decides to charge, and a purple badge will be displayed in the comments section to indicate a subscriber’s status to the creator/influencer. 

Meta-owned Instagram has stated that it will not take a portion of creators’ subscription revenue until next year at the earliest.

Link: https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/20/22893954/tiktok-testing-paid-subscriptions-creators

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/instagram-subscriptions-content-creators-2446816

Spotify Introduces Call-to-Action Cards for Podcast Ads

Spotify recently announced the launch of call-to-action (CTA) cards, a new ad experience that will be available across podcasts. CTA cards will display in the Spotify app as soon as a podcast ad starts playing, and will reappear later while you’re browsing the app, making it easy to learn more about the brand, product, or service you heard about while listening. The CTA cards will make it easy for you to find the items and services you’re looking for without having to remember a complicated promo code or a vanity URL.

Spotify is making podcast advertisements interactive for the first time with the launch of this new ad experience, converting the format from something you can only hear into something you can see – and, most importantly, click.

Link: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-01-06/spotify-introduces-call-to-action-cards-for-podcast-ads/

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 17 JANUARY 2022

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Instagram Is the Platform of Focus for Marketers in 2022, According to New Research

TikTok is the app of the moment, though it is unlikely to be a good fit for all businesses, while Facebook has lost some of its shine, and Instagram continues to be quite popular.

Taking into account any platform bias, it appears that Instagram is the overall leader in marketing attention coming into the year — which is odd given the rise of TikTok, which seems like it should be a higher priority based on its usage and cultural effect.

However, as previously stated, TikTok promotions aren’t for everyone, and you can now reach a much larger audience on Instagram. You can also reach out to more demographic groupings on Facebook, which is still by far the most popular platform. 

Perhaps Facebook is no longer cool, or perhaps marketers are dissatisfied with the app’s deteriorating performance. In any case, if these predictions are true and Facebook becomes a lower priority, it may open up new opportunities to reach your target demographic in the app, as fewer advertisers focusing on it may mean less competition for attention, which will be something to watch throughout the year.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagrams-the-platform-of-focus-for-marketers-in-2022-according-to-new-r/617161/

Instagram’s Testing a New Option Which Would Enable Users to Re-Arrange the Post Display on their Profile

In your profile settings, you’ll see a new ‘Edit Grid’ option that allows you to rearrange your profile gallery as you choose, regardless of when it was posted. 

This is mind-boggling for the users. If you have a previous post that is still relevant, you can move it to the top of the page to increase its visibility (but, of course, this is only for display view, it will not appear on the news feed).

In a similar manner, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri recently hinted at a potential ‘pinned post’ option for profiles, which would allow users to choose which posts they wish to display at the top of their grid.

Another aspect of this is rearranging your profile display, and with the growing emphasis on video, Instagram appears to be more open to experimenting with new concepts, as it eventually switches to totally new focus displays anyhow.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagrams-testing-a-new-option-which-would-enable-users-to-re-arrange-the/616956/ 

Twitter’s Coming NFT Profile Display Option Moves to Next Stage of Testing

Over the last few months, NFTs have become a major fad, with Twitter serving as a hub for most of the discussion and for exhibiting your acquired art. Despite the hoopla, the sector nevertheless presents obstacles and worries.

Since November, Twitter has been working on an official integration procedure that will make it easier for NFT owners to display their ownership, with a back-end linkage to each NFT’s official information assuring that only the true owner of an image can display it in the new profile image format.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/twitters-coming-nft-profile-display-option-moves-to-next-stage-of-testing/617087/ 

Outcome-Driven Ad Experiences Model

Meta has announced updates to Ads Manager in order to streamline the ad campaign process. The number of ad objectives you can choose from has been reduced from 11 to 6.

They’re changing the goal selection experience when launching new campaigns in Ads Manager to better steer marketers to the best campaign setups. They’re transitioning to an outcome-driven ad experiences model (ODAX), in which advertisers can choose their desired business outcomes (e.g., Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, App Promotion, Sales), and the interface will direct them to the best campaign setup/creation paths to achieve those goals.

Link: https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2021/12/21/simplifying-campaign-objectives-outcome-driven-ad-experiences/ 

3 ways on how digital marketing would look like in the Metaverse

  • The use of virtual influencers: Influencers who are not human, but created using AI – https://analyticsindiamag.com/rozy-friends-meet-the-new-crop-of-ai-influencers/
  • Digital campfires to appeal to a younger audience and capture their attention: Digital campfires are “a more intimate oasis where smaller groups of people are delighted to assemble around shared interests,” including private messaging apps like Whatsapp, micro-communities like Facebook groups, and shared experiences like Fortnite or Twitch – https://hbr.org/2020/02/the-era-of-antisocial-social-media
  • Sensory marketing: Including the senses of touch, smell, and taste in addition to sight and hearing. Even now, when sensory marketing technology is expensive, we may begin by considering how we can use our advertisements to appeal to the three senses.

Love, Bonito unveils Tiger Bloom NFT in line with ‘Journeying with Women’ theme

Love, Bonito, jumping on the NFT bandwagon, announced the creation of its first NFT, “Tiger Bloom,” in collaboration with KrisonAutopilot, a visual artist. 

The NFT is a way for the brand to engage with its customers through the story behind the NFT, which embodies the brand’s theme and value of female empowerment. They’ve made the NFT collection unique, with only ten copies available for purchase. 

The earnings will be used to support CSR efforts, such as donating to Playeum, a non-profit that works to provide equal opportunity for children from low-income families, as well as extending the brand through its existing omnichannel markets.

Link: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/love,-bonito-unveils-tiger-bloom-nft-in-line-with-journeying-with-women-theme

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 10 JANUARY 2022

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8 Emerging Visual Trends for 2022 [Infographic]

Depositphotos enlisted the help of a number of digital marketing gurus to get their take on the newest trends, which they then matched with their own data to get a sense of where people are looking and what’s attracting their attention in their social feeds. It’s something to think about for your strategic plan.

Here are some visual trends to look out for in 2022:

1. The Metaverse
2. Psychedelic Art
3. AI-Generated Music
4. Y2K Aesthetics
5. Science Non-Fiction
6. Acts of Self Love
7. The Art of Storytelling
8. Immersive Everything

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/8-emerging-visual-trends-for-2022-infographic/616580/

TikTok Shares New Insights into the Importance of Audio in Brand Marketing

TikTok has started a new insights series that will look into the significance of sound in clips. Sound is considered essential to the TikTok experienced by 9 out of 10 users. When distinctive brand sounds are used in advertising, brand connection and recall rise by over 8x when compared to other elements such as slogans and logos. Shoppee

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-shares-new-insights-into-the-importance-of-audio-in-brand-marketing/616633/

Facebook Adds New Features to Creator Studio, Including Stories Highlights and Timeline View for Posts

To celebrate the new year, Facebook has updated Creator Studio with new features such as a Stories preview option for video uploads and a new way to sample how your submitted material appears in-stream.

Highlight clips for video uploads in stories – A 20-second clip from the whole video to share on Facebook and Instagram Stories. To produce the preview, Creator Studio will automatically highlight a 20-second cut from the whole video, but you won’t be able to tweak and create the exact preview you want.

Timeline view for published posts – This illustrates how your posts would appear in user feeds on Facebook and Instagram. This is a popular feature on third-party posting tools, so having it available on Creator Studio would be easier for social media administrators.

Finally, certain tools have been relocated or renamed.

These enhancements provide more ways to use Creator Studio as a critical tool for post-production and improve user experience.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-adds-new-features-to-creator-studio-including-stories-highlights/616718/

TikTok Launches Test of ‘TikTok Stories’

Tiktok has begun a small pilot test of TikTok Stories in a number of locations outside of the United States. 

This new feature looks to function similarly to existing stories features on applications such as Instagram and Snapchat. Stories are housed in a new slide-over sidebar, where you may view stories uploaded by accounts you follow on TikTok for 24 hours before they’re automatically erased. Other people will be able to remark and react to your tale as well. 

You’ll be able to load a story by tapping on a user’s profile image, much like you can on Instagram and other sites. 

The app’s feature is described as “a new way to communicate with your fans” by TikTok. Users can start a new tale by hitting the “create” button in the sidebar and then filling in the blanks with captions, music, and text. Because TikTok is a video-first platform, it appears that stories must be videos rather than static photographs.

However, TikTok is still in the experimental phase, so this may not become a permanent feature.

Link: https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/4/22610011/tiktok-stories-snapchat-feature-social-media  

Blockchain Gaming: 2022 forecast

In terms of user popularity, GameFi applications have exceeded DeFi. In November, nearly half of all active cryptocurrency wallets connected to decentralised applications were used to play games.

 After months of being the most popular dapp use case, the percentage of wallets linked to decentralised finance, or DeFi, dapps plummeted to 45% within the same time period.

Play-to-earn (P2E) game on the blockchain Axie infinite exploded in popularity, igniting a gaming craze that is predicted to last until 2022. P2E blockchain-based games have high expectations from crypto analysts and gaming supporters, and there are certain to be a few sleeping giants that will rule the field.

Link: https://cointelegraph.com/news/5-nft-based-blockchain-games-that-could-soar-in-2022

5 Social Media Trends That CMOs Must Know in 2022 [Infographic]

Grazitti Interactive published an infographic highlighting five social media trends that every CMO and marketing professional should be aware of.

Companies have increased their marketing ad budgets to compete and attract the attention of their customers as a result of the epidemic, resulting in a 92.3% increase in social media ad spending year over year.

Other trends to take note of:

  • Video Content – Live Streaming
  • Influencer Marketing – Micro-influencers
  • Shopping capabilities  on Social Media Platform
  • Customer relations

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/5-social-media-trends-that-cmos-must-know-in-2022-infographic/616779/

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 03 JANUARY 2022

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Instagram’s Chief Outlines the Key Areas of Focus for the App in 2022

Throughout 2021, we saw Instagram copy virtually everything that TikTok has to offer, and according to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, you can anticipate even more of the same in 2022, as the platform focuses on its main areas of growth, including streamlining its video formats to enhance interaction.

1. Reels will remain the key focus – all video formats will be round Reels.

2. Instagram will be looking to make messaging a bigger focus in the app, which is now ‘the primary way that people connect online’, while it will also be looking to add more monetization tools for creators in the app.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagrams-chief-outlines-the-key-areas-of-focus-for-the-app-in-2022/616571/ 

Tiktok Tests a New ‘re-post’ Option to Boost the Distribution of Clips

Tiktok is currently testing this feature with a small group of users, which allows them to re-share clips to their connections’ feeds under the ‘For you’ and ‘Following’ tabs without having to share the clip with each person individually, making it easier to distribute content.

On the other hand, making it easy to distribute messages could have the unintended consequence of spreading disinformation and hoaxes. At the moment, however, it is unclear whether this will become a standard feature.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-tests-new-re-post-option-to-boost-distribution-of-clips/616446/ 

Navigating the Metaverse With PFPs

It remains to be seen whether NFT-based profile pictures (PFPs) and avatars will scale up in the long run. PFPs, on the other hand, is gaining popularity among NFTs at the moment. Read more about PFPs here and on the top PFP artists here. Additionally, read more on the 2021 updates to the Metaverse here. 

Tiktok Now Has Live-stream Intros to Help With Engagement

This is a minor but potentially useful addition to your TikTok live-stream broadcasts. TikTok has added a new ‘LIVE intro’ option, according to user Jonah Manzano, which allows you to write a short written explanation to welcome new viewers as they come across your broadcast.

When this new LIVE Intro option is enabled, viewers will see a brief explainer when they join your stream.  That could be a simple method to greet viewers and explain what your broadcast is all about, as well as what you want them to do as viewers.

TikTok is steadily expanding its boundaries beyond short video snippets, and live-streaming is becoming a bigger part of it.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-adds-live-stream-intros-to-better-facilitate-engagement/616444/ 

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 20 DECEMBER 2021

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Instagram Adds New Option to Embed User Profiles on Third-Party Websites

Instagram launched a new “Profile Embed” feature that allows users to embed a mini-version of their profile on a website. Users will be able to better integrate their Instagram profiles with websites such as blogs and portfolios using the new capability. 

According to Facebook, the feature is presently only available in the United States. In a video shared to Twitter, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced the launch of the new feature.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-adds-new-option-to-embed-user-profiles-on-third-party-websites/611677/

Instagram Publishes 2022 Predictive Trends Report

Instagram has released a new 2022 predicted trends report that covers a variety of growing movements across many categories in order to help brands and marketers better grasp key shifts. 

The 13-page report covers a variety of topics, including cuisine, wellness, memes, and fashion and beauty.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-publishes-2022-predictive-trends-report/611438/

Twitter Tests New Creative Tweet Options as it Looks to Move In-Line with User Trends

Twitter is testing a new option for adding a reaction to a tweet called “Quote Tweet with Reaction,” which allows users to capture a response to a tweet using the full-screen camera mode.

By attaching the original tweet as a sticker to your taken image or video, you can replace the current Twitter reaction with a direct and visual engagement.

Twitter is also experimenting with an updated text editor option tweets that would allow you to add more colour and make comments more visually appealing.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/twitter-tests-new-creative-tweet-options-as-it-looks-to-move-in-line-with-u/611596/

Changes to Objectives in Ads Manager – Full list shared

You’ll be able to choose from six new objectives when you start a new campaign. Campaigns created prior to the publication of our new objectives will stay active, and there will be no need to make any modifications to them. Until the end of 2021, you’ll be able to edit and duplicate your existing campaigns.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/325793898950394

MONDAY MORNING LEARNING – 13 DECEMBER 2021

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Instagram’s Latest Update to Reels

When you click into a video in your main feed, it expands to a 16:9 aspect ratio. If you watch the video long enough, you’ll forget you’re scrolling through your main feed looking at posts from people you follow, and Instagram will now give you Reels from anyone who has the content you might be interested in.

This update gives creators more options for organic reach, so they don’t have to rely on ads or get people to follow their accounts to see their content. 

In some ways, it’s comparable to TikTok’s FYP, where you’re presented material based on what you’ve watched and what the app thinks you’ll enjoy.

Instagram Adds Reels Replies, Providing Another Way to Tap Into Short-Form Video

It’s been in testing for a while, but Instagram has now announced that users can now reply to post comments with Reels. Users may now reply to post comments using Reels, which is another method to integrate Reels into the Instagram process. 

It’s yet another opportunity for Instagram to enhance engagement while also capitalising on the short-form video boom. It’s also, unsurprisingly, nearly identical to a function TikTok introduced in June of last year.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-adds-reels-replies-providing-another-way-to-tap-into-short-form/611364/

Instagram rolling out delete image feature for grid carousels

We will soon be able to delete an image from a previously published carousel, thanks to an update that has been rolling out since mid-November (in case of errors or repeats). Additionally, deleting images and restoring them in the order we want them to display in the grid carousel is a solution for re-ordering a carousel.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-adds-option-to-delete-individual-posts-from-carousels-shake-to-r/610244/ 

Facebook Announces New Comment Moderation and Support Features, Including Live Chat for Some Account Issues

Facebook has enhanced its moderation tools as part of its ongoing effort to protect the community against spam and malicious comments. We used to be able to hide or delete comments on posts; this new feature allows us to do so again, but the person whose remark was hidden will still be able to see it. This reduces the likelihood of their posting on the same thread multiple times.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-announces-new-comment-moderation-and-support-features-including-l/611350/

With the Expansion of Horizon Worlds, Meta Takes the Next Step Toward VR Social

What exactly does this imply?

  • Our target audiences will become even more scattered, forcing marketers to compete even harder for their audience’s attention. If brands want to stay relevant, they’ll have to establish their own VR area at any given time.
  • With the launch of Horizon Worlds to the US and Canadian audiences for Christmas this year, Facebook has taken its first steps into the future.

When these new realities are implemented, e-commerce will be severely impacted owing to the introduction of NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens), where purchases are done using these tokens or cryptocurrency rather than our present cash/card payment system.

China also announced this week the formation of a new committee to advance the AR/VR sector, so we can anticipate TikTok to adapt to the new arena as well.

Link: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-takes-next-steps-towards-vr-social-with-the-expansion-of-horizon-world/611305/

Pinterest Invests in Creative Tools by Acquiring Vochi, a Video Creation and Editing App

Pinterest is now seeing its users contributing pins in video format rather than photographs in an effort to move away from being solely an imageboard.

Pinterest sees the need to stay relevant in the wake of Tiktok, Instagram, and the rise of video consumption by providing more video creation options, in addition to the recently launched video-first feature Idea Pins and Creator Originals, where creators can make sales by tagging the items they want to sell like brand partnerships.

Link: https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/06/pinterest-invests-in-creator-tools-with-acquisition-of-video-creation-and-editing-app-vochi/