We’ve seen a lot of new features appearing across social media in June and we’re only half way through the month! So, we thought it was time for a quick round up…
1. Shopping Tags in Instagram Stories
Shoppable Instagram posts have been available in the feed for a little while but shopping just got a little easier. Instagram is now testing the use of Shoppable stickers within Stories. Instagram Stories continue to grow in popularity with over 300 million daily users. This update comes shortly after Snapchat announced it’s test of shoppable Snap ads.
Many brands have been using their stories to introduce shopping for a while now by adding product URLs to them, asking users to swipe up to access the product page. The new shoppable stickers for Instagram Stories will be similar to the shopping feature in the feed and businesses are able to tag physical products from inventory or e-commerce platforms. Tapping the tag within the story will display the item name, price, and description.
2. LinkedIn has launched Carousel Ads
Storytelling has gone one step forward on LinkedIn with the introduction of multiple image adverts. The carousel adverts are very similar to the format on Facebook and we can only imagine they will quickly spread across the channel.
The new feature allows you to add multiple visuals in one advert that the user can swipe through. LinkedIn have reported that 75% of beta advertisers have seen increased engagement and click-through rates with the new ad format.
3. Facebook New Requirements for Custom Audience
Facebook has announced new requirements for Custom Audiences created using a brands’ customer data. These updates are focused on additional accountability and transparency.
This latest Facebook update will introduce an additional step into the process of uploading customer data. “When uploading a customer file, advertisers will need to indicate whether the information was collected directly from people, provided by partners or a combination of the two.” – Facebook
The selection you make will then be reflected in the ad targeting when a user clicks ‘Why am I seeing this?’.
In addition to this updated upload process, Advertisers, an agency running your Facebook ads for you, will also now be required to enter into an audience-sharing relationship. Simply put, this means that a brand and an advertiser will provide permissions via Business Manager in order to access Custom Audience data and agree to the updated Custom Audiences Terms.
Facebook has implemented these updates with the hopes that it’ll make it easier for businesses to advertise efficiently while providing more transparency for users.
4. Instagram Video Stickers in Stories
The Instagram Story tool has advanced rapidly over the past year and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Instagram are now testing the use of multiple images as stickers within a single story frame, including video stickers! Only a limited number of users currently have access to this feature, so keep an eye out as it may start spreading wider.
This latest update adds another creative aspect to this ever-growing platform. With over 300 million daily users, Facebook believe that over the next year it could become the dominant social sharing platform.
Between the vast number of available social media platforms and the lightning speed advances, it can be difficult to keep on top of all the latest updates. As an agency we are fortunate enough to have a team of Social Media experts researching these updates as they happen. We are then able to pass our learnings onto our clients in the form efficient and successful campaigns.
Get in touch without team if you’re thinking that Social Media could help boost your brand, click here.