Social Media Buzz - 19 Nov 2020

Social Media Buzz is a fortnightly update of the latest news on the major social media platforms that are relevant to marketing practitioners, in just 3 minutes.

Facebook Provides New Ad Copy Tips to Help Maximize Performance

Christmas is just around the corner and that means that you need to get moving on your holiday marketing campaigns and mapping out your upcoming efforts. Facebook has shared some new ad copy tips and even a formula you can use to build your ads, which will help in guiding your process to build your Facebook ads.

Source: Gadget Page

Facebook Announces Start-Ups Set to Take Part in its New Accelerator Program to Expand Connectivity

Facebook has announced a group of 20 start-ups that will take part in its new Facebook Accelerator: Connectivity program which aims to explore new ways to maximise internet connectivity in more regions. The 20 businesses will take part in a 12-week virtual programme which aims to help them scale their operations through training, workshops, access to experts and meetings with potential strategic partners and investors. The program will conclude with a demo day in February, providing an opportunity for each participant to showcase their progress.

Source: Facebook Developers

Pinterest is Working on Weighted Ad CTR Measurements to More Accurately Represent Performance

Pinterest has outlined a new process that it's developed which looks to provide a more accurate reflection of ad performance than basic click-through rate data, which Pinterest says "suffers from some serious shortcomings." As explained by Pinterest: "There’s a joke about a drunkard who drops his keys on a dark sidewalk and then walks away to a streetlight to find them because the light is better over there. Similarly, CTR sheds a lot of light on things, but it’s not the key to user engagement."

Source: Pinterest Engineering Blog

Snapchat shares insights into the way Snap users interact with NBA

Snapchat has announced that it will improve coverage of the NBA for the coming season and offer brands new ways to launch campaigns and connect with basketball fans in the app. To add more context to the growing NBA discussion on the app, Snapchat has also shared some new insights into how fans interact with NBA and sports content. If you’re looking to connect with younger sports fans, consider how Snapchat fits into your plans.

Source: AlKhaleej Today

WhatsApp Adds A Shopping Button As It Enters E-Commerce

WhatsApp has taken another small step towards maximising its ecommerce potential with the addition of a new shopping button in business chats to streamline purchases and transactions. Similar to the new Shop options on Instagram and Facebook, the WhatsApp shopping button takes you through to a product listing in-app, where you can select items and tap through to make a purchase. It's a relatively small addition but it could have a big impact, especially as WhatsApp looks to build on its presence in India, where it's already the most used messaging app and a key platform for keeping millions of Indian users connected.

Source: Bloomberg Quint

YouTube Announces New Listening Options in YouTube Music

YouTube has announced an update for its dedicated YouTube Music app—you know, the one YouTube always asks you if you want to try and you tap 'Ask me later' to get back to your video. If you have actually gone through and downloaded it, YouTube is adding a new set of personalised music mix options to align with your mood or activity. You'll also be able to access up to seven new and distinct personalized 'My Mix' playlists, with each playlist capturing a different corner of your music world.

Source: YouTube News

Zoom Announces Settlement with the FTC Over False Encryption Claims

The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with videoconferencing platform Zoom over “misleading claims” about its security. The agency said in a statement that when Zoom incorrectly claimed its video calls were protected by end-to-end encryption, the company engaged in “deceptive and unfair practices that undermined the security of its users.” Given this, Zoom is already well on its way to meeting these new FTC requirements - and with the platform now being used by more than 200 million people, it makes sense for Zoom to step-up its efforts and align with requirements.

Source: The Verge

Google's 'Core Web Vitals' Metrics to Factor into Search Rankings from May 2021

After first outlining its new 'Core Web Vitals' metrics back in May, Google has now confirmed certain elements that can influence search rankings as of May 2021, adding new considerations for your SEO approach. In other words, you'll need to take these new elements into account in order to maximise your search rankings and keep your page in the top results.

Source: Social Media Today

Instagram Tests a New Way for Users to React to Stories Without Sending a DM

Instagram has recently been found to trailing on the new route that would display Stories’ viewer reactions on the story frame itself. It reads, “Now you can react without sending a message. People will see your reaction right on their stories.” The new feature would show the user reactions on stories, instead of getting a specific emoji reply within the DM. This is likely to be a great addition. The existing reaction feature shows specific responses per user – however, it will be interesting to see it in full action and how Instagram displays each response on screen.

Source: Talk CMO

Instagram Rolls Out New ‘AR Filters and Story Frames’ Features For Diwali

Instagram has introduced some new features that are designed around the key themes of the festival of Diwali. Firstly, the platform has added a new AR effect for users to help ‘Share Your Light’. Instagram users can make use of this effect on Reels, in regular feed posts, and in stories, and you can also add the #ShareYourLight hashtag to be a part of the broader discussion. Along with this, Instagram has also introduced some customised designed templates for Stories, which get along with the key themes of the celebration.

Source: Technians

TikTok test lets users fundraise for charity from their profile

TikTok is testing a new feature that allows users to directly from their TikTok profiles raise funds for causes and charities they care about. Those who are in the test group will find a new option when they click “Edit Profile” directing them to choose a non-profit from a list of vetted organisations and charities. Once selected, the user’s profile will feature the charity in red text just below their bio. When a visitor then clicks on the name of the organisation, they’re taken to a screen that allows them to make a donation.

Source: TechCrunch

TikTok Announces New Agreement with Sony Music, Solidifying Music Industry Connection

After working on the details for months, TikTok has now announced a new licensing deal with Sony Music Entertainment, which will enable creators to include a range of popular songs in their TikTok clips. As explained by TikTok: "With this deal, the TikTok creator community will have access to sound clips from Sony Music’s massive catalog of current hits, cutting edge new releases, emerging favorites, iconic classics and deep cuts from every genre of music for use in their TikTok content. TikTok and Sony Music will work together to support greater levels of TikTok user personalization and creativity on the platform, and drive new and forward-looking opportunities for fan engagement with SME’s artists and music."

Source: Social Media Today

LinkedIn Releases New Guides to Help Marketers Maximize Their On-Platform Efforts

LinkedIn has published three new guides designed to provide specific guidance on how brands can maximize their marketing efforts on the platform. As explained by LinkedIn: "The ‘Read Me’ series by LinkedIn is a trilogy of essential guides that will equip you with insights into our platform, its features and functionalities, and how you can best leverage these to achieve your marketing objectives, no matter what they are." As noted, the guides cover three elements: Building your brand, LinkedIn advertising, Driving more leads.

Source: QResearch

LinkedIn Adds New Resource Hub to Provide Support for Underrepresented Groups

With the COVID-19 pandemic adding more challenges for under-represented groups, LinkedIn has launched a new resource hub which includes a range of resources and guides to help provide more support for individuals and organizations. As explained by LinkedIn: "We believe that diversity, inclusion, and belonging can unlock an employee’s full potential - no matter their background. Together, we can focus on giving underrepresented groups an equal chance to build careers." The hub includes links to platform functions and best practice guides, as well as information on its 'All In' diversity and inclusion program.

Source: Social Media Today

Twitter Expands its Stories-Like 'Fleets' Option to Users in Japan

Twitter has announced that its Stories-like, vertical presentation-aligned, disappearing content option is being expanded to users in Japan, marking the next stage of its broader roll-out. Fleets - which Twitter has explained is not exactly like Stories - has already been rolled out to users in Brazil, Italy, India and South Korea - though as noted, it has been a while since we've had an update on the expansion.

Source: Tech Gen YZ

Twitter's Working on New Warnings for Likes of Tweets Which Include Disputed Claims

As Twitter continues to add warning labels to tweets which make potentially untrue claims about the results of the US Election, and the voting process, it's also apparently testing some new warnings which expand on the current pop-ups when users attempt to re-tweet a disputed update. Twitter has seen significant results from adding more friction to sharing, and prompting users to think more about what they're doing.

Source: Social Media Today

Pinterest Launches Holiday Gift Guide, Shares New Gift Trend Insights

With Christmas now a few days away, Pinterest has released its annual holiday gift guide, highlighting the most-searched holiday gift ideas on the platform. This year's Pinterest gift collection is separated into ten categories, each of which you can click through on for more specific gift ideas. Each product listing includes up-to-date pricing and a direct link to retailer product pages where you can make a purchase. Adding to this, Pinterest has also shared a listing of some key themes and ideas for the gift-giving season to help businesses plan their promotions.

Source: Genius Female

Pinterest Shares Transparency Report for First 6 Months of 2020

The platform received 46 legal requests from law enforcement and government agencies in the U.S. for user information, covering 55 accounts, and it produced information in response to all of them, with five account holders being notified. Internationally, it received one request in Canada, covering one account, and supplied some information. Pinterest said it received between zero and 249 national security letters and orders issued under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for user information. The company received 919 requests worldwide from government agencies in six countries to remove content either because it is illegal in that country or it violates Pinterest’s community guidelines.

Source: Adweek