Tag: Instagram News

Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Search Console’s URL Tool, Facebook’s Expanded In-Stream Ads, Snapchat’s New AR Campaigns and more…

1. Google Search Console Adds Copy URL Button

Google’s official announced a small improvement to Google Search Console. Users can now hover over a URL and click an tool-tip style icon to copy the URL to the clipboard. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Facebook Expands Test for In-Stream Ads on Live

Facebook is expanding its test of in-stream ads in Facebook Live to more verticals, including “pre-vetted entertainment, news and sports partners,” the company announced. [Source: Marketing Land]

3. Snapchat Taps into the Rising Popularity of Its Snap Camera for New AR Campaigns

The usage of its Snap Camera webcam add-on rising amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, Snapchat’s working with a range of brands on new, integrated AR campaigns within the tool. [Source: Social Media Today]

4. YouTube’s Running a New Test That Will Provide More Info on Products Featured in a Video

YouTube is testing out a new ‘Products in this Video’ tool, which will provide more context on the specific products that are featured within a YouTube clip. [Source: Social Media Today]

5. Microsoft Advertising adds cookie-based experiment option

Cookie-based experiments are now available on Microsoft Advertising. On selection, customers will only be shown ads from either their experiment or their original campaign when they search. [Source: Search Engine Land]

6. Facebook Moves to Expand its eCommerce Presence in India via WhatsApp Shopping Integration

Facebook post purchasing 10% stake in Jio India is now tapping eCommerce division of Jio by testing an ordering system on WhatsApp, which enables users to order common grocery items within the messaging app. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Snap Launches First Commercial Option on Snapchat Shows

Snapchat is adding a new option for advertisers called “First Commercial.” This offering lets advertisers specify being the first ad a user sees that day in their first Snap show session. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

8. Instagram Publishes New Guide to Help Businesses Make Best Use of the Platform Amid COVID-19

Instagram has published a new COVID-19 playbook for businesses, which outlines a range of ways in which brands and marketers can make best use of the platform’s various tools. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Shopify launches Shop, a new mobile app

The app is actually an update and rebrand of Arrive, an app for tracking packages from Shopify merchants and other retailers, which the company says has been used by 16 million consumers. [Source: TechCruch]

10. LinkedIn’s Testing New Link Preview Presentation Option

LinkedIn is experimenting with some new link preview presentation formats, which could have implications for the visuals that you use when posting to the platform. [Source: Social Media Today]

May 1, 2020
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s Free Product Listings, Facebook’s Removal of Pseudoscience Ad Category, YouTube’s New Insight Options & more…

1. Google will now let any business list products on Google Shopping for free

Google is making a significant change to its Google Shopping platform by letting any business owner that sells products online list their inventory for free. It still plans to charge companies for top placement as promoted listings. [Source: The Verge]

2. Facebook just killed its ‘pseudoscience’ category for ad targeting

Facebook has removed “pseudoscience” from the list of categories advertisers can use to target people. This social media platform’s ad portal showed more than 78 million Facebook users were interested in pseudoscience. [Source: The Verge]

3. YouTube’s Looking to Add More Brand Safety Controls, and More Insight Options for Creators

YouTube is making some changes to its YouTube Measurement Program, while it’s also adding a new option that will enable brands to stop their ads being shown alongside “unsuitable” content. [Source: Social Media Today]

4. Twitter Publishes New Data on Video and Ad Content Performance During COVID-19

Twitter recently conducted a survey of what users are looking for from brands during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to this, Twitter also noted that video content is seeing a big boost at present. [Source: Social Media Today]

5. TikTok Now Enables Web Login, Including Access to Analytics and Video Uploads via Desktop

The platform has added a new login option on its website, meaning you can now access your TikTok account via your desktop PC, where you can view your analytics, upload videos, etc. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Google Call Only Ads Now Include Link Option

Google Ads has announced their Call Only ads now offer advertisers the option to include a link to their website. This announcement also coincides with a renaming of the offering from “Call Only Ads” to simply “Call Ads.” [Source: Search Engine Journal]

7. Pinterest Highlights New Resources to Help Businesses Maximize Their Pin Presence

Pinterest has provided a new overview of its latest resource additions to help SMBs make better use of Pins, while also flagging new education tools and reference material that businesses can use to improve their Pin presence. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Google Provides New COVID-19 Notification Tools for Websites via Google Optimize

Google has added some new tools to its Google Optimize website experimentation platform in order to help businesses communicate operational changes as a result of COVID-19. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Microsoft Advertising adds support for multi-account Google imports

Microsoft Advertising now supports multi-account Google imports, the company announced. Advertisers can elect to import an entire Google Ads account or specific campaigns. [Source: Search Engine Land]

10. Facebook Abandons Mandatory Shift to Campaign Budget Optimization for Ad Campaigns

Facebook is abandoning its push to have all advertisers to switch to its automated Campaign Budget Optimization process, which would have seen the removal of manual ad set budgeting options from the available tools for ad management. [Source: Social Media Today]

April 24, 2020
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s Video Tool for Businesses, Facebook’s New Metrics to Ad Library Listings, Instagram’s Update to IGTV & more…

1. Google Launches Free Tool to Help Businesses Create Short Promo Videos

Google is helping businesses create short, promotional videos for YouTube with the launch of a free beta tool. This video Builder will allow businesses to create 6 second or 15 second videos using a variety of layouts. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Facebook Adds New Metrics to its Ad Library Listings to Improve Transparency

Facebook has added a few new elements to its Ad Library listings in order to provide more transparency over the displayed ads and make it easier to find relevant info in the app. Facebook will also now group similar ads together within this Library. [Source: Social Media Today]

3. Instagram redesigns IGTV with creators as the focus

Instagram is updating its IGTV app, likely in the hopes of getting more people to use the service and promote creators making longform videos. The app is also getting a Discover tab to surface new and relevant IGTV content as well as a hands-free recording mode. [Source: The Verge]

4. YouTube Makes its ‘Video Builder’ Custom Video Creation Tool Available to More Businesses

YouTube amid the COVID-19 lockdowns made Video Builder accessible to more businesses in order to help in the creation of more effective promotions. This Video Builder enables anyone to create good looking video content. [Source: Social Media Today]

5. Snapchat Launches New COVID-19 Business Resource Center to Assist Marketers with Campaigns

Snapchat has launched a new, dedicated COVID-19 business hub, which includes a range of resources, insights and links to help marketers manage the COVID-19 pandemic, and better connect with their audiences amid the crisis. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Google Ads Data Hub testing audience lists for display campaigns, adding new features

Google’s Ads Data Hub, the analytics and measurement platform for Google campaign data, announced upcoming enhancements. It also confirmed it is beta testing audience activation for display campaigns. [Source: Marketing Land]

7. Facebook Publishes New Guide on How Advertisers Should Adjust Their Ad Approaches During COVID-19

Facebook has published a new guide to some of the key considerations that advertisers need to keep in mind when measuring the performance of their marketing and advertising campaigns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Instagram Live Streams Can Now Be Viewed on the Web

Instagram is now also giving users the option to view Instagram Live broadcasts on desktop PCs, which comes with a new, less intrusive format, and URLs to cross-promote your streams. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Twitter Publishes New Research on What Consumers Want to See from Brands During COVID-19

Twitter recently conducted a user survey to find out more about what people want and expect from brands in their communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Pinterest Updates Pinterest Shop to Highlight a Selection of SMBs Impacted by COVID-19

Pinterest is adding a new set of businesses to its Pinterest Shop showcase, in order to help provide promotion for those impacted by COVID-19, while also aligning with rising trends on the platform. [Source: Social Media Today]

April 17, 2020
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Ad’s New Updates, YouTube’s Updates for Creators, Pinterest’s Verified Merchant Program and more…

1. Google Ads Improves Asset Reporting for App Campaigns With 4 New Updates

Google Ads is enhancing asset reporting in app campaigns with four new updates to provide advertisers with detailed and actionable insights. This includes helping marketers with clearer performance ratings, keeping tabs on assets, tracking ads performance and previewing assets before they go live. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. YouTube Updates for Creators: Improved Analytics for Live Streams & More

YouTube announced several updates for creators, including better analytics for live streams, in its latest video on the Creator Insider channel. For the first time, creators can see a breakdown of viewers for live streams versus regular uploads. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3. Pinterest Launches Verified Merchant Program With Applications Open to All

Pinterest has always been a destination for shopping inspiration but now customers are shifting even more of their spending to online channels, the company says. Pinterest is now rolling out its new Verified Merchant Program, which comes with a blue checkmark and other perks. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

4. Reddit Launches Polls, Providing Another Way for Redditors to Engage With Content

Reddit has launched a new Polls option which enables Redditors to pose questions to their audiences, helping to boost on-platform engagement, and activate the many ‘lurkers’ – people who scroll through the various posts but don’t post, share or comment themselves – within the app. [Source: Social Media Today]

5. Now, analyze more accounts in Google Ads Report Editor

Google Ads has expanded the number of accounts you can work with in Report Editor from 10 to 200. Agencies and enterprises will be able to create reports and run analysis potentially across the full set accounts in their Manager accounts within the Google Ads interface instead of having to download the data. [Source: Search Engine Land]

6. LinkedIn Shares Tips on What to Post During COVID-19 Lockdowns

LinkedIn has seen an influx in user activity over the past two weeks. It has provided some more general posting tips, beyond the COVID-19 situation alone, which could help you improve your posting strategies for the platform. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Pinterest Provides Tips on How Brands Can Communicate Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pinterest has provided a new set of tips to help brands that are looking to maintain audience connection amid the COVID-19 crisis helping them to maintain revenue flow, and engage customers, amid the rising anxiety and uncertainty. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Instagram’s Testing a New Option to Promote the Sale of Gift Cards via Your Business Profile

Instagram is working on a new ‘Links’ option within its business profile settings that would enable brands to add a new quick link, via a profile button or sticker, to guide visitors to purchase gift cards or make donations. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Twitter Provides More Tweet Copy Tips via Its ‘Good Copy, Bad Copy’ Program

Twitter provides some more great tweet copy lessons with the help of ‘Good Copy, Bad Copy’ program. Twitter has added two new videos in this series by providing valuable thought on how to improve your tweet approach and compose more effective, impactful tweets. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Pinterest Adds New ‘Today’ Discovery Listing to Highlight Trending Ideas and Inspiration

With more people turning to Pinterest for inspiration and discovery amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, the company is launching a new feature called ‘Today’, which will showcase the latest trending ideas from across its network. [Source: Social Media Today]

March 27, 2020
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Latest COVID-19 Tools, Facebook’s Ad Approval Delays, LinkedIn’s New Conversation Ads and more…

1. Google Outlines Latest COVID-19 Tools on Google and YouTube, Including Changes to Content Reviews

Google has provided an update on the measures that it’s implementing in order to help users in a range of ways amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Google is seeking to promote critical information to users via Google Search, Maps and on YouTube. [Source: Social Media Today]

2. Facebook Warns of Ad Approval Delays Amid Staff Changes Due to COVID-19 Impacts

With Facebook shutting down its offices, and asking staff to work from home amid the COVID-19 outbreak, that’s meant that many contract workers who are not able to work out of the office are simply not working, which has reduced Facebook’s capacity in several areas. [Source: Social Media Today]

3. LinkedIn Introduces Conversation Ads: A New Message-Based Ad Format

LinkedIn is launching a new type of message-based ad that uses conversation to deliver a customized experience for each user. Its build off of its current Message Ads and are designed to be more personal and engaging. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

4. Instagram to Roll Out IGTV Advertising in Challenge to YouTube

Instagram plans to sell advertisements in IGTV, its home for longer videos, a bid to compete with YouTube for a larger share of the booming market for online video. The company will start testing the ads this spring. [Source: Bloomberg]

5. Facebook’s Testing a New Option Which Would Connect Brand Loyalty Programs to In-App Activity

Facebook ads to connect with their loyalty program members on the platform, using Custom Audiences to target those who’ve previously created a profile with the business. These ads will have a new ‘Link Account’ CTA in the bottom of the post which will allow the user to link their brand and Facebook accounts. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Instagram’s Testing the Capability to Add Hashtags and Location to Stories Highlights

Instagram is testing out the capability to add up to four hashtags and a location to your Instagram Stories highlights. That could prompt more business, in particular, to use Stories highlights, while it could also change approach towards Instagram highlights. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Facebook Commits to Helping Small Businesses During COVID-19 Pandemic

Facebook is making efforts to help small businesses get through the COVID-19 pandemic with several initiatives launched this week. In addition to creating a dedicated hub for businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak, Facebook is planning to roll out a $100 million grant program. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

8. Twitter Now Enables Users to Invite Guests to Live-Streams Ahead of Time

Twitter has updated its real-time video connection feature, adding a new option to add audio guests into your Twitter live-streams before you actually begin your broadcast. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Google Ads Makes it Easier to Appeal Disapproved or Limited Ads

Google Ads is launching a feature that makes it easier for advertisers to appeal policy decisions and get ads approved. This new feature allows advertisers to resubmit an ad immediately after fixing the policy issue. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

10. Facebook Says That Approvals for AR Effects Submitted to Facebook and Instagram Will Be Put on Hold

Facebook says that all of its Spark AR reviewers will soon not be operating. As a result, no user-submitted AR effects, for either Facebook Stories or Instagram, will be approved until further notice because of the staffing changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. [Source: Social Media Today]

March 20, 2020
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s New 3D Object Recognition, Snapchat’s New ‘Lens Web Builder’, Reddit’s ‘Trending Takeover’ Ad Unit and more…

1. Google Has Developed a New 3D Object Recognition Process, Which Could Lead to Improved AR Experiences

The process developed by Google improves the capacity to capture an object’s size, position and orientation in the world, which, as noted, could have significant impacts on the accuracy of AR applications, leading to more impressive, useful digital placement tools. [Source: Social Media Today]

2. Snapchat debuts Lens Web Builder to create AR campaigns in minutes

Snapchat has announced a new ad product that gives advertisers an easier way to design and distribute AR-based ads. With the new ‘Lens Web Builder,’ you can create AR Lens campaigns directly within Snapchat’s Ads Manager. [Source: Marketing Land]

3. Reddit Launches Prominent New ‘Trending Takeover’ Ad Units

Reddit has launched a new Trending Takeover ad unit, looking to capitalize on its growth, and maximize its ad potential. They will last for 24 hours and take up a major block of space at the top of the Reddit feed. [Source: Social Media Today]

4. Google to Review Photos & Videos Uploaded to Google My Business

Google has made an adjustment to the photo and video content policy for Google My Business listings. Going forward, photos and videos will be reviewed before being published. Given that a mandatory review was not in place before, you can likely expect some delay with photos and videos showing up on a GMB profile after being uploaded. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

5. Instagram Is Testing a New Option to Re-Share Live Videos to IGTV

Instagram is now testing an option which would enable you to share your Instagram live streams direct to IGTV as soon as the broadcast has ended. That could be an easy way to build your IGTV content library. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Google Ads Expands Portfolio Bid Strategies With More Options

Google Ads is rolling out new options for portfolio bid strategies, making them compatible with more types of smart bidding. A Portfolio bid strategy can help advertisers optimize performance across multiple campaigns. It’s an automated, goal-driven bid strategy that groups together multiple campaigns, ad groups, and keywords. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

7. Facebook’s Testing a New Option to Cross-Post Facebook Stories to Instagram

Facebook now testing a new option to share your Facebook Story to Instagram in your send settings, which could make it easier to maintain activity on both platforms, and expand your stories’ reach. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Google showing ‘key moments’ feature on multiple videos in search results

Google’s “key moments” feature, also known as “in this video,” is now showing on more than one video in mobile search results. Users can also now hide and expand the feature. The feature is becoming more prominent in search, which means Google is likely seeing engagement metrics indicating it’s worth expanding. [Source: Search Engine Land]

9. TikTok Tests New Options to Add External URLs to Clips, Comment Downvoting

TikTok began testing a new option which enabled selected users to add Wikipedia links to their clips in order to provide more context on certain elements. It’s an interesting option, providing another way to add more context to a TikTok clip. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Google pushes out deadline parallel tracking for Video due to ‘global events’

Googles gives you more time to transition to parallel tracking for Video campaigns. As the deadline has been moved to June 15. Notable is the “global events” mention in reference to the coronavirus pandemic. This is a seemingly minor shift, but it’s indicative of the disruption the outbreak is causing for companies and employees at all levels. [Source: Search Engine Land]

March 13, 2020
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s Adaptive Anchor Banner Ads, Instagram’s New IGTV Series, Microsoft Advertising’s Redesigned Interface & more…

1. Google Launches ‘Adaptive Anchor Banner’ Ads to Better Cater to Varying Screens

Google is launching a new banner ad type which can adapt to varying screen size, helping to maximize performance in line with evolving consumption behaviors. [Source: Social Media Today]

2. Instagram Adds IGTV Series Option to Categorize Videos

Instagram added a new IGTV ‘Series’ option which will enable creators to segment their videos into dedicated collections. The new Series option will help creators better brand their content, and encourage return viewing, by giving their series a dedicated label, along with an on-screen tab which viewers can tap to get notifications of new episodes. [Source: Social Media Today]

3. Microsoft Advertising unveils interface redesign

Microsoft Advertising is redesigning the interface to better align with the update Google Ads rolled out in full a year ago. The new user experience will feel familiar to Google Ads users. You will recognize the left-hand oriented navigation menus that anchor the Google Ads interface and Overview pages with visual charts. [Source: Search Engine Land]

4. Google Ads Rolls Out 2 New Tools for Responsive Search Ads

Google is introducing two new tools for responsive search ads, which are now available to all advertisers in all languages. In addition, responsive search ads can now be set up from Google Ads Editor, the Google Ads API, and the mobile app. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

5. LinkedIn Rolls Out New Format for its ‘Daily Rundown’ Professional News Updates

LinkedIn is looking for more ways to facilitate discussion, and get professionals connecting over key topics. The company has announced that it’s making some changes to its Daily Rundown professional news listings, which users can opt-in to, in order to be sent a key business news overview each day. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Google Ads to Improve the Optimization of App Campaigns

Google Ads is improving the way it tracks the performance of app campaigns. Advertisers with active app campaigns will automatically have their campaigns updated. The new data will also help advertisers make more informed design decisions. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

7. Twitter’s Considering a New Checkmark to Highlight Bots on the Platform

Twitter is looking into putting a label for bots on the plaltform. This could be a good move, and it would definitely help clarify who, or what, is behind each account. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Google Ads now showing cart metrics for Shopping campaigns

Merchants running Google Ads Shopping campaigns can now see e-commerce cart data in the UI to gain a clearer sense of which products are driving profitable cart transactions. [Source: Search Engine Land]

9. Pinterest Begins Rolling Out an Updated Pin Format

Pinterest has begun rolling out a new Pin format, which includes some minor functional tweaks, and separates each Pin element more specifically. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. YouTube to Sell Artists’ Merchandise Underneath Videos

YouTube has partnered with Merchbar to help artists sell official merchandise on their video pages. This collaboration allows artists with an official artist channel on YouTube to surface apparel, vinyl, and other forms of merchandise underneath their videos. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

October 25, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google Ad’s New Ways to Target Users, Facebook Ad’s in Search Results, LinkedIn’s New Features for Companies & more…

1. Google Ads Introduces 2 New Ways to Target Users in Google Search

Google Ads is rolling out two new ways to reach your target audiences in Google Search. The company will be launching affinity audiences and seasonal event segments for in-market audiences. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

2. Facebook Ads in Search Results Rolling Out to More Advertisers

Facebook is giving more advertisers the ability to place ads in search results. An official announcement states that Facebook Search Results will be automatically included as a placement when running ad campaigns that utilize Automatic Placements. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3. LinkedIn Rolls Out 3 New Features for Company Pages

LinkedIn is introducing new features designed to help companies stay better engaged with their employees. These updates will help keep employees informed so they can share the latest content from the company they work for. LinkedIn is also rolling out new tools to help companies optimize their pages. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

4. Facebook Launches New ‘Disruptor Hub’ to Outline How Businesses are Seeing Major Growth Online

Facebook has launched a new resource hub for marketers which looks at the key factors driving online business growth, how innovative, disruptive brands are tapping into these trends, and how Facebook’s various advertising and promotion options can help to fuel such. [Source: Social Media Today]

5. Snapchat Introduces a New Ad Unit for Ecommerce Advertisers

Snapchat is rolling out Dynamic Ads – new ad unit designed specifically for Ecommerce advertisers. The company is selling the ad unit as a simple way to create mobile ads at scale while maintaining brand identity through mobile-first templates. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

6. Facebook Publishes New Data on the Effectiveness of Combining News Feed and Stories for Ad Campaigns

Facebook is looking to make it as easy as possible for advertisers to expand their campaigns into Stories also, and the research here suggests that it may well be worth considering. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Instagram Adds New Options to Control Third-Party Access to Your Account Information

Instagram has improved its options to help users better manage which third-party apps can access their Instagram account information, and what specific data they can get. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. YouTube to end support for third-party pixels early 2020

Google has been working with third-party measurement companies to migrate their services into Ads Data Hub. YouTube expects those migrations to be completed early next year. At that time, it will no longer allow advertisers to use third-party pixels on YouTube. [Source: MarTech Today]

9. Facebook Announces Change to Organic Page Impressions, Removal of Gray Verification Badges

Facebook is making a couple of changes to business Pages, which will impact both presentation and data tracking elements. Facebook’s gray verification badges – not the blue ones – are available to all Pages which have verified their official details with Facebook by going through an identification process. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. LinkedIn Gets a New Tool for Planning In-Person Networking Events

LinkedIn is introducing an Events hub, which is a new tool to help users plan in-person networking meetups. The tool allows users to create and join professional events, invite connections, manage events, have conversations with other attendees, and stay in touch afterward. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

October 18, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google AdSense’s Auto ads without code, Facebook’s New Holiday Marketing Tools, YouTube’s Ad Buying Tool and more…

1. Google AdSense publishers can now turn on Auto ads without new code

Google announced updates to Adsense Auto ads designed to make them easier to implement and customize. AdSense publishers will be notified via email when the updates, which will be rolling out over the next several weeks, are live in their accounts. [Source: Marketing Land]

2. Facebook Launches New Tools to Help With Holiday Marketing

Facebook has released several new tools to assist businesses with their holiday marketing efforts. The company will be continually sharing tips, such as customizable story templates, enhancements to messenger and Instagram direct, to help businesses use its services to achieve their holiday marketing goals. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

3. YouTube testing ad buying tool that lets you reserve ad placement 120 days out

YouTube is testing a new Instant Review tool in Google Ads that allows advertisers to reserve ad space on a 120 day-rolling window via an automated process with no minimum spend. [Source: MarTech Today]

4. Google showing mobile ‘search by photos’ option in selected local verticals

Google is starting to show a new option to “search by photos” box in certain local verticals. It appears only in mobile results right now and is distinct from “interesting finds” and “discover more places,” which are also photo-centric boxes in SERPs. [Source: Search Engine Land]

5. Instagram Updates its Stories Camera with New ‘Create’ Mode to Highlight Creative Options

Instagram’s now rolling out a new format for its Stories Camera, which will make the app’s various Stories tools – including GIFs, Countdown Stickers and Polls – easier to access and apply, direct from the main function bar. [Source: Social Media Today]

6. Adobe is redesigning Creative Cloud’s desktop app as a hub for tools and assets

Adobe’s Creative Cloud desktop app, once just a drop-down tab for downloading and updating Adobe apps, is getting turned into an assets library. The new desktop experience will feature tutorials for all apps in one hub. It basically looks like the current Creative Cloud website, but now in a desktop app form. [Source: The Verge]

7. Pinterest Launches ‘Pinterest Academy’ Education Resource for Marketers

Pinterest launched a new set of platform education course for marketers, under the umbrella of the ‘Pinterest Academy’. The new Pinterest Academy offers a range of education courses, and links to various other tools and reference studies, in order to help you get a better handle on how to utilize Pins for your business. [Source: Social Media Today]

8. Google is Testing Search Results Without URLs

Google has slowly been moving away from showing full URLs since the introduction of breadcrumbs a few months ago. The company appears to be testing the complete removal of URLs from search results, displaying only the website name instead. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

9. Facebook’s Adding Post Topics to More Groups, Helping to Better Organize Relevant Discussion

Facebook announced that it’s expanding its post topics tags for groups, which will enable group members and admins to categorize group posts accordingly. [Source: Social Media Today]

10. Snapchat Enables In-Game Purchases for First Time in New Campaign with Adidas

Adidas has launched a new, interactive campaign on Snapchat which, for the first time, will enable users to purchase a product via a game in the app. [Source: Social Media Today]

October 11, 2019
Weekend Digital Media Round-up: Google’s New Data Security Tools, Instagram’s Branded Content Tag, Microsoft’s Audience Targeting Solutions & more…

1. Google Adds New Data Security Tools, Including YouTube History Auto-Delete and Password Check-Up

Google has announced a new set of data control and security options to help users better maintain their digital presence and avoid potential misuse. The company is adding a new incognito mode to Google Maps, giving the option to hide location history. [Source: Social Media Today]

2. Instagram Adds Branded Content Tags for IGTV

Instagram’s Branded Content Tags are still not available to all users, for those who can access them, they are now also being expanded to longer-form IGTV content. [Source: Social Media Today]

3. Microsoft Introduces New Ways to Target Audiences With Search Ads

Microsoft has new audience targeting solutions combining customer data with new technology to reach customers when they’re ready to buy. The new audience targeting solutions are available now as part of an open beta. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

4. Google Search Console adds Change of Address tool to new interface

Google announced that they have added the Change of Address tool to the new interface of Google Search Console. The change of address feature was available in the old Search Console but was not migrated when Google shut down the old interface. [Source: Search Engine Land]

5. LinkedIn Campaign Manager adds audience targeting logic, demographic forecasts

LinkedIn is adding audience forecasting information directly to the Campaign Manager dashboard and introducing new Boolean targeting logic for building audiences — both available globally. The platform is also introducing new demographic reporting metrics that will begin rolling out to all advertisers over the next two weeks. [Source: Marketing Land]

6. Instagram Launches Product Launch Reminder Stickers and Tags to Capitalize on Audience Interest

Instagram is adding in new features and options which encourage shopping in-app, providing new functionality for users, and new opportunities for businesses to get more out of their Insta presence. [Source: Social Media Today]

7. Facebook advertisers can now use Stories ads to start conversations in Messenger

Brands can now drive Facebook, Instagram and Messenger Stories ad traffic to start conversations on Messenger. Users can swipe up on Stories ads that have the new “Send Message” call to action to start a conversation with the business in Messenger without leaving the app they’re in. [Source: Marketing Land]

8. YouTube Adds New Comment Filters in YouTube Studio

YouTube has announced a new set of comment filters within YouTube Studio, which will make it easier for creators and brands to identify key video responses of interest. [Source: Social Media Today]

9. Google Shopping Updated With New Design, Price Tracking, Local Inventory, More

Google has upgraded Google Shopping with a redesign and several new features that make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. The new experience starts with a personalized homepage that includes suggestions for new products, as well as sections to reorder common items or continue previous shopping research. [Source: Search Engine Journal]

10. Google to update GoogleBot’s user agent

Google will update Google’s user agent to represent the version of Chrome that GoogleBot is running. It is important to update any code you may have that may look at the user agent of GoogleBot to support this change going forward. [Source: Search Engine Land]

October 4, 2019

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