In social media news this month, Instagram has added to its Direct Messaging Video Group Chat feature, Facebook has been testing video polls in their ads, Pinterest have added to their advertising features and LinkedIn have been trying to improve the targeting of their Sponsored Content.
Who You Gonna Call?
Earlier this year, Instagram made it possible for users to chat with three other friends in the Direct Messaging feature. Users could group video chat if they had accepted each other’s direct messages. However, this month Instagram have updated the video feature so now up to six people can group chat visually at the same time. While you are in the group video call, you can still carry out your Instagram daily duties like scrolling, sending messages and posting stories – your friends will just be with you as you do it.
Video Polls in Ads
This month Facebook has been testing a new feature for advertisers on its platform. Facebook tested video poll ads towards the end of October and they were spotted by advertisers creating ads. With the current success of videos for engagement and reach, having polls and videos combined could be extremely beneficial for brands and their advertisers. The video polls are meant to increase interaction even more on ads, and actually make an audience stop and engage as well as watching the visual. Polls have been equally as successful in getting engagement and interaction, so it’ll be interesting to see how the two work together, especially in ads.
Pinterest Pins
Pinterest has also been adding to its advertising tools this month, with new features that will make self-advertising a lot easier. Advertisers can now ‘pause [the] campaign’, review the Pins, promote more than one Pin at a time and find Pins more easily. Ads Manager is far more sophisticated, so advertisers can create new Pins, test and optimise the ad all in one place. The idea is that advertisers will be able to reach more people and select their audience more carefully and appropriately to their brand.
Sponsored Content Gets a Makeover
This has certainly been the month of advertising improvements as LinkedIn too has made changes to their Sponsored Content feature. The social media platform has turned its focus to higher quality clicks. They hope that with the introduction of several new features to their Sponsored Content that the people that click through will be interested in the product or service being advertised and in turn create an overall improved ROI. Therefore, the audience will be more targeted, more interested and more likely to click through.
