Social in Six 87
1. LinkedIn is launching a recommended video carousel in-feed
The story:
- LinkedIn is gradually rolling out a 9:16 video carousel within the main feed, which lets users swipe horizontally through videos recommended to them based on in-app engagements, network and professional interests.
- Tapping into any clip will pull through to LinkedIn’s full screen 9:16 video feed. LinkedIn tested this feature with select iOS app users in March by introducing it as a tab on the main feed that replaces My Network.
- LinkedIn’s previously confirmed its pivot to video in a statement to Social Media Today, citing that “videos are rapidly becoming one of our members’ favourite formats to learn from other professionals and experts.”
So what?
LinkedIn’s the latest platform to succumb to the 9:16 vertical video feed. Does this mean all of your videos need to be 9:16? If you want to be featured on the feed, yes. This will be a different feel to platforms like Instagram and TikTok of course; think thought leadership-led videos that feature real people, self-shot, with a creator content vibe.
2. Meta is rolling out a handful of ad updates for the holiday season
The story:
- Meta advertisers can now highlight their promo codes in overlay ads on Reels to make it easier for people to apply discounts to their basket.
- Plus, there’s updates to reminder ads too. You can add a time-sensitive reminder for a sale, event or launch as an overlay on a Feed ad, and Meta’s also increasing the frequency of reminder notifications.
- In addition, Meta’s adding site links to ads, which lets you link multiple landing pages to a single image or video ad in the Facebook Feed depending on what they click on.
- Finally, it’s capitalising on in-store shopping, testing the ability to target your ads to people most likely to shop in-store and highlight nearby locations so people can easily plan their next visit.
So what?
More first purchase offers and personalised discounts are designed to help you get more people over the line conversions-wise, and Reminder Ads’ added prompts that let people know when the offer ends, plus more options for frequency, give you more control over that schedule – all helping you instil urgency in your campaigns to move more people towards conversion.
3. Instagram’s working on a replies feature for Broadcast Channels
The story:
- Instagram is testing a new feature for its one-to-many Broadcast Channels that lets creators enable replies to their messages within the channel.
- If this feature’s enabled, followers of the Broadcast Channel can reply to any of your messages with text, in addition to existing response features (polls and emoji reactions).
- These won’t be immediately visible within the channel, so users will have to tap on a prompt to load the replies to individual messages within the main Broadcast Channel chat.
So what?
Instagram’s focus at the moment is on DMs and direct communication, so it’s no surprise it wants to evolve this feature. It’s more heavy lifting in the community management department, but it means you can get meaningful, nuanced replies from your most engaged fans as opposed to emoji and poll responses. Use this feature as a means to form a closer bond with your community a la REFY, or as a feedback loop for product launches, exclusive new drops etc.
4. TikTok’s new feature lets you edit live videos from scratch
The story:
- TikTok is experimenting with a new “Delete and Re-Edit” option on videos you’ve posted to the app.
- Once the video is deleted, it’ll go back into your drafts, meaning you can edit the original video from scratch.
- This feature only works for videos created in-app. If you’ve used any third-party app to edit including CapCut, you’ll be out of luck.
So what?
This will definitely come in handy to rectify any mistakes you might have missed before uploading. But because this is a delete and re-edit feature rather than just an edit feature, it looks like you’d lose any engagement you’d earned on that post. Our advice? If you’re going to edit, do it fast – so you don’t lose that performance.
5. Instagram has expanded API access for its Reminder ads
The story:
- Instagram has announced that you can now run Reminder Ads for Feed, Stories and Reels using a third-party social media management tool. This is in addition to Meta’s Ads Manager.
- Reminder Ads are exactly like they sound: ads that send reminders to your phone via push notification if you’ve opted in to receive information about an event.
- You can choose when to push out these reminders from a list of options; for example, one 24 hours before the event, another 15 minutes before and a final one as it starts.
So what?
As the only ad type that enables you to send push notifications, Reminder Ads are super effective for re-engagement and definitely not one to overlook – especially if you’re promoting events or time-sensitive launches. A word of warning: with great push notifications power comes great responsibility. Don’t overdo it or it’ll have the opposite impact.
6. YouTube has a familiar-looking new sticker for Shorts
The story:
- After testing it out with selected users over the past couple of months, YouTube is now rolling out its “Add Yours” sticker for Shorts to everyone.
- It’s pretty much a replica of Instagram’s sticker of the same name. You can add the sticker in the upload process and add your own prompt alongside YouTube’s preset “Add Yours” button.
- Once your Short is published, viewers can respond with a Short of their own or tap the sticker to view others’ responses.
So what?
There’s no denying the success of Add Yours on Instagram on both Stories and Reels when it comes to fostering interactivity and creating a way to start mini trends and movements. So for brands using Shorts, it’s kind of a no brainer. This feature could tie into any UGC campaign, giving people a one-tap way to join in and giving brands a centralised place for all that content to live.
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