Brands, Creators

IMPORTANT SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS IN JULY

July 30, 2024

ADSHOT'S SNAPSHOTS

SOCIAL MEDIA AND CREATOR ECONOMY NEWS

JULY, 2024

Featured this month: Instagram is testing new chat widgets to increase user engagement. Meanwhile, Facebook is testing automated A/B variations for Reels, and TikTok is introducing new marketing tools and features. Lastly, Sensor Tower released the first quarter download rankings for social media apps in Europe.

1. META

1.1. Instagram Tests New Chat Widgets to Boost Engagement.

As a result of optimizing dynamic conversations taking place in Instagram’s direct messages, new integrations of chat widgets are being tested. Among the potential widgets being tested are features like countdown timers, time zone displays, and the ability to pin important content. These updates aim to enhance user engagement by providing additional tools for users to interact meaningfully within the platform.

With these new widgets tested, it might be time for brands and creators to leverage more engaging conversations with their clients in Instagram Inbox. By using pins to keep track of clear deadlines and important notes with clients, a countdown timer to create urgency, and time zone displays to easily hold conversations internationally, the only limit could be your imagination!

1.2. Facebook Tests Automated A/B Variations for Reels.

Facebook is rolling out a new feature aimed at optimizing Reels’ performance for business pages. The feature, termed ‘auto A/B testing’, automatically creates variations of Reel ads with different captions and covers. These variants are then distributed to different audience segments to determine the most effective content. Meta aims to enhance user engagement and maximize ad inventory by ensuring users see the most engaging content possible.

‘Never fall in love with your first idea’. These new features will allow creators and brands to further optimize their content via A/B reels testing. By experimenting with different versions of their reels, they can identify what resonates best with their audience, enhancing engagement and effectiveness.

2. TIKTOK

2.1. TikTok Releases Summer Marketing Guide.

TikTok has unveiled a comprehensive guide designed to help businesses maximize the impact of their organic and paid content strategies during the summer season. The guide covers fundamental tactics for small businesses, tips on leveraging seasonal opportunities, and insights into creating compelling content that resonates with TikTok’s diverse audience.

You can find the full Summer marketing guide here.

2.2. TikTok Expands ‘Out of Phone’ Advertising Solutions.

TikTok continues to innovate its advertising offerings with the launch of ‘Out of Phone: Branded Mission’. This new feature combines TikTok’s interactive ‘Branded Mission’ format with the broader reach of ‘Out of Phone’, allowing brands to integrate creator content into offline advertising channels depending on their marketing objectives. Now, creators and brands can take their messages beyond the mobile screens and into the real world through billboards and kiosks, cinemas, bars, restaurants, automobiles, airports, gas stations, retail stores, and more…

“Out of Phone” offers a holistic approach to extending TikTok campaigns beyond the app, amplifying them onto billboards, cinema screens, and a wide network of other screens worldwide.

Now, marketers can cater their advertising objectives to each facet to promote various brand promotion strategies. Imagine this: a snippet of the content broadcasted on billboards for awareness, with a QR code to in-depth content for brand knowledge…

2.3. TikTok Introduces New Feature for Watermark-Free Video Downloads

In a move to empower creators, TikTok has introduced a new feature allowing users to download videos without the platform’s watermark. According to Social Media Today, this update enables more accessible content repurposing across multiple social media apps. However, users must first post the video on TikTok before gaining access to the watermark-free download option.

3. OTHER NEWS

3.1. Instagram Apps Dominate Q1 App Download Charts in Europe.

In the first quarter of 2024, Europe’s social networking scene saw several key trends among leading apps, as revealed by Sensor Tower data.

Threads, an Instagram app, made a significant impact with weekly active users peaking at 6.7 million in mid-March. Despite this high engagement, the app’s downloads started at 2.3 million and declined to 1.4 million by the end of March.
WhatsApp Messenger demonstrated steady performance, with its active users rising from 399 million to an impressive 407 million over the quarter. The app’s revenue hovered around $130,000, showcasing its consistent popularity and monetization.
Telegram Messenger also showed noteworthy figures, with its revenue peaking at over $1 million in mid-February. The app’s active user base grew from 143 million to nearly 146 million, indicating a solid user retention and growth.
Facebook experienced a significant spike in downloads, reaching 2.3 million in late February before stabilizing at 1.2 million. However, the platform saw a slight decline in active users, dropping from 266 million to 261 million.
Discord, while seeing a decrease in downloads from 623,000 to 527,000, managed to achieve a revenue peak of $535,000 in late February. The app’s active users increased slightly from 46 million to 47 million, highlighting a steady user engagement despite the drop in new downloads.