Updates In Social - August 2019

The digital industry is constantly evolving and if we take our eye away for just a minute, we can easily slip through the net. Juggling countless social media platforms, algorithm changes and new paid products can be tough. That's why we're here, to help you keep on top of things.

Last month we covered all things Google, but since then, there have been some changes in social media that marketing managers need to be aware of. So, here's what you need to know about the latest updates in social.

Ads for Facebook Search Queries

Facebook started testing Ads in search results for a select few businesses in the U.S. & Canada back in December 2018. But it looks like it is being rolled out now across other countries.

How does it work? 

Displaying ads in search results is now a new placement option when setting up newsfeed campaigns. However, this means you can’t just place ads in search results, they will apply across both areas.

Unlike Google Search Ads, you are not able to target specific keywords or phrases. Instead, your ads will be displayed for search terms related to your business’s offering, services or products. So before you start experimenting, make sure your profile is optimised and relevant keywords are placed appropriately on your Facebook page.

Learn more

Is Twitter making a comeback?

It was long thought that Twitter was on a downward spiral. In my opinion, this negativity shows marketing managers don’t know how to capitalise on the platform.

For both B2B and B2C brands, Twitter can be very valuable from a Digital PR perspective, gaining brand exposure and placements, if you know where to look.

Besides, the platform announced its highest annual growth in almost 2 years in their Q2 report, so that downward spiral isn’t doing too much harm.

However, Twitter also recently rolled out a new UX and if the #twitterdesign is anything to go by, people aren’t instantly in love. Given that Snapchat survived their redesign disaster of 2017, which resulted in a petition of 1.25M signatures to roll-back the update, I’m sure people will adapt.

Facebook is shrinking News Feed Ad Space

From next month Facebook is changing the style of its mobile news feed posts and ad layouts, reducing the ration from a 2:3 aspect ratio to a 4:5. So this means they’ll be shorter as demonstrated in the example below from Marketing Land.

What does this mean for your ads?

Obviously, this will have an impact on imagery, but it will also show fewer lines of text. Facebook says the new ad layout will only allow three lines of copy followed by a prompt to show more. This means the text needs to be skimmable, focused and concise with imagery featuring a clear focal point. With less space available for selling, businesses need to think about their branding and consider more long-term strategies.

Instagram hiding likes in 6 countries

Instagram has hit the news as it continues to roll-out hiding likes in New Zealand, Ireland, Brazil, Australia, Italy and Japan. 

Instagram says it’s hiding likes so “followers can focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.” Users perceive likes as a metric of success, judging those who get too few and even buying likes to gain popularity. The theory is, that hiding likes from the feed, but making them visible to the creator means creators can see what is working without other users judging them on their like count. 

What does this mean for businesses? 

Retail brands heavily invested in influencer marketing may need to tweak their strategy, but this won't mean the end by any means. 

For many campaigns, likes are seen as a KPI or measure of success and these new changes will force brands to focus more on valuable metrics such as click-through, site visits and conversions. This can only boost ROI and be better for brands in the long-run.

Well, that just about sums up the major social changes for this month! Our team of experts are always on hand to help with your digital strategies. For now, sign up to the mailing list or follow us on Twitter so you can be the first to hear about it.