Reels

Instagram Launches TikTok-Like ‘Reels’ Functionality to some Users in India

In a move that will likely come as a little surprise, Instagram has quietly rolled out a new test of its TikTok-like clone functionality ‘Reels’ to some users in India, following the ban of TikTok in the Indian market. Reels, which Instagram has admitted is its ‘response’ to TikTok, enables Instagram users to create 15-second, looping video clips within…

Google

Google Adds New Prediction and Trend Tools to Help Advertisers Maximize their Ad Campaigns

Google has announced some new tools to help advertisers maximize their ad campaigns, including updated recommendations based on evolving search trends, new tools for managing your campaigns on the go, and improved transparency into its automated ‘Smart Bidding’ process. First off, with search behaviors changing significantly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Google has highlighted the rising value of its Recommendations page,…

Snapchat

Snapchat Shares and Shows New Data on Sports Engagement among Users

The NFL signed a new deal with Snapchat, which will see it triple the number of highlight shows on the platform, which will air in near real-time. While much uncertainty remains about the immediate future of live sports, with various professional leagues around the world working to continue play amid the lingering COVID-19 threat, the NFL has…

YouTube

YouTube is Adding More Ads, with Mid-Roll Breaks Available in Shorter Videos that are at Least 10 Minutes

Have you ever noticed how every YouTube influencer creates videos that are around the exact same length – which is about 10 minutes? The reason for that is YouTube’s monetization policy – currently, YouTube enables mid-roll ads on videos that are at least 10 minutes long, so for YouTubers who are trying to generate revenue, it makes sense for…

Instagram

Instagram Launches Test of New ‘Shops’ Tab with Selected Users within their Bottom Function Bar

Have you noticed your in-app buttons within Instagram moving around a bit of late? Suddenly, your ‘Direct’ icon has gone to the bottom function bar instead of up top, or your activity tab (the heart icon) has disappeared, then come back again days later? Those changes are linked to Instagram’s work to find the right…

Google

Google Recently Added New Knowledge Panel Insights to Google Image Results for Added Context

After recently adding fact-check labels to Google Image search results, Google is now adding another informational tool into its image display, with new Knowledge Panel listings on selected images, helping to provide more context about the content, including related queries, location information, and other insights. As explained by Google: “When you search for an image on mobile in…

TikTok

TikTok Opens its Self-Serve Ad Platform to All Businesses Globally

After testing it out with several brand partners over the last few months, TikTok has today announced that its self-serve ad platform is now available to all businesses globally as part of its recently launched TikTok for Business platform. As explained by TikTok: “The global availability of TikTok’s self-serve advertising solutions gives marketers the tools to tap into the…

Twitter

Twitter Might be Working on a New Subscription Service, Which Could Provide New Options for Prominent Users

Speculation is running wild that Twitter could be working on a new subscription-based offering for some users, after the company posted a new job listing which noted work on a team called “Gryphon”, which is focused on “building a subscription platform, one that can be reused by other teams in the future.” As you can…

IGTV

Instagram Provides New Tools to Manage How IGTV Previews Appear in the Main Feed and Discover

Instagram has added some new tools to help IGTV creators manage how their content appears when it’s listed in the main feed and within the Discover tab. Back in April, Instagram rolled out a set of new updates for IGTV, which included enabling creators to share the first 15 seconds of their IGTV video in Stories…