Key Updates and What They Mean for Your Business
October brought some important changes across the major social media platforms, and it’s essential to stay updated if you want to keep your social media strategy fresh and effective. Whether you’re focused on organic growth, paid social campaigns, or just trying to keep up with content trends, these updates could impact how you connect with your audience. Here’s a recap of what happened this month and how it can benefit your business:
1. Instagram Introduces Broadcast Channels for Brands
What’s New? Instagram has expanded broadcast channels, a feature that allows brands to send updates to followers in real-time, directly in their inbox. Followers can react to these messages but can’t reply, making it a streamlined way for brands to communicate important announcements, launches, or behind-the-scenes updates.
What This Means for You: If you’re looking for a way to engage with your audience on a more personal level, this is a fantastic tool. Think of it as a direct line to your most engaged followers. It’s great for sharing exclusive content, driving engagement, and building brand loyalty. If you’re working on a broader strategy, check out our guide on how to build a social media strategy for more tips on integrating features like this into your overall approach.
2. LinkedIn Adds New Ad Formats to Enhance B2B Targeting
What’s New? LinkedIn has introduced Conversation Ads and Event Ads to help businesses better engage with their target audience. Conversation Ads allow brands to open personalised chat windows with users, while Event Ads help promote upcoming webinars or events, letting users register directly from the ad.
What This Means for You: These new ad formats are particularly useful for B2B businesses looking to create meaningful conversations with their audience. If you’re running paid social campaigns, these options provide a new way to drive lead generation and event participation. Want to know more about how paid social can benefit your business? Check out our breakdown of the benefits of paid social and how to get the most from your budget.
3. X (Formerly Twitter) Launches Subscription Model for Enhanced Features
What’s New? X (formerly Twitter) has introduced Premium Subscriptions, offering users exclusive features such as longer tweets, higher-quality video uploads, and priority ranking in conversations. Brands can also benefit from these features, especially when it comes to creating more engaging and immersive content.
What This Means for You: If your brand relies heavily on X for customer engagement or support, this new subscription model could be worth considering. The ability to post longer content and higher-quality videos opens up creative possibilities, especially for campaigns and product announcements. However, don’t forget the importance of balancing content quality vs good quality content—it’s not just about the features but how you use them to connect with your audience effectively.
4. TikTok Testing Social Commerce Features
What’s New? TikTok is testing enhanced social commerce features, including in-app shopping experiences and product tagging in videos. This means users can discover, view, and purchase products directly from a TikTok video, reducing the friction between discovery and conversion.
What This Means for You: If your business uses TikTok as part of its marketing strategy, this could be a game changer. For brands targeting younger, highly engaged audiences, these new features make it easier to turn viewers into customers in just a few taps. To fully capitalise on TikTok’s reach, consider integrating paid social ads into your campaigns. We’ve got all the details on how to optimise paid social for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and more.
5. Facebook and Instagram Introduce Generative AI Tools for Advertisers
What’s New? Meta (Facebook and Instagram) has rolled out generative AI tools for advertisers, allowing businesses to automatically create variations of their ads. This feature uses AI to produce multiple versions of ad text and visuals based on the original ad input, helping businesses test and optimise their ads more effectively.
What This Means for You: AI-generated content could save time and improve ad performance by offering more options for A/B testing without the extra effort. It’s particularly helpful if you’re running multiple ad campaigns and want to see which style resonates best with your audience. To make sure your paid social efforts are paying off, learn more about the benefits of paid social and how it fits into your overall strategy.
6. YouTube Shorts Introduces Affiliate Links for Creators
What’s New? YouTube is testing affiliate links in Shorts, allowing creators to tag products in their videos and earn a commission on sales. Brands can also benefit by partnering with creators to promote products and drive sales directly from these short-form videos.
What This Means for You: If influencer marketing or partnerships are part of your strategy, this is an exciting development. You can collaborate with creators to promote your products more effectively, directly linking to items in their videos. As short-form content continues to dominate, make sure you’re creating videos that not only grab attention but are aligned with your brand goals. Need help refining your strategy? We have an article to help you create a killer content marketing strategy.
The Verdict
October brought some exciting updates across social media platforms, each offering new ways to engage with your audience and improve your marketing strategy. Whether it’s using AI to enhance your ads, trying out new TikTok shopping features, or leveraging Instagram’s broadcast channels, there’s plenty to experiment with this month.
If you’re unsure how to implement these updates or want help refining your social media strategy, contact us today—we’re here to help you make the most of your social media marketing efforts!
