This month on social media, quite a few new things to notice:
Mobile apps usage increase again...
Even though fewer apps are actually downloaded... In this "winner takes all" competition, early starters and branded apps can hope to make it. It remains difficult to market an app with traditional marketing.
Facebook events for Pages will be promoted right into the Newsfeed...
...and not only on the right hand column. It's a very useful way to get people (your fans, or any other target on Facebook, even your own e-mail database) to get to know you hold an event. Once people are your shop, it's your turn to convert them ; )
Twitter tries to get into e-commerce
After having shown the power of the Cards format, Twitter is now pairing with Amazon to allow Twitter users to save on their wishlist anything they will hashtag with #AmazonWishList
Instagram launches new Business Tools
Ads in self-service are not yet available, but until then, you can still practice your analytics skill with the new set of tools provided by Instagram. You will be able to see insights from the account (such as new followers or impressions) as well as for ads if you have some.
1. THE PATCH Social media new features/updates for marketers. October 2014.
Mobile App Usage Ups 21%. Youtube wins the Conversion Game…
While FB takes a cue from both Youtube and Snapchat.
Twitter’s New iOS look. LinkedIn Security Upgrade.
Presents from Pinterest to come.
Read on as Agence Tesla gives you the scoop
on the past month’s social media buzz
2. Mobile App Usage +21%
Data from Localytics shows people are
spending 21% more time on apps since 2013
Music apps e.g Spotify
see highest usage rise
There’s more to the mobile world than social
networking! Other industries can benefit greatly too!
Fewer apps downloaded
each month BUT people
spend more time per app
3. Youtube: The Conversion Champ
Video platform best at introducing and marketing new products
YouTube most successful at the beginning and end
of the buying cycle, in giving consumers first AND last
contact to products. It helps you seal the deal! Don’t
underestimate the benefits of a YouTube presence!
Why? On YouTube consumers can…
- Be introduced to new products
- Find official product videos
- Watch product reviews
- Watch shopping hauls (with your
products!)
Vs. other platforms:
- Twitter is 9x worse, although it is
strongest in reminding audiences of your
product before they purchase
4. Facebook: Takes cue from YouTube
New video features mimic YouTube
Facebook launches new video features:
1) Play count
2) Related Videos
New features added after site saw
1 billion video views PER DAY not least without
the help of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
A video content strategy is more important than ever
before. Not just on Youtube, but also now on Facebook,
Instagram and Vine. Don’t lag behind!
5. Facebook: Snapchat-like Posts
FB brings self-destructing posts onto its feed
After launching Slingshot, a Snapchat
competitor, Facebook
adds expiration dates to posts
Messages will disappear from feeds as
indicated
But will NOT be removed completely from
servers until up to 90 days
Another move by FB to adopt popular
content formats
Take some ideas from Snapchat/Slingshot content
strategy and apply them to FB soon. Play with self-expiring
discount offers or flash deals! Get some
inspiration here.
6. Facebook: Tracking with an Atlas
New cross-devices ad server
Facebook
upgrades and relaunches ad
server Atlas (bought over from
Microsoft last year)
For advertisers on FB itself, existing people-based
marketing tools like Custom Audiences will be more
powerful than before. Amid concerns with privacy,
FB maintains actual identities will stay anonymous.
Atlas tracks FB users with cookies
across apps, devices and sites
that use FB login
Ads can be bought via Atlas
and users do not need to run
an FB campaign to use Atlas.
Atlas simply combines FB data
with that of its own servers
7. Facebook: New Event Ad & Tools
More ways to set your events apart!
Facebook releases event ads for Pages
on the news feed
Your ad doesn’t have to stay
forgotten at the sidebar any longer!
Event insights now also
available on right-hand column
of event page
Online businesses listen up, don’t
just have a strong social media
presence! Make opportunities for
your customers to engage with you
in real life, perhaps with events!
8. Twitter: All-new on iOS8
Revamped for iOS 7 and up
Twitter introduces new mobile profiles+ features
The amped up app now has:
- Interactive push notifications: reply/fave/RT/
follow without opening the app
- Cover and Profile Photo but positioned eerily
like Facebook
- A while underlay for your bio so no more
swiping!
- Tabs for tweets, photos and favourites that
roll like a timeline
Interactive push notifications are a big deal with even
greater potential. Now that iOS8 is here expect to see
apps pick it up, possibly add “buy” buttons.
9. Twitter: New Poll Cards?
Testing fresh way to interact with your customers
Twitter tests native polling cards
Engaging new call to action
In-app user response connects you to
your audiences and their opinions
Tip: If this feature becomes permanent,
have fun asking quirky questions! Find
out what’s really on your customers’
minds, and show some personality.
10. Twitter: Amazon Wish List
Add something to your Amazon Wishlist with just a hashtag
Users connect Amazon and
Twitter accounts via a microsite
Add items to wishlist with #AmazonWishlist
A move to enhance Twitter
e-commerce functions
But uncertain whether feature will pick up
as research shows consumers use shopping carts
not wishlists to save items
A similar system could work to simply add
products into the shopping cart, or even
onto an in-app shopping cart. Look out for
more e-commerce surprises from Twitter in
the next few months!
11. Instagram: Biz Tool Suite
Finally some data tools to help you Insta-strategise
Instagram
announced it will roll out ad tools
and analytics to accompany its
growing business presence
App will offer:
1) Account Insights e.g Reach
2) Ad Insights i.e paid campaign
analytics
3) Ad Staging i.e platform to
collaboratively edit and save ad
materials
Established brands have probably already been using other
tools to access the same data. But this means SMEs are finally
able to catch up a little and capture the same market. Don’t miss
out on these new insights!
12. Instagram: Interactive Games
Forget video, Adidas takes a new spin on Insta-marketing
Adidas launches fun, snazzy interactive game
to launch new line of shoes
Instructions sound a little complicated at first
but you get the hang of it:
1) Adidas will hide passwords across various
accounts each day
2) Users must unscramble the password
letters
3) They then like the photos with the
passwords in the right order
4) First person and next 10 all win prizes!
Look out for more of these games, and maybe start
thinking of some of your own. Talk to us and we’ll help
you get it started!
13. Google: Free Unlimited Cloud
Educational purposes only!
Google gives students and
educators
free unlimited cloud storage
(5TB file size limit – surely that’s
all you’ll ever need)
Amid doubts about the security and
privacy of cloud infrastructure, Google
stands firm
For the rest of us, Google has also just
offered some early stage start-ups
$100 000 in Cloud Platform credits to
run and host your apps
Google edges even more into the education market.
For companies in the education sector, consider
using Google for Education.
14. LinkedIn: Security Features
Timely security upgrades amid 4chan scares
LinkedIn’s security suite now:
- Shows users where, when and which
devices are logged into their account
- Allows you to sign out from these
accounts via the interface
- Offers more information on account
breaches e.g breach location and IP
Find all these under Protecting your accounts is important as any breach, a new tab in Settings
especially for e-commerce businesses, can delay your
operations. It can also compromise customer data. If one
account has been breached, consider changing login details
for other accounts to be doubly secure.
15. LinkedIn: Data Export
LinkedIn wants to make you the owner of your information
LinkedIn simultaneously launched a
data export function with new security
features
All your account’s data such as
personal data and search history is
now downloadable
LinkedIn passes the responsibility of
managing user data to the user
Be smart with the data on your accounts. Check the themselves
archives to be sure your security settings are right for
you and your business.
16. Pinterest: Ad Base Boost
Target users on your brand’s database
Pinterest announced a few new features
in the pipeline:
1) Conversion Tracking
2) Audience Targeting similar to
FB’s Custom Audience
1) Privacy Policy Update
Users can in fact
turn off the ad-targetingfeat ure
Watch out FB and Twitter, Pinterest is about to join
the big leagues in advertising soon! Retail and
FB companies on Pinterest can expect to make
more use of social media to increase conversion!
17. Pinterest: Promo Pins upgrade
More specific improvements to existing ad unit
Pinterest reveals even more new features
for its current ad unit:
1) Promo pins analytics
2) Promo pin targeting
New features go hand in hand with targeting and
conversion features in previous slide.
Currently only being tested in the US
18. Hootsuite: Brightkit Buy
Hootsuite Campaign Platform
Hootsuite’s acquisition of Brightkit means
marketers and brands can connect with audiences
through:
1) Galleries of user generated content
2) Run and monitor social media contests
3) Manage and moderate campaigns
4) Export campaign data
5) Analytics
Hootsuite joins a club of “content aggregator”
management systems
If you’ve been using Hootsuite this is an early
Christmas present. It will become the all-in-one
platform you’ve always wanted, with ease of use
and low cost!
19. Thanks!
Agence Tesla, a social media agency in Singapore and Paris
Martin.pasquier@agencetesla.com
Follow us on Twitter @agencetesla or http://www.agencetesla.asia
Why “The Patch”? In computing, a “patch” is a software update to correct bugs, improve performance or
update a program. We want to “patch” marketers with the latest curated social media new features.
The Patch - Social media updates for marketers from
Agence Tesla Asia 19#