Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup
Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup
Bonded Bitesize – Bringing you your midweek roundup of the latest in digital and media.
Stay connected with recent updates from Microsoft, Google, Meta & many more!
Twitter is now requiring all advertisers to have a verified checkmark
In its latest bid to push its premium tier, Twitter blue, Twitter is now requiring all advertisers to have verified accounts. According to an email reportedly sent by Twitter, starting April 21st any account that wants to continue running ads on the platform must subscribe to either Twitter Blue or Verified Organisations. The email did note that business accounts spending in excess of $1000 per month already have gold checks (or will soon) and that they will continue to be able to enjoy access to advertising without interruption.
Instagram has added the capacity to display up to 5 links in profile bios
Instagram has given users the ability to add up to five links in their profile bios, a highly requested feature that will help both creators and brands drive traffic elsewhere. The new profile linking button looks and works similarly to Linktree, a third-party platform that many users currently use to house their additional links. Whilst Instagram will be keen for users to stay on their platform for as long as possible, giving users the added flexibility of this feature will help brands and creators use the app to promote themselves and their other ventures via the app.
Google will introduce generative AI to Google Ads within upcoming months
According to a report by the Financial Times, Google is planning to introduce generative artificial intelligence across its advertising business and services in the upcoming months. The new technology will be integrated into Performance Max, helping advertisers create sophisticated campaigns from a mixture of creative content that is able to target specific audiences whilst meeting objectives such as sales targets.
Snapchat expands its AR features for events and businesses, partnering with Coca Cola and 16 music festivals
At its 2023 Snap Partner Summit, Snapchat revealed several new AR features enhancing its AR Enterprise suite (ARES). As part of its partnership with Live Nation, Snap announced that it will bring AR experiences to 16 music festivals around the world - including access to an AR compass, 3D map technology as well as custom AR lenses. Snap has also partnered with Coca Cola to create a prototype AR-enabled vending machine that shoppers can interact with using hand gestures. Finally, Snapchat is also updating its camera to make it easier to add augmented reality lenses to Memories.
Microsoft is removing Twitter from its advertising platform starting next week
Microsoft has announced that it will be removing Twitter from its digital marketing platform starting next week, meaning the platform will no longer provide tweet management capabilities such as scheduling, posting or managing ads. Although Microsoft has not given a reason for this sudden removal, many suspect that it is a retaliation to Twitter updating its API pricing, having made it significantly more expensive to access the platform.
U.S. state seeks approval of bid to ban TikTok amid rising security concerns
While the White House is still deliberating over its ban of TikTok in the United States, some individual states are already trying to impose their own restrictions against the Chinese-owned platform. Montana lawmakers are seeking an outright ban from the social media giant, with a bill that if approved, would make it the first state to ban the app. Concerns over the security of the app have been growing, with officials worried about the ways in which TikTok uses the data it collects, as well as the company's connection to the Chinese government.
Reddit has announced a change to its API access, with big businesses now having to pay a premium for their use of Reddits data. The platform has provided API access to developers for over seven years, though recently this date is being used to power the generative models behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Google’s Bard - and Reddit clearly wants their fair share in return. This comes following Twitter's recent decision to update pricing for access to its own API, helping it drive revenue from the same platforms that are using tweet information to power their AI models.
Google’s AI chatbot, Bard, can now generate and debug code
Google has announced that it is upgrading its AI chatbot, Bard, to have the ability to help people with programming and software development tasks, including code generation, code bugging and explanation. The company states that it is launching these software development capabilities in more than 20 programming languages including C++, Go, Java, Javascript, Python and Typescript. Though, as with all AI technology, Bard can still produce inaccurate, misleading or false information confidently, so proceed with caution.
YouTube’s new feature helps creators schedule set times to drop product details during live streams
YouTube has announced a new feature known as ‘Product Drops’, designed to build hype for a product launch during live streams. As explained on Creator Insider, rather than having to upload product details before starting a livestream, and thus spoiling the surprise, creators will now be able to schedule set times for the details to show, giving them more time to engage their audiences beforehand.
Snapchat unveils launch of physical AR Mirrors to AR Enterprise Suite
Snapchat unveiled its newest addition to its AR Enterprise offering during its annual Snap Partner Summit - AR Mirrors. According to Snap, AR Mirrors bring AR technology to physical screens in the real world - allowing customers to virtually try on products, engage in fun experiences that encourage them to create and share content as well as receive helpful guides to learn more about the products that they see in store. The platform has already brought AR Mirrors to retail brands including Nike and Men's Wearhouse, helping them enhance their in-store experience.
Google has removed several page experience related ranking systems from the ranking systems page
Google has quietly updated its Google ranking systems page, removing several page experience related ranking systems from the page. The page experience system section has been removed entirely, whilst the mobile friendly, page speed and secure site systems have been removed from the retired section of the page. Many suspect that these systems has little impact on the rankings, so removing them will help allow SEO specialists to focus on the systems that do matter.
LinkedIn is expanding its Community Commitments display to job searches
LinkedIn has announced that it is expanding its Company Commitments feature that helps businesses showcase their alignment with certain causes such as work-life balance and diversity. Initially launched back in September, LinkedIn claims that the feature has been beneficial for connecting like-minded staff as well as building company brands, and so is now expanding these commitment listings to job ads too.
Google announces updates to Search Ads 360, encouraging advertisers to upgrade by 2024
Google has announced the latest improvement to Search Ads 360, including cross-channel support and enhanced reporting capabilities. This new platform offers improved support for Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Yahoo! Japan and Baidu, and has new templates, performance centres and enhanced reporting capabilities. Google encourages advertisers to upgrade soon, becoming available ahead of the planned April 2024 shutdown of the previous version.
YouTube has announced new policies around content related to eating disorders
YouTube has announced several new policies around content related to eating disorders, providing more guidance for at-risk users whilst also restricting access to certain content for younger audiences. The platform has worked alongside the National Eating Disorder Association, as well as a bulimia and anorexia association to help develop a comprehensive framework for the new policies. YouTube will implement new restrictions on videos that depict imitable behaviour within the upcoming weeks.
Google is expanding its shipping and return info in Search Results for merchant sites
Google has announced that it is enhancing the visibility of shipping and returns information for merchant websites in search results. Retailers can use structured data markup to provide this information within their listings, and Search console will offer tools to monitor and fix any issues regarding this information. This feature is initially rolling out in the U.S., before rolling out to other countries.
