Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup

Tiktok Publishes Lead Generation Best Practice Guide 

TikTok has published a new guide offering best practices for lead generation on the platform. This consists of a comprehensive 25-page document which provides actionable tips on: lead generation forms, hooks, messaging, and calls to action. Even if users feel confident in their lead generation abilities, receiving best practice and guidance directly from TikTok is more reliable and trustworthy than other sources. According to TikTok, educational videos covering finance, real estate and career services are highly effective. After hooking your audience, TikTok recommends establishing trust by delivering the main message clearly and memorably. Finally, TikTok advises concluding with a clear and compelling Call-to-Action, urging viewers to take the next step.

Threads Opens Beta To Let Users Connect Their Accounts To The Fediverse 

Meta has announced that its beta experience of sharing Threads accounts to the Fediverse is now open to users aged eighteen and over with public profiles. Once the integration has been turned on, people on other servers (Mastodon, for example) can find your Threads profile and like, repost and share your posts with multiple audiences. Allowing users to connect with other people who may not be on Threads but use alternative social networking apps. However, there are limitations, for example, users won’t be able to see on Threads who replied or liked their posts from other servers. Also, users can’t share posts with polls, which Meta is working on. Despite the drawbacks, it is notable that Meta is making Threads part of the decentralised social network system after only launching the app just eight months ago.

Disney Announces Google Partnership As It Expands Ad Platform 

Disney Advertising is teaming up with Google and The Trade Desk to expand its Disney Real-Time Ad Exchange (DRAX). The partnerships mean that users of Google’s Display & Video 360 and The Trade Desk can directly access streaming inventory on both Hulu and Disney Plus through DRAX. A wider range of marketers, national, regional and local, will now have easier access to ad inventory across Hulu and Disney Plus. As businesses gradually move away from traditional TV to digital video platforms, TV networks are feeling the impact. However, streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu are gaining traction, and provide advanced targeting, interactive features, and real-time analytics, making them competitive choices for marketers aiming to reach their target audiences effectively.

Snapchat Introduces Sponsored AR Filters 

Snapchat is launching filters as an ad option, with brands now able to sponsor AR filters in the app, which users can then add to their posts. These filters enable businesses to create branded overlays for images, which can include links back to their promotion. The appeal of this is that it will take less effort to enact a sponsored filter, as opposed to a full AR experience. This new update will be particularly attractive to budget-conscious brands who want to participate without the expense of traditional production and storyboarding. There is a range of ways that they could be used, and it could be another consideration for your Snap campaigns, as you look to maximise reach and engagement in the app.

Amazon Apologises After Its Ai Advertising System Makes Costly Error 

Amazon has apologised after its automated advertising system charged them to promote products they couldn’t sell. The retail giant has confirmed that some sellers have been charged for misdirected ads, and assured that it was actively working to resolve the issue. The issue was first spotted by Rob Robinson, who was charged thousands of dollars to promote products in California, despite not selling in that region. Resulting in him making zero profit from November 2023 to January 2024. Amazon later apologised and offered Robinson a £15,000 refund, despite the error costing him in the region of £300,000. Amazon has stated: “We will contact and refund any affected sellers, and are updating our processes to ensure any such ads are not charged going forward.”

Linktree Is Now Allowing Users To Highlight Links Better With Featured Layout Function 

Linktree has recently introduced new features, including a featured layout to highlight links more effectively, the ability to fetch the latest posts from Instagram and support for a more prominent profile picture. When a user selects “Featured Layout” for a link it automatically expands with a content preview for links from YouTube, TikTok, Spotify and Instagram. Linktree is also introducing a new feature called “Text Links” to simplify display text on the profile. The company said that this will help users display information like detailed bio, opening hours or what you typically write on your blog.

Meta Offers Lower Cost For EU Ad-Free Subscription Under Privacy Review 

Meta has proposed slashing the price of its ad-free subscription in the EU, pending approval from the Irish Data Protection Commission. The move follows legal challenges over consent mechanisms. Critics argue that the reduced fee, while seemingly more affordable, still coerces users into accepting tracking. This controversy underscores ongoing regulatory scrutiny of Meta’s compliance with the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, both emphasising GDPR adherence. Founder of noyb, Max Schrems, contends that any payment requirement undermines the principle of freely given consent mandated by GDPR, regardless of the fee amount.

Spotify Tests Video Courses To Teach Everything From Music Production To Excel 

Spotify has carved out a business for itself in music streaming, podcast entertainment and audiobooks. Now, to get its users to spend more time and money on its platform, Spotify is trailing a new line of content: e-learning. Starting to roll out in the U.K., Spotify is testing an online education offering of freemium video courses. Produced in partnership with third parties like BBC and Skillshare, at least two lessons will be free, with the cost of a total course ranging from £20 to £80 on average. The courses will cover a wide range of subjects, from music production to Excel, to lessons on how to turn musicians and others into “education creators.”

Microsoft Serving Ads For Bing In Google Chrome 

Microsoft is reportedly using pop-up ads within Google Chrome to prompt users to switch their default search engine to Bing. Increasing numbers of Windows users have observed advertisements for Bing AI and Microsoft’s Bing search engine while browsing in Chrome. If users choose to accept these prompts, Microsoft automatically sets Bing as the new default search engine for Chrome instead of Google.

Youtube Now Requires Creators To Disclose When Realistic Content Was Made With AI

To enforce a sense of transparency around what users are seeing on the video sharing app, YouTube is now requiring creators to publicly disclose when they upload synthetic content, including generative AI. The synthetic media disclosure will appear in the form of a label in a video’s expanded description or on the front of the video player. Content that requires a label either uses the likeness of a realistic person, includes altered footage of real events or places, and/or generates realistic scenes. Experts believe that the new rules are rolling out in advance of the upcoming US elections, after the proliferation of AI and deepfakes have been used to spread dangerous misinformation related to candidates and current events.

Google Search Ads 360 Gains Retail Media Capabilities 

Google Search Ads 360 has introduced a closed beta aimed at enhancing offsite retail media campaigns, helping retailers and brands achieve common objectives like boosting product visibility and driving sales. New features include offsite retail media capabilities, leveraging unique retailer audiences and Google AI across channels. Also, Google enables participating retailers to utilise their first-party data in privacy-centric ways for AI-powered Performance Max campaigns. The beta also includes improved reporting, offering insights at the brand, campaign, or SKU level for precise performance measurement and optimiSation. Early beta partner Lowe’s is already leveraging these features, indicating potential benefits for brands seeking enhanced campaign management and sales attribution. Accessing this closed beta can offer significant advantages for interested parties, although full rollout timelines remain uncertain.

TikTok Planning To Rival Amazon With Major U.S. Expansion

TikTok is reportedly planning to rival Amazon by growing its U.S. ecommerce business, TikTok Shop, tenfold to $17.5 billion this year. 83% of users make purchase decisions on the platform, making TikTok Shop a prime opportunity for brands. With TikTok’s major expansion plans, marketers will benefit from being able to showcase their products to a larger engaged audience, maximising ROI. By utilising their engaged user base, TikTok can boost merchandise sales in the U.S., and if everything goes as planned, TikTok will pose a challenge for not only Amazon, but also online retail media brands like Temu and Shien.

U.S. Ad Forecast Raised To 5.6% Growth For 2024

The U.S. ad industry revenue should increase slightly more this quarter and year than previously expected, due to improved economic conditions and forecasts, says AdAge.com. The industry analyst now expects 5.6% growth in 2024, up from a prior 5.2% annual growth forecast. The annual and quarterly expectations exclude political advertising, which AdAge.com now expects will hit $15.5 billion across all media this year, up from $14.1 billion in 2020. This upbeat outlook for the overall market stems from significant improvements in future economic expectations. Recent data shows a nearly 1% increase in real GDP forecasts for 2024, compared to previous estimates. AdAge.com, however, refers to the opportunity and risk associated with Chinese exports as a “double -edged sword” that presents both opportunity and risk for the ad market in 2024 and beyond.

Google Removes Phone Numbers From Hotel Search Listings 

Google has specifically removed the phone number for the hotel and hotel panels in the search results, leaving them on normal local listings. The change occurred this month and was initially pointed out by Lluc B. Penycate, who inquired whether the absence of telephone numbers for Google Business Profiles for hotels in the EU was a bug, noting that the call button remains visible. Despite his attempts to contact Google Search Liaison for clarification, no response had been received.

Disney Selling CTV Ads On Google And The Trade Desk In Strategy Shift

Disney is partnering with Google and The Trade Desk to sell ads through their platforms, opening up its Disney+ and Hulu inventory to programmatic ad markets. This marks a strategic shift for Disney, making its connected TV ad inventory more accessible. The move aims to simplify ad buying and enhance effectiveness for clients. Disney has been developing its ad tech platform, DRAX, and this integration with Google and The Trade Desk further enhances its ecosystem. The partnership comes as Google plans to phase out cookies, pushing media companies towards closer ties with ad tech partners for targeted advertising. The Trade Desk’s OpenPath program strengthens relationships between premium publishers like Disney and advertisers, improving ad effectiveness and transparency.