February Social Media Updates

Social media platforms are constantly innovating ways to retain users and draw in new ones. When done strategically, businesses can leverage these innovations to grow the visibility and value of their product or service. The following are the top three social media updates helping grow businesses.

Instagram Goes Shopping

Instagram is becoming an avenue of opportunity for e-commerce businesses. The app’s increasing popularity among beauty and retail brands and the rise of influencer marketing emphasize its potential for businesses. In order to capitalize on this insight, Instagram is testing a more immersive in-app shopping experience.

According to AdAge, the test includes full-screen and multimedia ad units allowing users to scroll up from the ad to see featured products in richer and more descriptive detail. Best of all, this feature would allow users to complete purchases without ever leaving the app, satisfying their purchasing desire quickly and seamlessly — making brands even more effective on the platform.

Snapchat Snap Map

Snapchat is now allowing people to view its content and formatting outside of the actual app. Using a web-based map, users can go to the Snap Map website and view publicly posted stories just like in the app. The unique element of this feature is it allows users to embed the story onto a webpage.

This update can be a great asset helping brands showcase their events. It provides a more personal experience via consumer-generated content and greater reach to those who were unable to attend. In addition, the update allows marketers to integrate the feature into a larger overall campaign.

Facebook Viewable Impressions

Facebook announced a new measurement update possibly resulting in a reduction in organic reach for business Pages — but it’s not all bad news. The social network will start only counting ‘viewable impressions’ for Pages. These impressions only count when a Page’s post actually appears on the screen and not when it’s just preloaded into the feed.

Despite the possible decrease in reach, this change gives Pages a newfound confidence in their numbers and ensures brand awareness is achieved. Also, rates of engagement per impression will be more insightful, truly showing which portion of users engaged out of those who just saw the content.

Allowing your brand’s voice to be heard can be a tough task. Our duty as marketers is to provide our clients with every resource available, including the most up-to-date social media tools and tips. With our expertise and these innovations, we’ll keep your business flourishing. Contact or stay social with us! We’re just one call, like, follow, retweet, favorite and DM away.