There were lots of important updates in Q1 in digital marketing. From TikTok to Meta and Google, no media platform was left behind. Read on to find out the latest news in April.
1. TikTok sets to introduce AI influencers
- TikTok is in talks with advertisers to introduce the first-ever virtual AI influencers
- This new feature would help advertisers create scripts for video ads.
- It would also allow advertisers and TikTok Shop merchants to use AI influencers to promote their products.
Source: The Information
2. Meta launches new AI assistant
- Meta launches a new AI virtual assistant called Meta AI which they built with Meta Llama 3
- It integrates seamlessly with Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Instagram and users can ask the AI for information about posts on their feed.
- WhatsApp and US Meta AI web users can now use it to generate real-time images through text prompts.
Source: Meta
3. LinkedIn launches premium company page
- LinkedIn introduced Premium Company Page, a subscription-based Page for companies to convert more users into clients.
- It has special features such as a custom Call-To-Action button, custom testimonials, auto invites for engaging audiences and a LinkedIn Premium logo.
- Companies can also generate content with AI-powered post-writing assistance.
Source: LinkedIn
4. EDPB slams Meta and others over pay or get tracked rule
- The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) dropped new regulations regarding Meta and other major platforms’ “pay or get tracked” rule.
- They opine that it is a real threat to privacy and that users should be given the choice not to be tracked on their platforms rather than paying.
- They also stated that if such apps want to go this route, they should offer users significant consideration or use contextual advertising.
Source: Tech Crunch
5. Google introduces AI to demand gen
- Google introduces generative AI to Demand Gen campaigns so users can generate images to tell more compelling stories.
- Users are to provide at least three images and videos to create high-quality visuals.
- These visuals will have a digital watermark and a SynthID to protect them from copyright breaches and manipulations.
Source: Google
6. Digital video ad spend projected to surpass overall media by nearly 80%
- According to a recent report by IAB, the revenue for digital video ads will likely hit $63 billion in 2024.
- The “2024 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report” noted that the total ad spend is projected to grow by 16%, surpassing total overall media by almost 80%.
- Social video records the highest growth with an estimated rise to $23.4 billion.
Source: PR Newswire
7. OSSA launches to support small businesses with digital ads
- An AI digital advertising platform, OSSA, has been launched to help small businesses grow with ad campaigns using less time and resources.
- OSSA employs generative AI and integrates with OpenAI, Shutterstock and Figma seamlessly.
- The platform costs £25 – £2,000 and leverages behavioural psychology to automate advertising campaigns.
Source: Marketing Tech
8. Meta and Deloitte discuss the future of AI in marketing
- Jane Arbanas, Deloitte’s leader of media and entertainment stated during Variety’s 2024 Entertainment Marketing Summit that generative AI will impact marketing drastically.
- Arbanas noted that you can make more ad content in even less time with AI.
- She, however, said that the companies using these platforms are responsible for ensuring they are secure.
Source: Variety
9. Meta to offer ads on Threads soon
- Threads, Meta’s newest social media platform, is set to enable advertisers to run ads to reach more audiences.
- The app with about 85 million users will begin to display ads on the timeline first and then the trends and topics segment later.
Source: Digiday
10. Google Introduces YouTube Shorts Ads
- Google provides a new platform for brands to display ads on YouTube’s short-form video section, YouTube Shorts.
- It offers organic, tailored ads in a wide range of industries in a casual and fun manner.
- They capture the success of Brooks Brothers, a fashion brand that recorded a whopping 15.9% view-through rate for their Father’s Day campaign.
Source: PPC Land
11. Google Ads discontinues text ads
- Google announces to advertisers in an email that text ads, expanded text ads and Dynamic Search Ads will cease working from May 31, 2024.
- They are advised to transition to responsive search ads by that date.
- This update comes after a rule in 2022 which stopped advertisers from creating or editing expanded text ads.
Source: Search Engine Journal
12. Study reveals LinkedIn’s most effective posting strategies
- Social Insider’s new study reveals that posts with multiple images in the lead have the highest number of engagements on LinkedIn, hitting a 3.84% YoY in 2024.
- These types of posts also generate the highest likes and comments for pages with large audiences.
- The report also notes that video content gets the most shares on the platform, leading to more brand awareness.
Source: Social Insider
13. Meta advertisers disclose that sales are poor due to glitchy system
- Meta advertisers complain that there have been lower returns and higher prices due to glitches in Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms.
- Meta noted a few technical issues but maintained that their ads system is running smoothly for most advertisers.
- This issue has forced some advertisers to switch to alternative platforms.
Source: Search Engine Land
14. Instagram explains the decline in content reach
- Instagram’s Head, Adam Mosseri, clarifies that users’ content might not reach all followers because they may not be active on the app when posts are being made.
- It could also be because they are unable to view your posts due to the volume of posts displayed by the app
- Mosseri adds that views and likes counts are more appropriate metrics for page growth, rather than follower counts.
Source: Search Engine Land
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