Advertising on social media has become an increasingly popular method for brands to get their message out to their audience – and, if done well, can be extremely effective. To help you stay on top of the latest trends and advertising options, here are some recent updates in the social media marketing arena.
Social Media Updates: News and Trends to Watch
Instagram Advertising for All
Instagram announced that it will expand its advertising platform, beginning with a select group of marketing partners but with the goal to “make Instagram ads available to businesses of all types and sizes.” Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, will be able to offer Facebook’s extensive targeting options to advertisers, along with the Facebook ad buying platform. The announcement didn’t offer a detailed timeline for the rollout, but says that they are working to make the program available “over the coming months.”
Purchasing Products While on Social Media
Social networks are making it easier than ever for users to purchase products that they see in ads or while browsing. Twitter announced that it is creating product pages, which will contain multiple tweets and other content related to a product or collection of products, as well as buying options. Pinterest is introducing Buyable Pins, allowing users to purchase products they find on Pinterest from right within the app. Businesses that use Shopify or Demandware will be the first to have the opportunity to get Buyable Pins, and Pinterest has a waitlist for other interested businesses to sign up. Facebook is also expanding its Buy Button to more advertisers – yet another way for users to make purchases without clicking away to another site.
Update to Facebook Ads Manager
If you ever run ads on Facebook, you may notice some changes to the Ads Manager platform soon. Updates to the dashboard include automatic report generation, bulk editing, ad duplication tools and making campaign performance data quicker to view. According to their blog, Facebook will roll out the new Ads Manager and Power Editor in the coming months.
Facebook Place Tips
Earlier this month Facebook announced the rollout of Place Tips, a new way for customers to connect with local businesses. While customers are in-store, information about the business they are visiting will appear at the top of their News Feed – information like recommendations from friends or upcoming events at the store. Businesses can even add a welcome note to the top of the Place Tips feed. If you are a local business owner and want to make sure Place Tips are activated for your business, Facebook recommends requesting a Facebook Bluetooth Beacon. Visit the Facebook for business blog for more details.
Has your business advertised on Instagram? Will you experiment with any of the buy-in-app options for your brand? Let us know in the comments!
