SPARKS

July 2020

July 2020 Roundup

Let’s jump right into it – what has July brought us in the digital world? Still no edit button on Twitter, which is a shame, will that day ever come? Probably not! Well, here are a few Sparks we thought were worth sharing.

Instagram – Online Shopping.

We’re kicking off this month’s Sparks with Instagram who recently announced that they are going to roll out the next stage of their on-platform shopping experience. They are going to do this by adding a “Shop” section in Explore. Essentially, this will be a single feed with a range of products that can be purchased. 

It is currently being tested in America and will expand globally in the coming weeks. The products you will see will be personalised to you, based on who you follow on the platform. This is another way Instagram have tried to adapt and meet users during the global pandemic.  

Facebook – Online Shopping.

Over to Facebook now, who announced that they are expanding their monetization tools for content creators.  In order to be eligible for this, creators and publishers must have an authentic, established presence on Facebook, this means having an established presence for at least 90 days. If you know anyone who could benefit, tell them to click here to see if they are eligible!  

That’s not all from Facebook. They have announced that they have added a new feature when creating a customised audience. This new feature is (drum roll please……….) “Shopping”.  These new targeting options include users who viewed products, users who added any products to their baskets and users who purchased a product. This is a brilliant new feature to roll out proper retargeting capabilities in tandem with their new Shopping functionality and will be invaluable to businesses making use of Shops. 

Twitter – Subscriptions.

Twitter is where we are going to next. Now, this particular Spark is not 100% confirmed, but it has been rumoured that Twitter are now working on a paid subscription service, using a similar model to Patreon. Followers will be able to see exclusive content by subscribing to their favourite accounts. That also means that if you are not subscribed to a highprofile account, you might miss out. We’ve got FOMO already! 

WhatsApp – More features!

WhatsApp are also working on ways to create more sales for businesses online – perhaps not a surprise as Facebook, of course, owns both WhatsApp and Instagram. They recently announced that they will be launching QR codes for businesses. This feature was brought in to help brands promote their presence on the platform more effectively. Essentially, Businesses will be able to add a QR code to any promotional material such as posters. They can link that QR code directly to their WhatsApp. When a customer scans the code, they are brought to WhatsApp where a pre composed message to the business appears. We’re not sure if this mechanic will end up with a huge amount of user uptake, but it’s certainly one to watch! 

Snapchat – Brand Profiles.

Snapchat, our next destination, recently announced that they are launching Brand Profiles. This is only being tested at the moment, but it could be a game changer for brands to interact with their target market. There will be four elements to a brand profile: 

  • Branded AR Lenses – Brands are now going to be able to save lenses which they have created. Customers will be able to revisit a unique brand experience.  
  • HighlightsWhat better way to get to know a brand than by looking at their best stories, photos, and videos? That’s exactly why highlights were brought out. Now users who are unfamiliar with a brand can get to know them easily. 
  • Story PostsVery similar to personal stories, brands are now going to be able to share stories for snapchat users.  
  • Native Store – Is one of the more exciting features that has been added. Snapchat users will be able to browse and purchase products from a brand directly in the app.

What else is new?!

Like many TikTok users, we are now moving over to Byte. Byte has been described as the second coming of Vine, and was developed by one of Vines co-founders. TikTok may be the current king of shortterm videos but due to concerns over users personal data, as well as political issues (did you know the US is currently discussing a TikTok ban?), it has seen a chunk of it’s user base jumping ship to Byte.   

Those are the digital headlines that Sparked our interest this month! What are you seeing on the horizon? 

Let Us Know About Future ‘Sparks’

If there’s anything in particular you want us to cover in our future Sparks Roundups, or if you need help planning and implementing your digital marketing campaigns, just pop judy@h-c.ie an email and we will be happy to get back to you.

For more on our digital offering, take a look at our Digital Marketing services or follow us wherever you get your social: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

#HC hun

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