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Here’s the latest scoop on what’s happening in the digital world this month, straight from the Brands2Life Digital and Social team.
In a recent post, the platform really started spilling the tea on what marketers like us can do to more effectively reach our audiences with the right content. Specifically, Instagram suggested content that asks for engagement – e.g. asking people to ‘like this if…’ or ‘comment if…’ could be harming your reach! It’s because the audience feel more inclined to engage and so it sees it as a bid to trick the algorithm, so it won’t recommend it to new followers, while Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri revealed Reels longer than 90 seconds can also harm distribution.
We all want to ensure our content is seen by as big an audience as possible. Anything that can harm our reach should be avoided. With that in mind, ditching an open-ended CTA like this, or considering the length of your video could help establish your brand with a new, extended audience. Interesting, given we’ve seen Instagram and TikTok continually extending the length of their videos… without mentioning that longer videos can harm their performance…
Helena Grezo, Paid Social Senior Account Executive, says: “Creators on other platforms like TikTok are really pushing videos over 1 minute, as they don’t get paid if it’s under that length. So, it’s curious that Instagram has said longer Reels can ‘hurt distribution’.”
With Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the General Election, the British public were quick to hit socials to share their excitement, angst and curiosity – and with that, a new dictionary of political lingo emerged. In the past, we’ve seen the ‘cozzie livs’ (cost of living crisis) and ‘platty joobs’ (platinum jubilee) make the rounds, but this year’s most recent additions? The ‘genny lec’, ‘genny lex’ and ‘el electionano’.
This is a great example of how fast language can change with the power of social media. Younger generations love an abbreviation, as it can help make world issues feel more light-hearted and relatable. So, if brands were to dabble in new language on socials, it could help them connect with their audience, and feel more human. But hold your horses, this doesn’t mean every new word will fit your brand’s tone of voice or social strategy. What’s key is to understand how your audience speaks and to speak to them in their language.
Not heard of “genny lec”, read more
Robyn Stout, Senior Creative Copywriter, says: “Language on social evolves literally every day. Whether brands want to engage in commenting around the genny lec or not, it’s important to stay tuned into this lingo to connect with your audience.”
First it was YouTube, then Amazon Prime, X, and now… Instagram users, might soon be forced to watch promotional content, as the platform’s testing unskippable ads (dressed up and labelled as ‘ad breaks’).
With an audience forced to watched adverts, it’s clear they will likely not be too chuffed about it. While on the brighter side, there are some perks for brands. Unskippable ads = guaranteed views. It really depends on your execution… too many ads could have users spending less time in-platform. Plus, if your ad doesn’t hit the mark with the audience, it may just turn them off your brand, meaning people-powered content has never been more important.
See the details of the news ads
Anisah Zaker, Paid Social Account Manager says: “As platforms prioritise advertiser investment over user experience, there will likely be some frustration and perhaps a decrease in Reels users. As advertisers, we recommend jumping on this to get guaranteed views, but we must also tap into our experience as viewers – creating engaging content that won’t drive them elsewhere.”
ChatGPT’s having a glow-up and with that comes a whole lot more ease for you. It’s introducing a new-and-improved version of Voice Mode to GPT-4o for paid users, with new voices. Think of Voice Mode as Siri for ChatGPT; it lets people make inputs verbally with spoken, instead of written, responses.
Now that you can have an actual conversation with ChatGPT, the game is changing. Not only is it easier for you to brief AI using your voice, the AI can speak back to you, meaning you can quickly and easily bring your story to life. As seen in the video from Open AI, the GPT will be able to experiment with different character voices, so you no longer have to have an AI voiceover that sounds like robot. Just be careful with relying on it too heavily! AI content may appear less authentic and stop your audience engaging with content if it’s relied on too heavily by your brand.
Watch the new feature in action
Fiona Lam, Production Coordinator, says: “I believe this tool will become a staple in the process of creating brand films, giving brands a major edge in quick and cost-effective content creation.”
“Certainly in our team, this one is marmite, but I actually enjoy listening to the Diary of a CEO. I like to get different perspectives from people about a variety of topics and see how it applies in my world.” – Katie Aldridge, Senior Account Director
“I wouldn’t say what I learn from this helps me on a daily basis, but I do really like the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast and hearing about all the stories with ex-pros and their experiences, both on and off the pitch, during their careers. It really fills out a narrow image you may have had about a player whilst growing up, only seeing them as a footballer on the TV.” – Lucas Powell, Senior Account Manager
“The Property Podcast has my attention – it breaks down the latest property news and investment advice and cuts through misleading headlines. Perfect for anyone considering getting onto the property ladder, or interested in learning about investing.” – Lena Ofosu-Apeasah, Senior Account Manager
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