The Social Tea #005
Welcome back to another edition of The Social Tea. Q1 done and dusted. The gradual easing of lockdown. It’s finally starting to feel like spring!
In this week’s newsletter, we’ll be taking a look at the latest platform updates (the world of social has been busy!) and an unlikely brand whose social has us relishing in laughter…
Instagram expands IGTV Ads to the UK
Maybe one of the most exciting placement updates that we’ve seen for a while – Instagram have expanded their initial test of IGTV ads to the UK and Australia. Hooray! The ads will be built for mobile and up to 15 seconds long.
This is not only good news for advertisers but a welcome announcement for creators too, who will receive a portion of the revenue generated from their ads served on their IGTV. This is an important move for Instagram while it attempts to keep up with TikTok, where monetising content is much easier.
LinkedIn releases ‘Creator’ mode
LinkedIn has announced that it will launch a new ‘Creator’ mode. Designed for those who are regularly sharing content with their community, the feature will help professionals grow their following, establish their voice and get discovered more easily.
The platform says that “creator mode is our first step in creating a dedicated experience and toolset for our creator community. We’re ramping creator mode to all members globally and will continue to find new ways to enhance creators’ experiences on LinkedIn”.
TikTok encourages positive behaviour with new ‘Wellness Hub’
TikTok’s latest addition – the Wellness Hub – has arrived. The hub will connect users to tips, tricks and resources to help with physical and mental health, through four categories – ‘Food & Nutrition’, ‘Fitness’, ‘Life Advice’ and ‘Mindfulness’. Another step from TikTok to provide a positive atmosphere for its community.
Instagram follows in TikTok’s footsteps with ‘Remix’ feature for Reels
‘Remix’ will allow users to record a video in response to an existing Reel – sound familiar to TikTok’s ‘duet’ feature? For TikTok, Duet is an integral part of the app, making it feel increasingly social, allowing users to add comedic reactions, responses and even singing duets to existing videos. The feature will be available across all newly uploaded Instagram Reels.
YouTube ‘Shorts’ arrive in the US (and some of the UK)
Following a very successful launch in India (we’re talking 3.5 billion daily views), YouTube have introduced the Shorts Beta to the US. Shorts is a (you guessed it!) short-form video experience for anyone who ‘wants to create short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones’. There have been reports that some users in the UK now have the ability to access Shorts, but we’re yet to hear of an official roll out.
&finally: Claussen Pickles
If you’ve not spent an hour reading the Twitter feed of Claussen Pickles, we urge you to do so right now. Feeling like the potential love child from Innocent and Moon Pie, this is not a brand we expected to cover. But we are. And we love it. They’re even working with influencers…