March was abuzz with transformative social media updates that are reshaping marketing strategies — from Instagram’s nano-influencer focus to TikTok’s rising seller fees. Other key highlights included Pinterest’s personalized body type filters and LinkedIn experimenting with a TikTok-style video feed.
As a marketer, it’s critical to separate the signal from the noise, prioritizing what truly impacts your brand. Let’s break down the must-know platform updates from this past month.
Instagram: Nano-Influencers and Merged Content Feeds
Instagram was an epicenter of activity as the platform refined its offering for brands and creators. Data from eMarketer revealed Instagram’s nano-influencers (under 10,000 followers) boast the highest engagement rate at a staggering 6.23%. Brands would be wise to foster relationships with these highly-engaged micro-influencers to tap into passionate niche communities.
Instagram also began beta testing “Blend” — a hybrid feed merging Reels with personal shares from friends and DMs, consolidating permanent and ephemeral content into one unified, interest-tailored flow. While Instagram hasn’t revealed all the details, here’s the gist of how it works:
- You invite a friend to join your Blend.
- Instagram’s algorithm analyzes your watch history and the Reels you’ve both shared.
- Based on this data, a private feed is generated, featuring Reels that the algorithm thinks you’ll both enjoy.
- You and your friend can then watch these Reels together virtually, sparking conversations and shared laughs (or tears, depending on the content!).
There are a few potential reasons why Instagram is developing Blend:
- Boost Reels Engagement: By encouraging co-viewing, Instagram aims to increase watch time and engagement for Reels, its competitor to TikTok.
- Enhanced User Experience: Sharing funny videos with friends is a core social media experience. Blend streamlines this process, making discovery more interactive and social.
- Standing Out from the Crowd: With a unique co-viewing feature, Instagram can differentiate itself from other video platforms.
Blend is currently in the internal testing phase, meaning it’s not available to the public yet. There’s no official word on when (or if) it will be rolled out to all users.
Meta’s Shoppable Progression
Parent company Meta continued iterating its ecommerce evolution, with a powerful new targeting option taking center stage. The Engaged Customers audience tool for Advantage+ campaigns identifies followers who’ve engaged with branded content but haven’t purchased — a prime segment for customized retargeting. Meta is introducing this fresh audience segment, enabling brands to delve into data on individuals who’ve interacted but not converted, then craft targeted campaigns to reach this valuable group.
Meta also streamlined its news offerings, discontinuing the Facebook News tab for users in the US and Australia. This move aligns with the platform’s reduced focus on political content, following the tab’s shutdown in the UK, France, and Germany last year. Despite the change, Meta assures users will retain access to news links, and publishers can continue sharing content as before.
TikTok’s Transformations
The TikTok platform continues its evolution, with notable developments across its shopping and business dimensions. According to Gizmodo, only 28% of Americans support banning the app — a testament to its enduring popularity.
The app’s shopping features had previously garnered favor from both sellers and shoppers, leveraging enticing deals that sometimes seemed too good to be true. However, TikTok is now adjusting its, with seller fees rising from 2% to 6% of each order’s price, effective immediately. These fees are slated to further escalate to 8% by July, potentially leading to higher prices for consumers.
Beyond the seller fee hike, other TikTok news includes former U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin’s reported interest in acquiring the platform. And in a sign of its continued dominance, Forbes has once again declared TikTok the top earning platform worldwide, outpacing giants like Disney, YouTube, and even dating apps Tinder and Bumble.
Pinterest’s Personalization and Cultural Curation
Pinterest doubled down on inclusive, personalized discovery — rolling out AI-powered body type ranges for filtering women’s fashion and wedding dress search results. Users who opted into the tool saw 66% higher engagement rates with the more representative, relevant results.
The platform also stayed on-trend for festival season, partnering with celebrity stylists Chloe and Chenelle on shoppable “Board Drops” showcasing curated aesthetics like “Lana Del Rey Core” for the style set.
Pinterest further demonstrated its knack for cultural curation with its on-point 2024 Wedding Report — an insights-packed forecast of rising trends like “quiet life” minimalist celebrations, vintage vibes, vibrant ceremony themes, and more.
Beyond trend reports, other key Pinterest moves included a renewed affiliate marketing focus, expanding hair typing and skin tone range filters, and the platform’s signature flood of fest-frocked microtrend predictions.
LinkedIn Leans into Video
The professional social network is embracing evolving content formats, experimenting with its own version of a TikTok-style video feed. Though not yet rolled out to all users, a select group involved in LinkedIn’s trial can access this new video tab on the navigation bar. Clicking through leads to a feed akin to TikTok, where users can watch videos and engage by liking, commenting, and sharing. There’s also an option to expand and view full captions for each post.
This foray into short-form video underscores LinkedIn’s efforts to stay ahead of shifting user preferences and platform trends. By providing a more immersive, interactive viewing experience, the platform aims to foster deeper connections and community engagement among its user base.
Although the platforms race to innovate, from TikTok’s seller fee hikes to LinkedIn’s video feed experiments, the fundamentals of marketing success will always endure. Great creative that resonates deeply will always outshine short-term hacks. Stay nimble, focus on quality, and cultivate authentic community connections.
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