Instagram competes with YouTube on long-form video Your favourite time-suck has announced that they’re testing a new ads product: Instagram are finally rolling out ads for IGTV. It’s been speculated that creators have focused their effort for long-form on YouTube because of revenue sharing from ads on the platform, so in an effort to lure them to the ‘Gram, Instagram are meeting YouTube’s model by offering influencers 55% of ad revenue on their videos.
YouTube allow monetization on COVID-19 videos When the world first became aware of coronavirus, YouTube categorized it as a ‘sensitive event’, meaning it couldn’t be magnetized. The policy it fell under is one that exists to protect advertisers, so their ads aren’t popping up in the middle of a video about mass shootings, for example. After much kerfuffle from the creator community, they’ve rolled back the decision, citing that the ban was potentially preventing energy going into helpful, positive content around COVID-19.
It’s interesting to see how platforms are evolving and stretching their content policies. From the sidelines, it’s obvious that this really isn’t a black and white area, but cracking how to make it work is absolutely critical for the health and revenue of major social platforms.
LinkedIn partner with Spotify to soundtrack your career If you’re looking for some aural inspiration, LinkedIn are here to help. They’ve curated playlists to mark the major milestones around careers, and help you get your head into the game in the workplace. I guess Belinda Carlisle was right when she told us that heaven is a place on earth.
Reddit launches prominent new ad unit Reddit continues to be a very big deal. In 2019, they grew their user base by 30% to a whopping 430 million active users monthly (that’s 25% higher than Twitter). They’ve just launched a new ad unit called a ‘Trending Takeover’ that gives you premium real estate on the site for 24 hours.
Buyer beware though, the community will no doubt be resistant to the presence of huge new ad units, and like any ad in a social space, you need to think community-first. How will your ad offer ROI to your audience? If you’re not sure of the answer, it’s not the time to splash out on Reddit media inventory.
Together, at home. A growing amount of musicians are performing live on Instagram.
From Grammy-award winning John Legend to Canadian Juno-award winning musician Lights, artists are turning to Instagram Live to perform a little bit of magic through intimate social-driven concerts. With arenas and stadiums no longer an option, and with people all over the world adjusting to a new normal, a little performance can go a long way. Not only did Lights announce her performance (tomorrow at 6PM PST for anyone interested), she also engaged her followers by asking what they’d like to hear from her, helping her fans to feel a little more connected during the COVID-19 crisis. To us, this is a great example of artists leaning into the Coronavirus situation, providing that bit of light in a time that truly needs it.
You’ve received a COVID-19 update from most of the brands you follow this week. Who got it right? PornHub, honestly one of the best modern brands we know, have offered free premium access to those quarantined in Italy (and now Spain and France), to “help keep you company during these next weeks at home”. They’ve also delivered some stellar data driven storytelling, showing how PornHub traffic has spiked with increased numbers of people at home across the world (expected), and how they’ve seen surges of people searching PornHub itself for terms like ‘coronavirus’ (less expected).
As the virus worsens, there will be continued opportunities for brands to step up and live their people-focused values. I look forward to seeing more brands doing good in their communities.
