Snap introduces Custom Stories
Snapchat has introduced a new feature called Custom Stories. You can set up a story that only select friends can add to or view. It’s perfect for weddings, hen parties or millennials taking casual trips to the desert (see video). The new feature means more than one person can now add pictures or video content to the story, making it more like a group chat format.
Brands, say hello to World Lenses
Snapchat has launched a new ad format called World Lenses which allows brands to overlay sponsored 3D graphics onto the real world instead of faces. Warners Bros, Netflix and Dunkin Donuts are already signed up to the new feature and have created custom augmented reality lenses in the US.
Instagram testing Location Stories
Want to know what’s going on right now in Times Square? Leicester Square? Or, most importantly, Finsbury Square? According to TechCrunch, Instagram is testing a new feature called Location Stories which pulls together story posts tagged with a location sticker and shares them in a curated story for that specific spot.
Archive your unliked photos with Instagram’s new feature
For millennials, there’s nothing worse than posting an Insta pic only to find it gets liked by a handful of spam accounts and your gran. Up until now the only way to spare your social shame was to delete the image, but now Instagram is testing a feature that lets you archive the offending photo so you can enjoy it privately.
Instagram has rolled out DR video ads on its Stories feed
Instagram has now started running direct response ads in its Stories feed. The first vertical video format ad from payment provider SumUp appeared Wednesday last week and reports suggest the platform is “experimenting with ads encouraging app installation, sign-ups on websites and other goals that are already part of the main Instagram ad offering”.
Split screen live streaming is coming to Facebook
Facebook has introduced a split screen live streaming feature so you can now share the screen with a friend. This collaborative broadcasting feature means you can stream from two separate locations on one phone at the same time. This feature is available on iOS now with an Android rollout to follow soon.
Facebook’s Personal Fundraiser moves out of beta
US Facebook users can now start using the platform’s Personal Fundraiser feature to raise funding under eight different categories; education, medical, pet medical, crisis relief, personal emergency, funeral or loss, sports, and community. Available to anyone over 18, this feature can be launched in the app and on desktop.
Facebook now lets you watch two videos at once
Facebook’s new watch-and-scroll video format has been rolled out to all desktop users and could be an interesting new source of ad inventory. The feature lets you continue watching organic videos and ads while scrolling through your feed. Once users click on a video it appears adjacent to the feed in a ‘sticky’ player that can be moved around the screen.
20 new MLB games are coming to Facebook Live
Good news sports fans, Facebook will now be streaming 20 Major League Baseball games on Friday nights. Twitter also has a deal with the MLB to show games but from now on will only stream games on Tuesdays. The Facebook games will be free to view for all users living in the US.
Twitter’s DM cards make it easy to slide into a chat with a bot
Twitter has rolled out a Direct Message Card which is aimed at promoting brands’ chatbots. The card can be customised with an image or video and encourages users to start a fun conversation with a bot that isn’t focussed on sales or signups.
Nielsen’s mobile ratings for Twitter are rolled out globally
Fans of digital ad metrics rejoice, Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings will now be used to track Twitter mobile ad campaigns in 23 countries around the world including UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy and many more.
Brands can get their hands on Pinterest’s visual discovery tech
Pinterest is rolling out its visual discovery tools to its advertisers to allow them to optimise their Promoted Pins. Ads using the technology will begin to appear in Related Pins and Instant Ideas. The idea and discovery platform is also introducing auto-play videos in its feed and search results.
Evian opts for snap over TV for its latest babies campaign
Evian’s bouncing babies from its famous ‘Live Young’ campaign are back! The water brand is introducing a supersized digital and out of home campaign that will feature a Snapchat lens and filter. Don’t expect to see them on the big screen though, as the brand will not be promoting the campaign on TV.
