TikTok reportedly launching new photo app to rival Instagram
TikTok is reportedly taking on Instagram with a new photo app soon to launch called TikTok Notes. The company said it is working on a dedicated space for images and text content. Some users have received notifications stating that their photo posts will be shared to the new app unless they opt out.
Meta trials AI chatbot across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
Meta has begun trials across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger in India and parts of Africa with its AI chatbot, Meta AI. Both markets have high user bases with India being Meta’s largest market globally. Meta AI was unveiled in September 2023 as an AI chatbot with the ability to answer user queries and generate images from text prompts.
YouTube updates: New shopping features for creators & activity feeds for Music
YouTube is launching several new shopping features on its platform to boost creators’ earnings. “Shopping Collections” will help creators better monetise their shoppable videos with features to curate collections of products from their favourite brands. The collections will appear in their product list, Store tab and video description. Creators will be able to make collections through the Studio app on their phone, while a desktop version is slated for later in the year. A new Affiliate Hub is also launching in the app to help creators access information easily about the latest list of shopping partners, commission rates and promo codes. Creators will be able to use the Hub to request samples from brands.
In more YouTube news, YouTube Music has launched a new activity feed which notifies users when their favourite artist has released anything new. The feature has followed out across both Android and iOS.
Instagram adds new features to Reels, Stories and Notes
Instagram has added a new feature to Reels and Stories which allows users to turn any photo or video in their camera roll into a custom sticker. Stickers created from a video will be animated. New features are also being added to Notes to allow users to pose prompts their friends can respond to. Notes will also soon appear on users’ IG profiles for 24 hours.
TikTok releases research on the benefits of multilingual ads for brands
TikTok has released new research, in partnership with NRG, which highlights the importance of multilingual advertising for brands. The research revealed that in the U.S. where there is a large Spanish-speaking population, ads that incorporated both English and Spanish resonated the most. Voiceovers had the greatest impact on metrics like brand perception, connection and consideration when compared to English-only ads.
Snapchat debuts AR ring try-on filter
Snapchat has teamed up with Cartier to celebrate 100 years of the brand’s Trinity ring with an augmented reality (AR) try-on filter. Users will be able to try on the ring and see how it looks on their hand – sparkles and all. The campaign is the latest in a slew of AR try-on experiences Snap has built with brands to give users the opportunity to test out products before purchase such as make up, glasses, nail polish, shoes and handbags.
