Happy First Friday of May! It’s no First Monday, but our Weekly Download is just as stylish.
In this week’s digital roundup, TikTok goes live and puts a spotlight on mental health this month, Instagram expands testing of longer Reels, Meta offers small businesses free access to data, and Twitter gives app advertisers a new ad placement option. Plus, some Friday Fun!
TikTok Announces Live Events and Supports for Mental Health Awareness Month
Social media companies including TikTok have been in the news (again) for their detrimental effect on the mental health of people, especially teenage girls, using their platforms.
With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, TikTok is hosting multiple live streaming events and in-app activations with the hashtags #SelfCare and #LetsTalkMentalHealth to help users find assistance and support.
The platform has partnered with the Born This Way Foundation, Crisis Text Line, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the National Eating Disorders Association. It will also have its own guides, such as its Well-Being Guide and Eating Disorders page, to help people struggling with body image and eating concerns.
Instagram Expands Testing of 90-Second Reels
Instagram has leaned into Reels after sunsetting IGTV last October. In fact, influencers who create Reels have been promoted more than those who focus on Stories and their feed. The original Reels were 60 seconds long, but the platform has been live-testing adding an extra 30 seconds since February.
It’s pretty easy to see why Meta, Instagram’s parent company, is focusing on Reels, as a direct result of TikTok’s popularity. In the company’s most recent earnings call, Meta reported that Reels make up more than 20% of people’s time on Instagram.
When asked if this feature would be rolled out to all users, the company said there were not yet plans to implement the change.
Meta Offers Small Businesses Help in Accessing First-Party Customer Data
The pandemic pushed small businesses to adapt rapidly to digital sales, and that meant needing to track their customers. Then Apple’s iOS 14.5 required apps to request permission from users to use third-party cookies.
Understandably, users generally don’t give businesses permission beyond the barest cookies. Crumbs, if you will. This has made it harder for businesses to accurately target customers.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is offering better access to first-party data. It announced on May 4 that it’s launching a suite of tools via the Meta Business Suite platform, with the goal of helping small businesses better reach and convert new and existing customers on Facebook and Instagram. These tools are available for free.
The tools will also work with companies’ CRM platforms, so users can download the information without needing to log into their social media platforms to access the data.
Twitter Gives Tweet Replies Ad Placement to App Advertisers
App creators, rejoice! Twitter will have its Tweet replies ad placement option available for all app install campaigns after months of testing. It will be available on both Android and iOS.
What does this mean? Replies drive conversation, higher engagement, and potentially a better chance of targeting customers who will download the app. This is supported by the results of the testing phase, which began last October.
It also drives increased revenue for Twitter, as more app creators will be motivated to advertise on the platform.
Friday Fun
This will make you smile:
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Have a great weekend!
