Welcome to another Spark Social Report by Spark Growth! This week, we look at how Facebook is improving its technology to support those who are visually impaired. YouTube is also running tests to make videos more shoppable. Keep ready for more social media updates!
Facebook has made some updates to AAT, the company’s automatic alternative text technology that helps generate image descriptions for those who are visually impaired. The number of concepts the AAT can understand has been increased by over 10x the original amount. The descriptions will also be more detailed as the technology can now identify activities and landmarks. These updates to the alt image description technology will also be implemented on Instagram.
Next, Facebook is updating the Account Quality dashboard in Business Manager. For Page managers who manage ads, it’ll be easier to keep track of any ads that have been suspended due to rule violations. In the screenshots below, users will see outstanding issues associated with the account. There’s also a separate “resolved” section for issues that have been fixed.
New? Facebook rolling out 'Account Issues' dashboard for businesses
The dashboard summarises any account suspensions, content removals, rule violations etc + actions you can take to resolve issues
h/t @grigg_digital pic.twitter.com/nUe6Jq6RlQ
— Matt Navarra (I quit X. Follow me on Threads) (@MattNavarra) January 20, 2021
Take a look at Pinterest’s Creative Dynamic Certification, which launched with three partners including StitcherAds and RevJet. This advertising option can update ad messaging with different creatives based on parameters set by advertisers. Things that can change on an ad include product images, copy, and prices that will be selected based on the targeted audience.
Snapchat
Snapchat has made a small update to its Spotlight feed, a feature similar to TikTok’s short videos. Users can now see the public view counts of a video located on the bottom left. Since Spotlight is still quite new to the platform, we can expect to see more updates in the future as Snapchat refines its short-video content offering.
Looks like Snapchat Spotlight is adding public view counts to its videos right above the user name. pic.twitter.com/XbZnmUXmoe
— Mike Metzler (@MTZLER) January 14, 2021
While WhatsApp’s upcoming policy changes were scheduled to go live on February 8, the app’s parent company, Facebook, has stated that it will be pushed back to May 15 in light of recent backlash. Facebook notes that this extension will give people more time to review the upcoming changes. WhatsApp will still prompt users to accept the new policy on February 8th, although the actual changes won’t come until May.
YouTube
YouTube will be partnering with a variety of health organizations to provide credible health-related information to viewers. Some of the organizations include the Mayo Clinic, Psych Hub, and the American Public Health Association.
Next, YouTube is currently testing ways to make videos more shoppable. For some content creators, they’ll be able to add certain products to their videos. Users can click the shopping bag icon on the video to see the full product page, videos related to the product, and purchasing options. The test is currently available in the U.S.
TikTok
It looks like every social media platform is getting its own Q&A feature these days! TikTok recently launched its version of a Q&A which lets users ask content creators questions by tapping on a question mark icon on the creator’s profile. Creators can then answer them in video clips. At the moment, only a small group of creators is able to switch the feature on. Users can also see what questions have been asked before, and like specific ones they want the creator to make a video about in the future.
Here’s what TikTok’s Q&A feature looks like when asking a new question
And
What the TikTok creator sees when a new question is asked: pic.twitter.com/8JivUfxsfg
— Matt Navarra (I quit X. Follow me on Threads) (@MattNavarra) January 19, 2021
That’s all for this week! Be sure to check in next Friday for more social media updates!
In the meantime, if all of these new shoppable features on social media are confusing, we can help! We’ve worked with brands and franchises to create a strong social media presence. Click the link below to learn how we achieved an ROI (return on investment) of over 70% for an international franchise.
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