Reddit Releases New Usage Insights and Improves Platform Safety
Reddit is showcasing its allegiance to platform safety and content standards by publishing their 2022 Transparency Report. The release is a deep dive into content takedowns and usage expansion on the platform. According to the document, 2022 was the largest post creation year on Reddit, with the majority of content in private messages, while comments were the second highest. With more communication on the platform, monitors are being hired at Reddit to audit inappropriate and CSAM content as the platform continues to combat misconduct.
AdParlor POV:
User growth and published content on Reddit continues to expand year over year, and more advertisers are utilizing the platform to reach relevant groups of consumers. Security transparency and policies are a major consideration for brands when looking at where to invest their advertising dollars. Reddit will need to continue to provide safety guardrails in order to improve brand and user trust, as well as make the space a safe and positive environment. From an advertising perspective, Reddit is a unique medium for brands to insert themselves into relevant conversations and the continued investment in positive user experience signals potential long-term marketing opportunities.
Meta Enhances Reels With Messenger Ad Options to Encourage B2C Communication
Meta is seeing increased engagement with short-form video on its platforms. At the same time, users are interacting with branded content through instant messaging and are less likely to share publicly in-feed. As a result of these consumer shifts, Meta is adding a “Send Message” call to action button for Reels as an option for consumers to start a conversation with brands. The “Send Message” CTA can be used under any objective and the video is placed in front of individuals who are more opt to engage in conversation on Messenger, WhatsApp, or Instagram.
Adding the new CTA feature to Reels is giving brands more of an opportunity to interact with customers and giving customers an opportunity to connect with the brand. Meanwhile, Meta is pivoting away from In-Stream Reserve video due to the increased usage of short-form video. Although no end date has been given, this ad placement will no longer be available in the future.
AdParlor POV:
Meta continues to add new Reels marketing features. The addition of the “Send Message” call-to-action button opens up a conversation window to talk to brands privately and provides the opportunity to build more brand trust, loyalty, and credibility. It is worth considering if your brand has the bandwidth to respond to direct messages and respond in a way that is true to your brand’s standards. Direct messaging is a larger lift for brands, and may require building out automated responses or having individuals assigned to respond. However, this is a great opportunity to interact with current or potential customers.
Successful Video Tips for LinkedIn Highlighted in New Study
On LinkedIn, video sees the highest engagement rates out of all the ad units available. VidMob recently funded a study analyzing over 16,000 video ads that ran in LinkedIn, which resulted in over 804 million total impressions in-stream. The study culminated in video best practices and recommendations that drive strong performance on LinkedIn.
A few key points that stood out in the study:
– Showing someone the first quarter of a video clip resulted in 175% increase in view-through rates.
– Videos between 7-15 seconds drove higher engagement and CTR than longer videos. – Videos with text overlay saw a 72% increase in CTR
AdParlor POV:
The study completed by VidMob included a large sample and produced strong data on how video performs on LinkedIn. Factors that all brands should leverage within video is to include your message, logo/brand name, and a CTA at the beginning of your video. This helps build brand recall and influences a desired action for the user. As shown in the study, statistics in videos helps drive engagement and align with how users leverage the platform – for knowledge-sharing, education, etc. Individuals on LinkedIn are in a business mindset and usually come to the platform for company updates, job applications, and work events. It is important to align creative with the platform’s functions and the audiences expectations.
Owned by TikTok’s Parent Company, Lemon8 Climbs the App Charts
TikTok has been the talk of the town as of late, as lawmakers continue pushing a potential nationwide ban. The platform may have a backup plan already in place, and that’s Lemon8. ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) owns Lemon8, the social media platform that recently climbed the app store charts in late March. The platform is similar to TikTok in that it has a “following” and “for you” page, but the user experience is not similar. The platform allows 60 second video or less with the majority of creators using Canva-like graphic overlays on top of their posts and these posts can link to storefronts. The look of Lemon8 is similar to
Pinterest and Instagram, with aesthetically pleasing content focused on topics like nail art, clothing, cooking, self-care or workout routines. TikTok has seen an increased amount of influencers and creators posting positive, organic content about Lemon8. TechCrunch is speculating that TikTok is pushing influencers to promote Lemon8 and grow app downloads, in preparation for a potential TikTok ban in the United States. It is unknown if these influencers or creators were compensated in any way for their endorsements.
AdParlor POV:
We are always looking at new platforms and how we can effectively engage as advertisers. If Lemon8 begins to allow paid media on the app, we believe the ad products and setup will be comparable to TikTok since both are owned by Bytedance but will have creative attributes similar to Instagram and Pinterest. Brands are only able to promote products organically on Lemon8 at this time. The app encourages ‘aesthetically pleasing’ posts linking out to an applicable URL or tagging products within the video or image. Lemon8 would be a great opportunity for a brand looking to expand their organic social media platform variety and be in front of an audience that enjoys artistically curated content.
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