🚨Instagram's Best Practices for Creators, Google Lens Shopping Ads, TikTok's New Trending Features, and Meta's Movie Gen AI Tool!

Hello and welcome back to The Digital Dispatch!

We've got some great stories for you this week!

There is a heavy AI theme running through our digital updates this week.

AI is definitely not going anywhere, with many platforms further enhancing their UX with AI functionality and features.

What are your thoughts on AI?

Is it a tool for good, or does it raise concerns over decreasing content authenticity, such as LinkedIn's recent changes to AI collaborative articles that we discussed in last week's edition?

Let us know in the comments!

If you missed last week's edition, read it here!

This week's top stories 👇

Instagram Launches Best Practices for Creators 📝: Discover tailored tips to boost your content strategy within the Professional Dashboard!

Google Lens Adds Shopping Ads 🛍️: Shopping ads will appear alongside visual search results, providing new opportunities for eCommerce sellers.

Meta's Movie Gen AI Tool 🎥: Create engaging videos with AI-generated content and enhance your social media presence with out-of-this-world backgrounds and video enhancements.

New TikTok Feature to Boost Trends 🔍: TikTok introduces trending search topics on profiles, encouraging creators to engage with popular themes.

Instagram Launches ‘Best Practices’ Tips 📷

Instagram has introduced a new "Best Practices" section in its Professional Dashboard, offering creators research-backed tips to boost their content performance.

The advice includes posting consistently, with a recommendation of 10 Reels a month.

While posting more could increase visibility, it's important to balance quantity with creativity and quality.

Simply increasing how frequently you post content won't necessarily lead to increased visibility if the content shared isn't useful or engaging.

It's better to use the 10 Reels a month recommendation as a content goal, rather than a rule.

If you are using your time to focus on quality rather than quantity, this will likely get you better engagement in the long run.

Instagram’s new section will provide personalised insights aligned to each account's performance, helping creators track their progress toward specific content goals.

However, some of the advice, such as "create engaging content," may feel a bit basic.

To complement this, Instagram has added explainer Reels featuring top creators and IG staff to provide further guidance.

This feature is rolling out now for creators on the Professional Dashboard.

Google Lens to Add Shopping Ads by End of 2024 🛒

Google is set to introduce Shopping Ads to its Lens visual search results before the end of the year.

These ads will be displayed above and alongside the search results, making it easier for users to discover products through image-based searches.

Google Lens already processes 20 billion searches per month, with 4 billion related to shopping.

With Google’s extensive Shopping Graph, featuring over 45 billion products, this update gives businesses a new way to connect with customers.

Alongside this, Google is also rolling out a redesigned Lens search results page for iOS and Android in select countries, which will display product information, reviews, price comparisons, and purchasing options.

Why it matters?

This update provides businesses with a valuable opportunity to connect with consumers through visual searches, increasing visibility and driving sales, particularly for eCommerce sellers.

New TikTok Feature: Trending Search Topics Now on Profile Pages! 📈

TikTok is rolling out an exciting new feature that displays trending search topics directly on creators' profile pages.

This addition aims to inspire content creation by inviting users to make videos based on these trending topics.

This update could be pretty useful for businesses using TikTok as part of their marketing strategy 👇

By engaging with trending topics, businesses can boost their visibility and relevance within the app.

Here's a few things to consider:

1. Increased Engagement: Tapping into trending searches can lead to more views and interactions, as users are more likely to engage with content that resonates with current trends.
2. Content Inspiration: For businesses struggling with content ideas, these trending topics provide a ready-made source of inspiration, ensuring that your content remains fresh and timely.
3. Improved Brand Visibility: Videos related to trending topics can appear in searches, giving businesses a chance to reach a wider audience and connect with potential customers.
4. Enhanced Social Proof: By participating in popular trends, brands can showcase their relevance and adaptability, which can improve their overall image and trustworthiness among consumers.

Embracing TikTok's new approach could be key to standing out in a competitive digital landscape!

Meta Previews ‘Movie Gen’ AI Video Creation Tool

Meta has introduced "Movie Gen," its latest AI tool that allows users to generate videos from text prompts or enhance their own clips with AI-generated video and image overlays.

While it’s a creative leap, allowing people to depict themselves in fantasy situations, there is scepticism about its social media value.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta & Facebook CEO, took to Instagram to demonstrate Movie Gen's capabilities, click the image below to watch 'Zuck' leg press as a centurion 🥹

Meta continues to push AI experiences, but the question remains: will users embrace these machine-generated videos over real, personal content?

Small businesses could potentially benefit from Meta’s Movie Gen tool, especially in areas like content creation and marketing.

However, it might be best to use Movie Gen as a complementary tool, mixing AI generated content with real life experiences.

That's All Folks!

We hope you have found these insights useful!

Stay tuned for more tips, trends, and tools to keep you ahead.

See you next week! 👋

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