The Latest: New Instagram Features

Here is our take on the most notable stories in Digital and Social Media Marketing from last week.

Last week we saw a lot of buzz around the features that Instagram might be releasing soon to help advertisers and businesses make the most out of their platform, media agencies and brand marketers discuss their biggest concerns with digital advertising, and Facebook’s newest ad type might be their next, big hit.

Instagram Code Reveals 4 Potential New Features, Including Paying to Boost Posts

Adweek | May 25, 2016

Experts have been examining the code behind the newest version of Instagram to gain some insight into what features the photo-based social media platform could be releasing next. Elliott Murray, the head of innovation at Social Chain, said he found evidence
that Instagram will be implementing more analytics on specific posts, the option for users to “boost” posts, and the infrastructure to differentiate between business and personal users.

Our Take

If these features are in fact executed, that would be a huge win for advertisers and businesses as it will pave the way for more Instagram-specific strategies. Companies can gauge which content works and expand their brand’s following with relative ease.
Considering the path that Facebook took when launching their advertising platform, it would be a major surprise if Instagram does not follow through on these features in future updates.

What Concerns Advertisers About Digital Media Buying?

eMarketer | June 1, 2016

In a study conducted by MyersBizNet, media agencies and brand marketers were surveyed on what their biggest concerns are when it comes to digital media planning and buying. Among both groups, click fraud and viewability caused the most concern. Both groups
surveyed also agreed that bot traffic and ad blocking bothered them, but in contrast media agencies were more concerned by the lack of audience data and brand marketers were more concerned with high-frequency exposure. Here is the full chart via eMarketer.com:

Our Take

With the ever-increasing use of ad blocking technology, and with many publishers not fully adopting the IAB’s standard on viewability, this is not a shocking revelation. What is worth noting is that almost half of media agencies are concerned by the
lack audience data. With major publishers like Facebook, Twitter, AOL, and Yahoo integrating audience onboarding technologies into their advertising platforms, this is a concern that should be mostly alleviated in the near-term.

What is audience onboarding? Check out our article on the topic by clicking here.

Facebook Is Using This Data to Pitch Canvas Ads to Mobile-Minded Marketers

Adweek | May 26, 2016

Facebook has reported that users have spent over 100 years (yes, years!) worth of time on their Canvas ads in the last three months, averaging 31 seconds of viewing time with each click. This new ad type has lured both advertisers and users in due
to their user-friendly layout and vast flexibility.

Our Take

Canvas ads could not only be the next big thing for Facebook, but set a standard for digital advertising in general. These ads create an immersive experience that can gather and display information, as well as engage users on an astonishing level.

While the number
of early adopters of this ad type is relatively low, as more and more success stories surface we expect a big shift to this new ad unit. The only downside is that advertisers are literally given a blank canvas to start, so unlike Facebook’s other
strictly structured ads, Canvas ads could lead to “creative overload”.

About LiftEngine

Since 2005, LiftEngine's primary mission has been to help clients better understand and connect with their most responsive prospects and customers, online or offline. Our expertise is behind the marketing campaigns of 400+ clients.

Behind LiftEngine is LiftBase, our proprietary addressable consumer database. Comprised of 250 million US consumers, 140 million US households, and 1,000+ enhanced data elements, LiftBase powers our audience development services and industry-leading products, PortalLink and LaunchPad.

Let's connect today!