Digital marketing roundup – December 2023
To ensure you never miss a beat, we’ve gathered the latest updates, feature releases and algorithm changes from the major platforms.
New ad tool launched by TikTok
TikTok has launched an AI-powered ‘Creative Assistant’ tool within its ad tools
This new tool will guide marketers through various aspects of the campaign creation process, linking them to relevant examples and tools and even producing sample ad scripts.
Meta is broadening Broadcast Channels
[image credit to Meta]
After seeing success with its Broadcast Channels on Instagram, Meta is now extending the option to Facebook and Messenger as well, providing more ways for creators to share updates with their audience.
Broadcast Channels on Facebook will be highlighted on creator pages in the app, while creators will also be able to promote their Channel in-feed.
New messaging available for Pages
Check your company page as some are beginning to see an ‘Inbox’ feature show up. To be able to view and reply to messages, you must be a super or content admin.
Messaging is currently only available for certain Pages but will be made available to all Pages soon.
Carousel posts are being removed
LinkedIn will be getting rid of carousel posts, profile views and in-image linking options from December 14th.
This includes the removal of previously posted carousels and the de-activation of in-image links. This does NOT include carousels which have been created by uploading PDFs – this option is still available for now.
More editing options are becoming available
There have been updates to the Reels Composer UI to provide more editing options and more ways to customise creations, such as:
Instagram is also rolling out the ability to preview what your post will look like in your grid!
Image credit to Canva
Canva’s Magic Studio is a new suite of AI-powered design tools that aims to make content creation more accessible to everyone, regardless of previous design experience.
Some of the tools introduced are:
There are also a number of other new tools which use a mix of Canva’s in-house AI, as well as that of partners, such as Google and OpenAI.
Google rolled out its November 2023 core update this month. This is the second major change to its search algorithm in as many months.
What’s new in this update?
Google has shared that this month’s core update involves improvements to a different core system than the one updated last month. However, the main goal of any update, to ensure Google is rewarding sites publishing the most relevant, helpful content, remains the same.
Why have there been so many updates recently?
Google is always looking for ways to improve search and show better results. With the constantly evolving change in user behaviour and the rise of AI, these updates aim to ensure Google displays the most relevant and helpful content it can for its users.
What does this mean for you?
It’s worth paying close attention to your analytics and rankings over the next couple of weeks. Keep in mind that fluctuations are normal during these updates and often settle down once the update is fully rolled out.
What to do if your site is impacted
If you notice fluctuations in your rankings, don’t panic, as it’s likely due to the core update. Google advises that there aren’t specific actions to recover from a negative impact, but it’s important to continue focusing on offering people-focused, high-quality content that delivers a great user experience.
What you should prioritise
You should stay committed to SEO best practices and place your primary focus on creating content that builds trust, credibility and authority in your niche.
If you’ve been affected by a recent update, our digital experts can help identify the issue and create a roadmap to recover.
To aid listeners and make podcasts more accessible to users, Spotify is adding time-synced auto-generated transcripts to its podcasts.
Transcripts are available by scrolling down below the podcast player and tapping into a ‘read along’ section.
This feature also allows listeners to skip around and skim an episode without listening through.
Spotify also announced it was updating the Podcast Show page, allowing you to learn more about a podcast before you listen to the episode in full. Once rolled out, you’ll be able to click the ‘About’ tab to find descriptions, images and episode recommendations from creators.
Plus, you’ll get recommendations for other shows in the ‘More Like This’ tab.
Google is providing businesses with the option to add social media links to their Google Business Profile.
Back in August, Google announced that it would enable selected brands and businesses to add social media profile links, providing another way to drive traffic to relevant pages via Google’s tools.
Now, Google has expanded access, with most organisations (in most regions) now able to add LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter/X to their Google Business profile(s).
Unsure how to add your social media profiles to Google My Business? Here’s how:
By adding your social media profiles, these will then be displayed when your official brand listing shows up in both Google Search and Maps.
For more information on how to edit and remove links and for FAQs, read Google’s update here: https://support.google.com/business/answer/13580646
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