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TikTok's Collabs Spotted Again; YouTube Rolls Out Thumbnail A/B Testing
Lindsey Gamble
June 14, 2024
Fenty Beauty / TikTok Collaborations
TODAY’S EDITION
TikTok’s iteration of Instagram Collabs has been spotted again
Instagram tests Prompts to spark engagement in the comments
YouTube’s highly anticipated thumbnail A/B test tool is finally rolling out to creators
LinkedIn’s latest updates for Newsletters deliver a revamped reading experience and improved emails and notifications
Pinterest gets experimental with a new innovation program focused on launching creative and ad tools quickly
NEWS, TRENDS, AND INSIGHTS
TikTok
Lindsey Gamble / TikTok Collaboration
TikTok’s Collaboration Feature Appears Available to More High-Profile Creators & Brands
TikTok's Collaboration feature was spotted again after its initial discovery. Similar to Instagram's Collabs, this feature enables multiple accounts to co-author posts that appear across all collaborators' profiles and are shared with their respective followers.
Recently, notable accounts such as Rihanna's Fenty Beauty and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon have utilized this feature to share collaborative videos involving Fenty Beauty sub-brands and Jimmy Fallon, respectively. These joint efforts are distinguished by a special Collab icon. Clicking on this icon reveals a tray listing all collaborators, allowing viewers to follow each one.
Why It Matters: Although TikTok has not officially announced the testing of this feature, it appears available to select high-profile users in certain regions Once widely accessible, look for it to be utilized in a few scenarios:
Creators and brands maximizing the reach of sponsored content.
Brands and retail partners tapping into their collective communities.
Brands like Fenty Beauty using it to distribute content across their primary and secondary accounts.
TikTok Adds Image Search for Similiar Products in TikTok Shop
TikTok has rolled out support for image search for some users in the United States and Southeast Asia. Those with access can take or upload a photo to find similar products in TikTok Shop.
Why It Matters: Image search provides users with an additional way to discover products within TikTok's social commerce experience. By enabling users to use visual components to find what they're looking for, the platform can offer more relevant product suggestions compared to traditional text-based searches.
TikTok’s enhanced search capabilities are already impacting Google's search business. With this new feature, TikTok not only intensifies its competition with Google but also with other platforms like Amazon, Pinterest, and Klarna, which also support image search for shopping.
Meta
Sarah Huguet / Instagram Prompts
Instagram Tests Prompts in Comments
Instagram is testing prompts in comments. When writing a caption for a Feed post or Reel, users can select a Prompt option that appears alongside the Poll option. They can then write a custom prompt. When the post is published, the prompt will appear at the top of the comments with an 'Author Prompt' label. Responses, along with a response count, will also appear here. Prompts can’t be edited after posting.
Why It Matters: With support for prompts, creators, and brands can drive engagement with their audiences by asking open-ended questions and sharing thought-starters.
Prompt-related features, especially the popular Add Yours sticker for Stories, are driving engagement across Instagram. Some creators have been using it as a growth hack, noticing significant increases in their Story views after participating in an Add Yours.
Instagram Expands 'Open to Collaborating'
Instagram has expanded its 'Open to Collaborating' feature to more creators. With this, creators can toggle on an 'Open to Collaborating' option in the Professional Dashboard to discover other creators interested in working together. Creators who have enabled this option will see their status on their profile, in direct messages, and in notifications.
Why It Matters: Collaborations help creators reach new audiences and grow their following. This feature makes it easier for creators to connect with others who are interested in collaboration. An enhanced version of this feature could allow creators to specify the types of collaborations they are interested in.
Threads Displays Full-Size Images From Shared Instagram Posts
Threads now displays full-sized image posts from Instagram directly within posts. When an Instagram post is shared to Threads, the images are displayed in their entirety rather than as small thumbnails with a URL link. The creator's handle appears on the first image. Clicking on any image opens it in fullscreen mode, accompanied by a button that links directly to the original Instagram post.
Why It Matters: Following the addition of a video player for Reels shared to Threads, the platform has extended similar support to photo content. Displaying full images instead of link previews enhances the prominence of shared posts, capturing more attention in the feed. This not only helps creators expand the reach of their Instagram content but also provides a more native experience for reshared content.
YouTube
YouTube / Test & Compare
YouTube Rolls Out Test & Compare Feature to All Creators
YouTube has started rolling out the Test & Compare feature to creators with access to Advanced Features. This tool allows creators to upload up to three video thumbnails for testing with their viewers, selecting the most effective thumbnail based on which generates the highest watch time share.
Why It Matters: Test & Compare has been one of the most eagerly awaited features since its announcement last year. Prominent YouTubers like MrBeast have tested as many as 20 different thumbnails for their videos. Now, creators of all sizes will have the opportunity to optimize their videos' performance using this feature.
Currently, YouTube prioritizes watch time as the primary metric. As the feature evolves, creators can anticipate the ability to select other metrics, such as Click-Through Rates, to determine the most effective thumbnails.
YouTube Experiments with Creator QR Codes
YouTube is currently testing Creator QR Codes. Creators involved in the experiment can generate a QR Code for their channel using the YouTube app, save it to their device, and share with others. This QR Code directs people to their channel, where they can subscribe and view content.
Why It Matters: QR Codes provide creators with a convenient way to promote their channels without needing to manually share channel links. This simplifies the process of directing people to their content, especially in offline settings.
During the pandemic, QR Codes saw widespread adoption, prompting many platforms to integrate them. Instagram, for instance, recently introduced QR Codes for Broadcast Channels.
LinkedIn / Redesigned Experience
LinkedIn Expands Access to Newsletters With Improvements
LinkedIn is expanding Newsletter access, allowing all users to publish one. Alongside this expansion, LinkedIn has announced several updates:
Redesigned Experience: Comments are now displayed on the right side of each edition.
Microsoft Designer: Access to an AI-powered tool for designing newsletter covers.
Subscriber Email & Notifications: Subscribers receive email and in-app notifications whenever a new edition is published. Non-subscribers following the author are prompted to subscribe.
Member & Page Embedding: Allows embedding of member profiles and LinkedIn Pages directly into newsletters.
Why It Matters: LinkedIn now hosts over 187,000 newsletters and is seeing a 59% increase in the number of newsletters published and a 47% increase in engagement.
These latest updates help creators better reach new and existing audiences, foster dialogue among readers on topics covered in editions, and provide creators with more ways to visually enhance their newsletters.
Despite LinkedIn still lacking features like access to subscriber emails and robust analytics, its newsletter product offers advantages over dedicated newsletter platforms. These include reaching a different audience, reducing barriers to consumption, and offering multiple engagement opportunities. These are some of the reasons why I distribute my newsletter via both beehiiv and LinkedIn.
Pinterest / Collages for Advertisers
Pinterest Introduces Pinterest Ad Labs for Testing New Creative and Ad Tools
Pinterest has launched Pinterest Ad Labs, an innovation program enabling brands to test prototypes of new creative and ad tools. Currently, Pinterest is testing the following features:
Personalized Background Generation: Using its AI model, Pinterest will generate lifestyle backgrounds tailored to the specific tastes of US users for Product Pins. For instance, instead of a chair on a plain white background, users will see the chair integrated into a personalized backdrop reflecting their home decor aesthetic.
Collages for Advertisers: Pinterest is experimenting with an ad format for Collages, its interactive creative format. Advertisers can tag products within collages and promote them as Showcase or Collection ads, offering users opportunities to explore more about their brand and products.
Why It Matters: Pinterest's introduction of Ad Labs follows a successful Q1, propelled by AI advancements and the rising popularity of Collages. Personalized Background Generation enhances user engagement by customizing posts to individual tastes. Moreover, transforming Collages into an ad format capitalizes on their appeal, especially among Gen Z, enabling brands to engage their audience with interactive and shoppable elements.
WHAT I’M READING & WATCHING
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, had a revealing 90-minute interview with Colin and Samir. He discussed Instagram's approach to video, the significance of "sends per reach" as a key metric, the platform's emphasis on creators over publishers, and the challenges of creator monetization. If you're curious about Instagram's current direction, this will address many of your questions.
BeReal, the app promising an authentic experience, has been acquired by mobile gaming company Voodoo for €500 million (approximately $541 million). New leadership will focus on growth and monetization via ads — something uit had previously avoided. Does this make anyone else think that Facebook acquiring Instagram for $1 billion was an even bigger steal?
Social media platforms have become one of the primary ways for people to get their news. However, how people obtain news differs across key platforms like TikTok, X, Facebook, and Instagram. People often receive news from friends, family, and acquaintances on Facebook and Instagram, while influencers play a significant role on TikTok, and news outlets or journalists on X.
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