We have already seen major evolution in media platforms in early 2018, and the tech giants are showing no signs of slowing down.
WhatsApp Business will soon be available in Australia, Google has granted users the power to silence annoying ads and Instagram will let you slap a sticker on your Story.
All the updates are built around user experience and personal expression, as we explain.
Silence the Background Noise – Google Allows Users to Mute Reminder Ads for 90 Days
Retargeting is an effective marketing practice, but it can get tiresome seeing the same ads over and over – Google is looking to arrest the trend by introducing a mute feature for reminder ads.
Google’s ad settings have been updated to allow users to mute all advertisements from a certain source. These reminder ads can be muted within websites and applications, and Google is expected to integrate the blocking feature in Gmail, YouTube and Search soon.
The feature will be synced across platforms, and obviously only pertains to advertisements that are deployed using Google ad services.
The move appears to be in response to the rise in popularity of ad-blocking software – in the long term, we can expect the quality of retargeting ads to improve as users wield the power to mute substandard or repetitive content.
WhatsApp Business App Launches in Some Markets
WhatsApp Business is coming to Australia, but the exact date we can expect the customer connection app to launch remains to be seen. The app intends to provide customers with a direct line to businesses and a more personal service.
WhatsApp Business will feature Business Profiles – these provide descriptions, contact information and physical addresses for a listed organisation. The app will also include fast messaging tools that allow for quick replies to FAQs, as well as greeting messages for new users and away messages to alert customers that the business operator is busy.
Another useful feature is messaging statistics – business owners will be able to analyse metrics for messaging patterns, allowing them to alter their business communication as needed.
WhatsApp has an estimated 1.3 billion users, and this business app will likely prove very useful for small business owners looking to succinctly communicate with customers.
The app is presently available for users in the United States, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Italy and Mexico, with other markets expected to quickly follow.
Instagram Adds GIF Stickers for Photos and Videos in ‘Stories’
You can now add more colour and expression to your Stories, thanks to Instagram launching integration for a huge library of GIF stickers. There are thousands of moving stickers to choose from, courtesy of GIPHY.
Animated speech-bubbles, bouncing letters, an array of smileys and even a dabbing snowman are now at your disposal. Users will be able to browse for specific stickers from the extensive library, or else access stickers according to what is trending.
The move appears to be a part of Instagram’s ongoing attempt to supersede Snapchat, following on from the tech giant’s recent integration of live videos in Instagram Direct.
The new stickers are available right now for Android and iOS as part of version 29 of Instagram.
Instagram have also announced that they plan to introduce integration for any size video or image in Instagram Stories. Once videos or images are uploaded, users will be able to pinch the content to share it in its original dimensions – no more cropping out friends to fit the screen.
Any additional room that comes with sharing an original piece of content will be filled with a consistent colour gradient.
Quality Retargeting Ads from Studio Culture
With Google now looking to penalise advertisers deploying repetitive reminders ads, it is vital that your retargeting strategy is up to scratch. Contact Studio Culture to learn more about how we can help your business with results-based retargeting.
To connect with our digital marketing team, give us a call on 1300 200 113 or email hello@studio-culture.com.au.
