43rd Week Roundup: Google Unveils AR Try-On Tools, Twitter Alternative Pebble Shuts Down and More!

In this digital news roundup, we look at Instagram’s experiments that use selfies within DM Notes to boost engagement. Google launched AR tools to help test the color of hair and foundation and also tests sponsored posts within organic results. These constant adjustments reflect Google’s efforts to keep up with user preferences and the latest technological advances.

 

Instagram Explores Selfie Video Clips in DM Notes to Boost Engagement

Instagram is constantly enhancing its features to appeal to its young users, and its most recent experiment is adding selfie videos to its DM Notes. A leading social media marketing company in Mumbai says that this feature is intended to give life to the Notes shelf by making updates more exciting and enjoyable. The popularity of Notes for younger users and their love for video in short form suggests that this feature will greatly enhance interaction with users.

Meta revealed that more than 100 million accounts of teens used Notes within the last 90 days, and teens were making Notes with a frequency that is 10 times more than non-teens. In addition, more than 20 percent of Notes written by teens receive responses, proving the app’s popularity. With the introduction of videos, Instagram hopes to grow its appeal with younger users further and even squeeze Snapchat’s smartphone market share. While the feature is only being tested in a limited manner, Instagram plans to expand its offerings shortly.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-adds-looping-video-clips-notes/697844/

 

Pinterest Unveils Comprehensive Creator Education Hub in 13 Languages

Pinterest has created an extensive platform of education for creators that provides valuable tips on optimizing Pins and monetizing their presence on platforms and much more. The resource, available in 13 languages, includes numerous instructions and notes that will assist creators in harnessing the potential of Pins.

It offers strategies for securing a place on Pinterest’s editorial boards and aligning with trends promoted by the platform. Pinterest also offers the best practices for creating standout Pins and fact sheets about Pinterest’s tools for funding creators and comprehensive education walk-throughs to ensure successful application use.

In its effort to encourage creators and improve the quality of streamed content, Pinterest has rolled out several initiatives, including its Creator Fund, “Creators Rewards” program, as well as the tools to create profiles and discover. The newly launched education platform brings together Pinterest’s creator resources into one central hub, serving not just Pin creators but also providing important insights to marketers. It’s a great source for creators who want to make money through Pins, with an interactive content calendar that includes monthly post suggestions.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/pinterest-launches-information-education-hub-creators/697828/

 

X Introduces Audio Calling Feature, Part of Elon Musk’s Vision for an All-Encompassing App

X has rolled out their audio call feature on the most current iOS version of its application, and video calls are coming soon. Although this feature aligns with Elon Musk’s dream of having an all-in-one system, there are questions about its viability. Audio calls made by the iOS’s CallKit will be similar to normal phone calls; however, the trend towards text-based communications appears to be the dominant method, and millennials are increasingly embracing text messages rather than audio-based calls.

With the increasing demand for DMs to keep in touch, however, the importance of introducing audio and video calls on X still needs to be clarified. The experts from the leading social media marketing company in Mumbai say that the evolution of the app towards becoming an “everything application” aims to integrate a variety of interactions and transactions on the app. However, its popularity and user acceptance remain to be determined, particularly regarding the potential for high-end features.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/xs-audio-calling-option-now-live-some-users/697851/

 

Google Unveils AR Try-On Tools for Hair Color and Foundation, Expanding Virtual Testing Options

Google has stepped up its AR try-on tool by adding features that let users play around with hair color and foundation shades. If you’re looking for hair color certain brands will provide AR trial options that allow users to see how different shades look on them or in models they can relate to. Google constantly improves its technology to offer more precise color rendering. Furthermore, the platform expands its AR trial tools to mobile browsers within the US, with plans to launch AR lipstick and eye makeup test-ons soon.

Google’s AR try-on features appear in paid promotions, such as new AR beauty ads. Additionally, advertisements for shopping can now include trials instead of standard product images. The growth of AR try-on devices offers opportunities to improve customer experiences. It is relevant to the current trend of AR glasses created by companies such as Meta and Apple.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/google-launches-ar-try-on-tools-hair-color-foundation/697834/

 

Instagram Tests ‘Nearby’ Feed for Stories in Response to TikTok’s Local Content Push

Instagram is testing an innovative feature called “Nearby,” which is the “Nearby” feed available for Stories similar to a model used on TikTok’s Chinese variant, Douyin. The feed displays posts from users and businesses located within the vicinity of the user, providing a localized advertising platform for companies. TikTok is exploring similar “Nearby” feeds to increase the local community and commerce opportunities.

In Douyin, this strategy allows the platform to diversify into new advertising options such as catering and services. Instagram’s experiment with its “Nearby” feed is believed to be a smart move to avert TikTok’s upcoming movies in its in-app commerce. A leading social media agency in Mumbai suggests it could prove to be an interesting option, provided Instagram informs users to change their privacy settings to restrict the content’s visibility to their neighbors. Instagram has yet to announce the test publicly.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-tests-new-nearby-feed-stories/697685/

 

Twitter Alternative Pebble to Shut Down Due to Low Usage

Pebble, a Twitter alternative which initially sought to offer a more secure platform for users, is closing its doors next month because of low user engagement. It was founded by former Twitter staff and initially dubbed T2. Pebble emulated the initial Twitter design but focused on user safety and fighting online adversity. Despite its noble goals, the app needed help gaining traction as it reportedly had just 3,000 active daily users, which is far less than the minimum required for an app that is viable for social use.

The closing of Pebble is a sign of the tense market for Twitter alternative platforms and clones while other platforms, such as Threads Bluesky and Mastodon, battle to gain market shares. The rapid growth of Twitter competitors could contribute to the dispersion of old Twitter users, which could affect the number of users on Twitter and its popularity with advertisers. It’s still being determined if Twitter is affected by other platforms’ emergence. Still, the increasing number of users looking for alternatives may reduce the use of Twitter and make it less desirable for advertisers and brands.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/twitter-alternative-pebble-formerly-t2-shutting-down/697677/

 

Instagram Tests Filtered Content Feed for ‘Meta Verified’ Accounts

The experts from the leading social media agency in Mumbai say that Instagram is running a new test that enables certain people to restrict their Main and Reels feeds to view content exclusively from “Meta Verified” accounts. “Meta Verified” feed is an exclusive content stream that combines the paid-for Meta Verified profiles and older verified accounts. This test is an ongoing part of Meta’s testing of paid verification to provide greater visibility to the verified accounts of users who pay for the service.

Although the change could decrease Bot accounts’ visibility, the move has also raised concerns about the benefits of such a feed filtered for regular users since it can essentially be an advertising stream. The test could reveal how it impacts the user’s engagement, and Meta Verified accounts’ visibility, which could influence how paid verification will be viewed soon on Meta Verified.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagrams-testing-new-dedicated-feed-content-meta-verified/697555/

 

YouTube Tests ‘Pause’ Feature Allowing Creators to Halt Future Comments on Videos

YouTube is testing a new feature to moderate comments known as “Pause,” enabling creators to block any future comments for specific videos but retaining the existing comments. This feature offers an alternative to disabling all comments and allowing the comments for review, allowing creators greater control over the debate surrounding their videos.

If “Pause” is enabled, viewers will get the “Comments are stopped” announcement in the comment section; however, previous comments will remain visible. Participants in the experiment will be able to access three categories of control for comments: “On,” “Pause,” and “Off,” as well as additional sub-settings to control moderation for comments. This is a great method of managing interactions, particularly when content draws unwelcome attention or is targeted by a group of people. At first, YouTube is testing this option on several channels.

Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtubes-testing-new-comment-controls-manage-video-interactions/697531/

 

Microsoft Relaunches pubCenter as Google AdSense Alternative for U.S. Publishers

Microsoft is introducing pubCenter as an alternative to Google AdSense in the U.S.-only pilot program. Although it is not a brand new technology, Microsoft is repositioning the 15-year-old program to help small and mid-sized publishers monetize their sites with native and display ads available through Microsoft Advertising Network. Like AdSense, publishers can select different ad formats, include code on their sites and earn money every time an ad is served without fees for signing up, minimum revenue or minimum volume specifications.

A leading SEO company in Mumbai says that Microsoft is promoting increased engagement and higher revenue by highlighting the flexibility of mediation, which allows publishers to utilize Microsoft ads along with Google AdSense, serving Microsoft ads only when they anticipate a price increase. While the program is available for US publishers, those outside the US must be on a waitlist to receive international support.

Read more: https://searchengineland.com/microsoft-relaunches-pubcenter-google-adsense-alternative-433765

 

Google Ads Testing Customizable Overview Dashboard for Advertisers

Google is testing a new overview dashboard within the Google Ads console. This will allow certain advertisers to alter the information they see and view information in a format that is a carousel. This feature gives more flexibility for advertisers, allowing them to choose particular metrics and then easily move across the slide to find relevant information.

In addition, Google is working on separating data based on time directly in the slide overview. This test is designed to give advertisers an improved and more efficient experience on Google’s Google Ads platform. If rolled out to a wider group of users, this customizable dashboard will allow advertisers to analyze and access the most crucial details for their campaigns.

Read more: https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-testing-new-overview-dashboard-for-advertisers-433777

 

Google Introduces ‘About This Image’ and Enhanced SGE AI Answers with Supporting Links”

Google has introduced new features to improve search results and give users more details. Its Search Generative Experience (SGE) is now incorporating AI-generated descriptions of the websites that are generated along with links to sites of high quality that provide information about the website being analyzed. These descriptions are included within the “more about this page” section of the search results and are designed to enhance information literacy.

Furthermore, Google is rolling out the “About This Image” feature, which provides information about images that appear within search result pages. The feature will provide the history of the image as well as the date it first appeared on Google Search and whether other sites previously posted it.

The experts from the leading SEO company in Mumbai say that users can also learn about what websites are using to describe the image, access metadata about the image, and AI-generated enhancements. This “About this Image” feature is accessible to all users who speak English and is used to provide information and context for images that appear in search results.

Read more: https://searchengineland.com/google-rolls-out-about-this-image-and-more-sge-links-433756

 

Google’s 2023 E-A-T Knowledge Graph Update: Impact on Person Entities and Subtitles

Google’s huge 2023 E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness Credibility) Knowledge Graph update, affectionately dubbed the “Killer Whale,” will focus on Person entities and their subtitles in the Knowledge Vault. The update doubles the amount of Person entities. It focuses on E-A-T-friendly subtitles, which aligns with Google’s aim to increase users’ trust and use E-A-T signals more efficiently. In addition, Google is reducing its dependence on Wikipedia and other human-curated resources, indicating a shift to more independent data curation.

This transformative update showcases Google’s commitment to E-A-T principles and is set to impact search results profoundly. Future updates are expected to extend this pattern to Corporation entities, marking the continued decrease in Google’s reliance on Wikipedia and the promotion of organic Knowledge Panels.

Read more: https://searchengineland.com/google-2023-eeat-knowledge-graph-update-433623

 

Google Testing Sponsored Posts Between Organic Search Results

Google is conducting a test in its search results for a search, as reported by Patrick Stox, Ahrefs product advisor. He noticed sponsored posts appearing in positions normally used by search results. The third and fourth organic results. Although Google does not confirm or deny the findings, this experiment raises concerns for SEO experts and users.

If Google expands the scope of this experiment, it may result in more clicks on ads in previously organic areas but could also result in a decrease in the amount of real estate available for organic searches and continue Google’s practice of cutting down on results from organic search. Users who are already unhappy about the quality of Google’s search results could experience additional negative consequences to their experience with Google.

Read more: https://searchengineland.com/google-testing-ads-organic-results-433673

 

Conclusion of the Roundup

In this week’s news roundup, Instagram, YouTube, X, and Google have introduced updates and new experiments. Instagram is aiming to attract youngsters with selfie videos within DM Notes. Google’s AR tools allow users to explore hair colors or foundation hues virtually. Google is also testing sponsored posts within organic results, which could impact the real estate of organic search. These updates reflect the platform’s determination to innovate and change to the changing needs of users. If you like this blog check out our previous blog Enhanced Structured Data Integration: Google’s Syntax Graph Merge.