37th Week Roundup: Pinterest Ad Tools, Whatsapp Topic-Based Channels, and much more!
At this Tech Roundup, we collect all the latest developments from digital technologies. Ranging from Pinterest’s innovative ad tools and Meta’s ambitious AI intend to WhatsApp expanding topic-based channels and TikTok to improve in-stream shopping capabilities for U.S. businesses; YouTube witnessing a retro gaming content surge; Microsoft unveiled an efficient question-answering model; Snapchat added screen sharing feature while Amazon streamlining product listings via AI are just some examples of developments we uncovered this month! Stay updated for tech’s future developments! Pinterest Unveils Innovative Ad Tools and Engagement Options at Pinterest Presents Event At its recent Pinterest Presents event, this social media platform unveiled an array of innovative advertising tools and creative options, such as expanded Premiere Spotlight units first unveiled in March, which now appear within users’ home feeds for maximum impactful placement within its app. Additionally, Pinterest introduced Showcase and Quiz ads to expand user engagement opportunities. Showcase ads allow for deeper product understanding, while Quiz ads engage them through relevant questions that provide personalized ideas and inform purchase decisions. The experts from the leading social media agency will tell you that direct links are implemented to increase website traffic and integrations with Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Adobe Commerce applications to manage shoppable Pins effectively. Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/pinterest-unveils-new-ad-tools-creative-options-pinterest-presents/693635/ WhatsApp Expands Topic-Based Channels to 150 Regions, Offering Real-Time News and Information WhatsApp recently expanded its WhatsApp Channels feature from Colombia and Singapore to 150 markets globally, giving users access to one-way broadcast services within WhatsApp that allow them to stay up-to-date on topics of interest in real-time as real news or information sources. Channels reside within their tab to maintain privacy; no users see which topics you follow within them; updates remain fresh for 30 days to keep relevance at a premium. WhatsApp also recently unveiled an enhanced Channels directory featuring thousands of organizations, sports teams, artists and thought leaders to follow. As more users transition away from direct messages (D.M.s) towards WhatsApp D.M.s for communication purposes, Channels could become valuable options, allowing Meta to explore further WhatsApp’s business potential and shopping tools – not to mention increasing value while creating potential future opportunities in WhatsApp! As one of the world’s most-used messaging applications, Channels could add significant value while opening doors for further expansion if used wisely by expanding WhatsApp options available within DMs alone! Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/whatsapp-launches-topic-based-channels-more-regions/693626/ Meta’s Threads Introduces New Features for Enhanced Conversation Tracking and Desktop Experience The best social media agency will tell you that Meta is continually adding features and functionalities to Threads, including following specific conversations, an improved post activity display, and quote posts on desktop versions. Users now receive updates regarding specific conversations by tapping a bell icon – providing key conversations a great place for updates! Thanks to this capability, threads have quickly become one of the best sources for breaking news coverage. Threads’ web version enables users to quote other posts, expanding its functionality and user experience. Though Threads continues its journey of evolution, content moderation issues and search functionality restrictions still present challenges in terms of free speech limitations as the app temporarily restricts some keyword search results – sparking concerns over free speech limitations in discussion threads. Regardless of updates and improvements being implemented by Elon Musk’s involvement and controversial statements have contributed greatly to its initial interest, but long-term viability still needs to be discovered. Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/threads-adds-new-desktop-functionality-ability-follow-specific-conversations/693645/ TikTok Expands In-Stream Shopping with TikTok Shops for All U.S. Businesses TikTok has expanded its in-stream shopping initiative in the U.S. by opening up activation of TikTok Shops across all businesses – first launched with select retailers back in February – on their profiles, first introduced as Storefront Shopify connection feature but now supporting native product listings instead. TikTok aims to bring shoppable videos and live streams directly into users’ For You feeds while giving brands, merchants and creators tools for in-app product sales. TikTok has updated its shop process with product showcases, shop ads and secure checkout options, and offering creators access to an affiliate program called Creative Challenge that pays commission on product sales. Furthermore, retailers may utilize TikTok’s “Fulfilled by TikTok” program to streamline order management. However, its success in Western markets remains uncertain relative to China, where in-stream shopping has experienced rapid expansion. Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-launches-in-stream-shops-all-us-retailers-latest-ecommerce-push/693459/ YouTube Reports Surge in Retro Gaming Content: Nostalgia Fuels Resurgence YouTube’s Culture and Trends team recently reported an astounding spike in retro gaming-focused uploads since 2007, over 1000x higher compared to 2007. As nostalgia-inducing games return with renewed appeal, older titles from the 80s and 90s receive particular focus from content creators – even consoles from recent decades are considered part of retro gaming now! This trend gives marketers ample opportunities for themed promotions or tie-ins related to nostalgic gaming moments and AI image generation tools evoking the nostalgia of retro games as an effective strategy depending on their target audience. The experts from the leading social media marketing agency will tell you that Retro gaming content’s revival shows its continued appeal across generations of gamers and highlights classic video games’ ability to capture imaginations across both old and new gaming generations alike. Read more: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-shares-new-stats-growth-retro-gaming-themed-content/693472/ Meta Aims to Challenge OpenAI with Its Own Advanced Generative AI System Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has initiated work on its large language model (LLM) AI system to match OpenAI’s GPT models in terms of computational power and complexity. Their new LLM AI builds upon their existing Llama models as part of an expansion effort designed to accelerate the development of human-like text generation tools for text analysis by augmenting human efforts with machine intelligence. This project marks Mark Zuckerberg as Meta’s CEO, forming an AI development group that will work exclusively on such endeavors earlier this year! Meta stands out in the AI race thanks to its vast data resources and systematic infrastructure and reportedly plans to purchase additional Nvidia H100 chips. While their exact deployment remains unknown, Meta’s AI and LLM tools