The Bulletin August 2023

Already spotted in testing, Meta’s next phase of generative AI features will now include AI chatbots that can communicate in different personas. According to a new report from The Financial Times these AI personas will range from recreations of historical figures to stereotyped characters such as a surfer giving travel advice. As AI seems to be more than a passing craze it makes sense for Meta to jump on the trend, but only time will tell if Meta can walk the fine line between characterisation and appropriation, or if speaking to these personas will soon lose their spark.

This month Pinterest’s Q2 performance updates showed some surprising results. While the platform did add 2 million users, this is its slowest growth rate since the pandemic. But it is still growing. However, the point of concern is that Pinterest seems to have lost touch with its most lucrative markets in the US and Europe, with new users coming from the “rest of the world” category. As the US has previously been their most responsive market, this may be  cause for concern, but with 465 million monthly active users, and a growth in younger users, Pinterest is still a platform where your audience can most likely be found.

For content creators looking to make an impact with Youtube Shorts, the platform has just put together a series of videos explaining the latest trends of note, from singing toilets to chess. Though these trends themselves may not help you make an impact, it is always worth considering each trend in relation to your own purpose. And this series, hosted by creator Jade Beason, is as good a place as any to gain some insight and get started on your own Youtube Shorts.

With the use of AI steadily rising, social networks are jumping on the bandwagon with their own applications of AI, and their own rules around it. The latest comes as TikTok adds rules about AI disclosure. Users will now need to tag AI generated content or risk it being removed from the platform. These steps will hopefully allow the platform to get ahead of AI deep fakes, especially during major newsworthy events where social media platforms play a major role in informing people, or twisting things for people. Hopefully moves like this will allow platforms to stay ahead of the curve.

In a social media world that is adapting to the idea of collaboration more than ever, Instagram is testing a new feature that could change the way we use social media. Meet collaborative posts – the place where multiple users can add photos of videos to another existing post. Unlike simply sharing, this feature would enable post viewers to submit their own addition for consideration, which, when approved, would join the original creators post, a bit like a curated photo album. This potentially brings Instagram back to its roots, when it was about sharing images with family and friends. But whether this is what the people want, or need, only time will tell.

This month X (otherwise known as Twitter) revealed plans to revive its “client council,” to involve major advertising partners in decisions about the platform’s ad policies. This move aims to provide partners with insights into X’s ongoing enhancements under CEO Linda Yaccarino and owner Elon Musk. X’s ad revenue has declined by about 50% since Musk’s acquisition, so it appears this “council” will be an attempt to regain advertisers’ confidence especially in the age of moderation and misinformation policies. With Musk’s unconventional proposals and approach, this council may play a pivotal role in X’s survival, with the ability to highlight discrepancies and push for platform rules that will win back trust.

As usual, TikTok is looking to make their platform easier and more intuitive, now adding a “Search Ads Toggle” in ad campaigns, which will ensure that your brand’s ads are eligible to be displayed when people search related queries in-app. Though search ads have been available for more than a year on the app, now at the switch of a button all in-feed campaigns will be eligible for search ads. This new tool could be a great way to boost TikTok campaign performance, and with TikTok becoming a bigger destination for product discovery, there’s a lot of opportunity to reach a wider, interested audience as they make specific searches.