Instagram’s Location Tags, YouTube’s Updated Ad Placements, Meta’s AI Holiday Marketing, And More!

YouTube’s Updated Ad Placements

YouTube has announced updated ad controls for creators beginning in November. It will simplify how ads can be turned on in YouTube studio by removing individual ads controls for pre-roll, post-roll, skippable and non-skippable ads. This means that YouTube will insert relevant ads to match your audience in all new uploads.

Creators will continue to have control over mid-roll ad placements. Most of these features are already automatically enabled, meaning this change will only affect ad formats for creators who have been manually choosing or excluding different ad formats for their videos. 

This update is based on simplifying the processes and creating more effective ads relative to your viewers. It is expected to have minimal impact on engagement, with greater potential to earn more revenue. 

Learn more about YouTube’s ad controls and other exciting developments currently in the works. 

Meta’s AI Holiday Marketing Guide

Meta’s festive guide is available for download. The guide is designed to help you maximise ad performance during the holiday season with insights, ad recommentsions, and resources from Meta. 

Small and medium size businesses can utilise this guide to achieve greater brand discovery and  sales. There are a number of AI tools and best practices to carry your ad campaigns through the season. Expect to learn tips, maximise ad results with A/B testing, learn about effective strategies, and maintain momentum going into 2024.

TikTok Search Ads

The TikTok Search Ads Toggle has landed in the US, with testing in other markets coming soon. It is a new feature on TikTok Ads Manager which allows brands to leverage their In-Feed Ad creatives by presenting them in the TikTok search results. This will reach high-intent users who are seeking information relevant to the advertisers’ business.

This feature builds on TikTok becoming a go-to destination for online searches, where people can find all sorts of content relating to their queries. It presents a great opportunity for brands and creators to expand their reach and connect with others. 

The Search Ads are created automatically using existing campaign content and showcased with relevant organic search query results. They are labelled as “Sponsored” content. The toggle will be on automatically, although advertisers can opt out by turning it off at any time.

Instagram Tests Out Location Tags in Notes

Instagram inboxes received a new feature called Notes in December 2022, allowing people to create a short text-based status, prompting their contacts to message them. The app is now testing location tags in Notes, which will link to the Instagram location page for that particular place. This allows users to easily see where someone is and what the place is about. 

Instagram’s Adam Mosseri says “People are using notes to share thoughts, moods, and even places. We want to make it easier to connect over where you’re hanging out, get new inspiration for spots to visit and more. I’m psyched for this because sharing where I am has been one of my favourite things to do with notes.”

Other functionality developments for the Notes features includes audio clips, song highlights, and inbox connection features such as Broadcast Channels. 

This spurs the move towards enhancing interactions via direct messages. The location tag in particular will be great for brands, as users now have more ways to tag and share content about places with their connections. 

The location tag is currently in the testing phase and available to selected Instagram users. 

TikTok Updates for Branded Content Guidelines for Indonesia

TikTok is launching updated branded content requirements in Indonesia for regulatory purposes. It seeks to enhance disclosure for greater accountability, safety, and transparency for any content that promotes a third party brand’s products or services in exchange for an incentive. 

TikTok requires all branded content to be disclosed via the “Paid partnership” label. This update takes that a step further by notifying viewers of suspected branded content which hasn’t been disclosed and taking measures to remove or restrict it.

The requirement updates are starting off in Indonesia in a doubling down of efforts that will then reach other countries. All TikTok creators will need to acknowledge their third party relationships via the proper means for the purposes of being authentic and credible. 

TikTok emphasises that the content disclosure setting will not impact video performance. It is an easy-to-use, readily available in-app feature.