Low confidence in tech companies stopping political influence, LinkedIn testing Stories, Facebook bans coronavirus ads, Pinterest launches Lite app globally, Facebook sues for data misuse

This week has brought with it a lot of social media news, including the fact that most Americans don't trust tech companies like Facebook to stop misuse of platforms in the run-up to the US presidential election. In other social media news, LinkedIn has announced that it is currently testing its own version of Stories. Facebook has made the decision to ban adverts on the platform that seek to profit from coronavirus. Pinterest has launched the Lite version of its app globally and Facebook has lodged a new lawsuit for misuse of data. We've got all the details in this week's news roundup:

Lack of trust in tech companies being able to stop political manipulation

Almost three-quarters…

Take a look at what we believe are the key social media marketing trends for 2020 that marketers need to be aware of in order to ensure their marketing strategy is up-to-date and as effective as possible.

Social media has now become synonymous with digital marketing, going hand-in-hand with most – if not all – digital campaigns. However, social media is far from static and what worked a few months ago may not get you the same good results now. Habits change, platforms evolve, and new platforms come into existence. All of this influences how people use and react to social media marketing, as well as how marketers are able to reach their audience.

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It is more important than ever before for marketers to understand and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to social media. Doing so ensures you have the right tools at your disposal, an up-to-date strategy,…

Twitter VP reveals new features for 2020, Pinterest posts positive Q3 results, Facebook reveals Groups data breach, YouTube launches new desktop look

This week's marketing news mostly revolves around social media platform updates. To start with, Twitter's VP of Design and Research has revealed five new features that could be added to the platform in the new year. Pinterest has posted its Q3 results, which show massive growth in active users and revenue, showing that the platform is going from strength to strength. Facebook reveals an issue with data from its Groups, which is likely to lower trust in the platform even more. Finally, YouTube is launching a new look for its homepage for desktop and tablet users, which should improve usability. We've explored all of these stories in detail with this week's roundup.

Twitter VP announces new features for 2020

Usually, we don’t get a…

Pinterest's new shopping features, Twitter's drag and drop function, GDPR issues for Facebook's Like button, Twitter's Q2 growth and Facebook's streaming aspirations.

There have been a few social media updates as platforms release new features and update functionality. Pinterest has launched two new features that put more focus on online shopping rather than social media and making it easier for e-commerce brands to drive sales through the platform. Twitter looks to be testing a new drag and drop feature that will make ordering images within a tweet much easier. The platform has also reported strong Q2 growth. A new ruling could mean that website owners are responsible for the data collected by the Facebook Like button under GDPR rules. Facebook has also reportedly contacted streaming services about making their services available through a new device. Find out more about these stories with our news round up.

Pinterest…

Omnichannel is the preferred marketing method, Facebook sees app usage decline, Instagram testing new Stories notification list, Pinterest launches Mobile Ad Tools and Facebook reaches $5 billion data privacy agreement

Facebook has had a bit of a busy week, with internal research looking at its app's decline going public and the $5 billion US Justice Department fine being confirmed. On top of this, the platform has also agreed to a raft of new data privacy measures with the FTC. In other news, research has revealed that consumers from all generations prefer an omnichannel experience rather than just a traditional or purely digital approach. Instagram is reportedly testing a new type of notification list for Stories, which could be a sign that new features are on the horizon. Pinterest has also launched new features, with its latest ad tools allowing brands to create advertising campaigns on the go via mobile devices for the first time. Read…

Google search results update, LinkedIn's ad tab, Instagram data breach, digital ad complaint increase and Pinterest does Pride Month

This week has seen a few interesting announcements, including the fact that Google is updating how its search results look, impacting the way paid results are showcased. LinkedIn has announced that it is aiming to improve transparency with a new ad tab for company pages while Facebook is investigating a possible Instagram data breach. On top of this, the ASA has released data on advert complaints, showing that complaints about digital ads now outpace those about TV adverts. Finally, Pinterest has revealed some interesting data around Pride Month, as well as some new features to help celebrate it. Find out more about these stories with our latest news roundup.  

Google updates mobile search results

Google is updating the way its search listings look,…

It's time for e-commerce marketers to start taking Pinterest seriously

Pinterest is about far more than collecting aspirational pictures of perfectly decorated rooms, stylized desserts, and faraway locales. With the introduction of buyable pins last year, the platform’s more than 100 million active users now also flock to the site to shop. Compared to other social networks, Pinterest users spend an average of 50 percent more. Many brands are already taking advantage: By the end of 2015, there were more than 60 million buyable pins. In 2016, buyable pins became available on mobile platforms, increasing shoppers’ ability to purchase anywhere at any time. While other social networks struggle to find ways to convince users to make purchases, Pinterest’s visual user interface makes it an ideal showcase for products of all kinds. Research by Shopify found 93 percent of Pinterest users utilize the site to plan purchases, almost like a vision board.

A Pinterest Home Run

Businesses of all…

Progressive e-commerce brands are now rushing to leverage new gen functionality to create a highly visual shopping experience for customers

Image searches may still constitute a fraction of the total search volume on Google. But visual-heavy social media networks are already a "favourite" among avid shoppers. According to Pinterest  – a platform where an estimated 600 million monthly searches are performed through the visual Lens functionality  –  the majority of users come to the platform in a buying-state-of-mind. Some 87% of users said that the platform helped them make a purchase decision, 93% use Pinterest to plan purchases and an average shopper referred from Pinterest spends $50 per order. [si_guide_block id="5750" title="Download our Individual Member Resource – Successful SEO guide" description="Our comprehensive guide to Search Engine Optimisation best practices isn't just for SEOs, the clear explanations mean that it can be used by marketers to…

Amazon's recent data breach, Taco Bell's fun marketing campaign, Facebook funding new journalists, Instagram launching new shopping features and Pinterest creating new shopping tools with key US retailers

The last week has seen some positive changes across social media platforms, aimed at making the shopping journey simpler as more people head to social for purchase inspiration. With Instagram adding yet more new features to help brands make the most of tagged products and Pinterest proving its relevance in the world of online shopping, brands definitely need to start looking at their social media shopping strategy. As well as these updates, this week's news roundup takes a look at Amazon's data breach and Facebook's latest announcement that it will be funding the training of new British journalists. We also explore Taco Bell's latest marketing campaign to announce it's first London location. Find out more about five of the biggest stories from this week:   …

Pinterest is a platform for sharing visual content. So, to expand awareness and reach of your brand, the quality of your visual content is the key to success on Pinterest.

Pinterest is for creative marketers! By making sure your content is imaginative, eye-catching, interesting and useful, you will be able to reach out to expand your audience and keep them interested. In this article, there are some basics of managing integration with other channels and SEO that we will cover at the foundation of expanding reach. A few headline statistics about Pinterest: 70 million users from the US 80 million users outside of the US 81% of Pinterest users are actually Females 40% of New Signups are Men; 60% New Signups are Women. Median age of a Pinterest user is 40, however majority of active pinners are below 40 There are over 75 billion ideas on Pinterest 87% of Pinners have purchased a product…