Reels are Meta's most rapidly growing content type, driving more than 200 billion views per day on Facebook and Instagram. Meta's latest "Reels Performance Playbook" breaks down essential tactics for brands to capitalize on this trend. Covering everything from creative formats to storytelling, the concise guide offers actionable insights for integrating Reels into your marketing strategy.

Meta has announced several new features designed to help advertisers drive performance. The platform now offers personalized machine learning-powered creator recommendations in Instagram's Creator Marketplace designed to reduce the time spent sourcing creators for Partnership Ads. Advertisers can now use multi-destination product ads on Facebook Reels, which allow users to swipe through multiple products at once. Reminder ads on Instagram now support external links, designed to help convert a user's interest into a purchase.

Reposting Reels to Stories can slightly increase reach. Collab Posts perform better when initiated by the account with a larger following. Be mindful of follower preferences to avoid annoying them with repetitive content. While these strategies won't dramatically boost reach, they can refine content tactics.

55% of holiday shoppers reported Meta helped influence their seasonal purchases. Meta's 19-page holiday marketing playbook focuses on Reels ads and advanced AI tools to optimize creation and targeting. The guide covers how to allocate ad budgets, tips on meeting holiday sales demand, and key dates for planning.

Meta has announced new ads updates that primarily focus on retailers and those using its automated Advantage+ campaigns. Advantage+ creative optimizations can now automatically optimize video ads for viewing on Reels and dynamically create ad variations in order to personalize them to each user. The platform also offers new dynamic formats, including Reminder ads on Instagram, improved promo code ads, and ads with product tags.

The social media marketing landscape is evolving as platforms adjust their algorithms. Meta has shifted away from news content, impacting publishers' strategies. Reddit's organic referral traffic has surged sevenfold due to its partnership with Google. LinkedIn is seeing higher engagement through newsletters, while Meta and X penalize link posts, leading publishers to explore new opportunities. Ad budgets are shifting from X to Snapchat and Reddit, with notable increases in spending from small and medium-sized businesses.

Instagram's content team has warned marketers about posting Reels longer than 90 seconds, citing potential negative impacts on distribution within the app. The platform's evolving stance on content length optimization highlights the need for creators to pivot their strategies accordingly to ensure maximum visibility and engagement on Instagram.

Meta's ad algorithm tends to favor static ads. To combine both static images and videos in one Meta ad, start by using an image as your primary format. Customize video-first placements, such as Reels and Stories, by replacing the creative with a 9x16 video. This ensures that static ads will appear in most placements, while video versions will be shown where viewers expect videos. This setup allows you to optimize for both formats without creating multiple ads.

Meta is refocusing Facebook to appeal to young adults by shifting the platform towards recommendations rather than posts from friends. It is focusing on attracting the next generation of social media consumers. The company is using AI to improve recommendations for Reels and the feed.

Instagram is updating its metrics to emphasize "Views" as the primary focus for all content formats, including reels, photos, and stories. Creators are encouraged to prioritize reach over follower count, aligning with changes in user behavior where people rely more on algorithmic recommendations than following profiles. The update includes counting repeat views and highlights "Sends per Reach" as a crucial metric, reflecting how content is shared via DMs.

Instagram is testing out new options to enable creators to get feedback on their draft Reels clips before they post them publicly. It's also experimenting with allowing users to share their Reels with a selection of non-followers before posting. These could be helpful ways to get additional feedback on Reels concepts before sending them out.

Creating engaging social media content is essential for increasing audience interaction and growing your online presence. The key to capturing attention lies in the opening words of your posts, commonly referred to as "hooks." These hooks can significantly influence whether followers stop scrolling to engage with your content or simply pass it by. A well-crafted hook serves as the first impression of your post, enticing readers to delve deeper into your message. For instance, a stylist might start an Instagram Reel with an intriguing statement about a fall trend, immediately piquing curiosity. Similarly, an entrepreneur might share a captivating anecdote about a successful sales meeting, prompting followers to click for more details. The effectiveness of these hooks hinges on their ability to create intrigue and promise valuable content. To write compelling social media hooks, a structured approach can be beneficial. The process begins with selecting a topic that resonates with your audience. Understanding what excites your followers is crucial, which can be achieved by analyzing past posts, observing competitors, or exploring popular discussions in relevant online communities. Once a topic is chosen, the next step is to determine the angle of your hook. This could involve sparking curiosity, promising a story, or leveraging psychological techniques to draw readers in. For example, open loops create suspense by hinting at information that will be revealed later, while the bandwagon effect encourages participation by highlighting trends or popular actions. Storytelling is another powerful technique, as humans are naturally drawn to narratives. A hook that promises an interesting story can captivate an audience, especially if it relates to their experiences or interests. Additionally, social proof can enhance credibility, encouraging readers to engage based on the actions of others. Contrarian statements can also be effective, as they challenge conventional wisdom and provoke thought. However, it’s important to approach these carefully to avoid alienating your audience. Lastly, tapping into the fear of missing out (FOMO) can compel followers to engage, especially when sharing time-sensitive information or valuable insights. After crafting your hook, it’s advisable to write multiple versions to identify the most effective one. Using power words and keeping the hook concise can enhance its impact. Following the hook, the rest of the post should deliver on the promise made, ideally concluding with a clear call to action that guides readers on what to do next. Analyzing the performance of your posts is crucial for continuous improvement. By examining which hooks resonate most with your audience, you can refine your approach and experiment with different styles. This iterative process will help you better understand your audience's preferences and enhance your social media strategy over time. In summary, mastering the art of writing social media hooks involves understanding your audience, selecting engaging topics, and employing various psychological techniques to capture attention. By implementing these strategies, you can create content that not only attracts engagement but also fosters growth in your online community.

Contrary to the belief that modern audiences have shorter attention spans, videos ranging from 13 seconds to over 26 seconds performed well on Instagram and TikTok in 2023. New research from Emplifi shows that Instagram Reels and TikTok videos remain key drivers of brand engagement. While Instagram leads in median video views, TikTok has been closing the gap, indicating that audiences on both platforms are receptive to longer content.

This guide shares tactics to get the most out of your brand film by turning it into a treasure trove of marketing assets. Short video clips, behind-the-scenes content, and impactful quotes can all be extracted and repurposed to maintain audience engagement and maximize your marketing budget. This approach not only enhances your content calendar but also builds early excitement and stronger connections with your audience.

Meta is currently testing the integration of custom AI-generated content into Instagram and Facebook feeds, a move that has raised significant concerns among users and commentators. The initiative aims to introduce more recommended content from accounts that users do not follow, with the added twist that this content will be entirely generated by Meta's AI. This development has sparked a strong reaction, particularly from those who are wary of the implications of AI in social media. The AI-generated images are designed to be tailored to individual interests and may even feature users themselves, creating scenarios where an AI version of a person's face could appear in their feed. This concept has been met with skepticism, as many question the necessity and appropriateness of such content in personal social media spaces. The announcement was made during Meta's annual AR/VR event, where the company also unveiled various enhancements to its AI assistant, Meta AI, including new voice features and improved video dubbing capabilities. As AI technology continues to advance, the distinction between real and AI-generated content is becoming increasingly blurred. While some users have found value in AI tools, the prospect of having feeds cluttered with AI-generated images—especially those that may not resonate with users—raises concerns about the overall user experience. Earlier attempts by Meta to label AI-generated content were met with mixed results, as the labeling system was not foolproof and sometimes misidentified edited images as AI-generated. Privacy issues also loom large, as users currently cannot opt out of having their publicly shared posts used to train AI models. Mark Zuckerberg has suggested that incorporating AI content into social feeds is a natural progression for social media platforms, but many users are skeptical about the value of such content. The sentiment is that the addition of AI-generated posts could further degrade the user experience, which has already been compromised by an influx of ads and irrelevant recommendations. Overall, the introduction of AI-generated content into social media feeds is seen as a potential misstep that could alienate users further, detracting from the original purpose of these platforms as spaces for genuine connection and interaction. The ongoing evolution of social media, particularly with the integration of AI, continues to provoke debate about the future of online engagement and the balance between innovation and user satisfaction.

Social media marketing has evolved to prioritize entertainment over interaction. This was heavily influenced by TikTok's emphasis on public posting and content consumption time. Today's social media algorithms also prioritize entertaining content over divisive or argumentative posts. This shift has led to a decline in engagement and interaction on platforms like FB and IG, despite increased time spent on AI-commended content.

Many marketers are missing out on what Reddit has to offer due to a lack of knowledge of the opportunities it presents. Non-salesy community engagement, market research via social listening scans, gathering customer feedback, and creator partnerships are all great ways for brands to get value from the platform. At minimum, companies should use Reddit to listen to customers and understand their needs, but there is additional value gained from engaging with other users' content or even creating posts.

Key trends from Cannes Lions include embracing RMNs for data and attribution capabilities and scaling audience reach via partnerships on platforms like CTV. Publishers are prioritizing deeper funnel engagements and urging marketers to focus on purchase completion metrics. Sustainability, guided by the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, is prompting the adoption of eco-friendly practices. Cultural convergence, seen in installations like Stagwell's "Sport Beach," suggests leveraging sports fandom for audience engagement.

This article shares how to create interactive content that resonates with audiences on a deeper level than traditional social media posts. From quizzes and polls to user-generated content campaigns and giveaways, these innovative approaches not only boost visibility, but also foster a sense of community and brand loyalty.

Meta is rolling out a new feature that allows advertisers to showcase custom offers, such as ‘20% off' or ‘$10 off', directly on Instagram ad call-to-action buttons. It's currently limited to single-media ads in Instagram Stories and not available to all ad accounts. The feature supports dynamic sourcing of offer details from the ad's website URL, up to 20 offers per ad, and predictive display of the offer most likely to convert.

The typical scroller reshares content when it connects with an interest, a feeling, or a belief. Once a week, pick a piece of content that's going to get you the most new eyeballs by being super sharable. First, pick the connection point that's going to convince your audience to share. Then pick a format to deliver the content through. This could be a statement, quote, meme, or trending topic. Lastly, post, test, track, and repeat. Memes may work well on Threads, but not on LinkedIn. Case study posts may get several story reshares, but nothing as an X thread. The only way to know is to test.

Marketers should reconsider posting campaign assets on Instagram, as overuse often causes significant drops in reach and engagement that take months to recover. They should instead assess Instagram performance before, during, and after a campaign to understand the impact. Prioritizing aesthetics over performance can lead to diminished visibility and less interaction. Thoughtful upper-funnel marketing is important. Social teams should gather data to avoid these issues.

Brands don't view social strategies as cohesive packages as much as they used to — they view them as fragmented videos, memes, and photos.

This interview with marketers from a renowned copywriting agency discusses strategies for crafting compelling social media captions. The interviewees stress the significance of authenticity, clarity, and relatability in engaging audiences and building brand credibility. Brands can create more impactful and memorable content by focusing on genuine communication and avoiding overly sales-oriented or artificial language.

77% of marketers plan to increase trend-based social media content over the next year. 9 in 10 creators find trend-based content outperforms non-trend-based alternatives. Over a third of creators and 18% of consumers say trend-based content drives more conversions. Trend-based content enhances reach, follower numbers, and engagement. Nearly 89% of creators are being approached to create more trend-based content often centered around storytelling trends.

Meta has introduced an AI Studio for Instagram that allows creators to develop AI-driven features and chatbots for enhanced user interaction. This move, which aims to provide innovative and personalized experiences for users, is part of Meta's broader strategy to integrate more AI tools across its platforms.

More than half of Instagram usage is now video-based. Content that encourages sharing among friends drives the most value and engagement on the platform. Instagram is prioritizing short-form videos to foster private interactions and discussions. The app's algorithm now ranks content based on “shares per impression”, making sends a key metric for evaluating post success. Half of all video impressions are viewed with sound off. Meta is prioritizing creators over publishers to shift power towards individuals.

This article showcases how brands can turn a piece of content into numerous assets. Lincoln Literacy transformed a 30-minute interview into multiple unpaid channel engagements, including PR features, newsletters, and radio spots. Freshpaint used a webinar with a healthcare lawyer to produce social media posts, Q&A blogs, and videos. M Float repurposed case studies for every stage of the funnel, while Qase transformed case studies into employee advocacy posts.

When it comes to extending the reach of your coverage, social media is undoubtedly offering diminishing returns. Social media engagement is absolutely not a reliable indication of people engaging in news. This study found that social engagement does not correlate with actual readership, indicating that it cannot be used as the only success metric to assess how a post or article is performing.

The “Plus 20% Content Strategy” advises marketers to improve social media engagement by analyzing content performance and adjusting strategies incrementally. By focusing on content that exceeds the median by 20% and doubling down on its production while cutting underperforming content, marketers can enhance engagement gradually.