Does anyone else feel like February was over in the blink of an eye? One minute we were setting new goals for the year, and now we’re already two months in. Time is flying—and so is the pace of change in digital marketing.
This past month, we’ve seen some game-changing updates across social media and search. YouTube introduced Promoted Shorts, making it easier for creators to boost visibility without complicated ad campaigns. Instagram is testing a grid rearrangement tool, giving brands more control over how their content is displayed… and much more!
Here at Brandlective, we are excited to support our clients with these latest announcements from our favourite marketing channels.
Are you ahead of the curve?
LinkedIn rolls out comment impression count
LinkedIn is stepping up its engagement tracking game by introducing comment impression counts, giving users a clearer picture of how many people have viewed their comments on posts. Previously, users could see likes and replies, but this new metric sheds light on the unseen audience engaging with their thoughts without directly interacting.
For digital marketers, this means a new way to measure brand awareness and thought leadership impact. Comments can now be assessed not just by direct engagement but also by their silent reach, helping marketers refine their content and interaction strategies to maximise visibility.
Measure the success of your LinkedIn newsletters with new analytics
LinkedIn is also expanding its newsletter analytics, rolling out new insights like “email sends” and “email open rates.” These additions will help digital marketers and businesses track how effectively they are reaching their audience through LinkedIn’s newsletter feature. With these updates, LinkedIn continues to position itself as a platform for networking, thought leadership, and brand-building, giving users more tools to refine their engagement strategies.
As LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritises meaningful interactions, these updates could shape how users approach discussions and content creation on the platform.
For marketers leveraging LinkedIn newsletters as a content distribution channel, these new metrics provide deeper insight into audience behavior, allowing for better optimisation of subject lines, sending times, and content formats to drive higher engagement.
Instagram Launches Creator Testimonials in Partnership Ads
Instagram has introduced a new feature allowing creators to add text-only testimonials to partnership ads, making sponsored content feel more authentic and engaging. These testimonials, limited to 125 characters, let creators share short but impactful endorsements about their experience with a brand. Brands can incorporate a single testimonial per ad.
This update is particularly significant given that 40% of Gen Z now prefers searching on social media over traditional search engines for products or brands. With younger audiences placing high value on authenticity, leveraging creator testimonials within ads provides a more organic and trusted form of brand communication.
This feature offers digital marketers a powerful way to integrate influencer marketing directly into ad campaigns, bridging the gap between paid ads and organic recommendations. With Gen Z and millennials increasingly relying on social media for discovery, adding creator testimonials can boost credibility, drive higher engagement, and improve ad conversion rates. This also allows brands to tap into influencer marketing, making it a cost-effective and scalable strategy for increasing ad performance.
YouTube rolls out boosted Shorts
YouTube has just rolled out Promoted Shorts, a new feature allowing creators to pay to boost their short-form videos, making increasing visibility and audience engagement easier. YouTube’s system automatically targets viewers who are most likely to engage with the creator’s channel, eliminating the need for complex ad targeting.
For digital marketers, Promoted Shorts presents a major opportunity to drive organic-looking paid growth in a way that feels more natural to viewers. It also allows marketers to test content performance with minimal effort, optimising engagement without the complexities of an entire advertising campaign. As short-form video continues to dominate social media, this tool could be a game-changer for brands looking to increase awareness, engagement, and conversions.
Facebook to delete LIVE content after 30 days
Facebook is significantly shifting how it handles live video content, introducing a 30-day storage limit for new Live videos. Effective immediately, all new Lives will be automatically deleted after 30 days, while older ones will be removed within 90 days of the announcement. To help users preserve their content, Facebook is rolling out new tools allowing quick downloads or direct transfers to cloud storage. Users have multiple options:
Downloading videos individually
Transferring to a cloud service
Converting clips into Reels for longer-term visibility.
This update underscores the importance of proactive content management. If Live videos are a key part of a brand’s engagement strategy, marketers need to back up valuable content before it disappears. This shift also emphasises the growing focus on short-form, repurposable content, encouraging marketers to adapt their strategies to keep engaging their audience.
Google’s New Metrics Could Help You Improve Website Performance
Google Chrome just released its latest Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX), which gives website owners and SEO pros better insights into how their sites perform. This update includes more detailed data on loading speeds, server delays, and how quickly images and media files appear. With these new metrics, businesses can pinpoint what’s slowing their site down and make adjustments to improve user experience.
A slow website means lost visitors and lower rankings on Google. These new insights help marketers fix site speed issues, optimise images, and improve overall performance, ensuring content loads quickly for all users. Faster websites lead to better SEO rankings, more engagement, and higher conversion rates—which means more leads and sales.
Instagram’s New Tool Lets You Rearrange Your Profile Grid
Instagram is testing a highly anticipated feature that will let users rearrange the order of their posts on their profile grid. This means you’ll soon be able to customise how your content is displayed, rather than being locked into Instagram’s default chronological order. While this feature is still in testing, it’s expected to roll out to all users soon.
Businesses will be able to highlight key posts, organise product showcases, or curate a visually appealing grid without worrying about when something was posted. This means more flexibility for campaigns, promotions, and content strategies, helping brands make a stronger first impression when people visit their profile.
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