Xtracts: December 2023

It’s (finally) December

So what does that mean for digital marketing?

Ret meget, faktisk. De kolde måneder er ofte travle i den digitale branche, og lige op til jul er det lidt som om, at der lige bliver skruet endnu højere op.

A lot, actually. The chilly months are often busy in the digital world, and as we close the gap between now and the holidays, it feels as if the pace is turned up even more.

So, let’s get going. Pinterest is expanding on advertising options, Coca-Cola once again proves that they’ve mastered the art of Christmas marketing – and soon, we might be getting Threads in the EU. Finally.

Grab a Christmas cookie. This is this month’s – and 2023’s final – edition of Xtracts: your digital news overview.

1. Threads reportedly set to launch in EU

In many ways, there’s nothing worse than hearing about something brand new – and then being told that you can’t even try it, even though it’s right there within arm’s reach. For the last couple of months, that’s been the case for most of us after Meta’s launch of Threads didn’t include the EU. However, the wait is over now.

Threads is seemingly launching in the EU on the 14th of December. An untitled countdown on their website at least largely suggests this, as rumors of this launch have been circulating for quite a while now. European users can also find a “ticket” hidden on Instagram, inviting them to Threads (though only showing a varying launch time for now).

Ifølge Wall Street Journal står Threads nemlig til en mulig EU-lancering inden året er omme. For at det kan lade sig gøre, skal Threads jvf. EU’s regler være tilgængeligt uden en bruger – som minimum via en view-only funktion. Det er denne funktion, man mistænker, at Threads er ved at implementere nu.

In order to launch in the EU, Threads has to comply with EU’s laws regarding availability for non-users, something that at least requires a view-only mode. It’s this feature that Threads might have been working to implement.

Source: The Verge

2. Pinterest expands on advertising options

We’re often talking about ads on Meta. Likewise, LinkedIn advertising is also a common topic. So, as the year nears its end, it seems fitting to focus a bit on Pinterest – and fortunately, there’s a good reason to bring them up.

Pinterest has added the option to use direct links in new campaign types. Previously, it’s been the status-quo that ads required two clicks for the user to go from Pinterest to the landing page, but Pinterest is steadily adding ways to reduce this process to a single click with direct links – something that is now also possible in consideration and conversion campaigns.

For dem, der markedsfører sin virksomhed på Pinterest, er det her med alt sandsynlighed en kærkommen tilføjelse. Eftersom mange brugere på platformen leder efter inspiration, kan der også være en del købsklare brugere iblandt – og direkte links kan hjælpe med at skabe hurtigere konvertering der.

For businesses that advertise on Pinterest, this is most likely very happy news. Since many users on the platform are looking for inspiration when browsing, there’s a significant likelihood of users being ready to convert – and direct links can assist in making those conversions happen.

Source: Social Media Today

3. YouTube provides premium users with AI tools

2023 has been the year for a lot of things, including AI and paid subscription models on social media – so why not combine them?

Premium users of YouTube will now have access to two very unique AI tools. The first one is a chatbot integrated into the video player: the chatbot will be able to answer questions about the video’s content, context, etc. In other words, you’ll be able to quickly get a summary of the video, information about the channel itself, recommendations for similar videos, and much more.

The second AI tool will summarize comment sections on videos, allowing you to get a quick overview of what people are commenting in general. Both features are available now for premium users – and most likely, they’ll be publicly available later in the future.

Source: Social Media Today

4. Instagram now gives rewards to content creators 

There’s something about medals and trophies that, despite usually having no real impact on our lives, keep us motivated. We want achievements. It’s true in sports, in the entertainment industry – and now also on social media.

Instagram’s new Achievements feature award creators for a variety of feats, be it post likes, followers, story frequency, or collaborating with other creators. There’s a bunch to collect, and as you may have already predicted, there’s nothing more to it than a digital badge. So why do we care?

Instagram is all about high activity frequency. Posts, stories, reels, bio updates – the more often creators do it, the more they increase their chances of Instagram success. When content creators post often, users increase their app visits. When users are more active on the app, they’ll most likely see more ads – hopefully your ads.

Source: Social Media Today

5. Coca-Cola once again proves to be a Christmas icon

The red color, the iconic truck – not to mention the fact that they are behind the recognizable look that Santa Claus wears to this day. There’s simply no Christmas with Coca-Cola – and that also goes for 2023, it would seem.

Coca-Cola have launched campaigns that, as tradition would have it, are making headlines. The first one, “The World Needs More Santas”, presents a world filled with Santas – and a message about the unending potential in staying generous and friendly. There’s even a quiz that lets you win a trip to Finland (where Santa originates, according to Coca-Cola).

However, it’s with the second campaign that it becomes truly interesting. Coca-Cola pants to expand their “Create Real Magic” platform, allowing you to e.g., create AI-generated Christmas cards. Even the reigning champions of Christmas theming have realized that AI is the key to marketing in 2023.

Source: Marketing Dive