The Social Media and Digital Marketing News You Need To Know In March
A lot can change in a week and I was recently talking about my alma mater having a chance to move on in this year’s March Madness. Fast forward to today and not only did Mizzou not move on, my entire bracket is busted after Alabama and Houston both lost.
So let’s get right into the social media news you can use to start the week ahead. Today, I’ll talk about how Google plans to use Artificial Intelligence for their products, the latest from the CEO of TikTok’s on Capitol Hill, and why short-form content will continue to be top of mind for agencies and brands.
How Google Plans To Use Artificial Intelligence
Regardless of how you get your news, AI remains front and center. This technology has the potential to be disruptive. The biggest tech companies in the world and start-ups like Go Charlie are looking to leverage artificial intelligence for their businesses. And the same is true for Google, with the company looking to incorporate AI into its product offerings and services. Google has seen the success of companies like ChatGPT, and competitors like Microsoft are weaving AI into all its apps and processes.
According to Google, the company plans to use generative Artificial Intelligence to enhance the following features:
In Gmail, AI can draft, reply, summarize, and prioritize your inbox.
Across Google Docs, AI can help brainstorm, proofread, and amplify your writing abilities. If you want to learn more about how AI can help with your content needs, check out my blog using Go Charlie and other content creation tours.
When using Slides, AI can help populate images, audio and video creation needs.
Like many other companies, Google initially hesitated to dedicate resources to utilizing AI. Whether all part of the plan or if their hand was forced, Google looks to make a move as many users shift toward other tech like Chat-GPT for their online and search needs. Google intends to launch its new AI experience, including Google's Bard in the United States later this month through its trusted tester program. More information on Google's AI plans can be found here:
TikTok's On Capitol Hill
How did I spend part of my Thursday? By watching highlights from TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew as he spent 4.5 hours reassuring American lawmakers that the app is free of Chinese government influence before Congress today.
TikTok, which recently boasted having roughly 150 million American users, heard from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, focusing on the latest regarding the app and the US government's pursuit of a ban.
We highlighted last week that everyone is in a bind here. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration has remained solid on its request: Chinese parent company ByteDance must sell their TikTok holdings or face expulsion.
And tying it back to our work, a complete ban will also have financial repercussions, especially for the influencer economy. According to recent news, TikTok is essential to the $100B influencer economy. The income gained through advertising will surpass $11B by next year, more than Snapchat, Pinterest, and Twitter combined.
Why Short-form Video Content is Here to Stay
While TikTok's future may be in flux, my team all agree on the value of short-form video content. Short-form content is easy to binge, which makes it more likely to be shareable. Let's talk about ways we, as the Motion agency look to leverage short-form video with some great stats from Sprout Social and their Sprout Social Index:
Short-form video was the most engaging type of content in 2022 for 66% of respondents surveyed.
39% of consumers like to see real customer testimonials or reviews.
Consumers find short-form videos to be 2.5x more engaging than long-form videos.
From a platform perspective, Instagram Reels had an average engagement rate that was at least double that of other post types, and YouTube Shorts topped 5 billion monthly active users.
While social media platforms may come and go, short-form video is positioned for the long term. For brands, there is value in investing in this content format is worth it in the long run.
Want more social media and influencer marketing news worth using? You can read more of my writing, covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog.
