Tech Updates: Instagram’s Unskippable Ads, Pinterest’s AI Tools, and More

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital advertising and social media, platforms are continuously updating their features and policies to enhance user engagement and maximise advertiser benefits.

From Instagram’s new unskippable ads to Pinterest’s AI-powered ad tools, and LinkedIn’s changes to link previews, these updates reflect the dynamic strategies tech companies employ to stay ahead.

Additionally, Google’s structured data update and WhatsApp’s expanded video call capacity highlight the ongoing innovations aimed at improving user experience and business efficiency.

Instagram is testing unskippable video ads in the main feed, featuring a countdown timer. According to TechCrunch, users must watch the entire ad before continuing to scroll. A Meta spokesperson stated, “We’re always testing formats that can drive value for advertisers,” and promised updates if the test leads to product changes.

Test participants expressed frustration with the interruption, highlighting the potential trade-off between increased ad revenue and user experience. This move aligns with Instagram’s shift towards a more Reels-heavy, algorithm-driven feed.

Google has updated its structured data guidelines to support a sitewide return policy within the Organisation structured data. This change simplifies the process by eliminating the need to add redundant return policy information for each product, potentially increasing traffic and sales for online merchants.

The previous method remains unchanged, offering an alternative, more streamlined approach. The new policy will also be reflected in the brand panel shown during brand name searches, providing clearer return policy information to users.

Pinterest is enhancing its advertising platform with new AI-driven tools and measurement partnerships.

These include the “Ad Labs” innovation programme, which tests prototypes like personalised background generation for Product Pins and interactive, shoppable collage ads. Brands like John Lewis, Wayfair, and Bumble are already testing these features, showing promising engagement.

Pinterest is also expanding brand safety measures through partnerships with IAS and DoubleVerify. The AI boost includes the Pinterest Performance+ programme, which optimises campaigns for better cost efficiency, showing a 10%+ improvement in cost per acquisition and reducing setup time by 50%.

LinkedIn has reduced the size of link preview images for organic posts, while maintaining larger previews for sponsored content. This change encourages more native posting and may drive users and brands to pay for sponsored posts to retain larger link previews.

Part of LinkedIn’s “feed simplification” update, this alteration aims to boost the visibility of sponsored content by offering larger preview images, ranging from 360 x 640 pixels to 2430 x 4320 pixels.

Harvard University researchers conducted nearly 9,000 tests involving over 24,000 headlines and found that simpler language in headlines lead to higher engagement. Key findings include: Headlines with simple, common words outperform others.

Plain, straightforward language makes content more accessible.

WhatsApp is enhancing its video call functionality, now allowing up to 32 participants on all platforms. Previously, this limit was only available on mobile, with lower caps on Windows and macOS.

New features include screen sharing with audio and Speaker spotlight, which highlights the active speaker. WhatsApp also introduced the MLow audio codec to improve call reliability and quality, regardless of connection strength.

CONCLUSION

As the digital world advances, these updates from major tech platforms underscore a crucial balance between user satisfaction and advertiser needs. While Instagram’s unskippable ads and LinkedIn’s smaller link previews might challenge user satisfaction, they offer potential revenue boosts for advertisers.

Meanwhile, Pinterest’s AI tools and Google’s structured data improvements streamline processes for better results. WhatsApp’s enhanced video call features further demonstrate the relentless push for superior functionality. Keeping abreast of these changes is vital for users and advertisers alike, as they navigate the shifting terrain of digital interaction and commerce.