Digital Marketing Updates: Let us take a ride to the world of the internet and discover the latest Digital Marketing Updates February. If you missed last month’s digital marketing updates, you could click here to read them. Here is a list of #NewThingsInDigital for January2025.
Table of Contents
1. Threads Provides All Users with Mobile Analytics
Threads has introduced mobile analytics for all users, providing valuable insights into their performance. Users can now access data on top-performing posts, follower growth, and engagement metrics directly from their mobile devices. This feature empowers creators and brands to refine their strategies, optimise content, and enhance audience interaction, making it a crucial tool for effective social media marketing.
2. Bluesky Updates Profiles with a Video Tab
Bluesky has enhanced user profiles by adding a dedicated video tab in its latest update. This feature allows users to easily access and view all videos posted by a profile with just one click, streamlining content discovery. As video continues to dominate social media, this addition positions Bluesky as a competitive platform for creators and brands looking to engage audiences effectively.
3. Google To Test AI Generated Background Images For Your Shopping Ads
Google is set to test a new feature that allows advertisers to utilize AI-generated background images for their shopping ads. This innovative approach aims to enhance the visual appeal and performance of shopping ads by automatically creating custom background imagery that complements the product being advertised.
The AI-powered background generation could save advertisers time and resources compared to manually designing backgrounds, while potentially improving ad engagement and conversion rates.
4. Google Business Profiles Edit Products Feature Gains Product Studio AI
Google has added a new AI-powered feature to its business profiles called Product Studio. This allows business owners to easily create and edit product listings with the help of generative AI technology. Product Studio can automatically generate detailed product descriptions, add relevant images, and optimize listings for search, saving businesses time and effort.
This feature is part of Google’s ongoing efforts to make it easier for local businesses to showcase their products and services directly on Google. The addition of AI-powered tools like Product Studio aims to give small businesses more control over their online presence and product discoverability
5. Google Tests Review Carousels & Blocks For Product Queries
Google is experimenting with new ways to display product reviews on search engine results pages (SERPs). They are testing review carousels and review blocks for product-related queries. The review carousels allow users to easily browse multiple product reviews, while the review blocks highlight key review information directly on the SERP. These features aim to provide more comprehensive product information and help users make more informed purchasing decisions.Β
6. YouTube Announces New Teen Safety Initiative and Uses Text-to-Speech for Shorts
In a move to prioritise teen safety, YouTube has partnered with the JED Foundation to launch a series of mental health videos featuring top creators. This initiative aims to equip young users with the knowledge and tools to understand and manage their well-being. Alongside this, YouTube has expanded its text-to-speech feature for shorts, allowing creators to add narrated text overlays to their vertical videos. This feature provides an engaging way to convey key information to viewers, further enhancing the Shorts experience.
7. Google is experimenting with new age detection methods to safeguard its younger users.
Google is experimenting with new age detection methods to better safeguard its younger users. By implementing more robust age verification systems, Google aims to protect minors from inappropriate content and ensure a safer online experience. This move aligns with growing concerns about digital well-being, especially for vulnerable user groups.
8. WhatsApp Introduces Different Colour Options and Chat Themes
The introduction of different colour options and chat themes allows users to personalise their WhatsApp experience, with a range of vibrant colours and stylish themes to choose from. This move by WhatsApp is a strategic one, catering to the growing demand for customisation and self-expression on messaging platforms
9. Bing Tests Dropping AI Labels From AI Answers
Microsoft’s Bing search engine appears to be testing the removal of labels and interaction features from its AI-powered search answers. This move by Bing could indicate a shift in how AI-generated content is presented to users. Previously, Bing had clearly marked its AI answers with labels, but the latest reports suggest these identifiers are now missing. This change could make it more challenging for users to distinguish between human-curated and AI-generated content on the search engine results page.
10. Google Tests Filters On Latest Posts Carousel
Google is experimenting with new filter options for the latest posts carousel in search results. This feature allows users to easily navigate and view the most recent content from various social platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. The filters give users more control over the type of content they see, making it easier to find the most relevant information.
11. Google Ads Keyword Planner New Auto-Organize Keywords To Ad Groups
Google Ads has introduced a new feature in the Keyword Planner that automatically organises new keywords into ad groups. This can be a valuable time-saver for digital marketers, as manually organising keywords into appropriate ad groups can be a tedious and time-consuming task.
The auto-organise function simplifies the process, allowing advertisers to focus more on strategy and optimisation rather than administrative tasks. This update demonstrates Google’s commitment to improving the user experience and streamlining workflow within the Ads platform.
12. Meta Announces LlamaCon and Connect Conferences for 2025
Meta has announced LlamaCon and Connect Conferences for 2025. Connect will showcase Meta’s latest developments in AR, VR, and wearables, while LlamaCon will focus on Meta’s open-source Llama AI models and tools.
Meta is investing heavily in AI, with plans to dramatically expand its processing capacity and connectivity to power the next generation of AI projects. These conferences will provide a valuable opportunity for developers to learn about and integrate Meta’s AI and extended reality innovations into their own work.
13. Bluesky Adds Reply Controls, Profile Search
Bluesky allows users to control who can reply to their posts, enabling more selective conversations. Additionally, Bluesky has introduced a profile search function, making it easier for users to discover and connect with relevant accounts. These updates align with Bluesky’s focus on user-centric design and provide creators and brands more control over their online presence and engagement.
14. Ad-supported Bing Shopping/E-Commerce Card
Bing has introduced a new feature in its search results, the addition of ads within the shopping and e-commerce cards. These cards typically display product information and listings, but now Bing is incorporating sponsored ads directly into this section. This update provides businesses with an opportunity to gain increased visibility for their products alongside the organic shopping results.
15. Link sources are now displayed in Yahoo Search AI answers.
Yahoo has introduced a new feature that displays link sources alongside their AI-generated search answers. This addition provides users with more transparency and context around the information they are receiving, rather than just presenting a standalone AI response. By linking back to the original sources, Yahoo is empowering users to further research and validate the provided information.
16. Moving menu items and batch price editing are now available in Google Business Profiles.
Google has introduced two new features that make it easier for businesses, especially restaurants, to manage their online presence. The first feature allows for batch price editing of menu items, saving time and effort. The second feature enables businesses to move menu items between different sections, providing more flexibility in how they showcase their offerings.
17. Bulk management of special hours is now possible with Google Business Profiles.Β
One notable change is the ability to bulk manage special hours for your Google Business Profiles. This new functionality allows businesses to easily copy special hours from one location to multiple others, saving time and ensuring consistency across all listings. This is particularly useful for businesses with multiple locations, as it eliminates the need to manually update special hours for each profile individually.Β
18. One billion people listen to podcasts on YouTube each month.Β
One billion people listen to podcasts on YouTube each month, according to a recent report by social media today. This staggering figure highlights YouTube’s growing influence as a leading platform for podcast consumption, driven by the rise of celebrity-led podcasts and YouTube’s dedicated audio features. This presents significant opportunities for digital marketers to reach a vast, engaged podcast audience on the world’s largest video platform.
19. Instagram Might Be Planning a Different Reels App
Instagram is considering launching a standalone app for its short-form video feature, Reels. This could be a move to more directly compete with TikTok by providing a dedicated Reels feed and experience. However, such a decision would be a significant shift away from the core Instagram app.
20. TikTok Releases an Updated Desktop App
TikTok has launched an updated desktop app, aligning the web experience more closely with its mobile platform. The redesign features a full-screen, mobile-like interface, a refreshed “For You” feed, a new Explore tab, and enhanced live-streaming tools, all aimed at providing a more seamless, TikTok-native experience for desktop users. This update enhances cross-device engagement and accessibility for the growing TikTok audience.
21. Meta Gives a Sneak Peek at Upcoming AR Glasses
Meta previewed the next generation of its Aria AR glasses, featuring upgraded sensors, cameras, microphones, and improved battery life. These advanced AR glasses are not yet consumer-ready but are being provided to researchers to explore how AI can enhance the human perspective. The tech advancements in these glasses point to Meta’s continued focus on developing the future of mixed reality experiences.
22. Google Search Results Snippets Tests Page Includes
Google is currently testing a new feature that adds a “page includes” section to search result snippets. This feature aims to provide users with more information about the content on the page, potentially helping them better evaluate the relevance and quality of the search results. While the implementation is still being refined, this update demonstrates Google’s ongoing efforts to enhance the search experience and surface more comprehensive information directly on the search engine results pages.
23. Google Merchant Center AI-Generated Summaries
The introduction of AI-generated product summaries in Google Merchant Center. This feature uses machine learning to automatically generate concise descriptions of products, saving merchants time and effort. These summaries can help improve the visibility and appeal of product listings on Google Shopping.
24. Google Search Testing New Pagination Bar Without Numbers
Google is currently testing a new pagination design for their search results pages, removing the traditional numeric page numbers and replacing them with just a “>” symbol. This change aims to simplify the pagination interface and encourage users to explore more results beyond the first page.
25. Google Hotel Results Tests Book With Official Site Box
Google is currently testing a new box in hotel search results that highlights the ability to book directly on the hotel’s official website. This prominent placement of the direct booking link could make a significant difference for hotel owners looking to drive more direct bookings, as it provides a free and easily accessible booking option for users.