Let’s begin Digital Marketing Updates august with YouTube, the king of videos. YouTube has added a new save option for music found in Shorts, and Meta is expanding its Reels overlay ads to more advertisers. Meanwhile, Threads is testing a reshare feature that properly credits creators. 

Guess what? WhatsApp may soon launch an AI-powered selfie generator tool. Finally, Threads is celebrating its first anniversary by reaching 175 million users. Get ready for all the updates in this post breaking down these trends. Let’s kick in!

1. Meta launches custom A.I. bot creation platform in the US

Meta has launched its new A.I. Studio platform in the U.S., enabling anyone to create A.I. bots built on Meta’s systems.

Meta AI Creation Flow Meta’s new A.I. character creation process offers prompts to help you start or create your own from scratch. The process allows you to build a profile for your character using Meta’s templates or descriptions.

Ask Your A.I. Character Questions: You can interact with your A.I. character within your Instagram DMs.

Custom A.I. Capabilities These custom A.I.s, powered by Meta’s Llama LLM, can advise on various tasks, such as cooking, gaming, and movie tips. Essentially, you can create an A.I. bot tailored to your needs.

A.I. Bots for Creators Meta is also launching a second type of A.I. character, allowing creators to build A.I. bots that act as their extensions. These bots can answer common fan questions, and story replies, saving time and effort. They can also share the creator’s voice tips and links to their other content. Creators can customize their A.I. responses based on their Instagram content, personal facts, and topics to avoid.

2.Threads test new topic discovery elements to drive engagement

Threads is increasing user engagement by providing more topical and trending alternatives while maintaining a cheerful tone and avoiding controversial political messages. These updates capitalise on the platform’s real-time aspect comparable to Twitter.

Threads is launching a new blue label above postings on trending subjects, making it easier for users to navigate and join more extensive conversations. As Threads CEO Adam Mosseri demonstrated, pressing the linked topic leads users to a search results page for that phrase, complete with a “Recent” filter for the most recent modifications.

The “Recent” filter enables users to talk in real-time, resulting in more dynamic interactions. This strategy is supposed to be more effective than Threads’ present Trending Topics listing, which frequently misses important debate areas, notably in the U.S., due to the platform’s aversion to political content.

3. Threads gains momentum as users reach 200m

Threads has already hit 200 million monthly active users, as announced by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on yesterday’s Q2 earnings call and verified today by Threads CEO Adam Mosseri.

Threads reached this milestone in just over a year, which some may downplay because of its ties to Instagram. Regardless of how it was accomplished, the fact that 200 million people use Threads every month is significant.

Even more impressive is Zuckerberg’s growth momentum. According to Meta’s latest data, Threads’ growth rate has increased dramatically in recent weeks.

Threads have been continuously rising, as shown in this figure, but there has been a significant spike in user numbers during the last month. Threads reached 100 million active users in October 2023, 130 million in February this year, 150 million in April, and 175 million early last month.

4. Google adds enhanced product discovery options powered by AI. 

Google is introducing some new AI-powered aspects to Search, leveraging its latest Gemini models to improve Search experience.

Ideally, this will keep more individuals searching on Google rather than transferring their finding behaviours to ChatGPT. The most recent A.I. chatbots pose an existential risk to Google’s main business because as more of them are activated, more discovery occurs elsewhere.

To begin with, Google is integrating Google Lens search into its Chrome browser for desktop, allowing users to run queries based on anything they see on their screens.

That could be a big help for people looking for specific items to buy, providing an easy way to conduct searches based on visual cues. It could also help establish new discovery habits, with the Lens button easily accessible at any time to Chrome users.

5. Google Business Profiles new generate menu from photo

Google Business Profiles has added a new A.I. function that allows you to upload a photo of your menu and have Google produce comprehensive menu items for your business based on that photo. This generative A.I. function is still considered “experimental.”

Claudia Tomina discovered this option and tweeted a snapshot of X, which reads, “Generate a menu from your uploaded photo.” Use A.I. to create a detailed menu from a photo. This is an experimental feature; you can evaluate your menu before publishing.”

According to the Google support page, this A.I. technology can swiftly convert a photo of your menu into a full digital menu with item names, descriptions, and prices. This makes it easy for potential customers to determine what your restaurant offers on Search and Maps. 

Google notes that creating a photo menu is experimental and available only in select regions and languages. You must agree to the Google Generative A.I. Additional Terms of Service to use this feature.

6. New Google Ads format “For Your Consideration”

Google could explore a new search ad called “For Your Consideration.” As shown in the example above, these advertisements provide hotel websites where people can discover lodging in the region. This format could be used for other types of enquiries besides hotels.

Adam Bradley spotted this new ad type when searching for [Chicago Hotels]. He discovered a carousel of hotel possibilities labelled “Sponsored” beneath the “For Your Consideration” portion of Google Search. Bradley shared this screenshot of X.

7. Google Ads launches new PMax reporting updates & A.I. generation tools

Google announced updates to Performance Max reporting and expanded asset generation and image editing tools.

Performance Max Reporting Updates:

• Asset-Level Conversion Reporting: Available globally for better optimization insights.
• YouTube Videos in Placements Report: Now includes individual video URLs for brand suitability and exclusions.
• Third-Party Brand Safety Verification: Available for YouTube and Display inventory.

Asset Generation & Image Editing Expansion:

• Expanded Campaign Types: Now available for App and Display campaigns.
• Enhanced Image Editing: Includes adding, removing, and replacing images and cropping to different aspect ratios.
• Typeface Integration: Allows directly integrating Typeface assets into Google Ads with Performance Max templates.
• Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, noted that the Placement report will now show individual YouTube video URLs for PMax ads.

8. Google Knowledge panels test the “videos from” section

Google is testing a new “Videos From” section in knowledge panels featuring videos from a brand’s social channels. This extension builds on Google’s practice of displaying social posts from brand channels.

Brodie Clark noted this on X: “Google is now testing social media videos appearing in brand knowledge panels. The section is titled ‘Videos From,’ featuring videos from Instagram, TikTok, and more.

9. Google tests site links pill formats on desktop search

Google is now testing pill and bubble formats for site links in desktop search results, similar to recent mobile tests.

Brodie Clark shared examples on X and SERP Alerts, noting, “Google is testing a new format for non-branded desktop site links, featuring bubbles around the links with a blue background on hover. This is similar to the mobile test from June.

10. Meta announces Llama Impact Grants to further AI development

Meta has launched the Llama 3.1 Impact Grants, offering $2 million in funding for innovative projects using their latest AI model, Llama 3.1. Proposals focusing on economic and social impact can receive up to $500,000. The model supports multiple languages and excels in reasoning, multilingual translation, and tool use. Meta will also host global events to provide mentorship and technical guidance, with additional awards of up to $100,000 for attendees. This initiative furthers Meta’s commitment to democratizing AI innovation.

11. Meta in talks to license VR software to India’s Jio

Meta is in talks to license its Horizon VR software to Indian tech giant Jio, potentially increasing its VR footprint in the Indian market. According to The Information, the conversations involve Meta providing Horizon software to power a VR gadget that Jio will develop. This decision is consistent with Meta’s goal of making Horizon OS the leading platform for VR, AR, and mixed reality devices, collectively called XR. However, the talks are ongoing and may not result in a deal.

12. Google Trends rolls out new trending now design

Google Trends has recently rolled out a redesigned “Trending Now” page, offering more filter options and detailed keyword data on a single screen. The update allows users to filter trends by country, time range, active trends, and relevance. It also enables data export to CSV, clipboard, and RSS. The new design displays trends, search volume, start time, and a trend breakdown. 

13. Google business profile listings see a carousel leading to competitors

Google is testing the “see also” carousel for Google Business Profiles. This implies that someone could be looking at your local listing on Google, possibly because they searched for your company name, and Google could be suggesting competitors just beneath your page.

Gagan Ghotra observed this and shared an example on X, stating, “Google is now testing “See also” in Google Business Profiles – showing related profiles.”

14. Google featured snippets with emojis & special characters

It’s unusual to see a Google-highlighted snippet featuring emojis and special Unicode characters, but Nick Churick discovered one shared on X by Patrick Stox. The snippet, which appears for the search [outbound link ratio], extracts information from a Quora article. Google has previously allowed and removed emojis from search results, with Google’s John Mueller recently calling them unprofessional. It begs the issue of whether Google will take action on this particular snippet and similar future occurrences. The discussion around X continues.

15. Google Lens is rolling out speak now to ask about this image

Google is introducing a new Google Lens feature that allows users to record video with their camera while speaking over it. Google Lens matches the video or image with the spoken text to generate search results or an AI Overview. This feature was first reported by Android Police and shared by Mishaal Rahman on X, who also provided a GIF demonstrating it in action.

16. Google tests more videos to the short videos tab instead of loading more videos below

Google is testing a new feature in which, rather than dynamically loading more videos beneath the current results, clicking the “more videos” button takes visitors to the “Short Videos” tab. While it is a minor alteration, it raises concerns about the user experience—why not simply load the other videos underneath the ones you are now watching? This could be part of Google’s continuing testing procedure. Gagan Ghotra noted this test on X, pointing out that Google is experimenting with diverting users to the “Short Videos” tab when they want to see additional videos in search results.

17. Google ads featured options search interface

Google Ads could explore a new search ad type called “featured options.” This style presents ad listings in thin card formats, most frequently for events.

18. Google Search Console is rolling out a new recommendations feature

Google Search Console is introducing a new recommendations feature designed to help improve your site’s performance on Google Search. Based on data from the Search Console, these recommendations offer optimization opportunities and actionable suggestions for enhancing your website’s visibility. Google stated, “We are excited to announce Search Console recommendations, a new feature that provides websites with optimization opportunities and suggests actions to improve their presence on Google Search.

19. Threads officially announces analytics, adds post drafts and scheduling

Meta’s Threads app is gaining momentum, and with its growing popularity, Meta has introduced several new features that align it more closely with other social platforms in terms of analytics, post creation, and more. 

One of the critical updates is the introduction of Threads analytics, which is now available to desktop users. This new feature offers a detailed view of performance metrics, including view counts, interaction insights, overall Like Replies, Repost, and Quote counts, a follower growth chart, and audience demographics. This is a significant enhancement for marketers and creators looking to expand their Threads audience and will also aid in influencer marketing by providing clear audience reach data.  

Additionally, Threads is rolling out post scheduling, allowing users to plan and schedule posts directly within the desktop app, making content planning more seamless. While third-party apps have offered scheduling since June, the native feature simplifies the process.  

Another update includes an expanded post-drafts feature. Initially limited to one draft at a time, Threads now allows users to save up to 100 drafts, which are accessible at any time.  

Threads continue to evolve with these updates, reflecting Meta’s commitment to the app. While it still trails behind X in daily active users, Threads is steadily growing, with 200 million monthly active users, positioning itself for long-term success.

20. Google provides more insight into emerging search trends

Google has improved the “Trending Now” feature in Google Trends, providing more detailed information on quickly growing search phrases. With data suited to particular areas and industries, this upgrade is helpful for optimising SEO tactics and marketing campaigns.

The new format provides more specific information about each trend, such as its duration, total search volume, and other details. Hovering over terms lets users quickly explore trend charts; tapping provides a more thorough explanation with links to related resources.

It’s now simpler to monitor and react to new trends with filters that let you search trends by location and period, from the last four hours to the previous week.

21. X Is not seeing massive usage declines

Following Elon Musk’s recent and contentious remarks regarding race riots in the United Kingdom, there has been much conjecture that X is in decline. While some people think consumers are switching from X to Threads, Musk says this week saw a record-high number of active users on X.

What is the truth, then? Is X gaining traction or losing users due to Musk’s free speech policies?

X’s usage hasn’t, although the outcry has remained relatively high, according to TechCrunch’s outside data.

22. YouTube expands long Ad breaks on CTV

YouTube plans to incorporate longer ad breaks to enable larger uninterrupted video blocks inside its Connected TV experiences.

Because 79% of YouTube viewers prefer video commercials to be clustered together rather than shorter ad slots scattered across a video, YouTube said it had started testing longer ad breaks in CTV late last year.

According to YouTube, the first experiment increased the number of unbroken viewing blocks by 29%. Because of the positive feedback from viewers, the viewing experience is being extended even further, with more advertisements grouped into longer blocks.

23. WhatsApp adds Giphy stickers & expanded sticker options

With the increasing use of WhatsApp, particularly in Western areas, Meta is adding features to the program. The first update to this effect will improve WhatsApp stickers. Giphy’s animated stickers are part of the most recent upgrade, which gives your chats more dynamic material.

Though Giphy’s direct integration allows access to a broader selection of trending and topical stickers, WhatsApp has always offered animated stickers, such as Meta Avatar stickers.

Furthermore, WhatsApp’s custom sticker maker—previously exclusive to iOS users—is now accessible on Android, enabling users to create customised stickers from images. Thanks to this update, users now have greater artistic freedom in their message streams.

24. YouTube expands AI topics in live streams

To increase user interaction, YouTube is exploring new features and growing its library of AI-generated live chat summaries. Users can rapidly catch up on the topic with the AI chat summaries, now available in live streams. A banner at the top of the chat summarises important debate points.

Furthermore, YouTube is introducing a new feature that makes the “Join” button for channel memberships stand out with an animated colour ring anytime content creators use phrases like “join my channel.” Activated by text/audio recognition, this feature is being expanded to additional channels to increase sign-ups.

25. Google search tests mini knowledge panel cards

Google Search is testing smaller knowledge panel cards in the search results. Google displays this smaller card at the top right of the search results instead of the extensive information panel at the top, leaving the primary search results higher at the top left of the page.

26. Apple Business Connect adds showcase enhancements & updates

Showcase improvements are a new feature that Apple Business Connect has incorporated. Apple added additional characters and longer durations to these presentations.

Showcases can now be run for up to a year, and you can share more details with your clients by using the 100-character Showcase descriptions.

You can give your consumers up-to-date information, like promotions or seasonal items, by creating a “Showcase”.

27. Google confirms tests over 10 Shopping Ads in mobile search interface

Google has acknowledged testing about eighteen (about ten) different advertising in the Google Shopping ad box. Google’s advertisements Liaison Ginny Marvin stated, “This is a small experiment exploring different configurations for shopping ads to promote greater discovery.”

Saad AK noticed this test and uploaded a video on X. As you browse through all ten product advertisements, the sponsored label remains attached to the top of the shopping box.

28. Threads adds custom feeds, media tab on profiles

Taking a cue from X, Threads is improving its Twitter-like experience with new features like a “Media” button on profiles and bespoke feeds.

Similar to a feature already on X, users can limit profile posts to view only photographs and videos using the recently added “Media” tab. This facilitates finding particular visual content and providing a brief synopsis of a profile’s main points.

Moreover, Threads is introducing custom feeds, which function similarly to X’s in that users can construct customized streams based on various keywords or interest-specific profiles. Users must manually select the “Recent” sort option each time because Meta favours algorithmic engagement over listed chronologically.

29. Threads is exploring potential ad formats for the app

Meta says Threads won’t get advertisements until it has “a clear path to a billion users.” However, recent events indicate that Meta is getting ready to support Threads monetarily. One such development is the possibility of seeing a preview of sponsored posts.

An app researcher, Alessandro Paluzzi, recently illustrated how Threads’ promoted posts would be identified as advertisements with a “Sponsored” label next to the username. Relevant users will see these posts in the feed, and Threads will eventually be available in Meta Ads Manager as a placement option.

30. Threads launches live test of disappearing posts

After being spotted in June testing, Threads has begun a live test of disappearing updates with selected users. This feature allows posts to vanish after 24 hours, boosting engagement and interaction on the platform.

As app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi demonstrated, users with access to this feature can enable disappearing posts within their post creation tools. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that this option is currently available to a small group of users and is designed to help them feel less constrained by the permanence of their updates.

The idea is to reduce the fear of having social media posts permanently linked to one’s name, which can cause issues, especially when old, insensitive, or controversial content resurfaces during increased media scrutiny. This concern has led to declining public social media activity, with more users turning to private messaging.

Threads chief Adam Mosseri has been exploring ways to address these concerns for some time.

31. Meta activates Threads crossposting from Facebook and Instagram

Users can now share updates concurrently across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads thanks to a new functionality that Meta has provided.

As seen in the photographs, this option is now available in the Facebook and Instagram post composer settings. Cross-posting is now available to all users but must be explicitly enabled in your post settings. It has been tested in a number of ways over the past few months.

Important things to remember:

• Reels can’t be cross-posted.
• It is possible to activate auto-sharing to Threads for every Instagram post.
• Videos cannot be cross-posted from Facebook; only text and link posts can.
• Hashtags are transformed to plain text when cross-posting from Instagram, and captions are changed to text in Threads.

32. Google Search mentioned in the key answers box

Google Search has introduced a new feature called “mentioned in key answers,” highlighting personalities and entities from Google’s knowledge graph mentioned in the search results.

Gagan Ghotra noticed this feature and shared screenshots on X, stating, “Google is now testing ‘Mentioned in key answers’—when a person’s name appears in the featured snippet, it is displayed.” The feature can display multiple names at once.

33. Google testing search snippet hover background colors

Google is testing a new feature that adds a dynamic blue background highlight when you hover your mouse over a search result snippet. The background behind the specific snippet changes from white to blue to emphasize the selection.

34. Google tests rounded outlines around search feature snippets

Google is now testing rounded outlines around certain search result snippet features, including those in the local pack and knowledge panels.

It’s possible this is a variation of the snippet background highlights that were recently tested.

35. New Google Maps design within Google search results

Google tests rounded outlines around specific search result snippet features, such as those in the local pack and knowledge panels. This could be a variation of the snippet background highlights that were tested recently.

36. Google tests verification icons for free search result listings

After testing blue verification icons and labels for ads in Google Search results, Google is experimenting with these icons on free organic search results. They have also tested gold icons, and Microsoft has tested similar verification labels in Bing’s organic listings.

When you hover over the verification icon, a message appears stating:

“This icon is being shown because Google’s signals suggest that this business is what it claims to be. Google cannot guarantee the reliability of this business or its products.”

37. Meta adds labels to business chats in Messenger

Meta is introducing new labels to corporate discussions in Messenger to make its data collecting method more transparent. By distinguishing between professional and personal conversations, these labels will ensure users understand that business discussions are not private and are not automatically shielded from prying eyes. Meta and the company may utilise the information exchanged in these talks for marketing and ad targeting. This upgrade aims to enhance transparency and facilitate users’ comprehension of the distinctions in privacy between personal and corporate conversations on Messenger.

38. Instagram adds new text and sticker options

Instagram is rolling out more creative possibilities, including stickers for images, text animations, and new fonts for Reels and Stories. With these enhancements, users can quickly add text in various styles, animate it, and add effects to their posts to increase engagement. The platform has made it easier for users to incorporate these components, enabling them to improve their material more imaginatively. Furthermore, users may now add stickers to single and carousel posts, increasing the app’s creative potential. Instagram recently increased the limit for carousel posts to 20 frames, providing more room for creativity.

39. Threads expands fediverse sharing with cross-server likes & replies

Likes and responses from users on different servers can now be seen on Threads due to the diverse integration that Threads is extending. With this change, Meta enables any platform that uses the ActivityPub protocol to host and incorporate Threads content as part of their ongoing efforts to improve fediverse sharing.

For instance, if you use fediverse sharing when posting on Threads, your content may also show up on your Mastodon profile—a platform that also makes use of ActivityPub. With this upgrade, postings planned using the Threads API will be spread around the fediverse, and comments left on Mastodon posts will now appear on Threads.

A network of separate creates an open social media ecosystem, federated servers called the fediverse. Because of this decentralised strategy, centralised control is reduced, enabling each server to set its own rules, algorithms, and data policies, fostering a more open and diverse social media ecosystem.

40. Threads adds option to rearrange columns on the desktop

A new feature of Threads lets users change the columns on their desktop display.

Like TweetDeck or Hootsuite, Threads introduced a column display format in May that allows users to watch other streams for keywords, topics, persons, and more in addition to their “Following” and “For You” feeds. Thanks to this configuration, users may remain informed and organized about different aspects of the app.

Users can now easily reorganise the layout to prioritise different themes and trends as desired by simply rearranging these columns. Although this upgrade is a minor redesign, social media managers and other users who depend on the site for real-time monitoring will profit from this much-needed functionality. All Threads users will now be able to utilise the new feature.

41. YouTube expands AI comment summaries to more languages

YouTube is increasing its AI-powered comment topics feature to more languages. This feature, which categorizes video comments for easier sorting, was first introduced last November and extended to Shorts in June. Now, more users can access these organized discussions across different languages.

42. YouTube expands access to courses for creators

YouTube is expanding its courses feature for creators, offering a new potential revenue stream within the app. Initially launched in beta in 2022, the Courses option allows creators to offer free and paid learning programs directly on their channel.

With this feature, creators can create video-based educational content that aligns with their channel’s focus. This helps them engage their audience further while earning additional income from course enrollments. The new update will enable more channels to create and offer courses through YouTube Studio.

According to YouTube, once a playlist is designated as a course, it will display a special badge across various YouTube pages, including Watch, playlist pages, search results, and more. Courses will also appear in a dedicated tab on the creator’s channel page and may be featured on youtube.com/courses for better visibility.

43. Google tests new default favicon designs

Google Search is testing new designs for its default favicons, which appear in search results. When a site doesn’t have a favicon or Google chooses not to display the site’s favicon, these default icons appear.

Currently, you might be familiar with these existing default favicons:

• Google Favicon Default 1
• Google Favicon Default 2

The new designs being tested include an upward arrow and a clip icon:

• Google Favicon Default 3 (Arrow)
• Google Favicon Default 4 (Clip)

Gagan Ghotra spotted this test on X.

Which new design do you prefer?

44. Google local panel maps tests expanding in search results

Google is testing a new user experience for maps in the local panel of Google Search. Instead of redirecting to Google Maps, clicking the map expands it directly within the search results page. This test, spotted by Moto-k on X, also features a new UI showing nearby places and reviews from other sites, although there is a reported bug when writing a review.

45. Google shopping carousel adds a ‘more like this’ button

Google Search has added “more like this” buttons under products in some shopping carousels. When clicked, these buttons dynamically load additional similar products beneath the selected item. Khushal Bherwani on X spotted this feature, noting that Google added these buttons to the fast pick-up or delivery search boxes, showing a “Based on your likes” product carousel when clicked.