Latest Marketing News, Trends, Buyer Insights & Strategic Intelligence
In this week’s Hospitality Highlights Newsletter
Instagram Rolls Out Improved DM Control Options to Help Users Avoid Unwanted Contact
Meta Launches New AI Tool That Creates Music Using Text Prompts
Meta’s New Chatbots Set to Improve Targeted Ad Capabilities
Snapchat’s Lens Creator Rewards Program Allows AR Creators to Earn Money Each Month
X, Formerly Twitter, Now Lets Paid Users Hide Their Checkmarks
X Warns Companies Could Lose Verification if They Don’t Buy Ads Report
TikTok’s Testing a New Option That Would Enable You to Download Your Clips Without a Watermark
Google Chrome Adds Search Suggestions, Trending Searches on Mobile
Watermarks Are Set To Appear in All AI-Generated Content
Why Digital Leadership is a Non-negotiable for Future Success
Marketing Tip of the Week: How to Boost Organic Reach on Instagram
Hospitality Highlights
Instagram Rolls Out Improved DM Control Options to Help Users Avoid Unwanted Contact
Instagram has launched a new feature to protect users from unwanted images and videos in DMs. Users can only send one message to non-followers until the request is accepted.
DM invites are limited to text only. This feature prevents the receipt of unwanted content and repeated messages. Instagram highlights the benefit for women, who often receive unsolicited nudes. Good news for your social media and customer service teams!
The new DM feature complements existing Instagram restrictions, including the “Hidden Words” setting, “Limits” feature, and “Restrict” setting, which enable users to monitor bullies discreetly.
Meta Launches New AI Tool That Creates Music Using Text Prompts
Meta has launched AudioCraft, an AI tool that generates high-quality audio and music from text prompts. Consisting of three models – MusicGen, AudioGen, and EnCodec – AudioCraft simplifies generative models for audio. MusicGen uses licensed music, while AudioGen utilises public sound effects.
AudioCraft seeks to inspire by providing accessible and versatile tools for composition and creativity, opening up new possibilities for AI-generated audio and music.
Its array of models simplifies the generative process and empowers users to explore innovative soundscapes—exciting news for creative teams and brands who want to create and establish an aural brand identity.
Meta’s New Chatbots Set to Improve Targeted Ad Capabilities
Meta plans to launch a new range of chatbots with distinct personalities to enhance user engagement and provide innovative search functions and recommendations on Instagram and Facebook.
These chatbots will include personas such as an Abraham Lincoln-inspired bot and a surfer bot for travel advice. Chatbots can be invaluable tools for restaurants and hotels to connect with different consumer types in several ways, including personalised recommendations, reservations, menu and room assistance, special offers and promotions, and providing customer service and support.
Implementing AI chatbots can raise privacy concerns, as they will collect additional user data to deliver personalised content and advertisements, so you must ensure your privacy policies are up-to-date and customer expectations are managed.
The launch of AI chatbots is expected to reshape personalised marketing, with businesses increasingly adopting chatbots to ensure uninterrupted customer engagement.
Snapchat’s Lens Creator Rewards Program Allows AR Creators to Earn Money Each Month
Snapchat is introducing the Lens Creator Rewards program, allowing AR creators and developers to earn money from successful lenses. The program will prioritise top performers from 40 eligible countries who can participate.
Creators will receive notifications and emails once they qualify for rewards. The program aims to provide new revenue opportunities for lens creators and inspire more people to create lenses.
Hotels and restaurants can leverage Snapchat’s new Lens Creator Rewards Program to collaborate with AR creators and developers. They can partner with top-performing lens creators to develop unique, engaging AR lenses highlighting their services or offerings. For instance, a restaurant could sponsor a lens that virtually presents its signature dish, while a hotel could develop a lens showcasing its rooms or amenities.
The lenses can be used in Snapchat campaigns to drive traffic and engagement, generating potential revenue growth. By working with creators who have proven their ability to create popular and engaging lenses, businesses can tap into a new form of advertising that directly connects with Snapchat’s large and dynamic user base.
X, Formerly Twitter, Now Lets Paid Users Hide Their Checkmarks
X, formerly known as Twitter, now allows paid users to hide their verification checkmarks. The feature was introduced last year with the Twitter Blue relaunch and has been renamed XBlue during the ongoing rebranding exercise.
Paid subscribers can conceal their checkmarks on their profiles and posts, although they may still be visible in some places. Some features may not be accessible while the checkmark is hidden, but the company promises to improve the feature. This change aims to address the controversy surrounding paid verification—good news for hospitality leaders who enjoy the functionality of XBlue without the stigma.
The stigma around owning a Twitter Blue account is primarily due to the perception that those who subscribe are inherently more supportive of Elon Musk and his vision for Twitter. This is often associated with “anti-woke” politics, leading to movements like #BlockTheBlue, where some Twitter users are blocking all subscribers of Twitter Blue. Moreover, some people on Twitter take pride in not having a blue seal, viewing the loss of verification as an honour.
However, this stigma doesn’t consider the diverse reasons users may subscribe to XBlue, from prioritised search rankings to text-based two-factor authentication.
X Warns Companies Could Lose Verification if They Don’t Buy Ads Report
X’s new ad policy comes into effect on August 7th. Brands must meet specific spending thresholds to retain their official brand account verification, symbolised by the gold checkmark. To retain verification, brands must have spent at least $1,000 on ads within the previous 30 days or $6,000 within the past 180 days.
These new measures could potentially alienate advertisers and brands due to the imposed spending threshold. The requirement to spend at least $1,000 monthly on ads to retain official brand account verification can be perceived as a pay-to-play move by X. This could push away smaller brands or those with limited advertising budgets, creating a barrier to entry.
Hotels and restaurants, often operating with tight margins, will likely need to rethink their Twitter strategies. They might find the new rules too demanding or unpredictable, considering the number of changes made to the platform, often without warning. The frequent changes could lead to uncertainty, making it hard to plan their social media strategy effectively.
TikTok’s Testing a New Option That Would Enable You to Download Your Clips Without a Watermark
TikTok is reportedly testing a new feature that allows users to download their video clips without the TikTok watermark, enabling them to reuse the content on other platforms.
The move comes as Instagram restricts the reach of videos with watermarks or logos, encouraging exclusive content in its Reels feature. TikTok’s new option allows users to download their video clips without the TikTok watermark, allowing for easier cross-platform sharing.
This update is a significant benefit for social media and content creators for restaurants and hotels, as it allows them to create content once on TikTok and then repurpose it across various social media platforms without the TikTok watermark, saving time and resources.
Without the watermark, videos reposted on Instagram Reels will not be suppressed, increasing their visibility. This broadens the reach of the content, potentially attracting a larger audience and boosting engagement rates, which is crucial to successful social media marketing.
Google Chrome Adds Search Suggestions, Trending Searches on Mobile
Google has announced the addition of four new search-related features to the mobile version of Chrome. These new features will provide users with more search suggestions and trending topics directly in the Chrome address bar. One of the features, “Related to this page,” will show relevant search suggestions based on the webpage a user is visiting.
The new Chrome update includes increased search suggestions in the address bar from six to ten. These features enhance the search experience and provide users with more valuable and helpful content. The update is currently available for Android users and will be rolling out to iOS Chrome users.
This new update from Google Chrome can benefit restaurants and hotels in a number of ways. Firstly, the feature that provides search suggestions based on the viewed webpage can help users discover dining and accommodation options that they might have yet to consider, boosting visibility for these businesses.
The related search feature can provide users with more contextual and relevant information when selecting a phrase on a webpage. For instance, if a user is reading a review about a restaurant, this feature could suggest other similar eateries or nearby hotels, potentially leading to increased bookings and sales.
Watermarks Are Set To Appear in All AI-Generated Content
Several AI companies, including OpenAI, Alphabet, and Meta Platforms, have voluntarily committed to implementing measures such as watermarking AI-generated content to enhance the technology’s safety.
At a White House meeting with representatives from seven companies, including Microsoft and Amazon, the commitment was made to develop a system to watermark all forms of AI-generated content.
Watermarking AI-generated content can protect brand identity by establishing a clear link between the content and the brand, ensuring that the brand’s ownership of the content is evident. This can deter misuse or misrepresentation of the brand’s content, hence safeguarding the brand’s reputation and value.
However, for content creators, this move may present a few challenges. Watermarking could limit content creators’ flexibility and creative freedom, as they would need to work within the constraints of the watermarking system.
Why Digital Leadership is a Non-negotiable for Future Success
Digital skills are now essential for nearly every role. Traditional leadership styles must be revised for the digital workforce, which demands data-driven decision-making and collaboration.
The essential qualities and skills for digital leadership include solid digital literacy, a growth and experimentation mindset, fostering collaboration, and effective communication. Businesses must address the digital skills gap by incorporating digital learning opportunities and creating a culture of continuous learning.
Marketing Tip of the Week: How to Boost Organic Reach on Instagram
Organic reach on Instagram refers to the number of unique users viewing your content without paid promotion or advertising. In recent years, there has been a decline in organic reach on Instagram due to increased competition and changes in the platform’s algorithms. Instagram’s algorithm prioritises content that is relevant and engaging for users.
Here Are My Top Tips for Boosting Organic Reach on Instagram
Serve, Don’t Sell
To boost your organic reach on Instagram, it is essential to adopt a serve-first mindset rather than focusing solely on selling.
Creativity and Content Types
Experiment with different content formats and types that connects with your target audience. Instagram offers various content formats, including images, videos, Stories, Reels, and Threads. By diversifying your content, you can cater to different user preferences and increase your chances of reaching a wider audience.
Utilise Trending Sounds & Audio
Keep an eye on trending topics and popular audio on Instagram. By participating in trends and remixing existing content, you can increase your chances of appearing in users’ feeds and actively engaging with similar content.
User-Generated Content
Encourage your followers to create content related to your brand and share it with their networks. UGC expands your reach and fosters a sense of community and authenticity around your brand.
Carousel Posts
Carousel posts allow you to share multiple images or videos in a single post, providing more opportunities for engagement. Encourage your audience to swipe through the carousel to see more of your content. Carousels are one of the most engaging media types on the platform. They work brilliantly to introduce menus and rooms.
Interactive Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories has many interactive features, such as polls, quizzes, and question stickers. Use these tools to encourage your followers to engage with your stories and participate in conversations.
Collaborate and Cross-Promote
Collaborating with influencers and relevant brands in your industry can significantly boost your organic reach. Partnering with influencers who share your target audience allows you to tap into their followers and expand your reach. Cross-promoting your content on other social media platforms or through collaborations can help you reach new audiences and increase your organic reach.
Boosting organic reach on Instagram requires a strategic approach, creativity, and a deep understanding of your target audience. By serving your audience valuable and entertaining content, diversifying your media, and leveraging trends and collaborations, you can maximise your organic reach and build a thriving community of engaged followers.
That’s a wrap for the week!
