Pinterest are expanding self-help tools and Instagram reveals the most popular gifts this year. We’ve got lots of news for you this week so let’s get started!

Facebook Launches Teen Focused App For Meme Making

With the rise of apps like Snapchat and TikTok the people at Facebook must be constantly working to keep up with the times. They need to appeal to the younger generations with new releases.

Their latest release is Whale. Currently only available to Canadian users we can probably expect to see it hit the UK soon.

Users are able to create their own memes using templates provided by the app. Their app store description says:

“No distractions, no hidden subscription pricing. Use your own images or choose from our stock photo library and get creative with text, tools, effects, and more right inside the app.”

It’s a fairly basic setup. You choose an image (your own or from the stock collection), you can add text and emojis, choose filters and you’ve created a meme.

Instagram Publishes Popular Gifts Based On Their Trends

Instagram often release data based on what’s going on with their users. Most recently they’ve released a list of popular gifts for the festive season.

Instagram explain:

“Whether you’re a #NewParent or need a holiday #PartyLewk, we’ve got a collection for you. Every product is shoppable on Instagram, and you can purchase using checkout without leaving the app. You can also save products to a personal shopping collection while browsing for friends and family, or create your own wishlist.”

As marketers it’s interesting for us to see the hashtags and products included within the collections.

Listed trends included are:

  • #PARTYLEWK
  • #GLITTER
  • #ALTENERGY
  • #NEWPARENTS
  • #CURATED
  • #WANDERLUST

The hashtags provide us with an insight into what Instagram users are most interested in and what they’re shopping for when they’re using the app. If you’re looking to get the most from marketing on Instagram and to similar audiences it’s worth considering what this info is telling you. The full listing can be found here.

Pinterest Expand Their Self-Help Tools and Outlines Improvements for Detection of Self-Harm Content

Social media is something that most of us use. The need for platforms to take responsibility for the content shared within them has grown over the last few years. Some of our most vulnerable people are using it to find content containing information on self-harm and other worrying topics.

Pinterest have taken the step to expand their self-help tools to create a healthy platform for their users.

 

Pinterest themselves say:

“Now, if someone searches for a term related to self-injury, they’ll find ten new coping exercises that can help them work through difficult emotions and feelings. Each exercise is guided with steps people can take to manage their feelings, such as ways to redirect energy, release tension or create a calm environment.”

A great initiative from Pinterest that should be something all platforms look to incorporate.

Snapchat Share Gen Z Shopping Data

There’s a new report from Snapchat which looks at the shopping behaviour of Gen Z users. They explain:

“We ran a survey to Snapchat users inside our app in the United States to understand their thoughts and intentions toward the upcoming holiday season. Over 85% of Snapchat users responded that they plan to participate in winter holiday shopping.”

You can see the full report here. Let’s take a quick look at the key takeaways:

So if your audience are primarily Gen Z there’s a few things to remember:

  • They probably aren’t going to plan ahead too much – leave room for last-minute purchases
  • Make sure your store is appealing to them, at least part of their shopping will be done there
  • They are likely to be spending a fair amount so make your pricier products appealing to them
  • They buy lots of gifts for friends so market your products in a way that they’ll see them as good gifts for their pals
  • Make your post-Christmas deals unmissable – they’ll be looking for good deals