Few things are as trendy these days as constantly changing, updating, and improving one’s presence in the digital marketing world. Even the leaders of the digital world constantly hold themselves to a standard of getting better and better.
Here’s a quick look into what some of the most prominent sites and apps are working on as of the summer of 2021.
Big plans are in store when it comes to Instagram. Well-known for its photo-sharing capabilities, recent statements reveal that Instagram wants to move away from being a photo-sharing app and instead emphasize video, shopping, and messaging. And, if all goes according to plan, Instagram will have completed its transition by the end of 2022. 
While video-sharing is a massive piece of the digital world, Instagram has surprisingly received some negative feedback from its supporter base as a result of its interest in a rebrand. While Instagram has said their exact plan to step away from focusing on photo-sharing is still in development, it doesn’t seem like the negative feedback they’ve received will deter their plan. Will this new move inspire Instagram-goers to spend more time on the app, or will the lack of originality that Instagram is being accused of drive away a once loyal supporter base?
Infamous in the digital (marketing) world, Facebook isn’t going anywhere as it continues to adjust to current trends.
A quick look in the rearview mirror shows that, in 2018, Facebook wanted its users to see more from friends and family and less from businesses, brands, and media. Now, in 2021, Facebook is leaning into a Machine Learning algorithm—which sounds complicated, but is relatively easy to understand and works to benefit the site’s users and their experience. 
Facebook’s Machine Learning algorithm predicts what a user would want to see based on their previous likes, shares, comments, and tags. Therefore, similar to many other media-sharing apps in 2021, Facebook is ensuring a very personalized experience for each of its users. Keep this in mind as you update your Facebook Marketing Strategy.
In other Facebook news, there’s continued improvement with Facebook Shops as they move towards more integrations with WhatsApp.
By the end of 2021, the entirety of Twitter’s user base will have the opportunity to use the company’s newest developing feature: Twitter Blue.
Currently in its testing phase, Twitter Blue is most likely going to cost around $3 per month for those users who wish to try out the new features it’ll offer.
One such feature will be the chance to preview, revise, and even undo a post up to 30 seconds before launch.
Another feature will be the ability to access Bookmark folders to organize your content.
While the current unpaid features of Twitter will all still be available, Twitter Blue and its new features may augment the Twitter experience in a positive way. Hopefully, when the testing phase ends we’ll know more about what to expect from Twitter Blue.
TikTok
Although TikTok is known for how effectively it draws in a younger age demographic, this is no reason to steer clear of the app if your audience is not typically young folks.
TikTok, like many other media-sharing services, boasts an extremely powerful user-specific algorithm—and the value of this algorithm is that it can help any content creator reach whatever audience they’re looking for. While TikTok does have a large young person demographic, the app is frequented by people of all ages and locations. And, courtesy of the algorithm, your content will find the viewers who most want to see it.
TikTok’s advanced algorithm shows people what it believes they’ll enjoy based on what kinds of TikTok videos a user has watched to completion, liked, or commented on in the past. If your TikTok posts can inspire some interaction from those who view it you’ll see even more traffic on your account!
Because TikTok is still new to the digital marketing scene in 2021, it’s more effective to understand the basics of the app than to understand what’s changing with it as TikTok is likely still in a phase of perfecting what it’s already doing.
Google Ads Creative Studio
Digital marketing’s relationship with Google just got better.
A recent update to the Ads Creative Studio unifies all of the studio’s tools in one easy-to-access place. These tools include video, display, and audio components so that you can build what you need all at once.
Furthermore, multiple users and/or teams can now access a single project at the same time, so collaborative work has never been easier!
Google Ads Creative Studio has also boosted its video-making system by offering users the opportunity to introduce swappable elements into their videos to appeal to as many different audiences as possible.
Author: Joseph Poirier
Joe built his first website in 2003. Way back then, he moved his Real Estate company into email marketing and then social media marketing on MySpace – yes, you read that right – MySpace. Since then, he’s stayed immersed with all digital marketing channels and is a guru at ‘all things Google.’ Analytics, SEO and simplifying/optimizing complex sales funnels are his passions in the digital world, while his daughter, fishing, and various non-profits rule his free time.