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KIMP’s Picks 30th August: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

Keeping up with social media can be daunting. Ignoring what’s happening online can lead to a fear of missing out. It’s a dilemma: should you try to keep up with everything, or ignore it altogether? 

Despite the challenges, social media is a valuable space for gathering instant updates. You can find news from around the world, learn about algorithm changes on social media platforms, stay updated on AI developments, and discover marketing inspiration – all in one place.

That’s where the KIMP’s Picks come in. This weekly social media roundup offers a recap of the latest social media chatter. By spending just a few minutes, you can stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. Are you ready to dive in? Let’s get started. 

In the Marketing Realm 

Enhance the performance of your seasonal ads 

The holiday season is just around the corner and brands are busy creating ads and content to engage their audiences. 

Seasonal PPC is a powerful tool for marketers looking to capitalize on the increased consumer spending that occurs during holidays and special events. Search Engine Land shared an insightful post about seasonal advertising.

The gist of the campaign is that to tap into the increase in shopping trends that occur close to the holidays, you need to align your Google Ads campaigns with the unique rhythms of seasonal demand. That’s one way for businesses to optimize their holiday ad performance. 

The post also delves into the idea of using data-driven insights, setting clear goals, conducting thorough market research, and other strategies that help make a difference. 

Conversational experience in Google Ads 

In a recent post, Google announced a new AI-powered feature called Conversational Experience. This feature lets advertisers streamline the creation of search campaigns. This innovative tool combines the expertise of advertisers with the capabilities of Google AI to generate text and assets, accelerating the campaign-building process.

According to Google, small business advertisers using this feature have seen a significant increase in the quality of their published campaigns. Currently available for Search campaigns and responsive search ads in English, this feature is likely to transform the way you create Google Ads. 

Using personalization to create relatable campaigns 

The post here from Ads of The World is a great source of inspiration for brands looking to create campaigns that connect with your audience on an emotional level. This one leverages personalization and relatable themes to create something that appeals to pet parents. 

The campaign here is from the brand Chewy. Chewy’s latest campaign cleverly builds around the idea that pet names are often inspired by personality traits. The ad uses this idea to showcase their personalized offerings. 

To communicate the message in an impactful and memorable way, the campaign features a variety of pets whose names perfectly match their unique behaviors and preferences. By highlighting the breadth of Chewy’s products and services, from food to pharmacy, the campaign emphasizes the company’s commitment to providing tailored solutions for pet owners.

What are the best times to post on socials? 

You have the best content strategy and the best designs and yet somehow your content seems to be falling flat on social media. Does that sound relatable? Then this post from the popular social media management platform, Hootsuite, is for you. 

This one delves into the best times to post on various social media platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others. It talks about the time of day and the days to post for maximum reach and engagement. But yes, remember that these metrics tend to change based on your specific goals for social media and your target audience. So, insights like these combined with the insights you gather from your social media page analytics can help you gauge the best times to share your content. 

In the Content Marketing Realm 

SEO in times of AI 

With AI becoming an integral part of content marketing for most organizations SEO is evolving as well. Wondering what’s changing? Then you will love this post from the Search Engine Journal, a go-to source for search-related news and updates. 

In this post, they delve into the concept of SEO in an era dominated by AI tools. It starts by exploring the traditional SEO methods and then digs deeper to explain how generative AI can be used to reform these processes. 

Therefore, if you are looking for ways to improve your SEO strategies, this is a good read. 

Leveraging fandom to create content that resonates with your audience 

The real challenge is not content creation but the creation of content that actually resonates with the target audience. Therefore, we found this post from Think With Google to be quite insightful on this topic. 

It talks about the new opportunities that brands are facing due to the emergence of fandom that’s driving pop culture. You know the best kinds of conversations are those that happen around shared interests. Right? The same applies to conversations between brands and their consumers. This post talks about brands tapping into such shared interest in pop culture to strike the most meaningful conversations with your customers. 

Therefore, if you are wondering how to create content that grabs attention and increases engagement, then tap into online fandom. The post also explains how YouTube has become the central hub for fan-related discussions. These are great insights for brands looking for ideas on content to create and platforms to use. 

Keyword research strategies for brands to explore 

Keyword research is one of the pivotal components of content marketing. Nailing this means that you are laying a strong foundation for your brand’s content game. 

The post here from Moz discusses a few underrated strategies for keyword research. 

From identifying and targeting competitor-branded keywords to crafting content for different stages of the content marketing funnel, and deploying tools that help in online listening, the post here discusses 6 useful strategies that are effective in enhancing keyword research for businesses big and small. 

Content/campaign idea 

This next post we have is an idea for content or a campaign to create for your brand. It’s the back-to-school season and there are huge shifts in shopping trends. Therefore this season presents big opportunities for brands to boost their sales. 

Here’s an example of how Google tapped into the popularity of the back-to-school shopping season. The post here on their dedicated page for the Gemini app gives a demo of one of the many ways in which this AI assistant comes in handy on busy school days. 

This shows that once you understand your target audience, even the simplest idea can be converted into an engaging piece of content. 

Looking for more ideas? Then check out our blog on back-to-school marketing. 

In the Design Realm 

Canva celebrates its 11th anniversary 

Canva turned 11 recently. And we must say the recent year has been pretty fruitful for the platform. In particular, they have made big strides in the AI segment. They have added plenty of AI customization tools that simplify the process of creating designs and editing them on Canva.

There have also been big improvements in terms of collaboration within the platform. And some big acquisitions like the recent acquisition of Leonardo.ai. All of these have helped Canva establish itself as a strong contender in the design segment. 

Canva’s College Student Work Kit

Last month we discussed wWork Kits on Canva and how organizations big and small can make the most of this feature. In a recent post, Canva announced the introduction of Work Kits now for college students. This elevates the Canva experience for students by introducing custom templates for project presentations, data visualization, and more. 

Canva’s approach of streamlining their features into custom bundles for diverse user demographics is a brilliant strategy indeed. 

London Transport Museum’s retail identity

If you are looking for creative inspiration, It’s Nice That is one of the best online resources to check out. In a recent post, they featured the branding design project for the London Transport Museum. 

Kit Studio, a creative agency, has developed a new branding and packaging system for the London Transport Museum shop. The cohesive visual identity that the creative team has created draws inspiration from the iconic design elements of the London Underground. The design here also reflects the rich heritage of the museum itself. 

This attention to detail is what makes this design project special. It shows how understanding the brand and the brand’s unique story helps create a unique brand identity design.  

Brand identity design inspiration 

We have another brand identity design project for inspiration. This one again depicts how to create something unique and memorable by crafting each detail of the identity to align with something unique about the brand. It is about letting the brand’s USP shine in the identity. 

This project is for a popular custom furniture brand Bark. Reportedly, Bark’s brand identity is inspired by the process of CNC machining. The wordmark’s shape resembles wood panels cut from machines, and the holes within the letters B and R reference dowel pegs used in furniture assembly. This distinctive and approachable logo is adaptable, with a B icon that can stand alone in various contexts.

Moreover, the B monogram itself is designed to represent a bench and therefore adds a meaningful twist to the design. 

Font inspiration 

You can never have too many font ideas. Even when you think you have the best assortment of fonts sometimes you just want to experiment with something new and creative. For those times, the Discover Tilt font is a unique option. 

Google shared the below video preview of the font and the many variations that are available. In general, variable fonts come in different weights and widths. This gives designers ample options to customize the font based on what their design calls for. 

In the AI Realm 

Anthropic’s Artifacts now open to all 

Anthropic recently announced that the full rollout of its innovative “Artifacts” feature will now be available to all Claude users. Previously this feature was available in a limited preview. This exciting update expands creative possibilities further with the launch of mobile app compatibility for both iOS and Android devices.

Artifacts provide a dedicated space within Claude to seamlessly capture, iterate, and build upon ideas born from user interactions with the AI. This collaborative workspace allows teams to instantly visualize code snippets, flowcharts, SVG graphics, websites, and even interactive dashboards. 

Exciting new updates coming to Gemini 

Google has announced some new updates coming to Gemini. Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise users will soon be able to create and interact with Gems, their own customized AI experts. By providing instructions and a name, users can tailor Gems to specific topics or goals, making them invaluable for tasks like brainstorming ideas, writing content, or providing expert advice. While the feature is not available yet, this sounds a lot like the custom GPTs option available on ChatGPT. 

In addition to pre-made Gems, the introduction of Imagen 3 also means a leap forward in generative AI design.  This powerful model generates high-quality images with just a few words and allows users to specify different styles for their designs. 

Stable Assistant gets new features 

Stability AI enhances its Stable Assistant with Search and Recolor, a groundbreaking image editing tool. This innovative feature streamlines the process of colorizing objects within images. Unlike traditional methods, Search and Recolor automatically identifies and segments objects, allowing users to effortlessly apply new colors with just a prompt – no masks needed.

Therefore, editing images or more precisely, recoloring portions of them does not have to be tedious anymore. In a few simple text prompts, Stable Assistant can get the job done. 

Pindrop Security’s measure to tackle audio deepfakes 

Pindrop Security, a company specializing in voice authentication, has developed a new tool capable of detecting AI-generated speech in both phone calls and digital media. This technology aims to combat the growing threat of voice deepfakes, which can be used for various fraudulent activities.

As AI systems are becoming more and more accurate and generative audio and voice tools can now generate realistic voice clones, measures to combat deepfakes will help prevent the spread of misleading information. 

Reportedly, based on the post from Bloomberg, Pindrop’s solution analyzes audio data to identify anomalies that indicate AI manipulation. By examining the nuances of human speech patterns, the company’s technology can distinguish between real voices and AI-generated ones.

 McAfee unveils AI-powered deepfake detector

The next post we have is also about a deepfake detection tool and this one is from McAfee. McAfee, in collaboration with Lenovo, is tackling the growing threat of deepfakes with the launch of its innovative Deepfake Detector. This AI-powered tool empowers consumers to identify and avoid deceptive content online.

McAfee Deepfake Detector, available on select Lenovo AI PCs, analyzes audio within videos in real time, alerting users to potential deepfakes within seconds. McAfee also offers the Smart AI Hub that allows users to submit suspicious content for analysis and also for deepfake education and analysis. 

Grok is getting smarter on Apple devices 

The latest version of Grok’s iOS app is here. And X AI shared a post discussing some of the exciting updates coming to the app for Premium and Premium+ subscribers. 

These updates include prompt suggestions for image generation to let users generate more realistic images. Additionally, there is an improved model selector, the option to edit prompts, text selection within responses, and more. 

Freepik announces an exciting tool to generate AI art 

Mystic, a cutting-edge AI image generator developed by the Freepik team, is generating significant buzz within the AI art community. Despite being in beta, Mystic’s ability to produce highly realistic and detailed images has impressed early users. 

A notable detail is that Mystic’s images are indistinguishable from high-quality photos, surpassing even leading models like Midjourney and Dall-E 3 in terms of detail and realism. Moreover, the model is also said to be capable of handling various styles and applications, from fashion design to fantasy landscapes.

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

YouTube channel QR codes 

YouTube has introduced a new feature that allows creators to easily share their channels using QR codes. This convenient tool enables viewers to quickly access and subscribe to channels with a simple scan.

Platforms like Instagram already have this feature and it comes in handy when sharing your profile on other social media channels for cross-promotion. 

Instagram adds a MySpace like music feature 

Instagram lets you customize your profile in many ways. In a recent post, they announced that users can now add music to their profiles. This custom music can help set the mood and vibe of your page and therefore instantly represent your unique personality. 

Additionally, Instagram is collaborating with pop star Sabrina Carpenter to debut a new song, “Taste,” exclusively on her profile ahead of the official album release. This feature also offers a unique opportunity for artists to promote their music and connect with fans directly on the platform.

Meta announces new features for Instagram 

The below post from Meta gives a preview of some of the updates coming to Instagram. These are mostly features that enhance Reels and Stories. The video here highlights some of the options that will now be available to let users customize and enhance their content. 

The updates include a new set of fonts introduced in the platform, image stickers to make your posts more engaging and some cool new text effects to enhance your message. 

Let’s Wrap it Up…

What an assortment of updates, right?! That’s all we have rounded up for this week. For more such updates to help you fight your FOMO, stay tuned and we’ll be back with the next edition of KIMP’s Picks. 

Posted On

30 Aug, 2024

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