KIMP’s Picks 15th November: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More
Happy Friday! It’s time for the KIMP’s Picks 15th November Edition – your one-stop destination for the week’s most buzzworthy updates from the world of social media. Whether you are a marketer, a creative or just someone looking to stay in the loop then this series is there to ensure that you do not miss a thing.
AI news, marketing inspiration, creative design projects from brands, social media algorithm changes – we have them all right here. All the shareworthy social media posts that are worth your attention.
So, sit tight, and let’s begin exploring a week’s worth of social media updates right away.
In the Marketing Realm
The role of YouTube Ads in marketing
The post here from YouTube is a reminder of the significance of YouTube Ads in advertising. The post delves into some details and data that show why advertising on the platform can play a vital part in a consumer’s shopping journey.
Reportedly ads on YouTube have about a 67% better chance to convince users to make a purchase than ads on most other platforms. And YouTube Ads are known for their impressive compression rates as well. In short, it’s well worth investing in YouTube Ads for your brand.
Holiday marketing stats
Given that the holidays are not far away, Google has been talking a lot about holiday marketing – the popular trends observed both with respect to marketing and consumer behavior. Here’s another one.
This post talks about a few crucial insights, particularly for small business owners. To begin with, U.S. consumers spent about $47 billion in retail during the holidays. The post also delves into more details like the search trends during the holiday season, timelines when people shop for gifts and so much more.
These can be valuable insights for marketers working on their holiday campaign ideas as well as those working on their content to drive more traffic to their websites during the holidays.
Social Media Today’s social media predictions for 2025
Given that we’re about to wrap up another year and welcome a new one, brands with a strong authority in the social media marketing space have started sharing their predictions for the coming year.
The first one is from Social Media Today. The post here talks about a few ways in which social media is changing and what brands can expect in terms of tackling the social media realm.
Evidently, the strong presence of AI in the social media space goes without saying. Now with almost all social media platforms investing in AI research and AI-powered features for personalization, this trend isn’t slowing down.
Additionally, the post also talks about VR and AR integrations, increased adoption of video content, AI-powered ad improvements, and more. It digs deep into some specific trends for each platform as well. So, if you are looking to revamp your approach to social media marketing in 2025, this is a good read.
Hootsuite’s social media trends report is here
The next one we have is from the popular social media marketing and management tool, Hootsuite. They recently shared the Social Media Trends 2025 report. This report explores some of the observations from recent years and what this data means for the state of social media marketing in 2025 and beyond.
From trends in social listening, content experimentation, and the use of AI, the report covers diverse aspects. Reportedly, more than 60% of social content focuses on entertaining, educating, and informing customers. And about 41% of brands are experimenting with proactive engagements.
This is just a snapshot of the kind of details that the report discusses. Combining the social media predictions from the previous post from Social Media Today and the trends shared by Hootsuite, you have the perfect recipe for success in social media marketing in 2025.
Microsoft Ads vs. Google Ads – where should you be investing?
Google Ads and Microsoft Ads have their fair share of advantages. Therefore it can be tough deciding between the two.
Therefore, here’s an interesting post comparing these two options to help marketers decide where to invest their marketing budget.
While Google Ads dominates the PPC landscape, Microsoft Ads offers unique opportunities for marketers willing to explore. With 25% of U.S. search volume powered by Microsoft’s ecosystem (Bing, MSN, Yahoo), it can be a strategic addition to spend on Microsoft Ads, especially for B2B and industries targeting older, affluent users.
But yes, both platforms share many features, making the transition easier for Google Ads users. Moreover, Microsoft Ads often has less competition, leading to lower costs per click.
Having said all that, yes, Google Ads are still crucial to marketing. However, when you think your Google Ads efforts have reached a saturation consider investing in Microsoft Ads.
In the Content Marketing Realm
SEO metrics for brands to consider
Search rankings are crucial attributes when brands discuss SEO, no doubt. However, they are not the only indicators. In a comprehensive and resourceful post, Search Engine Journal shared plenty of useful insights about SEO metrics that are important to brands.
The post dives into the nuances of user engagement metrics like bounce rate and engagement sessions per user. There is also information about conversion metrics like organic conversion rate, ecommerce transactions and more. Furthermore, the post also explores technical SEO metrics, traffic metrics, competitor analysis and content performance metrics among other things.
So, this is a refreshing read for anyone looking to boost their SEO strategies.
Types of links to include in your content
The next post we have was shared by yet another dominant player in the world of SEO, Semrush. This one discusses some of the most important types of links that brands need to consider in content marketing.
Evidently, content marketing feels incomplete without the right link-building strategies. This includes paying attention to internal links, inbound links and outbound links. But then the question is about using these links the right way and in the right places. That’s where this post from Semrush can be quite handy.
In the Design Realm
Designing custom characters
Freepik has grown to become one of the most sought-after stock elements libraries out there for creatives. In addition to this, the brand has also been impressing creators with their AI-powered features. Next in line is their custom character creation tool. Reportedly, this one lets users define and create custom characters and maintain consistency throughout their products.
This can be a handy feature for comic artists, game developers, movie professionals and others looking to design or get inspired by the unique characters tha Freepik now lets you create.
All it takes is to upload your custom character and the tool will analyze and understand the design provided so as to generate scenes and designs with consistency.
Designing stunning TikTok thumbnails
Adobe recently shared an insightful post that talks about designing captivating TikTok thumbnails. Given that thumbnails create the much-needed first impression and convince users to check out your video, they are crucial in video marketing.
The post here talks about some useful tips to create thumbnails that sell your video to your target consumers. From using the right emotions to choosing the right colors, the post covers a holistic view of what it takes to design memorable thumbnails for TikTok. Finally, it also discusses how Adobe Express simplifies this process.
Adobe redesigns its splash screens
Splash screens are pivotal parts of user experience with an application. Therefore brands looking to hook users with their brand identity cannot ignore this design. In a recent post, Adobe discussed how they have revamped their splash screens for Creative Cloud and Substance 3D apps.
To summarize, the makeover here highlights the brand’s commitment to continuous improvement and creativity. Besides, it is also a visual summary of the evolving brand identity of Adobe.
The goal here was to balance modern branding while giving a nod to the splash screens of the past. All this while prioritizing the user experience.
A lot of focus here was on showcasing the work of commissioned artists. Accordingly, the updated splash screens feature larger artwork, bold artist credits, and links to learn more about their work, emphasizing the connection between creators, their tools, and the broader Adobe community.
The creative identity created for a payment app
The next post on our list is a brand identity inspiration. The Brand Identity, a popular source of design inspiration, shared the below post discussing the brand identity created for a brand called Ecommpay.
Ecommpay is a global payment service provider. The rebranding here aims to position the company as a flexible and innovative solution for businesses operating in the complex world of online payments.
Accordingly, the core of the new identity is a modular system, represented by a round-edged square. This visual element symbolizes the seamless and efficient nature of Ecommpay’s payment solutions. The modular design also reflects the company’s adaptability and ability to cater to diverse business needs.
This brand identity project comes as a reminder to infuse subtle elements into your design to summarize what your brand is about and what makes it unique.
In the AI Realm
Custom Gems are getting more powerful on Gemini
Google recently announced some updates coming to Gemini. Gemini is getting smarter and more versatile. The latest updates focus on deeper knowledge integration, expanded business applications, and improved mobile accessibility.
In particular, there are big updates coming to custom Gems on Gemini. These have been a hit so far and hence Google is making them better. According to Google, users can now reference Google Drive files and uploaded documents when creating custom Gems. This allows for more context-specific and accurate responses.
Additionally, they are also introducing a suite of pre-built Gems tailored to business needs, including marketing insights, sales pitch generation, and hiring assistance.
As for the updates outside of the custom Gems feature, Gemini is now available on Android devices, enabling users to access its capabilities on the go.
X will soon allow free access to Grok
X is preparing to expand access to its AI chatbot, Grok. Until now, Grok has been exclusively available to Premium subscribers. However, recent developments suggest that the platform is planning to offer free access to a limited version of Grok.
This is much like the Freemium model used by the other popular chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT.
Reportedly, the free version of Grok will have usage restrictions, including a cap on the number of queries per day. Moreover, by opening up Grok to free users, X aims to gather valuable feedback and accelerate the model’s development.
This news clearly shows that X is looking to challenge other AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini by offering a free alternative.
In other news, X Daily News page, a go-to source of X-related updates shared a post giving a preview of web search coming to Grok. In conclusion, Grok is evolving to keep up with the competition.
Google is bringing the Gemini app to iOS devices
Google is gearing up to bring Gemini to iOS devices. A recent discovery on the Apple App Store reveals a standalone “Google Gemini” app, offering features like Gemini Live, which is currently exclusive to Android. FoneArena, a popular online source of mobile technology updates and insights shared the below post discussing this.
Reportedly, the standalone app provides a dedicated platform for accessing Gemini’s capabilities. In particular, this app version makes it possible for iPhone users to tap into the capabilities of the much-hyped Gemini Live which expands the ways in which users can interact with the AI assistant.
While the app has been spotted, it’s currently available to a limited number of users in select regions. This suggests that Google is conducting a beta test to refine the app and address any potential issues before a wider release.
Without any official announcement from Google, it’s still not clear whether the Gemini app will replace the AI capabilities added to the Google app on iOS.
Stability AI unveils a convenient prompt guide for users
A few weeks ago, Stability announced their next big update in the form of Stable Diffusion 3.5. With their tools becoming more and more powerful it all boils down to the type of prompts you choose. The better the prompt, the better the designs generated.
Prompting is one area several creators struggle with. Therefore, Stability AI recently released a comprehensive prompt guide. This guide talks about the art of prompting to help users make the most of their AI tools.
AI trends to look out for
Microsoft has been among the top players in AI research. Naturally, AI insights coming from them are valuable. In a recent post, they discussed some AI trends to watch.
To begin with, generative AI usage shot up from 55% in 2023 to about 75% in 2024.
Based on several such findings, Microsoft recorded the following trends:
- Productivity boost is one of the top priorities of organizations investing in AI.
- More and more companies are now prioritizing advanced AI solutions.
- There has been an overall increase in generative AI adoption across industries.
- Businesses and AI leaders are observing a significant spike in their ROI with AI investments.
- Amidst all this, skilling to tackle the AI-driven future seems to be one big challenge.
Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes
Bluesky now has more than 15 million users
A couple of years ago, not many knew about the new social media platform Bluesky which is just about three years old. However, the social media landscape has seen some drastic shifts recently. Meta making it big with Threads (which surpassed 275 million monthly active users recently) and X seeing an increase in the number of brands and advertisers quitting the platform (like the recent announcement from The Guardian).
Amidst all this, Bluesky recently announced that they now have more than 15 million users. Supposedly, users leaving X are seeking out alternatives, and platforms like Threads and Bluesky are the ones benefiting from this.
TikTok enhances music sharing options
TikTok has introduced a new feature called “Share to TikTok”. This feature allows users to directly share music tracks from Apple Music and Spotify to the platform. This integration aims to further bridge the gap between social media and music streaming thus driving increased engagement and discovery for artists and labels.
Based on their post here, the shared tracks will include links back to the original streaming service. This is one way they aim to help potentially boost streaming and artist discovery on the respective platforms as well. For the users, this feature simplifies the process of sharing music and encourages user-generated content.
Live Stream Reminders on YouTube Shorts
YouTube announced a host of updates for creators. One among them is the new feature that will allow creators to remind their Shorts audience about upcoming live streams. Creators can set reminders so that their followers can get a countdown and be immediately updated when the live stream begins. This could be a valuable tool for increasing viewership and engagement.
Updates coming to Instagram
There have been many minor tweaks introduced to Instagram. If you haven’t already noticed them, then the below post from Instagram will give you a quick summary.
One of them is that photos and carousel posts with music now stand a chance to appear in the Reels tab. This can be a good way to boost your account’s reach even with static images. Secondly, Instagram is also expanding the options when it comes to boosting posts and will now let you boost most GIFs, stickers, and more.
Let’s Wrap Up
As we wrap up the KIMP’s Picks 15th November edition, we hope you found this recap useful. The world of social media did see a whole lot of updates recently. Stay tuned for the next edition, where we’ll continue to bring you the latest trends and insights to keep you ahead of the curve. Until next time, keep creating, keep sharing, and keep discovering!