KIMP’s Picks 25th October: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

As the week winds down, do you want to catch up on the latest social media buzz? Whether it’s AI news or discussions about algorithm changes, this blog post is for you. The KIMP’s Picks is our weekly social media roundup where we handpick the most intriguing posts, discussions, and updates for those who worry about missing out.

Ready for this week’s recap? Let’s get started.

In the Marketing Realm 

YouTube to boost sales?

Businesses use YouTube for a number of reasons – better reach/visibility, increased website traffic, conversions and more. How about boosting sales? Well, YouTube has the answers. In a recent post they shared some insights from a research conducted by Nielson. 

According to the graph here, YouTube is said to be about 2.4 times more effective in driving sales when compared to traditional TV advertising. And it is about 1.6 times more effective that other social media platforms. So, if you are still wondering if investing in YouTube can help boost sales, the insights here can give you some fresh perspectives. 

Google is probably working on video-enabled ads in Search 

Search Engine Land, a popular website to find all the search-related news and insights recently shared a post discussing some updates coming to Google Search ads. 

Reportedly, Google is testing a new feature in its shopping ads. This new feature will allow users to watch videos directly within the ads appearing in search results. Accordingly, there will be a video play icon along with ad listings. And ads with videos will let users directly play videos to learn more about the product without navigating out of the Search page. 

This move could potentially increase ad engagement. And it indicates that it’s time for brands to invest in more short product videos to woo customers. 

Tackling the holiday shopping frenzy 

Keeping up with the pace and the volatility of holiday shopping can be tough. But here is a post from Google to give marketers some fresh ideas and strategies for the same. 

According to their post here, retailers should sustain marketing efforts after Cyber Week to capture late-season holiday shoppers. This is because over half of U.S. holiday purchases are typically made in December. With Cyber Week and Hanukkah both falling later this year, the shopping window is compressed, making it crucial for brands to engage effectively.

The post also discusses how Gen Z might be among the last-minute shoppers and how boosting consumer confidence should be your top priority to drive purchases. 

Making the most of LinkedIn 

LinkedIn has evolved from a networking platform into an effective B2B marketing platform. If you are wondering how to make the most of it to elevate your marketing strategy, then the post here from Hootsuite is for you. 

The post begins with the importance of LinkedIn Analytics. It also discusses some of the essential metrics that marketers need to track in order to understand their LinkedIn performance. Finally, the post also ventures into some tips to make the most of the built-in analytics on LinkedIn. And some useful tips on how to use Hootsuite tools for LinkedIn analytics. 

Competitor analytics tools for brands 

In the post here, the popular online marketing tool Semrush discusses some of the most productive tools and strategies that brands can use for competitor analysis. 

From Semrush’s own Competitive Research Toolkit to ones like SimilarWeb, SE Ranking, and others the post discusses diverse kinds of tools. It also explores some options for social listening, tools for audience research, and a few AI-powered ones as well. 

So, if you are wondering how to give a fresh twist to your marketing strategy through competitor analysis, then this post is for you. 

In the Content Marketing Realm 

Tips to build an SEO strategy 

The next post we have is a resourceful one shared by Backlinko and this one is about building an SEO strategy. Given that building a robust SEO strategy is one area many brands struggle with, this is a good read.

It talks about creating a list of relevant keywords, including long-tail keywords, analyzing Google’s first page, identifying competitors and understanding what works and what doesn’t based on their results. 

In the Design Realm 

Canva’s Droptober updates 

Canva’s Droptober announcements came with some feature updates and minor tweaks to existing features as well. As expected, AI takes center stage. For instance, their Dream Lab feature transforms text prompts into beautiful images and 3D renders. Moreover, they have introduced more upgrades to Magic Write. 

In addition to these, there are other features like branded captions for videos, interactive polls & quizzes for better collaborations, custom mockups, and a whole set of new Work Kits as well. 

Glimpses into some recent Adobe Illustrator updates 

Adobe recently announced a bunch of updates at the Adobe Max event. The post here gives a brief preview of some of the features coming particularly to Adobe Illustrator. 

It introduces features like improved Image Trace which lets you convert your drawings into vector files. The video also briefly covers the Object Path feature to help align objects along the desired path. Finally, the video also discusses the Mockup feature. On the whole, this is a quick and useful demo for designers who have still not explored these features.  

A lively and premium packaging design project 

Packaging of the World is an online reserve of inspirational packaging design projects. They recently shared a post discussing a unique and vibrant packaging design created for CroWn Chocolate. 

The design immediately captivates with its playful bird logo, sporting a crown and clutching a cocoa pod. This whimsical touch, combined with the daring slogan “Dare to Be Square,” sets the tone for a brand that’s both rebellious and elegant. 

Another noteworthy aspect of this design is the color palette. It deviates from traditional chocolate packaging colors and features rich, vibrant hues like deep purples, teals, and reds. This bold color scheme exudes a premium feel while maintaining a sense of fun. Each package, with its unique color, evokes the allure of a collector’s item. This makes the brand even more dynamic and exciting.

In the AI Realm 

Midjourney announces new image editing features 

Midjourney, the popular AI art generator, has announced the rollout of two exciting new image editing features: an image editor and image re-texturing. 

The image editor allows users to refine their uploaded images. On the other hand, the re-texturing feature allows users to experiment with different materials, surfaces, and lighting conditions. 

According to Midjourney, both these features are compatible with their advanced capabilities, such as style references, character references, and personalized models which are upgrades announced recently as well. 

As for the availability of these features, as always, Midjourney is testing the waters with restricted availability. Moreover, this measure is also to ensure a smooth transition and to manage server load. Accordingly, these features will initially be available to a select group of users: yearly members, 12-month subscribers, and members with at least 10,000 images.

Google’s new AI tools are all set to transform music creation 

Google has launched advanced generative AI tools designed to make music creation accessible and collaborative. This includes a set of new tools as well some refinements coming to their existing ventures in music production like MusicFX DJ, Music AI Sandbox, and YouTube’s Dream Track.

The aim here is to leverage AI to create a powerful ecosystem that lets musicians of all experience and skillsets to produce high-quality music effortlessly.

Also, this highlights how through these advances Google is trying to democratize access to music creation tools. Without a doubt, such measures open a new era of creative expression. On the whole, these AI-powered tools have the potential to inspire countless musicians and artists, leading to a wave of innovation and musical breakthroughs.

Runway’s next big move: Act-One 

Runway has launched Act-One, a cutting-edge tool in their Gen-3 Alpha platform. This revolutionary tool generates life-like character animations using simple video and voice inputs. Unlike traditional animation methods that require complex setups and equipment, Act-One simplifies the process, enabling creators to capture authentic expressions and nuances with just a basic camera setup. 

Based on the preview they shared, it appears like the tool translates an actor’s performance into realistic animations, even when the character’s proportions differ from the original reference. As a result, a single actor’s performances and expressions can easily be extrapolated into multiple characters without multiple retakes or complicated steps. 

Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion 3.5 is here

Stability AI has launched Stable Diffusion 3.5, their most advanced model series to date. This open release includes variants like Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large and Large Turbo. Both these models are highly customizable and optimized for consumer hardware. Reportedly, these models are also free under the Stability AI Community License. 

Available for download on Hugging Face, the models support commercial and non-commercial use. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium will follow on October 29th.

So, what’s changing? These new updates promise highly detailed and realistic images, surpassing previous models. Moreover, the new models also reduce processing time, making image generation more efficient.

On the whole, the models are said to offer better control over the designs and the generation process itself. 

Anthropic AI brings some fresh upgrades to Claude 3.5 models 

Anthropic AI has introduced an enhanced version of Claude 3.5 Sonnet and a new model, Claude 3.5 Haiku. Alongside these upgrades, there is also their groundbreaking beta feature: computer use. This new capability allows developers to direct Claude to interact with computers as humans do—by observing screens, moving cursors, clicking, and typing text. Yes, the first of its kind to gain popularity so far. 

To be noted: Claude 3.5 sonnet is the first AI model to offer computer use in public beta. Additionally, according to Anthropic AI, instead of creating specific tools for individual tasks, Claude is being trained in general computer skills, allowing it to navigate a variety of standard software and tools. 

While the new and improved Claude 3.5 Sonnet has already been made available, Claude 3.5 Haiku will be coming in later this month. 

Microsoft announces autonomous Copilot Agents 

Microsoft unveiled some big advancements in their AI assistant, Copilot. These upgrades are particularly designed to revolutionize business operations. 

These updates bring autonomous agents to Copilot. With Copilot Agents, organizations can streamline processes and achieve remarkable efficiency gains.

Moreover, Microsoft also announced that they are bringing 10 new autonomous agents to Dynamic 365. These pre-built agents address specific needs across sales, service, finance, and supply chains, accelerating workflows and boosting productivity. 

Moreover, Microsoft is also adding built-in guardrails and controls for both Copilot Studio and Dynamics 365 agents.

Meet the new generative AI tool: Ideogram Canvas

Ideogram recently announced the next big thing in the world of generative AI: Canvas. Canvas is their creative tool designed to organize, generate, edit and combine images based on your requirements. 

This tool comes with features like Magic Fill which is useful in inpainting – to make changes to small portions of your existing image. With their outpainting feature called Extend, you can easily expand your images to the desired resolution without losing the quality and without deviating from the original style. 

Given the explosive growth of AI image generation tools, a fresh perspective like Ideogram Canvas is just what it takes to shake things up a bit. 

Genmo’s Mochi 1 is the next tool for video creators 

Genmo has unveiled its latest breakthrough in AI video generation, Mochi 1. This open-source model, released under the Apache 2.0 license, sets a new standard for video generation. It is touted to deliver superior motion quality, exceptional human rendering, and impressive prompt adherence.

Mochi 1’s has been designed to push the boundaries of AI-generated video, offering a glimpse into the future of visual storytelling. And there have been some good reviews for this new AI video tool as well! 

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

X rolls out Radar to Premium+ users 

X has introduced a new real-time trend analysis tool called  Radar. Initially available to Verified Organizations, Radar is now being rolled out to Premium+ subscribers.

This tool is meant to help users with real-time trend tracking. In other words, Radar can monitor emerging trends and conversations on the platform. Given that a lot of instant updates from the tech and business worlds are easily available on X and given that social media platforms like X are the place where trends emerge, a real-time trend tracker sounds like a great idea. 

With Radar users can also key in and monitor specific keywords or topics and measure the rate of conversation growth as well. All these steps can help businesses and users differentiate significant trends from fads. 

X will soon let you gift subscriptions 

X has been pushing users to subscribe to Premium and Premium+ plans by introducing numerous perks to subscribers. From ad-free experiences or the display of fewer ads to other benefits, there are many ways in which X is trying to encourage more subscriptions. The news now is that you will be able to gift Premium subscriptions via the iOS app as well. 

X Daily News, a go-to space for X-related news, shared this update. 

For more information about gifting Premium subscriptions, check out this page. 

YouTube will soon let you add interactive Poll Stickers 

YouTube recently announced that creators and brands on the platform will soon be able to add interactive Poll Stickers to their videos. While there are several interactive options available on the short videos updated in Instagram Reels, YouTube is working on making videos on the platform more interactive too. 

And polls are great options for creators and brands to gather instant opinions from their viewers and these can make videos more engaging as well.  

Let’s Conclude…  

With that let’s wrap this week’s KIMP’s Picks. We hope these past few minutes gave you a quick dose of the social media buzz from this past week. For more such updates and to be sure that you stay in the loop with all the hot social media discussions, stay tuned and we’ll be back next week with another weekly round-up for you.