It seems that Instagram is testing a new ad format for Reels ads, with a new variation of Multi-Advertiser display now appearing for some users.

As you can see above, shared by digital ads expert Barry Hott, the new multi-ads format groups a selection of related brands onto a single screen, which is then displayed between Reels posts.

The concept itself is nothing new. Instagram first launched Multi-Advertiser Ads for its main feed back in October, with a side-scrolling display of related ads shown based on user engagement.

As you can see in this example, after viewing or engaging with one ad, multi-advertiser promotions are displayed below that first post, giving you multiple, related ads based on your interests.

As per Instagram: “Multi-advertiser ads help people discover and compare products from multiple businesses. This ad unit, available for select placements on Facebook and Instagram, gives advertisers the opportunity to be discovered by people who have recently shown an interest in related products or businesses.”

While these are early signs of testing –  we will keep an eye for more info on a potential rollout so watch this space!…

X Moves Forward With New ID Confirmation Elements to Tackle Bots

X (Twitter) look to be continuing to experiment with ID verification, with new code being spotted now pointing to the coming addition of verification elements.

As you can see in this example, posted by X News Daily, X is looking to add a new element to its account details pop-up which would confirm whether an account has verified its ID.

X is also looking to add a new screen which outlines its ID confirmation requirements (via Nima Owji).

Users would need to provide both a current selfie and their government-issued ID, with X reportedly looking to outsource its ID confirmation to a company called au10tix.

That would better enable X to confirm user identities at scale, because checking the documentation of 250 million people is a big ask, and X simply doesn’t have the internal capacity to do this alone.

LinkedIn’s taking a similar approach with its new ID verification elements, though a limitation in this respect is that each platform will likely need separate regional partners to outsource this checking work to. LinkedIn’s only offering ID verification in limited capacity at present, and only in the US, with a broader program set to include more providers to confirm such info.

X will likely face the same limitations, though it could still be a significant step, especially if X also limits access to elements of its X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) package to only those that have confirmed their ID.

So while X may be many things, we certainly applaud this step to add further layers of security to profiles and hopefully this will stop the bots and trolls once and for all!

YouTube Adds New ‘Samples’ Element to YouTube Music to Improve Artists Discovery

As social media apps overtake radio as the key discovery platform for new music, every app is now working to get up to speed, and integrate more music discovery options into their UI.

YouTube is the latest to add another music discovery element, with a new “Samples” feature for YouTube Music, which will help users find new artists and tracks of interest, by letting them play small snippets of the latest trending tracks, aligned with their listening habits.

The new Samples tab essentially uses short-form video as a direct music discovery element, by providing a feed of short clips from trending songs to pique your interest.

As per YouTube: “Powered by the world’s largest catalog of music videos, this personalised feed will explore the depths and breadth of the YouTube Music library so that there’s always something new to listen to, whether it’s the latest release from an up-and-coming artist or a deep cut from a legacy artist we just think you’d really like. Each immersive clip offers a glimpse into the artist, the video, and the feel of the song.”

So rather than relying on the latest TikTok trends to discover the next big hit, Samples is focused on the music specifically, with users able to swipe vertically to go through all the latest tracks in their favourite niche.

YouTube says that the Samples tab is being rolled out to all YouTube Music users from today.

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