Publication date: 19 Feb 2019

Instagram is testing donation and poll features

Instagram is testing a feature that allows donating to any account. The new function has appeared as a sticker on Instagram’s Android app of some users. Donation stickers will probably be used to support, for example, some interesting projects, campaigns, or individual users.

Facebook has also started testing a poll feature in ads on Instagram. Polls can be added when launching a campaign through Ads Manager. However, not all advertisers have access to the feature yet.

• Stories are published and watched by half of all registered Instagram users, the number of which reached a billion in June 2018 for the first time.

Yandex has updated InPage format

Yandex introduced minor updates that improved performance of InPage video ads. Video ads can now be a sticky element that remains in view as the user is scrolling. The user watches ads for a longer time that results in higher profit from ad units.

You can either stick an InPage video banner at the top or bottom of the page or allow the auto mode to choose the best position for your banner.

Yandex statistics says that when new banners are used, ad views increase by 16% on average.

It is worth noting that all ad monetization reports are saved in Metrics, so advertisers can closely monitor performance of their ads.

New ad format on VK Stories

• In 2018, advertisers spent about 5% of their Internet budget on video ads

VKontakte has introduced an impressive new feature: ads in Stories for business communities. A full-screen catching format can help to increase brand awareness, promote goods or services, tell about special offers, and more.

One ad can include a maximum of 3 photos or videos with links to websites/posts and a CTA button.

The new feature is already available in VK mobile apps for iOS and Android.