In a nutshell

LinkedIn content creators have two new tools to grow their audience on this platform. Live videos and newsletters are now available to users with Creator Mode turned on, encouraging greater use of the platform for creators to boost their presence and thought leadership.

What does this mean?

LinkedIn users are 20 times more likely to share video posts than any other type of content – and live video is even more powerful. According to LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions page: “Live videos get on average 24x more comments and 7x more reactions than native video produced by the same broadcasters”.

The new newsletters feature also offers creators another medium for reaching their audience, since subscribers automatically receive in-app notifications, and can opt into email and push notifications to remind them when one has been published. This could be a great opportunity for them to boost their online presence and keep their followers up to date.

In a nutshell

Microsoft Advertising has added four new inclusive business attributes to search ads, enabling advertisers to promote diversity and inclusion through their values. Asian-owned, Latin-owned, Women-owned and Diabetic-friendly business attributes now join the 32 ‘Marketing with Purpose’ business attributes that Microsoft introduced in September.

What does this mean?

There are four key focuses within the ‘Marketing with Purpose’ attributes available for ads: inclusion, environmental, community and social responsibility, and accessibility.

iCrossing UK’s senior SEO manager, Laura Davies, says these new additions “show a focus on user values to help entice click-through rates. It will be interesting to see if they begin to roll this out for organic search, and whether other search engines take note of this too.

“It’s great to see a shift towards customer ethics and values, but Microsoft needs to ensure these are validated correctly to prevent misuse and distrust from users.”

In a nutshell

Online fitness brand GymShark is opening its first brick-and-mortar store in London this summer, bringing experiential retail to the spotlight. Unlike other big retailers who’re closing their high-street stores to go online, the brand is now investing in a physical store, to offer engaging fitness experiences rather than sell products.

What does this mean?

Amid a global pandemic and the ongoing risk of intermittent lockdowns, investing in bricks-and-mortar seems like a bold choice. There is, however, a lot to be said for the tangibility of in-store vs online, as well as the opportunity to create strong brand loyalty through experiential shopping strategies. Plus, as GymShark’s chief brand officer, Noel Mack says, positioning GymShark on Regent Street right beside established household brands like Apple, is a firm statement from the brand as to where it sees itself in the market. Despite the sharp rise in online shopping due to outside factors, balancing ecommerce and in-store is still the best way for many ecommerce brands to maximise reach and build engagement and loyalty.