The latest product releases and updates that affiliates and marketers should know about.
In this new series, Affiliate Leaders rounds up the top product releases from the past few weeks, as we explore why it matters to digital marketers.
This month we analyse a new app from Meta, Amazon’s latest move in the world of AI shopping and new ad formats from PropellerAds.
Meta launches new app called Forum
Meta has quietly launched a new group-focused app called Forum.
The app separates Facebook Group activity into a standalone platform described as a “dedicated space built for deeper discussions, real answers and the communities you care about”.
Users will need a Facebook account to be able to use Forum. Their profile and activity will be carried over to the new app once they have logged in. They will then be able to engage in group discussions or find related groups based on topics they are interested in.
According to the app store description, the groups will still exist on Facebook and anything shared in Forum will be visible in the groups on Facebook.
Leaders’ take
Meta is clearly aiming to create a Reddit-like experience with Forum. Reddit has become one of the most cited sources in AI chatbot answers and Meta is looking to tap into that by creating an app that focuses on users asking questions and getting humans to respond – answers which are also then vetted by the community.
For marketers, this shifts how community-driven data can be targeted – by pulling Facebook Groups into a dedicated, search-first interface, Meta is opening a goldmine of high-intenet audience data.
Amazon merges Rufus with Alexa
Amazon has updated Alexa for Shopping by merging it with its AI-powered shopping assistant Rufus and Alexa+, across the app, website and Echo Show devices.
As part of the upgrade, the e-commerce giant will retire the Rufus brand from its external shopping interface, but it will continue to operate in the backend.
Alexa for Shopping has been designed to help consumers compare products, check price history and automate the buying process. New features include asking questions in the main search bar on Amazon, automating shopping tasks, providing generated-AI overviews in search and on product pages as well as searching across other retailer sites.
Alexa for Shopping is currently available to US customers.
Leaders’ take
Like traditional search, e-commerce typically relied on shoppers typing keyboards and browsing a page of results by clicking on a product. This move from Amazon changes that, it’s moving towards a question-and-answer model used by AI-chatbots like ChatGPT.
There are a couple of things for marketers to note here. Firstly, the data – Alexa for Shopping uses a single user profile across Amazon’s services offering a wealth of information that can be used to personalise campaigns. Secondly, it opens doors to creating campaigns that don’t just sit within Amazon’s ecosystem, given that it also uses data from other retailer’s sites.
PropellerAds launches interactive ad formats
PropellerAds, a performance adtech platform, has launched interactive ads – a new format designed to help advertisers improve click quality and achieve a higher conversion rate.
The new format requires users to complete a ‘lightweight interaction’ such as swiping, selecting, taking a mini quiz or clicking a confirmation, before entering a landing page. This brief step, which takes seconds, helps to filter high-intent users who are more likely to engage and convert.
PropellerAds’ platform automatically matches the most suitable interactive types based on the advertiser’s goals without the need for additional creative assets or technical developments.
These ads can then be activated directly within an advertisers’ existing campaign workflow.
Leaders’ take
This is a smart move from PropellerAds, given there is an abundance of content that consumers consume in a day now. Interactive ads are generally shown to be more successful increasing conversion rates as it moves the user from being passive to actively participating with a brand.
For marketers, it’s also worth noting the interactive ads from PropellerAds can also be integrated with other ad formats, meaning it can act as a bridge between user interest and final conversion.
