Instagram Launches New Feature to Reset Algorithm 🔄

Ever wished life had a reset button? Well, Instagram just made that dream come true—at least for your algorithm. 

Hello there, and The Ecom Press 🗞️, your weekly roundup of the latest ecommerce buzz 🚨! 

Apart from Instagram’s latest “Recommendations Reset” feature, today, we’re diving into Google’s new Merchant Center insights that could boost your sales. 

Plus, word on the street is that Black Friday is in two days, and Amazon’s all prepped with its star-studded Black Friday shopping shows.

Ready to make this week count? Let’s jump in!

In a rush? Here's the juice🤭:

🔄 Instagram launches new feature to reset algorithm. 

📊 Google Analytics adds Merchant Center insights to improve product visibility.

📺 Amazon partners with TalkShopLive for Black Friday shopping shows.

🚀 Ecom Strategies: 5 Must-Track Metrics for Black Friday Success

⚡️Worthy Mentions

🔄 Instagram launches new feature to reset algorithm. 

Instagram is rolling out a "Recommendations Reset" tool, allowing users to clear their content suggestions in Explore, Reels, and Feed. Initially designed for teens, this feature aims to give users more control over their Instagram algorithm and will soon be available globally.

Here’s the lowdown ⬇️: 

🐎 Reset Recommendations: With just a few taps, users can wipe their recommendation history clean, starting fresh as Instagram's algorithm resets based on new interactions. This offers a "clean slate" for anyone looking to tailor their feed to current interests.

🧍‍♂️Personalized Control for Teens: Teens can reshape their feed by selecting topics they’re passionate about—such as books, sports, or travel—while filtering out content they’d rather avoid. Features like the "Following Feed," which presents posts chronologically, and "Favorites Feed," highlighting chosen accounts, give teens more control over what they see.

🔍 Filtering Options: Instagram continues to offer tools like “Not Interested,” allowing users to remove unwanted recommendations, and "Hidden Words," which filters content based on specific terms or phrases. These features ensure a more tailored and relevant feed for everyone.

🪞Transparency: The newly launched Transparency Center page provides a detailed breakdown of Instagram’s protective measures for teens, outlining steps taken to block sensitive or mature content. It’s a resource designed to help both users and parents understand how the platform promotes safe browsing.

🔞 Parental Guidance: In collaboration with Joanna and Clea from The Home Edit, Instagram is encouraging parents and teens to declutter their digital spaces. Just like tidying up physical homes, the partnership offers tips on regularly reassessing what users follow and ensuring their feed aligns with their interests.

Our take  🤔? 

A more personalized Instagram could mean better opportunities for authentic connections. But brands might see a short-term dip in follower counts as users unfollow irrelevant accounts. However, this feature could enhance engagement rates by connecting businesses with a more relevant audience. Content will need to stand out to re-engage users rebuilding their feeds.

📊 Google Analytics adds Merchant Center insights to improve product visibility.

Google is making it easier for merchants to resolve product disapprovals with its newly introduced Merchant Center Recommendations in Google Analytics. This update is designed to help businesses improve their product visibility on Google Shopping and enhance their Shopping ad performance by addressing approval issues directly.

Here’re the deets 📝:

👀 Where to find it: The recommendations are integrated into Google Analytics, accessible via the Home page, Insights hub, Reports snapshot, and the Acquisition overview report.

🤷‍♂️ How it works: The tool identifies products disapproved in Google Merchant Center and the associated problems, alerts you, and links directly to the affected listings, streamlining the resolution process.

🎯 Purpose: By fixing these disapprovals, merchants can ensure their items are eligible for Google Shopping results and Shopping ads, increasing organic traffic and maximizing ad potential.

Why it matters ❗️

Products that are disapproved can't appear in Shopping ads or results. So, addressing these issues brings significant exposure and sales opportunities for merchants. Google emphasizes that resolving them can lead to better ad performance and increased online sales by ensuring more products reach potential buyers. 

It’s safe to say that maintaining a clean, optimized catalog is not optional—it’s sure going to help drive organic traffic and achieve better ad ROI.

📺 Amazon partners with TalkShopLive for Black Friday shopping shows.

Amazon Live is teaming up with video commerce platform TalkShopLive for the first time, and they’re pulling out all the stops for Black Friday. This collaboration brings celebrity-hosted live shopping shows to Amazon’s expansive audience, promising an engaging mix of entertainment and exclusive deals.

What to expect 🤭

⭐️ Celebrity Lineup: Martha Stewart, Eva Mendes, Jennifer Hudson, and Kimberly Schlapman will host 30-minute segments featuring Amazon’s Black Friday deals.

• Martha Stewart kicks things off at 7:00 PM ET with her “10 Good Things for the Holidays,” featuring home essentials from her Martha Stewart Collection and her milestone 100th book, Martha: The Cookbook.

• Eva Mendes follows at 7:30 PM ET, presenting her children’s book, Desi, Mami, and the Never-Ending Worries, alongside holiday gift bundles from her SKURA Style line.

• At 8:00 PM ET, Jennifer Hudson showcases her holiday album The Gift of Love and shares festive gift ideas.

• Closing the night, Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town shares hosting tips, recipes, and tablescape designs inspired by her band’s album The Christmas Record.

📺 Where to Watch: Viewers can tune in on TalkShopLive, Amazon.com/Live, Amazon Live’s FAST channel, or the stars’ social media platforms. The Emmy-winning team at TalkShopLive ensures top-tier production quality, adding a polished edge to the live shopping experience.

Now, blending ecommerce and entertainent is a surefire way to connect with customers. With such partnerships showcasing live shopping as a marketing channel, brands gain access to a platform where celebrity endorsement meets real-time consumer engagement.

Come to think of it; if live shopping continues to thrive alongside online shopping, we’re likely to see brands that can seamlessly merge storytelling with sales leading the pack in ecommerce.

🛎️ The Ecom Press Insider

Ecom Fun Fact: Did you know that the term “Black Friday” was once used in Philadelphia in the 1960s by the police to describe the heavy traffic and chaotic crowds that flooded the city after Thanksgiving?

Retailers later attempted to rebrand it, positively associating it with being "in the black" (profitable) rather than "in the red" (losing money). Smart move or nah?

🚀 Ecom Strategies: 5 Must-Track Metrics for Black Friday Success

Black Friday is just two days away, and while everyone’s chasing sales figures, it’s the less obvious metrics that reveal what’s truly working. Let’s dive into five metrics you shouldn’t overlook if you want to maximize success this season.

💸 Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): You’ve spent a fortune on ads, but how much is it actually costing you to bring in each new customer? CAC measures this down to the dollar, and during Black Friday, it often skyrockets. Knowing your CAC helps you evaluate if those steep discounts and flashy campaigns are worth the buzz—or if you’re just burning through cash for one-time buyers.

🛒 Cart Abandonment Rate: Imagine your customers carefully curating their carts, only to ghost at checkout. Tracking abandonment rates shows how often this happens and hints at possible pain points, like hidden fees or a complicated process. A small tweak—like clearer shipping costs or a one-click checkout option—could save thousands in lost sales.

🤑 Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS): Your ads might be slick, but are they profitable? ROAS tells you how much revenue each advertising dollar generates. A low ROAS signals it’s time to tweak your targeting, rethink your creative, or pause campaigns that aren’t pulling their weight.

📈 Subscriber Growth Rate: If you’re running subscription deals, this metric is gold. Black Friday is prime time for snagging long-term customers, not just one-time buyers. Tracking how many subscribers you gain gives a clear picture of how well your “subscribe & save” offers are converting.

🚦 Traffic Sources: Do you know where your buyers are coming from? Tracking traffic sources—like email campaigns, paid ads, or social media—can highlight your most effective channels. This helps allocate future budgets more wisely and optimize underperforming channels before the holiday shopping season is over.

⚡️Worthy Mentions

• Coca-Cola faces backlash over AI-generated holiday ad.

• Google Ads Customer Match new policy warns customers may lose access.

• TikTok Shop extends holiday returns deadline to February 2025.

• Target and Bogg team up for exclusive holiday tote bag collection.

• SKIMS x Dolce & Gabbana launch sparks a frenzy and crashes site.

And that’s a wrap!

With the recent updates from Instagram and Google, control and visibility are the name of the game. From personalizing your algorithm and fixing disapprovals, it’s all about making the right things show up at the right time.

Speaking of timing, tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, and it’s a perfect moment to pause, reflect, and appreciate the wins and the goodness of life 😇. And as Black Friday rolls in, don’t miss out on your chance to snag those deals you’ve been eyeing 😉.

As always, stay curious, smash that subscribe button if you haven’t already, and we’ll catch you next week 🕺!