If you’re one of the many people who have taken a break from social media until after the election is over, you may have missed some of the more recent updates regarding social media, the Internet of Things, and advertising. Don’t worry, however, because at Carousel30, even an intense election season can’t drive us away from digital marketing news. Check out some of the updates you may have missed:

Google

Earlier this month, Google hosted a hardware unveiling event in San Francisco. The tech giant revealed five new hardware products, all of which expand upon the Internet of Things agenda. The most talked about new product coming from Google is the Google Pixel—a phone that hopes to rival Apple’s iPhone—but experts aren’t so sure the Pixel will be able to compete. And, it’s not just Apple that Google wants to compete with; following the unexpected success of digital assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana, the company released Google Assistant, an assistant that will allow users to search Google and hear results without needing to lift a finger.

Another device Google released this month is one that masters virtual reality with a product called Daydream View. Daydream View will sell for $79 and will be released in the next several months. Tech reporters are calling Daydream View the “coziest VR headset” and are hoping that this attempt at taking over the virtual reality world is more well received by users.

The final two products released by Google are Google Chromecast Ultra, an update to the company’s streaming service, and Google Wifi. Google Chromecast Ultra offers an insight to how Google sees the future of TV—increased bandwidth and the ability to stream TV from any device, any where. On the same note, Google Wifi is a wireless internet router that aims to blanket your home with wireless internet access. The sleek white design isn’t nearly as bulky as traditional internet boxes so it can be displayed out in the open which will, in turn, improve wifi in the home. The low cost of Google Wifi is also a selling point, so we expect to see these popping up in homes all over.

Advertising

If you are thrilled by the lack of Santa Claus and snowman-filled ads this fall, you can thank Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Experts say that most retailers are delaying their holiday ads—which usually begin to roll out before Halloween—until after the election cycle wraps up in early November.

The lack of holiday-themed ads only means another themed advertisement is filling up the media: election advertisements. While TV advertisements with Anti-Clinton and Anti-Trump messages have populated the airwaves, some election advertisements are actually aiming to do good. The Ad Council recently partnered with Facebook Messenger to encourage users to vote with an advertisement called GoVoteBot. The bot will provide future voters all the information they need to register to vote, find their voting locations and get an absentee ballot.

Social Media

Are your social media followers unimpressed by your latest marketing techniques? Sprout Social released a study this month that answers this exact question. It turns out that while you may think posting promotions is enticing your viewers to buy your product, too many promotions is the number-one reason people unfollow companies on social media. Alternatively, an interest in a brand offline is the number one reason users follow companies on social media. So take this as a lesson: use social media as a tool to keep customers interested, not draw them in exclusively.

Facebook could become one of the most visited websites at work in the near future, and not because employees are being unproductive while on the clock. Facebook finally launched Workplace by Facebook, a division of the social media platform designed specifically for use by companies, and is now available to any company who wants to implement it. The new version of Facebook allows employees to use all of the features of the traditional platform like messenger, groups, news feed, Facebook live, but in a setting that is strictly for the office. Companies can implement Workplace by Facebook by applying on the website. The service costs vary from $1 to $3 per month based on the number of users within the company.

As many do, we had to save the best for last… Just when you thought Snapchat wouldn’t follow Facebook and Twitter by taking the IPO route, the company is preparing to go public as early as March 2017. Snap Inc. is said to be preparing an initial public offering at a value of around $25 billion, which could make it one of the highest profile debuts in years.