We get it! You're busy scheduling content and engaging with your followers, so it can be difficult to make time to sit down and read about the latest Facebook algorithm update or how brands are leveraging TikTok. But, hey, it's also important to carve out time to learn about new ways to improve your social media strategy. So, put down your phone (we know: it's a big ask!) and indulge in reading about recent social media updates.
Top Social Media and PR News Stories This Week
If you work in social media marketing, these are the stories you need to read this week!
New Interactive Stickers on Instagram
Control Who Can Quote Your Threads Posts
New AI Powered Meta Ad Features
YouTube Launches New AI Ideas Generator
TikTok and Universal Music Form New Licensing Agreement
New Interactive Stickers on Instagram
We’re launching new stickers in @Instagram Stories, giving you more ways to connect with the people and things you care about most. https://t.co/5wHGTlAYLZ
— Meta Newsroom (@MetaNewsroom) May 3, 2024
Instagram is adding some new interactive stickers for users to take advantage of in Stories. They include: an “Add Yours” sticker for music tracks, “Frames” for more engaging ways to include photos in Stories, a “Reveal” sticker, and “Cutouts” which create stickers from you photos.
Control Who Can Quote Your Threads Posts
Threads now lets you control who can quote your posts https://t.co/7MpModMkUf pic.twitter.com/4TJVxVileE
— Reg Saddler (@zaibatsu) May 6, 2024
In another concerted effort to offer a more customizable experience for its users, Threads has introduced a feature allowing users to control who can quote their posts. Now you’ll be able to decide if you want to cater quotes only from people you follow, people who mention you, or anyone.
New AI Powered Meta Ad Features
Meta Unveils New #AI-Powered Ad Tools at NewFronts 2024 https://t.co/p33rTBn76G via @socialmedia2day #DigitalMarketing
— Alex Jiménez (@RAlexJimenez) May 4, 2024
Meta announced some new AI powered features recently at NewFronts 2024. They include creator recommendations for finding influencers, an extension of their Image Expansion tool which can now be used in Reels, and product links for Reminder Ads.
YouTube Launches New AI Ideas Generator
YouTube will now provide suggestions for your next video - tap on the image below fore more info: https://t.co/4tiqXw0TjZ
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) May 6, 2024
YouTube has launched a live test of their AI Ideas Generator to help creators come up with new content ideas based on viewer trends. It’s an interesting concept that means creators can be more confident that their videos will resonate. The Idea Generator feature is currently only available to a small number of channels, and it will be interesting to see how it influences the kinds of videos being posted.
TikTok and Universal Music Form New Licensing Agreement
The agreement between TikTok and Universal Music Group ends the music industry’s biggest and most contentious dispute with a tech platform in years. https://t.co/2aok4OHM2v
— New York Times Music (@nytimesmusic) May 6, 2024
TikTok and Universal Music have officially formed a new licensing agreement. According to TikTok, the agreement will “...deliver improved remuneration for U.M.G.’s songwriters and artists, new promotional and engagement opportunities for their recordings and songs and industry-leading protections with respect to generative A.I.”
Update from April 30
Threads Users Can Now Hide Certain Posts
Dynamic Product Ads on Reddit
TikTok Partners With CTS EVENTIM
Instagram Prioritizes New Creators in Home Feed
Threads Users Can Now Hide Certain Posts
Threads Adds Hidden Words and Post Notification Controls https://t.co/fxjZ1shy7L @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/rK6zq1G0Jj
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) April 27, 2024
An interesting new feature on Threads will allow users to hide posts that contain certain words, phrases, or emojis. It’s another step towards helping people customize their Threads experience. This option is also available on Instagram.
Dynamic Product Ads on Reddit
A new way to reach shoppers in the discovery phase - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/X28Vf21pi1
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 25, 2024
Reddit is continuing to hone the ad experience for businesses using the platform, now offering Dynamic Product Ads. This ad option will show relevant product listings to users during their research process in a single image or carousel format. It could be a powerful new way to capture consumer interest earlier in the buying journey.
TikTok Partners With CTS EVENTIM
We are proud to unveil a new partnership with CTS EVENTIM to help artists boost their live ticket sales by connecting with fans on TikTok. Learn more on our Newsroom: https://t.co/zrbs1dxURp pic.twitter.com/R61D0px7Br
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) April 30, 2024
TikTok is partnering with European ticket sales company CTS EVENTIM to facilitate in-stream ticket purchases for various music events. It could be a powerful way for new and emerging artists to promote shows and find new audiences.
Instagram Prioritizes New Creators in Home Feed
Instagram wants to help smaller creators find new audiences for their Reels.
— Lia Haberman (@liahaberman) April 30, 2024
They just announced they’re changing how they rank content recommendations to give smaller creators a better chance of breaking through. It’ll reward original content and discourage unoriginal content pic.twitter.com/oxoMcrW0OX
This is an interesting one. Instagram has announced that it has made some changes to their algorithm to prioritize new creators and those with smaller audiences. Going forward, reposts will have a clear label and they will also not be shown in recommendations, in hopes of encouraging more original content.
Update from April 23
New Updates for Creators Using Instagram Subscriptions
LinkedIn Tests Premium Company Pages
There is Now a Premium Placement Option for Shorts Ads
Generative AI Images for Google Demand Gen Ads
New AI Watermarks on Snapchat Images
New Updates for Creators Using Instagram Subscriptions
There are 2M+ active subscriptions to creators on Instagram
— Lia Haberman (@liahaberman) April 22, 2024
Now, Meta is testing:
- a new insight that lets creators see how many people are tapping on the subscribe sticker
- new ways to prevent screenshots and screen recordings
And launched a subscription stories teaser 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/oCrmKEoX8t
Some key new updates have been introduced for creators who take advantage of Instagram’s subscription feature. A particularly useful update aims to prevent screen recording and screenshots of subscription-only posts and lives. The update also includes a new metric to help creators track sticker clicks in Stories.
LinkedIn Tests Premium Company Pages
LinkedIn tests Premium Company Pages, with AI and marketing tools to grow audiences https://t.co/IhBgC0514L
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) April 17, 2024
LinkedIn is testing some new premium company pages that include AI assistance for attracting new customers and building engagement. The offering is currently available to small and medium businesses.
There is Now a Premium Placement Option for Shorts Ads
📣 Advertisers 📣 Get your brand front-of-mind with YouTube Select Shorts — feature your brand alongside top content from sports, entertainment, food & recipes, and more.
— Google Ads (@GoogleAds) April 22, 2024
Find out more here 👉 https://t.co/YfRN7sssHV pic.twitter.com/DLdwdMXj8E
YouTube Shorts is now offering a premium placement option that businesses can use to get in front of more potential customers. This new “Select Shorts” option allows advertisers to choose from these five categories to strategically place their ads: entertainment, beauty, fashion & lifestyle, food & recipes, gaming, and automotive.
Generative AI Images for Google Demand Gen Ads
New AI-powered creative features are coming to Demand Gen campaigns to help take your visual storytelling to the next level. With generative image tools, you can now create a variety of compelling image assets in just a few steps using prompts provided by you. Read more →… pic.twitter.com/YFNmkHa3YT
— Google Ads (@GoogleAds) April 18, 2024
Google is introducing generative AI into their demand gen ads, allowing marketers to create AI visuals to accompany their promotions. Using AI to create images specific to campaign type and format could go a long way toward increasing ROI on advertising.
New AI Watermarks on Snapchat Images
Snapchat's got some new AI disclosure tools - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/Uup1lVG7vY
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 17, 2024
Snapchat will start showing a watermark so users can more easily identify AI generated images and videos that are downloaded from the app. The move will provide more transparency especially if the images are shared elsewhere after being downloaded.
Update from April 16
Snapchat Partners With New Ad Platforms
Recruiter Verification Badge on LinkedIn
More In-stream Shopping Tools on YouTube
Snapchat Debuts New AI Try-on Experience With Cartier
Snapchat Partners With New Ad Platforms
Finding it challenging to maintain a delicate balance between privacy and performance in your marketing efforts?
— sridhar (@RamaswmySridhar) April 10, 2024
We've joined forces with @Snap to confront this issue head-on by introducing the inherent privacy, governance, and collaboration capabilities of the @SnowflakeDB… pic.twitter.com/mJ4YCYRwlK
Snap has partnered with companies AppsFlyer and Snowflake to facilitate more advanced targeting, and data privacy and protection. As part of the integration with Snowflake, Snap “will serve as a key mobile platform partner” enabling marketers to work from a single view, while AppsFlyer provides an extra layer of security.
Recruiter Verification Badge on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Announces Verification for Recruiters to Help Address Scam Pitches https://t.co/TPH49hyqLC @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/5bGIBrGoL9
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) April 10, 2024
LinkedIn has added a verified badge for recruiters, which will help unwitting job seekers avoid scams. The verification process is optional but recommended. It’s a small but powerful indicator that could go a long way to improving the workflow for job seekers.
More In-stream Shopping Tools on YouTube
YouTube continues to evolve its in-stream shopping push - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/W9r1NSdqZY
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 10, 2024
YouTube is adding a few new shopping features that ecommerce businesses can take advantage of. These include “Shopping Collections”, which provide a way that creators can set up curated lists of their favorite products, and a new Affiliate Hub making it easier for influencers to connect to potential partners.
Snapchat Debuts New AI Try-on Experience With Cartier
Excited to share that today in partnership with @Cartier we launched a first-of-its-kind AR try-on experience on @Snapchat to celebrate Cartier’s 100th anniversary of Trinity. Read more about the partnership, brand new tech and experience in @WWD here: https://t.co/cjmzXTSmK8…
— Matt McGowan (@matt_mcgowan) April 10, 2024
In partnership with Cartier and to celebrate the jewelry company's 100th anniversary, Snapchat has debuted a new AI ring try-on experience. It’s the latest in similar try-on experiences that Snap has launched for products such as nail polish, glasses, and shoes.
Update from April 9
Meta Expands AI Content Tagging Policy
New “Notify” Sticker on Instagram
New B2B TV Ad Features on LinkedIn
Advanced Partner Program Launches at Snapchat
Threads Creator Bonus Program in Testing
Meta Expands AI Content Tagging Policy
More AI generated content labels on Facebook - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/Avjf8EFlSK
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 8, 2024
Meta is expanding their content policy to better indicate when a post has been created with or uses AI. The previous policy only applied to altered videos while the new label will be used to identify any photos, videos, or audio that has been AI-generated.
New “Notify” Sticker on Instagram
A new way for your fans to stay up to date on IG - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/i8WrzedRdO
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 5, 2024
A new sticker on Instagram will allow users to set a notification for when new content is uploaded by their favorite creators. Clicking the notification sticker provides users with different choices so they can customize what kind of posts they want to get notifications for.
New B2B TV Ad Features on LinkedIn
LinkedIn and NBCUniversal revealed they were working on an advertising partnership, which gives business-to-business brands a pathway to connected TV inventory with targeting that uses LinkedIn’s first-party data. https://t.co/sX8s7HLFuu
— Ad Age (@adage) April 7, 2024
Now you will be able to reach new audiences through LinkedIn CTV ads. Partnering with various video providers including Paramount and Samsung, businesses can now launch CTV ads via the LinkedIn campaign manager.
Advanced Partner Program Launches at Snapchat
Snapchat Launches Advanced Partner Program To Help Build on Opportunities https://t.co/jflFa6xjhk @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/qX2E6R1uJT
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) April 6, 2024
Snapchat is introducing a new Advanced Partner Program, an extension of their existing partner program. From Snap: “Advanced partners will receive unique benefits throughout the year including personalized training and enablement sessions, dedicated support, and additional tools and resources.”
Threads Creator Bonus Program in Testing
Meta's looking to get more influencers posting on Threads - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/fRF2yjsXgW
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 4, 2024
In effort to spur growth and engagement, Threads is experimenting with a new bonus program for creators. The incentive program will reward posts based on volume and performance. The program is currently invite-only and in the beginning stages of being rolled out.
Update from April 2
Snapchat Introduces Templates, Longer Videos, and More
New “Blend Feed” in Testing at Instagram
More Ad Features on Reddit
New Google Shopping AI Features in Testing
Snapchat Introduces Templates, Longer Videos, and More
New creative options on Snap - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/TXb3d27a3n
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 1, 2024
Snapchat is adding a range of new features including advanced AI lenses, templates for shared Memories, and longer video lengths. The lenses convert images based on certain themes and Memories can now be remixed with music allowing you to reuse clips in new and fun ways.
New “Blend Feed” in Testing at Instagram
#Instagram is working on Blend: #Reels recommendations based on reels you've shared each other and your reels interests 👀
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) March 28, 2024
ℹ️ Private between the two of you. You can leave a Blend at any time. pic.twitter.com/1kcssBuf7G
This is an interesting one. Instagram is testing a “Blend” feed which would show you recommended Reels based on those you’ve sent to friends. It’s an intriguing idea in response to the growing popularity among users of sharing content via DMs, rather than to their public feed.
More Ad Features on Reddit
Reddit's got some new AI tools for ad creation - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/xntzc4Vud1
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 1, 2024
Reddit is introducing some new Ad features for businesses to tap into. These include AI suggested headlines based on the formats that perform the best and an Asset Cropper tool that customizes imagery to fit Reddit Ad sizes. They’ve also done some work to improve bidding options.
New Google Shopping AI Features
Google is changing how online shopping works
— Roni Rahman (@heyronir) March 29, 2024
They just implemented generative AI into Google Shopping!
Here are 5 game-changing features you don't want to miss: pic.twitter.com/mjhkFVByBJ
Google Shopping is making some improvements. New AI driven enhancements will now provide related style recommendations and body-size matching. Users will also be able to refine these results by upvoting or downvoting based on personal preferences, as well as indicate which brands they’d like to see more or less of.
Update from March 26
Snapchat Adds Sponsored Filter Option for Brands
AI-Powered Skip Ahead Feature in Testing at YouTube
Instagram Tests New Carousel Comments Update
YouTube Adds Audience Segments
Snapchat Adds Sponsored Filter Option for Brands
A new ad consideration on Snap - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/LvrdSbMNw0
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 22, 2024
This is an interesting one. Snapchat has added a sponsored filter option, which brands can use for various promotions. The filters act as ads which include a link, providing more visibility and reach to a campaign. The filters are also a less heavy lift than a full AR experience, so more brands can start to take advantage of Snap as a marketing channel.
AI-Powered Skip Ahead Feature in Testing at YouTube
YouTube Tests AI-Based Skip Ahead Option, Remixes of Already Remixed Shorts https://t.co/ecbCpDFw8k @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/6DL4WvFnsy
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) March 26, 2024
YouTube is testing an AI-powered skip feature, which would make it easier to skip to popular points in a video. This update would use AI to predict the places where most users stop when fast-forwarding, offering a “jump-ahead” action if a viewer is double tapping a video to skip through.
Instagram Tests New Carousel Comments Update
🚨NEW 🚨 Instagram added the ability to mention a specific photo or video in a carousel post when leaving a comment.
— Lindsey Gamble (@LindseyGamble_) March 24, 2024
How it works: https://t.co/pZowlg4BYw pic.twitter.com/t5zvdDyN6l
Instagram is continuing to test new elements for Carousel posts. Their latest test would introduce the ability to leave a comment for a specific image or video within a carousel. This would open a lot of interesting possibilities for brands and influencers and potentially increase engagement on carousel posts.
YouTube Adds Audience Segments and Customizable
New data insights for YouTube managers - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/g11KtI7BW2
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 27, 2024
YouTube has added another audience retention metric, this time for different audience groups. This new view shows you which of your videos are most popular for various audience segments, including “New vs Returning” and “Subscribed vs Unsubscribed”, allowing you to more accurately cater your content.
Update from March 19
LinkedIn Tests Incorporating Games into the Home Feed
TikTok’s Sound Library Will Now Include Influencer Clips
New Instagram Carousel Features in Testing
Snapchat Tests Option to Keep Messages Beyond 24 Hours
Instagram Launches Promo Codes for Ads
LinkedIn Tests Incorporating Games into the Home Feed
LinkedIn is working on a new games experience.
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) March 18, 2024
Three early efforts are games called “Queens”, “Inference” and “Crossclimb.”
Read more from @ingridlunden here: https://t.co/Rw9YTt7mAs pic.twitter.com/mXGdR6JYtC
LinkedIn is reportedly experimenting with adding in-app games. It’s quite a compelling idea for encouraging engagement on the platform, with a lot of interesting possibilities, but it remains to be seen whether users will go along for the ride. Per LinkedIn, the puzzle-type games will showcase scores and rankings, “to unlock a bit of fun, deepen relationships, and hopefully spark the opportunity for conversations.”
TikTok’s Sound Library Will Now Include Influencer Clips
New audio considerations for your TikTok campaigns - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/KE5KuPuNz1
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 18, 2024
Going forward the TikTok sounds library will include audio from influencers, which brands can then tap into for their advertising purposes. These audio samples are labeled “Sounds for Business”. The new collection also includes templates that brands can use for greater success.
New Instagram Carousel Features in Testing
Instagram Experiments With More Frames Within Carousel Posts https://t.co/zfS2oztRDw @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/d67CGgvpAR
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) March 15, 2024
Instagram is testing a new feature for carousel posts. These include more frames to choose from for your posts and the ability to add 15 photos or videos as opposed to 10. Carousel posts traditionally perform better than single image posts, so the new additions could be a great way to make these posts more appealing to creators, brands, and viewers.
Snapchat Tests Option to Keep Messages Beyond 24 Hours
Snapchat's moving away from ephemeral messaging? Tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/JSvzyTu8YA
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 15, 2024
Snapchat is currently testing the option to let users keep messages past 24 hours. As disappearing messages has always been Snaps model, it’s an interesting move to say the least, and one only available to a small subset of users at the moment. Auto-delete will remain the default selection meaning users would need to actively turn this option on.
Instagram Launches Promo Codes for Ads
Instagram introduced a global rollout of ads with promo codes to enhance the shopping experience on its platform.
— Kristi Hines (@kristileilani) March 18, 2024
The new system sources active promotional codes directly from brands, ensuring Instagram and Facebook users get the best prices when shopping through ads. pic.twitter.com/BdKmLCQNGJ
Now brands advertising on Instagram can add a promo code that will be automatically applied when users shop in-app. This update will facilitate better tracking and could encourage more Instagrammers and brands to take advantage of social commerce.
Update from March 12
Long Form Post Option Available to X Premium Subscribers
New Insights for Brands Using Reddit
New LinkedIn Tool for Facilitating Internal Career Progression
Google to Start Showing Recent Social Posts in Business Results
Long Form Post Option Available to X Premium Subscribers
Share your thoughts with the @X
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) March 8, 2024
community!! @BillAckman said it best, "One of the greatest perks of X is that you'll never run out of ink!" 😉 https://t.co/d7Vvr3Sc2H
X is introducing “Articles” — a long form posting option available to premium members. It’s a move to encourage more in-app publishing as opposed to sharing outbound links to longer articles. It will be interesting to watch how user adoption of longer posts progresses among paying users.
New Insights for Brands Using Reddit
Introducing the newest toolkit for business growth: Reddit Pro.
— Reddit for Business (@RedditforBiz) March 8, 2024
Today, we are thrilled to announce Reddit Pro: Reddit's new free suite tools for businesses to establish and grow a meaningful organic presence on Reddit. With Reddit Pro, you'll gain insights to join or start… pic.twitter.com/UA4MT5zuZK
Reddit has created a new toolkit to help brands using the platform. Reddit Pro is a suite of tools, free to use, from which brands can see performance metrics and grow their presence. Currently in beta, Reddit Pro includes publishing tools, AI driven insights, and an engagement dashboard.
New LinkedIn Tool for Facilitating Internal Career Progression
LinkedIn Launches New Tools to Assist in Internal Career Progression https://t.co/S50IGv5ybY @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/lQYF4ooFgH
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) March 6, 2024
LinkedIn is introducing some new tools to help companies facilitate internal career growth for their employees. These internal mobility features include a “Next Role Explorer” that recommends potential roles, role guides, and learning plans for skill development.
Google to Start Showing Recent Social Posts in Business Profiles
Google Integrates Social Media Posts Into Google Business Profiles. via @MattGSouthern: https://t.co/jZ68j1ALCb#seonews #Google #business #SEO
— SearchEngineJournal® (@sejournal) March 11, 2024
Google has announced that it will start displaying recent social posts in business profile listings. Businesses will have control over which social profiles are connected, but posts are populated automatically. It’s an interesting, very natural development, and could inspire more businesses to pay closer attention to their posts from a quality and frequency perspective.
Update from March 5
New Safety Alerts on Instagram
More DM Features on Instagram
TikTok Tests Auto-tagging Products
Threads May Experiment With Auto-archiving Posts
New Safety Alerts on Instagram
Instagram will now highlight scam concerns in-stream - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/eMgce1qboX
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 1, 2024
Instagram plans to start sharing alerts to help prevent users from succumbing to scams on the platform. The new in-stream alerts warn of possibly malicious links, impersonators, and suspicious DMs. It’s actually quite a useful update, and could go a long way toward generating awareness of common schemes.
More Features in Instagram DMs
out: 2 months of the year 📅
— Instagram (@instagram) March 4, 2024
in: 2 new DM features ❤️🔥
you can now edit DMs for up to 15 mins and pin up to 3 messages to the top of your inbox pic.twitter.com/QjsCJpibzy
Instagram continues to add new features to their DM space, which has seen an uptick in activity over the past few years. Going forward, users will be able to pin conversations, made edits to sent DMs (within a 15 minute period), and save their favorite GIFs and stickers for future use.
TikTok Tests Auto-tagging Products
🚨 NEW 🚨 TikTok rolled out an 'Identify similar products' setting.
— Lindsey Gamble (@LindseyGamble_) February 28, 2024
This allows creators to let TikTok direct viewers to the Shop tab to view more similar products as the ones in their product review and tutorial videos.https://t.co/p1USpITTWy pic.twitter.com/05xDknI6ja
This is an interesting one. TikTok is currently testing a feature that would automatically tag similar products to those seen in certain videos. The feature identifies products using AI and links to the TikTok shop when clicked. It presents an intriguing new avenue when it comes to how influencers use the app, and could help boost social commerce activity.
Threads May Experiment With Auto-archiving Posts
Threads Chief Proposes Auto-Archiving User Posts After 30 Days https://t.co/EoIhLeCEhI @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/0qMlhnN54J
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) March 1, 2024
Threads is continuing to do what it can to differentiate itself and keep usership up, mostly with positive reception. The latest big idea however, posed by Adam Mosseri, could need some convincing. The Instagram Chief is proposing an auto-archive update, which would archive posts after 30 days. Users seem skeptical of the idea, but it may hold merit as a way to encourage more active sharing on the app.
Update from February 20
New Music Remixing Options for YouTube Shorts
Snapchat Partners With Fospha
Meta Verified Filter in Instagram Comments
Fact Checker in Testing on Threads
New Music Remixing Options for YouTube Shorts
YouTube Adds New Music Remix Options for Shorts https://t.co/dd8Qn1tIDG @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/PsdAaonghu
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) February 16, 2024
Creators mourning the suddenly lacking music options on TikTok may now lean more heavily on YouTube with this recent update. YouTube creators can now remix other Shorts in a variety of ways, including: Sound, Collab, Green Screen, and Cut. It will be interesting to watch how quickly this feature gets picked up in the wake of TikTok’s ongoing battle with Universal Music.
Snapchat Partners With Fospha
🚀 Fospha and @Snap have teamed up to help eCommerce advertisers measure the impact of their campaigns and maximize returns.
— Fospha (@WeAreFospha) February 15, 2024
Learn more: https://t.co/Q5vYSjRqj9
Snapchat has partnered with digital measurement company Fospha in order to facilitate more accurate tracking and attribution touch-points for brands. Per Snap this partnership will empower partners "to improve their attribution capabilities, identify growth opportunities, and maximize ROAS.”
Meta Verified Filter in Instagram Comments
A new way to highlight paying users? Tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/tZgweiTAbx
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) February 15, 2024
This is an interesting update. Meta is now making it possible to filter comments by Meta Verified accounts. It could be a revealing way to filter out bots, irrelevant, and less valuable comments in favor of high profile engagement from celebrities, influencers, and brands.
Fact Checker in Testing on Threads
Yes, Threads is running a fact-checking program, but the system isn’t fully rolled out https://t.co/DCgAREtMhV
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) February 16, 2024
Ahead of the upcoming election, Threads is testing a fact checker feature with the goal of minimizing the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Currently the notes attached to posts are not unique to Threads, but this is the eventual goal with Thread-specific tags.
Update from February 13
YouTube Adds Livestream Displays to Shorts Feed
Video Cutout Stickers on Instagram
Limit Your Political Posts on Threads
New Networking Prompts on LinkedIn
YouTube Adds Livestream Displays to Shorts Feed
go live & get discovered in Shorts ✨
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) February 7, 2024
NEW: now see previews of streams in the Shorts feed & tap to enter a scrollable live feed
creators: stream vertically either on YouTube or w/ streaming software & streams may be eligible for the Shorts feed 🥳
more: https://t.co/RPKQp4GM3L pic.twitter.com/W9OX9sIHub
This could be a big feature for livestreamers! YouTube will start showing in-progress livestreams in the Shorts feed; a feature that provides greater exposure for livestreams, allowing scrollers to hop in when something seems interesting. TikTok already does this, with great success, so it’s only natural that YouTube — where livestream videos are a favorite format for content creators — should try to empower creators with more visibility.
Video Cutout Stickers on Instagram
#Instagram has expanded its new Cutout sticker option to also include videos, enabling you to create animated stickers from any video clip posted in the app.https://t.co/AktRDDh9DY
— Steven Chester (@chestercheeps) February 12, 2024
Instagram is expanding on their recent update that allows users to create their own sticker cutouts from Feed posts. Now, users will also be able to do the same with videos, essentially creating a GIF. This option is available for anyone to use from videos posted publicly, although the ability can be turned off in settings.
Limit Your Political Posts on Threads
Meta doesn't want divisive political debate taking over Threads - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/59sHgGIEP9
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) February 12, 2024
Threads and Instagram are experimenting with a new “Recommendations” feature that will allow users to limit the number of political posts that they see. Users will need to proactively opt-in to see more political posts, and they can also set various “recommendations” for what they would prefer to see. It will be interesting to track how this shakes out in terms of engagement numbers on the social platforms, but for now it seems like a good move toward making your feed a more positive place.
New Networking Prompts on LinkedIn
LinkedIn's changing its Notifications stream - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/SwkWNHQ17E
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) February 7, 2024
LinkedIn is adding new prompts to help facilitate networking within the app. Going forward, users will see a tab on their homepage called “Grow” (which used to be labeled “Network”) which will show you suggested connection opportunities. A new tab within “Grow” called “Catch Up” will provide suggested prompts for reaching out to your peers.
Update from February 6
Instagram Tests Preview Mode
New Attribution Option on Meta
See Playlist Metrics on YouTube
Discovery Through Topic Tags on X
Instagram Tests Preview Mode
Instagram’s Grid Preview feature is now available to more users. 📸
— Lindsey Gamble (@LindseyGamble_) February 4, 2024
You can see how your photos and carousel posts look on your feed.
This is beneficial for those who want to maintain a specific aesthetic without relying on third-party apps. pic.twitter.com/HkldMgIJ1M
Instagram is testing a new preview mode that would allow users to test layouts for their photo and video grid before posting. This could be especially useful for brands and creators looking to create a sleeker and more cohesive feel on Instagram.
New Attribution Option on Meta
Meta introduces new "Engaged View" attribution options for video ads. #Meta #Facebook #Instagram #socialmediaads https://t.co/INonBubp9u
— Marketron (@Marketron) February 5, 2024
Meta is adding more attribution metrics to help brands understand user behavior after they engage with video ads. Now marketers will be able to measure if a conversion takes place within a specific period of time after a customer views their ad.
See Playlist Metrics on YouTube
YouTube Adds Playlist Analytics, New Insights to Assist in Content Planning https://t.co/VVRgLI1dd0 @socialmedia2day #socialmedia #smm pic.twitter.com/jmhFjMswCZ
— Lisa Marcyes (@lisa_marcyes) February 1, 2024
An interesting and potentially very useful new tool for YouTube marketers! The platform has introduced new analytics that allows you to see how users interact with your playlists. This could help you hone in on which playlists do well, and what changes you could make to encourage people to tune in.
Discovery Through Topic Tags on X
X Community admins can now boost the visibility of their communities in recommendations and search results by adding the relevant search tags. This updating feature is currently accessible only on the web.
— Dongwook (@DongWookChung2) January 30, 2024
For sports communities, I would recommend adding tags like ones below! pic.twitter.com/obnTDHOx7K
X is adding a new search and discovery parameter that could help users find relevant communities to participate in. Community admins can now add up to 10 topic tags related to the conversations that members take part in.
Update from January 30
Super Likes on YouTube
More Safety Measures on Meta for Teens
New Video Editing Option on TikTok
New Tips Hub for Small Businesses Using Reddit
Super Likes on YouTube
Like on Super Chat could prompt more engagement with paid comments. Tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/RaTTtzEeCv
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 29, 2024
YouTube is experimenting with adding “Super Likes” for “Super Chats” in livestreams and premieres. Super Chats are typically pinned during these events and a Super Like would be another way to facilitate donations and engagement.
More Safety Measures on Meta for Teens
Big news! 🎉 We’re rolling out exciting new updates on Facebook and Instagram designed to help keep teens safe online.
— Meta (@Meta) January 25, 2024
🔒 New private messaging defaults for teens
✅ Enhanced parental supervision features
Get all the details here 👉 https://t.co/J4Oc0esAGT
Meta is adding more safety measures for teen users. New restrictions further limit who can send DMs to teens, and parents will now have additional controls and visibility. Perhaps most notably, young users will now need parental consent to turn off these default settings (if their profiles are connected through the Family Center).
New Video Editing Option on TikTok
A handy new video editing option on TikTok - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/ngw9cChSKX
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 26, 2024
A small but useful new editing option is being added to TikTok. The new Cutout feature is very similar to the green screen effect but offers wider flexibility when it comes to adding different backgrounds to your videos.
New Tips Hub for Small Businesses Using Reddit
Reddit's got a new collection of tips and insights for SMBs - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/4IMJo4eq72
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 25, 2024
As it heads toward an IPO this year, Reddit is making sure businesses have all the tools they need to make the most of their advertising on the platform. Their latest addition is a mini-site for SMBs, offering tips and examples to help maximize engagement and conversions.
Update from January 23
Nighttime Nudges for Teens Using Instagram
LinkedIn Rolls Out New Sponsored Posts
AI Pets on Snapchat
New Accessibility Feature on TikTok
Nighttime Nudges for Teens Using Instagram
Introducing Nighttime Nudges on Instagram! This new feature is designed to help you keep your digital wellness on check by limiting your screen time at night. 🌙 pic.twitter.com/4fx40guD9I
— Meta (@Meta) January 19, 2024
Instagram is putting more safeguards in place for its younger users. A new update gives teens a gentle prompt to stop scrolling, after a certain amount of time. The nudge is currently set to activate during late nighttime hours when it detects that a young person has been scrolling through Reels or DMs for 10 minutes or longer.
LinkedIn Rolls Out New Sponsored Posts
A new ad option on LinkedIn - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/WZo1UHkwul
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 19, 2024
A new sponsored post option is now available on LinkedIn, which could help increase lead generation through the site. With the new feature, companies can promote LinkedIn articles that they write with various CTAs including asking people to sign up before reading further.
AI Pets on Snapchat
Snapchat+ has added a feature for custom Bitmoji, allowing you to use AI to create real or imaginary pets. pic.twitter.com/1B4596rJDK
— Jonah Manzano (@jonah_manzano) January 20, 2024
A whole new generation is discovering the joy of virtual pets. (Although the Snapchat version is a touch more sophisticated than our Tamagotchis). The new AI pet feature allows Snapchat+ subscribers to use generative AI for creating the pet of their dreams, real or imaginary.
New Accessibility Feature on TikTok
TikTok just became even more accessible! In an effort to ensure we're meeting our community's needs, we're launching new dynamic text size options 🤩📱To learn more about this feature update, go to your display settings in the TikTok app! pic.twitter.com/JIUxSW4GLj
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) January 22, 2024
TikTok continues to add accessibility features that make it easier for wider audiences to enjoy the app. Their latest update incorporates larger display text to make it easier to read. Although it’s important to note that text used within TikTok clips themselves still has size limitations.
Update from January 16
Create Custom Stickers on Instagram
Polls and Voice Notes in WhatsApp
AI Song Generation in Testing at TikTok
More Creator Management Tools From Meta
Create Custom Stickers on Instagram
You can now create stickers from any still image post on IG, which could provide a range of new content opportunities. https://t.co/OE73y78D1I #SocialMedia @socialmedia2day #instagram
— Melanie Wise (@mwise1) January 18, 2024
Instagram is introducing a new feature that allows users to create custom stickers from their own photos, or the photos of other creators, if they are shared publicly. These can then be re-shared via Stories or Reels. For brands this could present an interesting new avenue for encouraging UGC.
Polls and Voice Notes in WhatsApp
starting with Polls 🤩 Channel admins can now send out Polls to get your thoughts and opinions@NatGeo has already sent one out 👀 https://t.co/jNyxHCmRNI
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 17, 2024
WhatsApp has added the option to include polls and voice notes in channels, increasing the ways that brands can drive engagement and connect with their audiences through the app.
AI Song Generation in Testing at TikTok
Need a song for your TikTok clip? You may soon be able to create one via AI - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/h1lA5ef5iJ
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 18, 2024
TikTok is coming out strong on the AI front in the new year with a new song generation feature. Now users can create prompts and the app will create song lyrics powered by Bloom, a multilingual language model.
More Creator Management Tools From Meta
Meta just rolled out Creator Management Tools for agencies 🧰
— Lia Haberman (@liahaberman) January 17, 2024
The tool allows you to connect with and manage creators' accounts
Can connect page earnings to your payout account
And eliminates the need for credential sharinghttps://t.co/EJs0pra554 pic.twitter.com/8fJxPzclAQ
Meta is improving the way that brands can connect with creators and facilitate partnerships. Now talent management agencies will be able to more easily access analytics data for influencers such as audience size and page earnings.
Update from January 9
X Expands Partnership With Shopify
TikTok Announces Chromecast Integration
New Marketing Partner Categories Introduced on TikTok
Reddit Report Showcases Power of Peer Product Review
X Partners With Shopify
X 🤝@Shopify
— Business (@XBusiness) January 9, 2024
More to come on this new partnership, enabling all Shopify merchants to reach even more customers by leveraging the power of X!
X is expanding its Shopify partnership to try and entice more merchants to advertise and promote products in-app. New features will include more product amplification options, a simpler catalog update process, and more ways to maximize ad activity.
TikTok Announces Chromecast Integration
You can now watch your favorite TikTok videos on the big screen! Casting from TikTok is now available for devices with Chromecast built-in. Learn more here: https://t.co/iNAyIF2Rbv
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) January 9, 2024
Is this the next phase of TikTok viewing? The app has announced a new Chromecast integration that would allow people to view TikTok videos on TV. Some options for watching TikTok videos this way already exist, but with Chromecast, TikTok is hoping to expand this viewing experience to a wider user base.
New Marketing Partner Categories Introduced on TikTok
More specific assistance for TikTok marketers - tap on the image below for more info: https://t.co/Kr0rJfvf5H
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 9, 2024
TikTok is introducing some new ways that brands can facilitate better engagement, with categories that provide better context when it comes to performance and goals. These new measurement partners are now separated into the categories of “Cross Channel” and “Lift”.
Reddit Report Showcases Power of Peer Product Review
At #CES2024, discover how search and social features have come together to create a new context for brands - at Reddit. #RedditatCES https://t.co/MKnR8fIGo9
— Reddit for Business (@RedditforBiz) January 2, 2024
Reddit continues to illustrate their unique power for brands with a look at how people take advantage of the platform to learn about products and find reviews. One of the most compelling stats revealed in their latest user study drives this home: “In 2023, users added “Reddit” to Google searches 32B times as they sought answers from real people rather than traditional influencers, digital articles or sponsored listicles.” (Reddit)