Welcome to Social Media Buzz Weekly, your weekly bulletin of the latest social media updates. With the social media landscape evolving with each passing day, it can be challenging to keep a tab on the rapid developments. Well, not anymore, as we have taken it upon ourselves to keep you abreast of every happening in the social media space.
So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at some of the most significant developments from the last week in the world of social media.
1. Twitter Will Re-Launch Swipeable Feed Alternatives Amid Growing Frustration Around Tweet Recommendations
Elon Musk has announced the launch of swipeable Feed alternatives that will allow users to swipe to the side to switch between recommended and followed tweets, trends, topics, etc.
If this sounds similar, it’s because Twitter released the exact functionality in March last year too. However, Twitter removed the option to swipe between your algorithmically-defined ‘Home’ timeline and ‘Latest’ tweets as people didn’t like the ‘Home’ timeline approach, which kept showing them old tweets, tweets from people that they don’t follow, tweets liked by their connections, etc.
2. Instagram Chief Outlines Key Areas of Focus for the App in 2023
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has provided some insight on what the platform’s key areas of focus would be, along with a quick overview of the platform’s three key priorities for 2023.
From what Mosseri said, you can expect to see Instagram adding in more visual customization and editing tools, with more focus on AR creation, and integrating 3D objects and experiences in the app. Also, you can expect Instagram to continue showing you content from people and pages that you don’t follow in your main IG feed in the platform’s bid to help people discover the things they love.
Moreover, new additions like ‘Notes’, which enables users to share a conversation prompt in a Stories-like bubble above your Direct inbox, could be used to spark connections between people.
3. Twitter Starts Rolling Out YouTube-like 'View Count' Feature for Tweets
Twitter has started rolling out view count for tweets, a feature that shows how many people have viewed a particular tweet.
The Verge, an American technology news website, has reported that inside the app users can now see view counters alongside the number of comments, retweets, and likes. However, not every tweet will have a visible view count, according to a Twitter FAQ. The exceptions include Community tweets, Twitter Circle tweets, and "older" tweets because the data for them won't isn't available.
4. TikTok Names Harvard-Educated Executive to Lead E-Commerce Product Development
TikTok is set to ramp up its online retail initiatives, as Harvard-educated executive Kevin Chen Xi will join the platform as head of e-commerce product and data, according to people who were briefed on the appointment.
In his new role, Chen will spearhead online retail product operations at TikTok and report to Bob Kang Zeyu, who serves as president of e-commerce at the platform.
5. Twitter Says Paying Blue Subscribers Now Get ‘Prioritized Rankings in Conversations’
Twitter has updated its list of features for Twitter Blue, saying subscribers paying for the $8-a-month service will now get “prioritized rankings in conversations” and the ability to upload videos up to 60 minutes in length.
An update to the company’s Twitter Blue support page says these priority replies are now in effect, though it doesn’t reference priority in search or mentions. The company doesn’t offer detail on how the feature works, saying only: “This feature prioritizes your replies on Tweets that you interact with.”
6. LinkedIn Previews New Job and B2B Product Search Options Coming in 2023
LinkedIn has previewed some of its planned updates for the new year, including new job category filters, which align with trending career shifts, and improved search options for product listings in the app.
LinkedIn will soon test new job listing categories, based on location, company, role flexibility, and more. Thus, LinkedIn’s job categories will split advertised roles into different, trend-aligned segments, to help you discover more opportunities aligned with different interests.
LinkedIn’s also looking to add new category filters for its product listings in the app, providing more discovery potential for its B2B product pages, which it first launched back in 2020.
7. Twitter Sued for Nonpayment of Rent on San Francisco Office
Twitter’s landlord in San Francisco is suing the company for not paying rent. The landlord, whO owns the Hartford Building that houses Twitter’s headquarters, claims the company owes $136,250 in unpaid rent. It allegedly notified Twitter on December 16th that it would default on its lease if it doesn’t receive payment, but Twitter never complied.
The lawsuit comes after last month’s report from The New York Times, which indicates Twitter has stopped paying rent on all of its global offices “for weeks” as a cost-cutting measure. Twitter’s also facing a lawsuit for allegedly failing to pay a $197,725 bill for two private jet flights.
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of this week’s Social Media Buzz. We’ll be back next Monday with more news and updates for you from the social media world. Till then, stay tuned!
If you want to read more on the latest developments taking place in the social media space, take a look at ClickInsights’ Social Media Buzz, wherein we bring to you monthly reports on everything going on in social media, ranging from platform updates to policy changes that influence the way we market.