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 look at some of the most significant developments from the last week in the world of social media.
1. Meta Shares Insights into Emerging Trends in Latest ‘Culture Rising’ Report
Meta has published the second edition of its ‘Culture Rising’ report, which looks at the latest key, emerging trends, based on the analysis of millions of conversations across Facebook and Instagram, along with additional insights from a global survey into 20 key shifts.
The 59-page report includes a heap of helpful insights and notes on key developments, which could help marketing teams refine their approach, and maximize the reach and resonance of their campaigns.
2. Meta Adds New Features for Facebook Reels, Including Longer Clips and Memories Integration
Meta has announced some new updates for Facebook Reels, including an expanded length limit, Memories integration, and new trending Reels templates.
Facebook Reels can now be up to 90 seconds long, an additional 30 seconds on the previous limit. Meta’s also integrating Memories into the mix, with a new option to ‘Share as Reel’ from your Memories prompt. Moreover, Meta’s expanding its Reels templates option to Facebook, which makes it easier to replicate trending video styles and formats. Reels templates are already available on IG, with this new variation also highlighting specific, trending clips, which will give you more ways to tap into the latest styles.
3. TikTok Implements New Usage Limits for Teen Users, Adds More Parental Control Options
TikTok is adding some new well-being elements to ensure that teens, in particular, are not spending too much time in the app, with new default time limits and prompts to guide more mindful usage.
In the coming weeks, every account belonging to a user below age 18 will automatically be set to a 60-minute daily screen time limit. Teens over the age of 13 will be able to circumvent this limit by entering a passcode to continue watching, but the prompts will ideally trigger more consideration about the time they’re spending in the app. When teens reach 100 minutes spent, they’ll receive another in-app prompt alerting them to their usage.
4. TikTok Adds New Audio Options for Brands via ‘ Sounds for Business’
TikTok has added a new collection of free-to-use audio elements to help spice up your short clips, and align with popular trends in the app.
The new Sounds for Business offering, available in TikTok’s Commercial Music Library, will incorporate a range of audio elements, including voice-over clips, music, and more - providing new options for your creations.
5. Instagram Expands Age Verification Tools to More Regions
Instagram is expanding its age verification program to Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Australia, Japan, and more countries in Europe, as it looks to improve its processes of clarifying and confirming user ages and limiting their exposure in the app.
Initially launched in the US last June, Instagram’s age verification process requires users to verify their stated age by either uploading their government ID, recording a video selfie, or asking mutual friends to verify their age.
6. Snapchat Will Now Enable Users to Restore Snap Streaks
Snapchat has announced a new offering which will enable users to restore their Snap streaks, which could actually be a very popular option, considering the social value of streaks among Snap’s user base.
Users will soon be shown a pop-up option to restore a streak, with a ‘Restore’ symbol also displayed in their chat inbox. And as Snap notes, users will be able to restore a chat for free, one time. But beyond that, it’ll cost them.
7. Pinterest Tests New ‘Premiere Spotlight’ Ads on its Search Page
Pinterest is testing out a new ‘Premiere Spotlight’ ad unit, which would place a brands’ promotion in the prominent, top-of-screen real estate on the app’s search page.
Premiere Spotlight will give advertisers prime position for 24 hours, with engaging, video promotions that will be activated in-stream. Tap on the ‘Visit Site’ CTA in the ad and you’ll be taken to the brand’s website, which opens within the Pinterest app, enabling advertisers to drive direct response from the promotion.
8. Pinterest Expands ‘Shuffles’ Collage App to Nine More Regions
Pinterest is making its collage-based app Shuffles available in nine more regions, including Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands, as it looks to capitalize on an early interest in the option and generate more reach for its main app in the process.
Pinterest first made Shuffles available to selected US users in August last year, before an expanded release to Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand in November.
9. Twitter Looking to Roll Out DM Updates, Including Full Encryption, This Month
Twitter is planning to roll out full messaging encryption this month, along with the capacity to reply to individual DMs in a chain, and use any emoji as a reaction, as opposed to the seven presets.
Twitter chief Elon Musk outlined the new time frame for the DM updates over the weekend, confirming previous reports of development on Twitter’s DM options. The biggest update here is encrypted DMs, which would move Twitter more into line with Meta and other messaging apps in providing increased privacy for users.
10. LinkedIn Launches ‘Collaborative Articles’ Powered by AI to Help Boost Member Engagement
LinkedIn has announced that it will begin using AI to expand on its content, beginning with a new initiative called Collaborative Articles, which will use AI-generated prompts to then call on specific users for their expertise and input.
Collaborative Articles will be highlighted in the LinkedIn feed, including a note on how many LinkedIn members have contributed. You’ll then be able to see contributor elements highlighted within the article, while there’ll also be a button for you to add your own perspective to the AI-created piece.
11. LinkedIn Provides New Segmentation Options for its Company Engagement Report
LinkedIn has announced some new updates to its Company Engagement Report, which will provide more in-depth data on how your LinkedIn content is reaching employees from specific companies that you’re looking to connect with.
LinkedIn’s Company Engagement Report, which is available within the Matched Audience element of Campaign Manager, shows you how many people from each company are engaging with your content.
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.