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. Facebook Adds Video Display Elements to Marketplace Listings
Facebook has added a new element to Marketplace, with sellers now able to include video within their listings, and users able to request a video to assist in their purchase decision. The capacity will help to expand the utility of Marketplace, which could make it an even more significant destination for shoppers and bargain hunters.
2. White House Recruits TikTok Influencers to Reach Young Voters with Key Messaging
As the US Government continues to weigh a potential ban on TikTok, the Biden Administration is also looking to utilize the app’s influence to sway young voters, with the White House working with hundreds of social media influencers to help communicate Biden’s policy agenda, ahead of a likely re-election campaign.
Biden’s team is aiming to work with influencers in regional communities, coinciding with Biden’s visits to those regions, in order to maximize messaging resonance. TikTok and Instagram will be the key platforms of focus in this new push.
3. TikTok Announces New Programming for Earth Month
TikTok has announced a new slate of programming for Earth Month, which will see the platform promote sustainability and environmental awareness content to help inform and educate its audience.
TikTok will showcase content that highlights sustainability best practices and advice, along with creators that are looking to promote sustainability initiatives. It will also look to highlight organizations and causes that are seeking to make changes, in order to help improve awareness among its community.
4. Instagram Shares Tips on How Brands Can Make Best Use of DMs
Instagram’s added a new info page for businesses looking to maximize their DM connection process, which includes a range of tips and pointers on how to make the best use of direct chats to stay in touch with your audience.
The overview includes some broad notes on how DMs can be of value to brands in building community, and where you can look to connect. That could provide some helpful guidance in your process – and with more people now connecting via DM, it could be a valuable consideration.
5. Snapchat Outlines New Safeguards for its ‘My AI’ Chatbot Tool
Snapchat has provided an update on the development of its ‘My AI’ chatbot tool, which incorporates OpenAI’s GPT technology, enabling Snapchat+ subscribers to pose questions to the bot in the app, and get answers on anything they like.
Snap says that only a small fraction of My AI’s responses thus far have fallen under the ‘non-conforming’ banner (0.01%), but still, this additional research and development work will help to protect Snap users from negative experiences in the My AI process.
6. Snapchat Looks to Improve Diversity and Representation in Partner Content
Snapchat has released new insights into the diversity of content that appears on its Stories page, as part of a broader effort to ensure greater inclusion and representation within its funded content in the app.
Snapchat undertook two studies on this front, partnering with the University of California, the University of Southern California, along with KRI, to assess representational equity within its programming. The results show that Snapchat-commissioned content is in line with industry norms, though Snapchat notes that it can do more to improve and ensure greater diversity in its content.
7. Pinterest Announces Expansion of ‘Creator Inclusion Fund’ Program
Pinterest has announced a new expansion of its Creator Inclusion Fund program, which specifically aims to provide support for creators from underrepresented communities.
Pinterest first launched the program back in 2021 with US creators, with the direct intention to ‘uplift creators and communities that have been disproportionately underrepresented on the platform’. The program has since been extended to UK and Brazilian users, with a focus on fashion, photography, food, and travel creators.
8. Twitter Removes Restrictions on Russian State Media Accounts
Twitter has removed restrictions on Russian government-affiliated accounts, which previous Twitter management had implemented at the beginning of the Ukraine invasion. The update aligns with Musk’s broader push for free speech, which has also included the removal of similar restrictions on Chinese state media accounts.
Tests from multiple accounts showed that Twitter’s search results, timeline, and recommendation tools are showing users such as Vladimir Putin’s presidential account, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and its UK Embassy – all of which had restrictions placed on them when hostilities broke out.
9. Twitter Implements its 50% Ad Reduction Incentive for Twitter Blue Subscribers
A new element has been added to Twitter Blue this week, with the company implementing its long-promised initiative to reduce the number of ads that Twitter Blue subscribers see in the app – though it doesn’t quite go as far as Twitter had initially suggested in its communications.
Back in November, when Twitter chief Elon Musk outlined his plan for the new Twitter Blue package, including a blue checkmark, Musk also promised that subscribers would eventually see half the ads in the app. Many have since speculated that this could prove problematic, because the amount of money that Twitter generates from ads almost outstrips the potential revenue that it could bring in via Twitter Blue payments. So it may actually not be viable, in a business sense.
10. Twitter Faces Potential Fines in Germany for Failing to Remove Illegal Content
Germany’s Federal Justice Office (BfJ) has announced that it’s launched new proceedings to potentially fine Twitter for failing to comply with the nation’s hate speech removal requirements.
Under Germany’s Network Enforcement Act, all social media platforms need to respond promptly to user reports of illegal content, with a maximum seven-day turnaround time, though a response can be required within 24 hours for ‘clearly illegal’ cases. Failure to meet these requirements can be punished under Germany’s criminal code and can result in fines of up to 50 million euros (US$59.2 million).
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.