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 Announces New Partnership with US Bank to Provide Financial Support for API-Owned Businesses
Meta has announced its partnership with US Bank to provide new pathways to financial support for API businesses. Under the new program, Meta and US Bank will provide a range of financial literacy resources and dedicated programming to support Asian small businesses.
The partnership will see Meta act as a conduit of sorts between API businesses and these assistance tools, which will help connect US Bank with thousands of API-owned SMBs through Meta’s expansive network.
2. Meta Expands Reels Monetization to More Creators, Updates Payout Process
Meta has updated its monetization program for Reels creators, which will now see creators paid based on the performance of their content, as opposed to the ads shown alongside their clips.
Meta’s Reels ads program, which it first launched last year, will also now be expanded to thousands more users, as Meta continues to develop new models to ensure that its top stars get paid, which will ideally keep them posting their Reels content to its apps.
3. TikTok’s Testing a New Process to Help Musicians Maximize Exposure in App
TikTok’s experimenting with a new way to provide more exposure for musicians in the app, by giving users the capacity to create content based on their music to help amplify their in-app reach.
As a result, some TikTok users are now seeing a new ‘Work with Artists’ option in their Creator Tools menu, which, when selected, takes you through the process of selecting a track and creating content based on that music. Once you find a song that you like, you can choose a paid challenge, which will make you eligible for cash rewards based on engagement with the subsequent video that you create using that music.
4. TikTok Launches New Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month
TikTok is launching a new #MentalHealthAwareness hub to provide more direct info and assistance to users in the app. The new in-app hub will provide insights into a range of health and well-being topics, along with direct connection to support organizations, and other resources.
TikTok’s also launching a new ‘Mental Health Media Education Fund’ to help improve mental support messaging, while it’s also donating over $2 million in ad credits to organizations working on well-being, including Crisis Text Line, The National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Eating Disorder Association. TikTok is also hosting a series of training sessions to equip these partner organizations with tools to help boost their messaging in the app.
5. TikTok Launches New In-App Music Hub to Highlight Trending Artists
TikTok continues to develop new tools to enhance its value for musicians, with the launch of a new #NewMusic Search Hub in the app which will highlight the latest tracks from popular artists. The #NewMusic hub will highlight the latest trending tracks, with a focus on well-known artists and their new releases.
TikTok says that the new hub will enable fans to discover the best new music before it’s heard anywhere else, while also enhancing the exposure potential for emerging artists, helping to grow their fanbases in the app.
6. TikTok Announces New Partnership with Smartly.io to Facilitate Video Shopping Ad Creation
TikTok has added a new element to its Marketing Partners Program, with Smartly.io coming on board as its inaugural video shopping ads partner, providing a new pathway to facilitating in-stream commerce in the app.
TikTok’s Video Shopping Ads guide users from a video clip to check-out in the app, streamlining the shopping process within the TikTok feed. Smartly’s integration will enable brands to integrate their product catalog and offers, simplifying the shop process.
7. TikTok Launches ‘TikTok World Hub’ to Share Guides and Insights for Marketers
TikTok held its third annual ‘TikTok World’ event, where it shared new insight into its latest product developments, ad tools, and creator options, along with strategy tips and pointers to help businesses grow their TikTok presence.
The TikTok World Hub includes video presentations from the event, covering the latest creator tools and options, including eCommerce elements, improving ad tools and more. There are also links to a range of guides that can help to improve your TikTok marketing approach.
8. Pinterest Launches Simplified Pin Creation Flow, Adds Links in All Pins
Pinterest is looking to simplify its creation flow, by combining all of its creation features into a single stream, including functionality that up till now was only available in certain Pin formats.
While you needed to choose Idea Pins to add video when creating a Pin, now, all of the features will be integrated into a single flow, so you won’t need to know which elements incorporate which posting features. Pinterest is also rolling out enhanced metrics on Pins, including views and watch time, which will make it easier to track and measure Pin performance.
9. Twitter Adds New Video Playback Speed Controls, Flags Coming Video Updates
Twitter added new playback speed controls for videos in the app, another step in its video development roadmap which looks set to become an even bigger focus under incoming CEO Linda Yaccarino.
Twitter’s already added longer video uploads for Blue subscribers, along with enhanced playback quality options. Now it’s also added playback speed controls to give users more control over how they manage their in-app video experience.
10. Elon Musk Announces that He’s Hired a New CEO to Replace Him at Twitter
Elon Musk has announced that a new CEO will be taking over from him at the app in 6 weeks. Many have been calling for Musk to step aside and let somebody else take over at the app. A poll conducted by Musk back in December, which garnered 17.5 million responses, indicated that Twitter users would prefer to have a different person in charge.
11. Twitter Launches Initial Version of Encryption for DMs
Twitter has released what it’s calling the first stage of its rollout of encrypted DMs, which Twitter itself says are not secure as yet, but will improve over time.
Twitter’s new encryption process will enable users to switch on encryption within their chats. But your messages won’t really be encrypted, at least in the sense that the term normally implies. The functionality is also fairly limited in who can actually use it, which has prompted much criticism from privacy experts.
12. Twitter Launches Direct Responses in DM Threads, Expanded Emoji Response Options
You’ll now be able to reply directly to any message within a Twitter DM thread, making it easier to interact within group chats and discussion, with greater clarity around who and what you’re responding to in-stream.
Twitter’s also added a new emoji picker within DMs, so you can react to a message with a wider range of emoji options. Twitter first previewed this back in January, and it’ll provide more ways to use quick emoji responses within DMs, which could add another fun element to your chat interactions.
13. LinkedIn Adds New Topic Prompts to Help Creators Build Their Presence in the App
LinkedIn has also added some new topics and post prompts to help guide creators in building their in-app presence. LinkedIn has been rolling out its new ’Analytics and tools’ dashboard to users that have had Creator Mode switched on over the last few months. Creator Mode provides a full overview of content performance, as well as the creator-specific tools available to you.
14. LinkedIn Shuts Down Chinese Jobs App, the Last Element of LinkedIn in the Region
LinkedIn has shut down its remaining Chinese job service, called InCareer, which will also see the loss of 716 jobs.
LinkedIn shut down its main LinkedIn platform in China back in 2021, due to government restrictions on its operations. As a result, LinkedIn essentially reduced its Chinese presence to a simple job posting network, but now that’s going too, which will see the app say goodbye to around 59 million members.
15. WhatsApp Launches In-App Feature for Singapore Users to Pay Local Businesses
WhatsApp users in Singapore may now pay businesses based here through the chat application, without being redirected to another website or having to open another app.
Messaging platform WhatsApp said in a press release that the new feature will enable Singapore residents with a WhatsApp phone number registered here to pay using credit cards, debit cards or PayNow. It added that the feature — supported by WhatsApp's payments service provider partner, Stripe — will be rolled out to a "small number" of Singapore-based businesses and will be available to more in the coming months.
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.
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