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. TikTok Launches In-Stream Shops to All U.S. Retailers in Latest eCommerce Push
TikTok’s ramping up its next in-steam shopping push, with all U.S. businesses now able to activate TikTok Shops on their profiles.
Originally launched with selected U.S. retailers back in February, TikTok is now expanding its in-stream shopping push, which has also seen the app shut down its Storefront Shopify connection feature, in order to push more brands towards its native product listings. TikTok’s updated shop process now incorporates a product showcase on brand profiles, shop ads, which enable users to purchase from their promotions, and secure check-out via “trusted third-party payment platforms” to facilitate in-app purchases.
2. TikTok Announces New Programming and Funding Opportunities for Latin Heritage Month 2023
TikTok has announced a new slate of programming for Latin Heritage Month, along with its first-ever cohort of Latin Heritage Month Visionary Voices, to help showcase the contributions of Latin creators and businesses in the app. TikTok’s main focus is its #CasaTikTok community highlight, which will include a range of industry-shifting creatives who continue to impact TikTok culture and inspire global audiences.
3. TikTok Partners With Billboard on New Trending Track Listing
TikTok’s looking to further solidify its connection with the music industry, via a new partnership with Billboard on an official “TikTok Billboard Top 50 Chart”.
The new, weekly chart will highlight the top trending songs on the platform in the U.S., and will further underline TikTok’s importance as a driver of music interest, and a key platform for music promotion and distribution. TikTok has fast become an essential consideration for record labels and artists, due to its capacity to spark high-volume music trends, that can quickly make a track the essential hit of the moment.
4. Instagram Expands Reels Gifts to Creators in More Regions
After launching virtual gifts for U.S.-based Reels creators back in February, Instagram has now announced that Reels creators in many more regions will be eligible to receive gifts in the app, via a dedicated button on their clips.
Gifts provide another revenue generation option for Reels creators, with sticker-type gifts available in varying purchase amounts. Creators that are eligible to receive gifts will have a “Send Gift” option appear as an overlay on their Reels clips. Using this, viewers are able to send gifts to creators of varying cash amounts.
5. Instagram Adds Following Filter in the Reels Tab
Instagram’s added a new “Following” feed in the Reels tab, which enables you to only see Reels from accounts that you follow in the app. Up till now, Instagram has only offered a single Reels feed, which displays a combination of posts from accounts that you follow as well as recommended clips. But now, like TikTok’s “For You” and “Following” streams, you can choose to only see the latest videos from the accounts you choose.
6. X Rolls Out ID Verification for X Premium Users
After experimenting with the option over the past few months, X has now launched its new ID verification element for X Premium subscribers, which will enable paying users to confirm their identity, via government-issued ID, in order to have an additional marker added to their X profile.
The new process will enable users to confirm their identity via a matching process that uses both your license (or equivalent) and a selfie taken in the confirmation steps. Twitter’s partnered with “forensic identity intelligence” company au10tix for the process, which will lessen the manual labor load on X itself, but will also mean that X users will be sharing their data with both companies as part of the process.
7. X Is Testing an Expanded Profile Bio Section to Provide More User Context
X is looking to give users more room to explain themselves or their business, via an expanded bio section that’s currently in testing at the app. Soon, users will be able to include more detail in their profile section, which profile visitors will then be able to access by a “View more” prompt beneath their initial bio summary. That’ll provide more room to explain what your company is about, provide insight into your personal mission statement, or publish your manifesto for life, etc.
8. LinkedIn Adds New Branded Content Library, Listing All Influencer Campaigns in the App
After rolling out its own branded content tags for posts last month, LinkedIn has now also added a new search functionality for branded content partnerships, which will enable users to explore all of the affiliate marketing campaigns that have used the new tags in the app.
Now, when you go to LinkedIn’s Ad Library, you’ll be able to search for branded content partnerships, based on keywords and date. That’ll make it easier to find out how brands are using influencer partnerships in the app, giving you more competitive insight, while also facilitating increased transparency over paid promotions in the app.
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of this week’s Social Media Buzz. We’ll be back next week 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.