The digital landscape is constantly changing, and the need to stay ahead of the curve is becoming increasingly important… Whether you’re a social media enthusiast or a business owner keeping a watchful eye on social media platform updates, we’ve got you covered!
We’re kicking off this month’s round-up by talking security on WhatsApp! With the launch of a new ‘Security Hub’. WhatsApp is giving users even more peace of mind by providing a full overview of the safety and security tools that are available.
The Security Hub puts WhatsApp users in control of their experience in the app by adding more ways to stop scammers and hackers from stealing your data or even your account.
Sticking with WhatsApp, and it’s fair to say that they’re fully aware of the rise of direct messaging! With that in mind, a new feature is being introduced called “Broadcast Channels”.
This new feature will provide businesses with increased tools to interact with their audience while keeping communication simple. Essentially, users can send direct messages to large groups of people instead of sending them out individually. By using a broadcast channel you can ensure that your message is reaching a wider audience!
There’s been quite a big focus on Ads on Pinterest lately. Which is unsurprising as the majority of users are ready to purchase when using the platform.
‘Premier Spotlights’ is ad space with premium video placement, for example at the top of the search page. This is high-impact advertising with these ads taking up around 50% of the screen on mobile devices.
Pinterest didn’t stop there though! They’ve recently added Travel Catalogue Ads allowing brands to upload their content and the Pinterest system will transform that into ‘dynamic product ads’ displayed to Pinners.
Lastly for Pinterest, they’re testing a new system that could scan your emails in order to understand what your interests are. It’s worth pointing out that this is in the very early stages and has only come to light following the registration of a patent… But from the information provided, we know that this would be based on an authorisation from the user and would populate boards based on your individual interests.
LinkedIn has launched Direct Messaging for company pages! This update is going to allow users to start conversations with companies via the app and page admins will be able to respond as the page.
This is a great update, especially if you receive a high number of InMails about your content – for example, job posts.
Onto our first mention of AI in this round-up! And LinkedIn is experimenting with an AI assistant in your inbox. This means that’ll be able to provide quick answers to questions as you engage in your DMs!
The platform is also introducing ‘AI-Generated Copy Suggestions’ to help jumpstart your campaigns.
Next up for LinkedIn and they’re currently working on video advertising. These video ads will be shown in the stream and are comparable to those being shown on YouTube. Its unsure when this is going to be rolled out to all users, so we’ll keep you posted!
We’re starting off this section by talking about TikTok Now, remember that feature? No? Well, TikTok Now was a dupe of BeReal, allowing users to post in-the-moment images within the app. But before you get excited, the update is that this feature is being removed!
With one feature going, another is arriving and that’s Trendy Beat. A new shopping system aiming to take on the likes of Shein! Trendy Beat will have its own section within TikTok where users will be able to shop for clothing and have it delivered to them… but, for right now that’s all the information we have!
TikTok is another platform who are utilising AI by launching a new ‘AI ad script generator’. This new feature, available in the Creative Centre, will mean advertisers can input basic information about their product/service and be provided with a script including a hook and call to action!
Lastly for TikTok, they’re expanding their ‘Series’ subscription options. This will allow creators to add a paywall to access specific content. Initially, it was only available to selected creators but has been extended to all creators over the age of 18 and who have 10k+ followers.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room…and that’s Rate Limits, something that was trending over the weekend! (Yes, we know that this technically counts as a July update… but we couldn’t wait a whole month to talk about it!) If you’re unsure what we’re we mean, here’s a quick overview:
Within the space of a few hours, these limits were increased to 8k, 800 and 400, and again to 10k, 1k and 500…which all adds to the confusion and speculations that is circling around the reason for the rate limits… could it be a push towards Twitter Blue subscriptions?! What does this mean for us now? Not too much at the moment, depending on how much you use Twitter. So it’s one to keep an eye on.
The ability to edit tweets is evolving, with users now being able to edit content up to 1 hour from posting. Twitter users have been waiting a long time for the ability to edit tweets, the downside of this update is that users need to be Twitter Blue subscribers to access it.
With Twitter limiting the number of tweets users can view per day, it’s unsurprising that an alternative app would be created… and it could be Instagram who are coming to the rescue!
“Barcelona” has been in testing for a little while now, and unlike IG, it will be text-based. At the moment, there is a lot of talk around whether Barcelona will launch and if it does how will it compare to other apps – especially as it’s something quite different from visual-focused Insta! Should it be successful, it could very well compete with Twitter!
If you’re regularly hopping between Instagram and Facebook, this next update is for you.
Meta is hoping to make toggling between profiles simpler by introducing a new account-switching tool.
For users who have linked their profiles through the centralised profile hub, you can switch between apps through the profile menu. You’ll also be able to see any other linked accounts here too!
It’s hard to get away from talking about AI at the moment, and Meta is another platform who are developing various new tools to stay on top.
Meta has released their AI system which will create short videos based solely on text prompts! While we’re sure that a lot of users will have some fun creating amusing content, it does give an insight into the potential next steps for AI.
AI features aren’t the only things being rolled out by Meta HQ. They’ve also launched new tools for creators. These new tools include Reels templates, daily checklists to build presence and editing options for Reels content. The aim is to allow users to maximise reach for their content on Facebook and they get a thumbs up from us!
Last but not least, we’ve got an interesting YouTube update for you! They’re currently testing out an option to reply to comments on another user’s video with a short! This update would allow for increased engagement with the wider YouTube Community, which is great news! And while your video wouldn’t appear in another creator’s comments section, it feels a little odd to be using another creator’s comments to make videos about! So, the jury is out on this update!
Thanks for joining us, we’ll be back next month with even more updates. In the meantime, don’t forget to try some of the updates we’ve mentioned above! Let us know which update you’re most excited about on our TikTok channel!
Put your feet up, we’ve got this. We’ve been living and breathing social-first communications since the phrase “social media strategy” was first heard on business-leader lips. Get the newsletter to stay in the loop. We respect your privacy and would never sell your details on to a third party. You can unsubscribe at any time – see our Privacy Policy for more details.
01225 809990