We’ve moved into the season of change, and we’ve seen a good few social media updates this month! From AI Training updates, to a shift focussing more on fostering community, you don’t want to miss these top updates! So, let’s jump straight in.
We’re kicking off the social media updates this month with a focus on AI… specifically how your content is being used to train it.
You may have heard that Meta has started using public content from UK users to train their AI systems. The reason for this is to ensure that their AI models better reflect British culture and allow UK companies to utilise the latest technology.
LinkedIn has also started training their AI on content created by UK users… This big difference here is that it’s come to a stop due to privacy concerns raised by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
If you’re looking for an example of growing concerns, look no further than ‘Goodbye Meta AI’. This post has been shared a lot across Instagram Stories and says ‘I do not give permission to use any of my personal data, profile information or photos’. It’s not just ‘Joe Public’ sharing this message to their stories, celebrities including Julianne Moore and James McAvoy recently shared it too. And, while this is a good way of raising awareness about platform changes, unfortunately, it doesn’t work.
So how do you opt out? Users need to go to Instagram’s or Facebook’s website and fill out an objection form, which is reviewed by Meta. You can find a fantastic step-by-step guide on how to access this form on the Which? Website.
Moving onto our first, of many, social media updates this month…
Firstly, Instagram now allows public comments on Stories, which were previously private. While this update might not sound like much, it could mean users will see a boost engagement.
Speaking of engagement! Instagram has added a feature that means you can reply to Broadcast Channels. If you’re not sure what Broadcast Channels are, we mentioned them back in October. This update will help continue fostering a two-way conversation between the creator and user, helping build your community and increase engagement.
There is also chatter that Instagram might be rolling out a way to share Instagram post comments to Threads. We’re unsure on this update, but there are some upsides. It may result in additional users for Threads, make both apps more integrated and diversify content.
Lastly for Instagram, the platform has added photo editing tools to direct messages. So, what does this mean? Well, users will be able to share content privately while being able to use the fun features available in stories!
Moving on to TikTok, which has seen an exciting new feature that allows you to re-edit and delete videos after publishing. We can’t be the only ones who have been waiting for this update to come along!!
This new update means that users can make changes and recreate the original clip. This update gets a big thumbs up from us… but, it’s important to note that this feature won’t work if you use third-party apps like Capcut to create your content.
Next, TikTok has introduced an Instagram notes-like feature to users’ inboxes called ‘Thoughts’. The feature can be found at the top of the user’s story feed and is also shown in your profile image. The jury is out on how impactful this new feature will be, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
Lastly, TikTok has launched Flip Story! This new feature allows creators to add a second side to their stories, which followers can unlock with a flip. This update is great, and offers creators a fun way to engage their communities by adding an exciting layer to storytelling on the platform.
Stepping over to YouTube now, and a new program has been announced called Hype. This program will allow fans to allocate hype points to videos for channels with less than half a million subscribers. Videos will then gain more reach based on the points they gain. It’s worth noting that Hype points aren’t free, and this update isn’t available in the UK yet but should be in the coming months.
YouTube has also announced a new ‘Communities’ feature which will allow creators and fans to connect better. The new feature will allow fans to lead and initiate the conversation, with creators being able to control who can participate.
We’ve already mentioned that LinkedIn have stopped using UK data to train their AI tool. If this is raising concerns for you, here’s how to turn the option off.
Sticking with AI, and LinkedIn are reducing the number of prompts from AI. The good news is, this feature is only available to premium users, so it’s possible you won’t have noticed any changes. It’s unclear why these prompts have been removed but we’ll keep you posted.
We mentioned all the way back in January that X was launching three new shows. Well, this month, X launched its beta version of X TV which will add even more video content to the platform. While this feature is still being tested it’s made us wonder whether this update will add to the user experience or if it’ll fall flat like some other more recent update (sorry Elon!).
As X continues aiming to become the all-in-one platform. This next update is interesting. X has separated the Direct Messages feature from the main feed. It’s hoped that this update will allow users to utilise the app for just messaging… Meaning users can avoid the public timeline… Like we said… it’s an interesting one!
Unusually, we have some Snapchat social media updates this month!
Our first update sees Snapchat create a more Instagram like feel, as they have moved stories to the top of the inbox, and when you swipe right, the app opens up a full-screen feed of recommended stories and Spotlight video clips, powered by AI.
In addition to this, Snapchat announced that it has expanded its partnership with Google Cloud to power generative AI within the platform’s slightly controversial feature ‘My Chatbot’. As a reminder, the Chatbot received criticism after its initial release last year due to concerns over how it uses location data and a glitch incident in August 2023. Previously powered by Chat GPT it will now be powered with Google’s Gemini AI which not only understands text but also audio, video and photos. Making it more relevant for Snapchat users!
Snapchat is also looking to speed up brand/influencer partnerships, via a new Snap Start Collab Studio. This new feature will allow advertisers to select the best influencers for upcoming campaigns after reviewing demographic and engagement data which will be directly available via the consol.
Over to Pinterest now and we have a couple of updates to report this month.
First, Pinterest has launched a new campaign to encourage advertisers to use the platform and to utilise their continually evolving tools. It’s worth noting that Pinterest has seen steady growth over the past few years reaching a staggering half a billion monthly users with 42% of those being Gen Z! This update gets a big thumbs up from us, and if you’re looking for another platform to advertise on – don’t overlook Pinterest!
Next, Pinterest are also building on their collage tools, introducing two new options. Collage Remixing, which allows users to collaborate, build on and use existing collages- similar to remixing a Reel on Instagram. And Collage Sharing which makes it easier to share collages in video format as well as sharing them to other platforms.
In a potentially huge shake-up, the end of September saw the launch of Shelf, a brand-new social media platform. This new platform lets you connect your accounts associated with media, such as Netflix, Spotify, Goodreads, and YouTube to build a storefront webpage and letting your connect with people who have similar interests. We’re not too sure where this platform will go or if it will become another House Party. It’s still early days, so we’ll keep you updated.
If our social media updates this month have told us anything, it’s that platforms aren’t slowing down. With so many updates, tools, and news stories, it can be difficult to stay ahead… But don’t worry, we’ll be back next month with another Round Up of updates from your favourite platforms.
In the meantime, stay up to date with all the latest trends, news and updates by signing up for our bi-weekly newsletter.
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