most trending social media news today

Facebook introduces “Quiet Mode” to help control your Facebook usage.
With the new normal in place, setting boundaries for how you spend your time online can be helpful. Facebook’s new “Quiet Mode” might just be what you’re looking for to lead a healthy work/life balance. As explained by Facebook; “We’ve added Quiet Mode, which mutes most push notifications, and if you try to open Facebook while in Quiet Mode, you’ll be reminded that you set this time aside to limit your time in the app.” To press pause on screen time, you can either switch on Quiet Mode straight away, or schedule it for later. Either way, we think this’s a cool addition to the app to remind people to wind-down without screens during the lockdown.

Facebook notifications are out of control. For years I’ve asked for batched alerts or ways to mute the most common ones. At least now it’s launching Quiet Mode https://t.co/OQXhFXAaAJ
— joshconstine (@JoshConstine) April 9, 2020


2. LinkedIn publishes a special edition of its “Top Voices” listings.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, LinkedIn has announced a special edition of its “Top Voices” listings that highlights health experts sharing their experience as front-line workers and offering insights on what’s coming next. As explained by LinkedIn; “Each year, our Top Voices list surfaces the professionals whose posts, videos, articles, and comments spark quality conversations in their industries. This special edition list features the health care experts that are lighting up LinkedIn right now to cover COVID-19.” This special edition is a great initiative to help people stay informed with reliable information and pay tribute to all the front-line workers who are risking their health to combat the outbreak.

To help us all stay healthy & informed with trusted information, the #LinkedInTopVoices in Health Care share insights every day on what they’re seeing and what’s coming next. https://t.co/UU0BbP9mof #WorldHealthDay
— LinkedIn (@LinkedIn) April 7, 2020


3. “Wanna talk about it?” – Instagram and Netflix join forces to release self-care series for young adults.
Adjusting to the new normal and restricting social contact has taken a significant toll on the mental health of young adults. For people in their formative years, social connections and real-life experiences help them discover who they are. Being confined to their homes and practicing social distancing, albeit necessary to flatten the curve, is leaving them bored and frustrated. To address this, Netflix and Instagram have partnered on “Wanna Talk About It?” — a live series where every week one star talks with a mental health expert about self-care during a global pandemic.

Netflix & Instagram have partnered on Wanna Talk About It?, a live series where every week one star (Lana Condor, Joey King, Alisha Boe, Caleb McLaughlin, Jerry Harris, Ross Butler, Noah Centineo) talks with a mental health expert about self care during a global pandemic. pic.twitter.com/nmYjXnBjfE
— Netflix (@netflix) April 8, 2020


4. Twitter provides monthly tweet prompts for brands.
Wondering what your brand should tweet today? Ask a question? Crack a joke? Or should you just retweet and leave it at that? Consistency is one of the key elements of an effective social media marketing strategy but coming up with new content ideas every day to engage your community can be tricky. To help you with that, Twitter has published a list of 20 tweet prompts to help you come up with new content ideas. Stuff like FAQs, behind the scenes, retweet with a comment, go live, post a video, tweet one-liners, and so on. By paying attention to which of these content ideas are working, brands can refine their future content and overall Twitter voice.

RT socialmedia2day “What should you tweet about? https://t.co/RSlkaU9vac“
— Backmanage AEC Services (@backmanage) April 11, 2020


5. WhatsApp to limit message forwarding to curb the spread of misinformation.
Gone are the days when you could forward WhatsApp messages to 256 people if you wanted. Now, WhatsApp seems to be the weapon of choice for rumormongers to spread misinformation campaigns, especially during this global pandemic. To curb the spread, WhatsApp is restricting messages that have been sent through a chain of five or more people. From now on, messages can only be forwarded to a single person, so choose wisely.

Many misinformation campaigns have switched to messaging apps https://t.co/Sv0QiLSSDm
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 14, 2020


Keep scrolling, we’ve got more of the latest social media news updates!
1. LinkedIn shares tips on what to post during lockdowns.
What do you post on LinkedIn during the COVID-19 crisis? Updates on upcoming meetups or job interviews? Heck no! Social distancing, remember? To help nudge you in the right direction, LinkedIn shared some top-notch tips on what to post during the lockdown. Out of the many useful tips that LinkedIn shared, our favorite one is: “Be yourself and offer your unique perspective.” LinkedIn noted that some of the most successful posts are the ones were professionals discuss lessons learned from their personal lives, show appreciation for their team, or share words of encouragement. You can find the full list of tips here.

LinkedIn has provided some new tips on posting best practices https://t.co/2QKg5x5hkG
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 29, 2020


2. TikTok’s #HappyAtHome initiative is here to entertain you.
Whether we like it or not staying at home is the new normal. To keep boredom at bay, TikTok has partnered up with well-known musicians, actors, and comedians to live stream daily for our entertainment. As explained by TikTok, the goal of this initiative is to; “share in a bit of levity, provide some comfort, and embrace the responsibility we all have to do the right thing by staying inside and stopping the spread.” And we couldn’t agree more. Catch these live streams of entertainment every day at 5pm PDT.

today we’re kicking off the #HappyAtHome live stream series. starting at 5 PM PT your fav creators will go LIVE on TikTok every half hour. pic.twitter.com/LohBOm5mYA
— TikTok (@tiktok_us) March 23, 2020


3. YouTube reduces streaming quality to lessen network strain.
Staying at home has got us all streaming videos and Netflixing at all hours of the day. After Netflix, YouTube follows suit to stream videos in standard quality to all regions to lessen network load. Users still have the option to watch videos on high definition if they want to but will have to do so by choosing the HD option as videos will initially load in SD only. This is not the end of the world people, just a small price we must pay in order to ease the burden on internet infrastructure.

Hugh: YouTube Reduces Video Quality in Response to Increased Strain on Internet – https://t.co/1LVoEZg3gE pic.twitter.com/43RUd07Bcx
— The NEW OZFM (@OfficialOZFM) March 25, 2020


4. Instagram launches a new feature to help users stay connected during lockdowns.
Let’s face it, video calls are essential for staying sane during the lockdown. To make it a lot more fun and engaging, Instagram launched a new feature to help us all stay connected. As they say: “…to help people stay connected, we’ve launched media sharing, a new feature that allows you to view Instagram posts together with your friends over video chat.” While you can’t scroll through your regular feed during a video chat, you can still create a list of posts that you want to discuss with your friends by liking or saving them. Let us know what you guys think of that one.

Introducing Co-Watching, a new way to see Instagram posts together with your friends over video chat.👀 pic.twitter.com/ObLnqxbUTS
— Instagram (@instagram) March 24, 2020


5. In response to COVID 19, Snapchat is launching a new mental health resource center.
Anxiety and stress are on the rise as the pandemic situation continues to intensify. In response to COVID 19, Snapchat has decided to launch “Here for You”, a new mental health resource center to help people experiencing mental health or emotional crisis. This feature will provide people with relevant updates from the World Health Organization, the CDC, Crisis Text Line, NHS, and other partners, links to relevant resources, and exercises to help people cope with anxiety and stress.

.@Snapchat has announced that it’s bringing forward its new ‘Here For You’ mental health resource center in light of these unprecedented times. @socialmedia2day‘s @adhutchinson explains further: https://t.co/mQVEDSeeBi pic.twitter.com/YEao9dPy6A
— Social Misfits Media (@MisfitsMedia) March 31, 2020


Hungry for more news? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you keep up with all the latest social media updates. Scroll down for more:

1. LinkedIn just dropped its playlists on Spotify.
Say you have a ton of deadlines to meet. Naturally, you crank up the music to keep yourself motivated. If you don’t already have a work playlist in place, here’s a trick for you: New Job, Fresh Start, Never Give Up, Interview Time, and Women at Work. These are just some of the playlists that LinkedIn launched on Spotify for career development. Considering how a lot of people are working from home these days, this is just what we need to get the work done efficiently. Speaking of getting work done, I’m going to go shake it off with Taylor Swift now.

Need some #WorkFromHome motivation? LinkedIn’s got you covered with playlists on Spotify with tracks designed to help you concentrate, inspire and beat away the blues.
What’s your favorite music to jam to while working from home? https://t.co/Wxy33OmsV1
— LinkedInMENA (@LinkedInMENA) March 18, 2020

2. Facebook Dark Mode is on its way.
Those of you who have already switched to dark mode on Instagram, Twitter, Slack, and Uber (just kidding) will be glad to know that Facebook is also testing out the dark mode. Earlier this month, Facebook launched the dark mode on WhatsApp, so we all kind of saw this coming for Facebook too. Nevertheless, we’re looking forward to Facebook making scrolling through the app a little easier on the eyes.

Facebook Dark Mode looks to be nearing release #socialmedia https://t.co/yO8fZf7r2L
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 11, 2020

3. Fleets? What are Twitter Fleets?
Another day, another story. And by that, we mean a story-feature similar to stories on Snapchat and Instagram. This time, it’s Twitter. Twitter is launching a new stories feature, only they’re calling it “Fleets”. Why? Because these messages will literally be fleeting as they cannot be retweeted, liked, or publicly replied to. And, of course, they disappear after 24 hours like we’re used to from other social networks. Twitter’s fleets come years after Snapchat started the wave of disappearing content in 2013.

A first look at Twitter’s ‘Fleets’ Instagram Stories-like feature https://t.co/avnN9ulROw pic.twitter.com/NZ6K9YRJ7X
— Matt Navarra 😷 (@MattNavarra) March 13, 2020

4. Instagram steps in to prevent misinformation about COVID-19.
Instagram has established a new process to help users get accurate updates on the coronavirus by removing “known harmful misinformation related to COVID-19“. Links to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local health authorities will be highlighted every time someone clicks on hashtags related to COVID-19. Furthermore, Instagram is also taking measures to prevent misinformation by blocking hashtags, posts, and any potentially misleading information.

Instagram has implemented new measures to ensure users get accurate coronavirus info #socialmedia https://t.co/hBORK9E5z6
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 11, 2020

5. WHO is getting free use of Facebook ads to combat COVID-19.
As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, the World Health Organization has gotten access to unlimited free ads from Facebook to fight back misinformation campaigns. With growing concerns over the number of COVID-19 cases across the world, the need to curb the spread of misinformation and fearmongering is not to be taken lightly. That is why Facebook has partnered with WHO to fight the outbreak. Facebook is also giving away ad credits to other organizations fighting the pandemic. High five, Facebook! 🙌

World Health Organization gets free ads on Facebook to fight Covid-19 #Facebook #WHO https://t.co/eNcDPVM0iW pic.twitter.com/2mYXdTeBEI
— Neowin (@NeowinFeed) March 4, 2020

Keep scrolling, we’ve got more of the latest social media news updates!
1. LinkedIn’s new “Fair Chance” feature helps applicants with a criminal record re-enter the workforce.
LinkedIn’s new job filter is here to make things easier for applicants who have a criminal record. This new “Fair Chance” release rides on LinkedIn’s goal to expand economic opportunities and ensure that people from all walks of life have a fair shot at employment options. The filter is available in the Job Search drop-down listing to help identify employers committed to considering applicants with a criminal record. This new feature is currently available on the web in the United States. LinkedIn is looking to roll out this feature to iOS and Android soon.

#LinkedIn is expanding economic opportunity in 2020?
Do you think people with a criminal record should have equal employment opportunities? https://t.co/NB3BhU0xxd
— Kontentino (@Kontentino) March 3, 2020


2. Make way for (Instagram-like) stories on LinkedIn.
Yes, you heard it right. Soon, there will be LinkedIn stories as LinkedIn has confirmed that they’ve begun testing their own version of stories. Instagram Stories have proven to improve engagement and visibility of content for businesses. So, it should come as no surprise for LinkedIn to experiment with stories on their platform as well. Will this be effective? Who knows? But since there’s a rise in the use of stories on other platforms, this might very well be a win for LinkedIn.

Are you ready for LinkedIn Stories? Is the world ready? #socialmedia https://t.co/DBqUEsa9WX
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 3, 2020


3. Tik Tok now lets you pin stickers in a video clip.
Tik Tok recently launched a new sticker pinning option in videos, which means you can now attach stickers to objects in their videos as well as choose how long you want the sticker to remain attached. Even cooler, you can also make the sticker change size according to the movement of the video. You’ll find this new option in the latest version of the app.

New to TikTok, you can now pin stickers to an object in a video #socialmedia https://t.co/NLgbNKF41h
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) March 1, 2020


4. Facebook rolls out faster, smaller, and simpler version of Messenger for iOS.
Facebook says the latest version of the Messenger app will load twice as fast and be one-fourth of the size. The updated layout of the app will no longer have the ‘Discover’ tab in the bottom, bringing it down to just ‘People’ and ‘Chats’ in the navigation bar. The removal of the Discover tab is seen as a move to increase speed and simplicity. Facebook also said that this new version of the app will make it more accessible for low-storage phones and slow networks. Users can expect the updated version of Messenger this week!

The new Facebook Messenger for iOS is much faster and takes less space on your phone https://t.co/NQq45uuSsE pic.twitter.com/7nWXDiQeWS
— The Verge (@verge) March 2, 2020


5. Twitter makes tweet copy more effective.
Twitter has shared some best practices on tweet copy to boost performance on Twitter. The new initiative called “Good Copy, Bad Copy” comes with a set of simple, actionable tips to improve the performance of the tweet. Our favorite tip is to stop using uppercase letters all the time. Honestly, who wants to be yelled at in writing? Another one is to use the percentage symbol (%) instead of the dollar symbol as studies conducted by Twitter revealed that more people clicked tweets that use percentages than those with $ discounts. While the two symbols can be used interchangeably, we think it’s best to just switch dollar signs for percentages signs.

Do you know what makes for effective Tweet copy? ✏️
Our own @JoeWadlington shares some best practices. pic.twitter.com/vcBOMyRBjn
— Twitter Business (@TwitterBusiness) February 24, 2020


Don’t miss out. Scroll down for more social media news updates!
1. Facebook launches new Pinterest like app.
Facebook’s New Product Experimentation (NPE) team launched yet another new app called Hobbi. Hobbi works much like Pinterest, yet in some ways, it doesn’t. With Hobbi, you can add images of your interests and hobbies to boards (sound familiar?) to track your personal progress. As explained by the NPE team, “you can save photos of the projects you’re working on and the activities you love to do, whether it’s cooking, baking, DIY, arts & crafts, fitness or home decor. You can then organize your photos into visual collections in order to see the progress you’re making over time.” You can also create highlight videos of interests you’ve collected to share with your friends and families.

Facebook’s launched another app test #socialmedia https://t.co/tHiNg664u7
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) February 14, 2020


2. Instagram adds a new appeal process for disabled accounts.
Users who’ve had their accounts disabled get another shot at redemption as Instagram launches a new appeal process to retrieve disabled accounts. This new process will allow users to request a review of the app’s decision to disable their accounts. To appeal for a review, you must enter your username, password, and state a reason why you think Instagram has made a mistake in disabling your account. The app then takes 24 hrs to respond. While this doesn’t guarantee that the account will be restored, it sure does give the users an easy way to get in touch with the app and track the review progress.

Remain calm. Here’s a few steps you can take to appeal. https://t.co/2A2ef8ZXmZ
— NetWeave Social Net (@NetWeave) February 12, 2020


3. YouTube emerges as the winner in mobile streaming wars.
According to App Annie’s latest report, YouTube dominates 70% of the time spent by people watching content in the top five streaming apps. The report revealed that seven out of every 10 minutes were spent on YouTube worldwide on Android phones. Subscription-based streaming services like Netflix and Hotstar are further down the list. This comes as no surprise considering that YouTube is free and has a vast selection of local videos to watch from thus eliminating access barriers for users.

YouTube is the frontrunner in the mobile streaming wars, and it’s not even close https://t.co/LK5RjOPDhj pic.twitter.com/8M7s2mYtF2
— The Verge (@verge) February 13, 2020


4. WhatsApp reaches a whopping 2 billion users.
Last week, Facebook-owned WhatsApp hit 2 billion monthly active users. While the western regions are still heavy on using Messenger, WhatsApp has managed to capture the rest of the world. It’s taken two years for WhatsApp to grow half a billion users since 2018 were it stood at 1.5 billion users. Despite having a user base smaller than Facebook’s (2.5 billion), the platform is gaining traction and developing outside of the U.S.

The Facebook Empire continues to expand #socialmedia https://t.co/gQkOTVtcP3
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) February 13, 2020


5. Snapchat looks to redesign their app to simplify in-app navigation.
Snapchatters can expect a redesigned version of the app as Snapchat is looking to add a navigation bar at the bottom. This navigation bar comes with five new sections to simplify in-app navigation. These five new sections will link to Snap Map, chat, the main camera, Community section, and the new Discover section. The new format is sure to improve Snapchat’s user-friendly design and make it easier for newcomers to navigate the app’s features.

Not everyone was a fan of Snap’s last redesign… #socialmedia https://t.co/vGn67Huz1G
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) February 18, 2020


Hungry for more social media updates? Scroll on to read the latest industry updates!
1. Snapchat launches Bitmoji TV.
What if the bitmoji avatars of you and your snap friends could star in a full motion cartoon series? Snapchat’s new offering Bitmoji TV is here to do just that. The new release is riding on the popularity of bitmojis and demand for short, TV like content. Users can now customize and watch episodes of their bitmoji characters undertaking various adventures. The first season of Bitmoji TV has ten episodes that users can find in the Bitmoji TV section within the app.

Snapchat’s next big thing will be rolling out to users this weekend #socialmedia https://t.co/cpLSp9cy6D
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) February 4, 2020


2. Pinterest’s new development is an AR “Try-On” feature for Lipstick shades.
Searching for beauty inspiration on Pinterest just got a lot easier as the platform released an AR “Try-On” feature for lipstick shades. As explained by Pinterest, “Simply open the Pinterest camera in search, click “Try on” to find different shades and swipe up to shop from brands. A “try on” button will also appear on select products, as well as in search with related terms like “matte lipstick” or “red lips”.” Try-On also features a skin tone range, so Pinners can see similar lip shades on skin tones that match their own.

Pinterest’s new AR feature lets consumers virtually ‘try on’ various lipstick shades from international brands such as Estée Lauder, Sephora, and Neutrogena. Learn more about this feature here: https://t.co/zZB5Fn0Pmc pic.twitter.com/U1tAKhi58V
— Vobling (@Vobling) February 6, 2020


3. Conversation thread on Twitter gets a makeover
Twitter’s latest, albeit small, update is a more refined version of the conversation thread on iOS. The new layout of the conversation thread makes it easier to see when people you follow are in a conversation. You can also see who’s replying to who so you can join relevant conversations. Twitter is looking to roll out this feature for Android soon.

We’ve given conversations a makeover on iOS. When people you follow are in a conversation, you’ll see their replies in a new way in your Home timeline.
This new layout makes it easier to see who’s replying to who so you can join in on relevant conversations. pic.twitter.com/xNmnAtQFeI
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 31, 2020


4. Facebook Messenger for Business Gets a One-Time Notification API
Facebook’s new feature allows businesses to get back in touch with potential customers with relevant updates on Messenger. As explained by Facebook, “Businesses can send a message to the user asking if they want to be notified on a topic. If the user asks to be notified, the business receives a token and can use this token to send out the notification with the information the user requested at a later time.” The feature will also support valuable use cases such as price drop and back in stock alerts, as well as other notifications that people have requested notifications for.

A new consideration for businesses looking to reach potential customers via Messenger #smm https://t.co/aTMPT8Ppws
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) February 5, 2020


5. LinkedIn’s Elevate functionality to be merged with Company Pages
LinkedIn just announced the merger of its Elevate functionality into its native company page tools. Elevate is an employee advocacy platform that makes it easy to discover and share content curated by your company experts. A paid tool for company pages, Elevate gives LinkedIn page managers more ways to engage with their employees, share relevant updates, and amplify their online brand reputation.

LinkedIn Announces Merger of Elevate Functionality With Company Pages https://t.co/mja8BLhGsF via @socialmedia2day
— Chad Pollitt (@ChadPollitt) January 27, 2020


If you are looking for more social media updates, you are in the right place. Keep reading to learn all about the hottest industry news:
1. No more Audience Insights element from Twitter Analytics?
Yes, you heard it right! In a surprise move, Twitter announced the removal of its Audience Insights tab from Twitter Analytics at the end of this month. The Audience Insights tab provides in-depth data on followers’ demographics, mobile footprint, purchasing behavior insights, and much more. The Audience Insights tab has proven to be useful in the past to help marketers chart out effective Twitter ad strategies. With the feature gone, what does this mean for the future of Twitter audience insights? Will Twitter bring out a different tool to replace the feature? Hopefully!

Hopefully we’ll see a new Twitter analytics element launched in its place #smm https://t.co/ipmIbhjXny
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 21, 2020


2. Emoji reactions now on Twitter Direct Messages
At a loss for words? Worry no more as Twitter launches Emoji Reactions for Twitter Direct Messages. As explained by Twitter, “To add a reaction, hover over the message and click the reaction button (heart and plus icon), or double tap on the message and pick an emoji from the pop-up” In addition to that, you can also undo the reaction at any time and it will be removed for all participants of a group conversation. This new update certainly makes it easier now to acknowledge a message on DMs.

Say more with new emoji reactions for Direct Messages!
To add a reaction, click the ❤️➕ icon that appears when you hover over the message on web or double tap the message on mobile and select an emoji from the pop-up.
For more about DM reactions: https://t.co/sdMumGDBYl https://t.co/QxMVmGt8eY
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 22, 2020


3. TikTok’s new development is here and it is much like Snapchat’s Discover Stream
TikTok is looking to roll out a feed of curated content highlighting selected original videos from popular TikTok creators and professional publishers. Concerns raised over ad displacements alongside controversial posts is the cause behind this new development. The Curated Content Stream, taken inspiration from Snapchat’s Discover Stream, will aid TikTok moderators in having more control over the viewer experience to make sure that ads do not get wedged in between controversial posts.

A new stream option incoming for TikTok? #smm https://t.co/l2RVtN3CKg
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 18, 2020


4. Instagram begins testing of DMs in the Desktop version
Good news for marketers as Instagram has officially begun testing direct messaging in the Desktop version. Regions having limited network access can benefit from this new development as this will allow them to connect to direct messages from an alternative device. Moreover, businesses can now easily use Instagram DMs to address customer service queries among other things. It is also important to note that at this stage only a small percentage of users can access the desktop version of the DMs, but it soon will be accessible for all users in the future.

Instagram starts bringing DMs to the web https://t.co/GSObaV5JSO pic.twitter.com/zYtCvG30Al
— The Verge (@verge) January 14, 2020


5. Pinterest overtakes Snapchat as the No. 3 social media app in the U.S.
Pinterest emerged as the third biggest social media app in the U.S. surpassing Snapchat in 2019. Unlike Snapchat, which has a young audience base, Pinterest is represented by all age groups. Pinterest saw a 9.1% growth in users in 2019, a 1.7% increase from the previous year, while Snapchat saw a 5.9% growth rate. According to eMarketer’s latest social user estimates, Pinterest will continue to stay ahead of Snapchat in the years to come.

Pinterest surpassed Snapchat as no. 3 social media app in the US and will stay ahead: https://t.co/DOL7wQfMKQ pic.twitter.com/YFRYHxXtnx
— eMarketer (@eMarketer) January 14, 2020


Don’t miss out. Scroll down for more social media news updates!
1. Pinterest introduces “Pinterest Trends”
Pinterest’s new tool “Pinterest Trends” is here to quench every marketer’s thirst for consumer behavioral insights. The new tool will provide data on the top US search terms for the previous 12 months on the platform. In addition to that, the tool showcases when these top search terms peaked during the year to help marketers’ campaign planning and budget allocation during various planning stages.

It’s trending! See what’s been successful on @Pinterest this year with the platform’s new search view: https://t.co/qbdViLG3T4
— Elton Mayfield (@EltonMayfield) January 5, 2020


2. Facebook adds Suggested Moderator tool in group management
Facebook’s new “Suggested Moderator” tool helps businesses identify a potential group moderator for their Facebook group(s). It lists any members of a Facebook group that are good candidates to become a moderator. Suggested Moderator helps brands solidify their business relationships with key advocates of their community. With Facebook groups considered a great marketing tactic to engage with your community, this tool will be a great help.

This could be helpful for those managing larger Facebook groups #socialmedia https://t.co/MK8NGcJFSf
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 5, 2020


3. Facebook opens Brand Collabs Manager to include Instagram collaborators
In 2018, Facebook launched its Brand Collabs Manager tool, a search engine for Facebook creators, to help brands identify and connect with relevant influencers. Now, Facebook is opening up this tool to a select group of Instagram creators to help them collaborate and plan partnerships with brands. These creators will be able to share their insights and engagement with brands to help them find partners that resonate with their audience. The move suggests Instagram is going bigger than ever than on influencer marketing as a valid marketing channel for all types of brands.

A significant addition for #influencermarketing #smm https://t.co/mEuRi2pXWY
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) January 5, 2020


4. YouTube’s new feature to automatically crop out copyright claimed elements
Copyright violations have always been a problem for YouTube content creators. YouTube allows creators to file for copyright infringement when an original material of theirs has been used without permission. Keeping the interests of both parties in mind, YouTube has rolled out the “Assisted trim” feature that automatically crops out the copyright claimed element from the video. While this may trim out a portion of the video, it provides an easier way to keep content alive and free from copyright claims.

YouTube gives creators more control over copyright claim disputes with new ‘Assisted Trim’ feature
‘Assisted Trim’ automatically trims copyright claimed content out of your video(s) https://t.co/TRRNRFYpKB
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) December 26, 2019


5. Snap acquires AI factory for $166 million
Snapchat’s parent company Snap has acquired Ukraine based startup AI Factory for $166 million. This acquisition introduces a new type of Snapchat video service called Cameos, this feature lets users take a selfie that can be animated and used in video templates. At present, there are about 150 video templates that users can use in this feature. As explained by Snap, the idea of this feature is “to make you the star of your own short, looping videos that you can send to friends in Chat”.

Snap acquires computer vision startup AI Factory for a reported $166M https://t.co/b7H9qo5VcO
— SiliconANGLE (@SiliconANGLE) January 3, 2020


Don’t miss any of the latest social media updates! Keep scrolling to read more industry news:
1. Tik-Tok hits 1.5 billion downloads
Tik-Tok’s rise has been on everyone’s lips this year. It’s now the fourth most downloaded non-gaming app,  largely driven by Indian uptake. And despite experiencing its first growth setback a couple of months ago, it has just hit the 1.5 billion download mark. The app coupled the announcement with new monetization features such as the option to add links into user bios, and eCommerce URLs into uploaded videos. Only available in the US just now, Tik-Tok says the two new features are experimental and designed to “improve the user experience”.

BREAKING: TikTok launches 'link in bio' & 'social commerce URLS' in videos @MattNavarra @TaylorLorenz @sarahintampa @TechCrunch @thenextweb @techinasia #tiktok pic.twitter.com/HczzHOHCNf
— Fabian Bern 法比安 (@iamfabianbern) November 14, 2019


2. Check out Whale, Facebook new memes app
A meme is worth a thousand words…eye-rolls…snide inferences…pop culture bonding moments – you name it. That’s why we love them. So naturally, Facebook is looking for a piece of the action with its new Whale app. The app is part of the experimental app division, NPE, and is currently being tested in Canada only. You can create memes with the help of templates, text, design and effect tools without any additional subscription. You start by selecting a photo from your personal library or a stock photo, and then you can add text, emojis, and filters. Will Facebook’s latest play pan out?

Facebook launched an experimental meme app called Whale – here's how it works https://t.co/7Fw8ehS708
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) November 20, 2019


3. WhatsApp launches new Business Catalog
WhatsApp expansion into the ads realm just passed a new milestone with the new Business Catalog. This allows WhatsApp business users can now showcase their products or services in what amounts to an in-app digital store. The feature is currently available in the US, Brazil, Germany, India, Indonesia, and the UK. If that’s where you are you can set up and customize the catalog via Setting > WhatsApp for Business > Catalog. What’s next for WhatsApp? WhatsApp Pay, currently available in India.


WhatsApp could be the next big platform for social ads #smm https://t.co/0DuTpGJnkv
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) November 19, 2018


4. Facebook dynamic ads get a boost

Dynamic ads are not new to Facebook but now machine learning can now customize users’ experience at scale. This opens the door to delivering a specific ad to different users based on their activity or preferences. How does this work? It’s basically a combination of data, signals, and insights from Facebook and the advertisers. This will include Dynamic Format & Ad Creative, delivering content in different formats based on users’ behavior. If that’s not enough, Multiple Text Optimization allows you to customize your Facebook ads’ main text, headline, and description fields. It doesn’t stop there:  the new auto-translating feature will allow you to reach out to users based on their local language.


Facebook Can Now Deliver Ads That Are Dynamically Tailored to Each User via @MattGSouthern: https://t.co/vBDTdu3LR7#SMM #SocialMediaMarketing #DigitalMarketing #Facebook @Facebook pic.twitter.com/snP8yHzGvZ
— SearchEngineJournal® (@sejournal) November 21, 2019


5. Pinterest is out to help you cope with negative emotions
Social platforms play a big role in our lives and are frequently blamed for exerting a negative influence. Pinterest is out to turn that around. Now, if somebody searches for terms related to mental health issues, Pinterest will serve up content designed to help.  For example, “if someone searches for a term related to self-injury, they’ll find ten new coping exercises that can help them work through difficult emotions and feelings, ” said a spokesperson from Pinterest. This initiative-for-good has been developed in collaboration with The Stanford Lab for Mental Health Innovation, Vibrant Emotional Health, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

If you’re struggling today – or any day – you can search “#pinterestwellbeing” on Pinterest. We’ve pulled together some mental health tools that just might help. pic.twitter.com/VDb6hc2Lww
— Pinterest (@Pinterest) October 10, 2019


Social media moves fast so should you. Keep reading below all the latest social media updates!
1. Facebook is getting a new logo
But that familiar ol’ blue “F” won’t be disappearing from your apps. The new logo, technically a “watermark”, is intended for Facebook the corporation rather than Facebook the social platform. You will be seeing it in the login screens of Instagram and WhatsApp, each with a slight tint to match the respective brands. Rolling out in the “coming weeks”, the new logo is meant to make it clear which apps are owned by Facebook. Apparently, only 29% of US respondents know that Facebook owns Instagram; and that’s a bit of brand perception misalignment that Menlo Park has decided to call time on.

Facebook just changed its corporate logo, in part to make it clearer that the company owns Instagram and WhatsApp.
What do you think of the change? https://t.co/eyn0hlFNXC pic.twitter.com/pvrsEfXVTv
— QuickTake by Bloomberg (@QuickTake) November 4, 2019


2. TikTok announces a new content-sharing option
TikTok just announced a new software development kit (SDK) that marketers using the network are going to love. The ‘Share to TikTok’ SDK lets third-party apps such as video editors integrate directly with TikTok. This development gifts marketers with more options to create richer, more polished content for the platform (which, granted, kind of goes against Tik Tok’s MO). Adobe Premiere Rush and Momento GIF Maker are just two of the seven apps currently supported by the new SDK. DIY content creators seem pretty siked about this one.

This will be welcome news for brands considering getting into TikTok #smm https://t.co/AGlYrMTYIB
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) November 5, 2019


3. Facebook is limiting the number of ads a page can run
That may sound a little counter-intuitive coming from a company that – as Mark Zuckerberg once famously explained to a befuddled US senator – runs ads as the basis of its business model. But Facebook says the move is to protect advertisers’ ad spend. Apparently running too many ads at one time can affect performance by not giving the platform enough time to optimize them. Facebook stipulates that it expects this ad cap to affect only a “small percentage” of advertisers, and it will run it out in mid-2020.

Why would Facebook want to limit how many ads you can run? More here: #smm https://t.co/hexbbJsW5G
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) November 6, 2019


4. New Work Groups launched for Facebook
In a LinkedInesque move, Facebook has just launched “Work Groups” designed to help people “connect with their coworkers more easily”. Social media expert Matt Navarra revealed the move just before Facebook’s official unveiling on Thursday. Creating a Work Group is no different from creating a standard Facebook Group. The option enables co-workers to interact in a purely professional section of the platform, by sharing only work-related info and messaging group members without becoming friends. This is definitely a win for the separation between their private life and work. Want to give it a try? You can currently switch your group type via Group Setting > Group Type.

Facebook has launched a new type of Group for work https://t.co/YxK0lAKGyS
— Matt Navarra | 🚨 #StayAtHome (@MattNavarra) November 2, 2019


5. Facebook continues with Messenger encryption plans
Yesterday, Facebook outlined its plans for further Messenger encryption at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon. When first announced in March this raised a few eyebrows among lawmakers due to the extreme privacy they say it affords to criminals. Facebook has pointed out that the option already exists in the platform and is standard in Facebook-owned WhatsApp. The company is also considering banning new Messenger accounts not linked to a regular Facebook profile. The network is couching these features as a next phase in protecting user privacy – let’s see how the debate develops.

Facebook executives will also detail safety measures, including advisories for recipients of unwanted content.https://t.co/IpUWfQDGCa
— Globalnews.ca (@globalnews) November 6, 2019



Don’t miss out. Scroll down for more social media news updates!

1. Facebook changes organic impressions and dumps gray badges
So what’s the deal with organic impressions? Easy, from now on Facebook’s organic impression calculation will be more in line with the paid methodology calculation. This is to avoid the issue of metric duplication. Don’t worry, this won’t affect the distribution of your content on Facebook. On to the demise of “gray badges”. Gray what, you ask? While never as appealing as the blue ones, gray badges have nonetheless been around since 2015. Who knew? Back in the day, this would be the only way for small businesses to confirm their authenticity. But their ambiguity has proved fatal and Facebook has decided to only focus on the blue ones.

Facebook is changing how it measures organic Page impressions by @AmyGesenhues https://t.co/5BpbWCkNWo
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) October 22, 2019


2. IGTV “series” is out
Now you can brand your video series with a title and theme on IGTV. Yep, just like on Snapchat. This new labeling system allows users to easily find content via playlist while making it easier for creators to arrange content. What’s cool is that the on-screen tab will help you opt-in to get episode notifications from your favorite accounts. If you’re creator, you’ll have the option to create a series when uploading a video or to upload an existing one via the “edit” video option.


Now you can easily watch IGTV series from creators you love and get notified when there are new episodes.
👋@YaraShahidi @KadeSpice @IngridNilsen pic.twitter.com/0QmpHwpxYw
— Instagram (@instagram) October 22, 2019



3. Facebook Search makes it to automatic placement
Are you using automatic placement on Facebook? Well, Search Result ads are now one of the options. This will allow your ads to be automatically distributed across general search and Marketplace. Bear in mind, if you don’t want to use Search Result ads, you won’t be able to use the Automatic Placement. This is a good choice as the cost is still low due to a non-competitive environment, at least compared to standard ad placements. Facebook has reportedly been testing a new ad placement in the Facebook Group tab too. Just keep in mind that you won’t be able to target people based on a specific group.

Facebook's search ads are now being rolled out to all #smm https://t.co/hJPXfZ72V2
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) October 18, 2019



4. Snapchat grows its advertising offering with dynamic ads
2020 will be all about personalization, that’s why if you use Snapchat, you might want to consider Dynamic Ads. What’s cool about them is that you’ll only need to add a product catalog, and you’ll automatically get access to a variety of templates to help you quickly execute without a design team. The big payoff is the time you’ll cut off production. The great thing about Snapchat ads is that they allow you to create ads at scale and serve them in real-time. Just be patient, this is currently a beta for US advertisers.


How #Snapchat’s New Dynamic Ads Can Boost Your DTC Brand’s Relevance https://t.co/kQyO0zjXtp #DTC #brand #ads #snap pic.twitter.com/QOqeOp7MOX
— Social Media Week (@socialmediaweek) October 24, 2019




5. Check the Facebook News Tab out!
Rolled out to only a few thousand users, this customizable tab will collect the stream of publisher news in one place. The news will be curated by a team of editors and it’ll have different sections according to topics like business, entertainment, science and technology, health and more. We don’t know how many publishers have joined the test, but we do know some of them are being paid to distribute news and they’ll need to register on Facebook as “news pages”. Let’s see if the tab lasts the distance.

A new Facebook News tab is starting to roll out in the United States https://t.co/RepzHziQjj pic.twitter.com/6xHyYH4oQO
— The Verge (@verge) October 25, 2019





Not full yet? Then scroll on for the top social media titbits from October.


1. LinkedIn is rolling out enhanced targeting tools
Let’s start with the audience forecasting tool within LinkedIn campaign creation. It gives you a more precise overview of your campaign/ad insights with an additional industry breakdown. And not just that: you can expand the tab to surface more info like the years of experience or company sizes of your audience.
Boolean targeting is also coming to the platform. How does that work? Boolean targeting logic is based on “And/Or” queries allowing you to combine different characteristics for more advanced combinations. LinkedIn has also improved its demographic reporting. You can now see which audiences are engaging with particular types of content.

LinkedIn's rolling out some new targeting tools for your ad campaigns #smm https://t.co/W0gsGbPDnk
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) October 6, 2019


2. Instagram Threads is here
Is the social media space too crowded? Don’t worry, IG is here to save us all. A standalone app, Instagram Threads purports to offer a “persistent connection” with only your close friends. That means quicker access to the camera and text messaging to keep in touch with your tribe. The app automatically opens on the camera with a “Camera Shortcuts” featuring the faces of your friends (the order is customizable). By swiping up, you’ll instantly access their messages.
A Status and Auto Status option will automatically set an emoji as an away message for your best friends. Instagram Threads will be synced to your Close Friends list on the main Instagram app, which you can edit on both apps.

Instagram launches Threads, a Close Friends chat app with auto-status https://t.co/0azezd6cM5 by @joshconstine pic.twitter.com/ovw1Ts9zC2
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) October 3, 2019


3. Pinterest is offering an academy now
Getting started with Pinterest for marketing? This set of free educational e-learning courses and tools will help you settle in.  You can choose from nine topics such as Pinterest Narrative or Creative Strategy to get a tailored lesson with additional tips and tricks. You’ll also be able to map out your educational journey with optional notifications for telling your boss about your progress.
Available on mobile and desktop, Pinterest Academy is currently only rolling out in the following countries: US, Canada, UK, Australia, France and Germany. Pinterest will release more updates in the next few months. Stay tuned!

🚨🚨IT’S HERE 🚨🚨https://t.co/pgmrou2pKv
— Pinterest Business (@pinterestbiz) October 8, 2019


4. Throwback Thursday is officially an Instagram feature
Instagram Create mode has just been released! Create is replacing Type and will help users more easily access the various Stories tools by grouping them together. There will also be an “On This Day” feature reminiscent of Facebook Memories. Anyone who needs to create Stories on a regular basis knows how time-consuming and challenging this can be. This new offering from Instagram could help lighten the workload, not least by making repurposing content easier to do.

Say hello to your new camera, including the new Create mode (packed with fun new tools like the GIFs format). pic.twitter.com/0lX68CIaWT
— Instagram (@instagram) October 8, 2019


5. What’s trending on Snapchat?
If you’re regularly using Snapchat, the new monthly ‘Snap Chatter‘ updates should be a great help. This is basically a round-up of the most chatted about topics and trends out there.
A cursory glance shows that FIFA 20 and iPhone 11 are what’s cool among young users right now. And it seems that content based on National Grandparents Day, National Daughter Day and IT Chapter II are attracting a lot of attention. Stop wondering what are the trending topics among your Snapchat users, this report will eye-opening, jump on it now!

Stay up with the latest trends with Snapchat's 'Snap Chatter' report #smm https://t.co/ZbJ8NORmH2
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) October 7, 2019



What were the top social media news in September? Scroll to find more of the latest updates:

1. Facebook Messenger rolls out new tools, and drops the Discover tab
 It wasn’t all Apple headlines this week. To kick our recap off, Facebook just started rolling out new tools including appointment booking and lead generation — but what’s turning heads is that it’s killing the Discover tab in Messenger.
To be phased out over the next few months, the Discover Tab has been a favorite feature for games and businesses. Facebook said it will invest more in other tools to “connect businesses and people”. Let’s see if these fill the gap that Discover leaves for many.

Facebook rolls out new business tools for Messenger, kills the ‘Discover’ tab https://t.co/sE9vekm6pe by @sarahintampa pic.twitter.com/oCbruDw2dH
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) August 29, 2019


2. Facebook may soon start hiding likes, too
Yep, the rumors are true: Facebook has confirmed that it may soon extend its hiding likes experiment from Instagram to the mother ship. 
Facebook began testing on removing total like posts in Canada back in April, and has since expanded the test to six other countries citing a focus on “user wellbeing”. Whether Zuck & crew will go all out on hiding likes on their two signature networks has yet to be seen, but it’s clearly being carefully considered.

This would be a big move for The Social Network #socialmedia https://t.co/MGSjc5zBAr
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) September 9, 2019


3. Twitter introduces drag-and-drop images
Twitter’s UX just got – a wee bit – better. The network just revealed a simple but handy tweak that allows you to drag and rearrange multiple tweet images.
While hardly a headliner or gamechanger, the new drag-and-drop functionality is being welcomed by many on the marketing side. It gives individuals and brands a fraction more space for image creativity on this most text-based of networks.

It’s all about the details. Now you can rearrange your photos while writing a Tweet. pic.twitter.com/mllwmPb6dx
— Twitter (@Twitter) September 10, 2019


4. New in-app shopping ads may be coming to Facebook
Many foresee a future where Facebook and shopping are synonymous; this week the network may have inched a little closer to making that a reality.
On Monday, Facebook announced it is testing two new advertising features, namely an in-app checkout for dynamic ads — and a feature that will allow you to turn organic shopping posts into ads. Facebook has already added the in-app checkout to Instagram so appears to be being doubling down on creating a seamless online shopping experience for users.

Facebook testing two new ad features: in-app checkout for Facebook ads, new ad unit for Instagram by @AmyGesenhues https://t.co/taZ6sZgEKw
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) September 9, 2019


5. YouTube launches a Fashion “hub”
In a move some see as a challenge to IGTV and Instagram’s grip on fashion and lifestyle, YouTube just launched youtube.com/fashion.
The launch appropriately coincides with New York fashion week and according to YouTube’s blog is intended to “create an ultimate destination for style content that bridges both our fabulous endemic creator community and the more traditional worlds of fashion and beauty.” The new category already occupies pride of place alongside Movies, Gaming and Live, time will tell if the fashionistas do indeed flock to it.

RT YouTube: 💄Introducing https://t.co/UVZBJga6aJ 💄
Your one stop for all things fashion and beauty. Find inspiration. Follow the latest trends. Walk the runway. 💃#YouTubeFashion pic.twitter.com/Eoeh3eOs8K
— recipient_prh (@PrhRecipient) September 5, 2019



Hungry for more news? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you keep up with all the latest social media updates. Scroll down for more:


1. Spotify is working on Stories for playlists
We have previously reported on the discoveries of Jane Manchun Wong, app whisperer and code hunter, who has gained a level of fame among the tech crowd for revealing upcoming app features. Now, it seems like she’s made a new discovery.
In a recent blog post, she reports finding unreleased features within a Spotify playlist. The feature resembles the Stories feature we know and love from Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. The story in question featured a Q&A session embedded within a playlist. While we don’t have a release date yet, it would certainly make playlists on Spotify more interactive and fun, so we’re all for it.

Spotify is working on Stories for Playlists
One of the unreleased Stories features a Q&A with @thisissigrid
Check out a video of this unreleased Story in my new blog:https://t.co/OwVp6vRxmx
Tip @Techmeme pic.twitter.com/0SVhCB5BGT
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) August 19, 2019


2. Twitter is releasing six second viewable video ad bids
Twitter is releasing a new video ad bidding option that allows advertisers to run 15-second or shorter video ads, but only be charged if the ad is viewed for a full six seconds with pixels at least 50% in view.
The new ad option should be attractive to advertisers who are focused on the metric of video views and are also ready to develop short-form video clips designed to be viewed on the feed. As more than half of Twitter’s ad revenue comes from video ads, this is an important update for Twitter.

Twitter introduces 6-second viewable video ad bids / https://t.co/IKSuM7O1Zj via @Marketingland
— Nina Hale (@ninahale) August 21, 2019


3. Instagram is developing a new separate messaging app called “Threads”
Does the world need another standalone messaging app? At least Instagram thinks we do.
The company is reportedly working on a new messaging app called “Threads”, which will focus on building stronger, more constant connections and conversations between close-knit groups. A key feature would be an automatic sharing option, allowing connections to observe each others’ location, speed, and more in real-time. When it comes to messaging apps, this is not Instagram’s first rodeo. The company’s previous messaging app, “Direct”, was shut down earlier this year, after it struggled to gain popularity in key markets.

Instagram is testing a new messaging app called "Threads." The app fits into Mark Zuckerburg’s focus on having people message with their closest friends, rather than sharing to lots of people on their newsfeed. https://t.co/FUk1wXecVR pic.twitter.com/QfPvqITEfH
— CNBC (@CNBC) August 27, 2019


4. It is now even easier for creators to build their own AR experiences on Snap
With the surging popularity of AR filters, it’s not surprising that Snap Inc. wants to bring the feature to the masses.
To date, only those quite technically-skilled have been able to create filters on the company’s Lens Studio AR creation platform. The new update will make it easier for novice creators to build their own experiences, while also adding new tools for more advanced creators. As Instagram has also released its own creation studio, Spark AR, staying ahead of the game is vital for the company.

👉Anyone can make AR 👈
Lens Studio 2.1 is our most user-friendly version yet.
Download now to use new templates, explore new Landmarkers and try our step-by-step interactive tour.
We can’t wait to see what you create! https://t.co/rl7vxECtEm pic.twitter.com/juxqgBaJLX
— Snap Lens Studio (@SnapLensStudio) August 27, 2019


5. Facebook will now have stricter requirements for certain ads
Facebook is introducing stricter new policies for political and social issue-related ads. The news doesn’t come as a surprise, as Facebook has recently focused heavily on cutting down biased content on the platform.
The updates include a new disclaimer policy, updates to the company’s list of social issue topics in the US, stricter requirements for advertisers to verify their identities, and labeling on ads indicating they’re coming from verified organizations. They apply to ads on Facebook and Instagram, and extend even to organizations and companies attached to political causes that may be running ads.

Facebook rolls out stricter political ad rules ahead of 2020: Facebook announced Wednesday it is imposing stricter disclosure and transparency standards on political ads in the United States after, the social networking platform said, it caught some adve… https://t.co/l2kFLDv5Sx
— MacroTest (@Macrotestbot) August 28, 2019



Up for more updates? Scroll down for more:

1. Facebook to play a role in news sharing
We mentioned this a few months back and now, it seems like a dedicated Facebook News section could happen before the end of the year. The reality is that at the moment, the demand for news content on Facebook is higher than ever. Simultaneously, Facebook has gotten backlash from some for not doing enough to stop the spread of fake and biased news. So what’s the update? The new section would be like Facebook Watch but for news content. Basically, it would allow users to read news articles coming only from trusted partners and publishers. Facebook is currently working on an expensive agreement with some publishers to license content.

Breaking: Facebook is offering news outlets millions of dollars to license content in a news tab the company hopes to launch this year, say people familiar with the matter https://t.co/g9geylSWYA
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 8, 2019


2. What if you could follow a specific topic on Twitter?
Consider this: Twitter is now planning to create topics for everything its users might be interested in. Once the feature is rolled out, you’ll be able to follow a selected range of topics like sports teams or celebrities, curate your own lists, and engage with the content. In order for this to work, Twitter will generate topics with the help of a machine learning tool.  It’s unclear at the moment how the algorithmic promotion of topics of interest will interact with other algorithm promotions.

Twitter tests letting users follow topics in the same way they follow accounts https://t.co/MoB5NJIVdA pic.twitter.com/BDH6ZkfNdC
— The Verge (@verge) August 13, 2019


3. Anybody can be an AR vizard!
Yes, you heard it. It’s now possible to create and publish your own Augmented Reality (AR) effects on Instagram. All you need to do is download Facebook’s Spark AR Studio and let your creativity flow! If you’re looking to spice up your next IG campaign, seek inspiration in the user’s library and use the various tools offered. If you’re a designer, build rich effects and share them with your community. Lens creators have been around for a while on Snapchat, so this could be the next big thing to help you monetize your design portfolio, and gain popularity in the Instagram world. Even if you haven’t worked with 3D before, this feature will make it easier to get started.

Our community of creators continue to have fun pushing the boundaries of what's possible with #AR. To reflect this passion, today we're renaming the Camera Effects Platform to Spark AR. #SparkAR https://t.co/YSk68lmMPO pic.twitter.com/tsifk2tWY8
— Facebook for Developers (@fbplatform) October 5, 2018


4. Add a stream of images on your Facebook Stories
Once upon a time, Facebook Stories was thought to take over the main feed and, well, that hasn’t happened yet. In fact, only 1/3 of the platform’s users use Stories regularly. This new feature allows you to update a stream of still images to your Stories. Technically, you already can do that, but having the clear option will probably push more people to try the feature and update more content to the platform.

Facebook has added a Slideshow option for Stories on iOS pic.twitter.com/uQurxpicj3
— Matt Navarra | 🚨 #StayAtHome (@MattNavarra) August 7, 2019


5. YouTube Super Chat gets rolled out to more countries.
If you’re using YouTube live streams, you might want to check this feature out. Let’s start with what Super Chat is. Super Chat allows a user to purchase and highlight a message during a live stream. YouTube is now expanding the program to more countries in order to incentivize creators. A message stays pinned in the chat for a set period of time, depending on the amount you paid, it can be from 0.099$ to 500$. All chat messages are moderated by creators and YouTube. If you’re a moderator, Super Chat is not any different from a regular live chat, since you still have full control over your live chat.

YouTube Expands Super Chat Creator Payment Option to More Regions https://t.co/sCjcm5vZ2g #SMM #Socialmedia
— Sarah Brewer (@BrewerVASocial) August 14, 2019


Up for more updates? Scroll down for more:

1. Instagram is looking into a “Stories About You” section
Simple but potentially highly useful, Instagram is looking to add a separate notification section for Stories. If this makes it past testing, you will be notified whenever a Story mentions or tags you. There’s no official announcement yet, Jane Manchun Wong simply spotted and tweeted about it. This could be extremely relevant for those who have a high volume of mentions and struggle to keep on top of their responses. Let’s see if it makes the cut.

Instagram is working in "Stories About You" Activity section pic.twitter.com/D7YhcScHWS
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) July 24, 2019


2. Tik Tok is testing an Instagram-like grid and much more.
Any Tik Tok fans out there? Well, the fourth most downloaded app in the world is testing some cool new stuff. Here’s what you need to know, starting with the “For You” section.  This allows you to check out more video content in a grid-style layout a la Instagram. The new “Discover” button will most likely help users find new people or accounts to follow. Another feature seemingly in the pipeline is the addition of the count of downloads alongside video Likes and Shares.

TikTok tests an Instagram-style grid and other changes https://t.co/90T9s08u7i by @sarahintampa
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) July 19, 2019


3. Facebook to remove outdated interest targets
Thousands of outdated and infrequently interest targets are about to be deprecated on Facebook. Don’t worry, this is not as drastic as it sounds. Facebook says the majority of advertisers won’t even notice the difference and, if you are using any of them, you’ll be notified on your Ads Manager. As a bigger plus, this should help advertisers by clearing out the clutter and making target selection a lot simpler. Another update to keep on your radar is ‘Search’ ads, for some advertisers it’s now an option within their Ad Placements tools.

Facebook to remove thousands of outdated interest targets for advertising by @ginnymarvin https://t.co/Q44FjdrNBC
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) July 30, 2019


4. Create your campaign on the go with Pinterest
Pinterest campaign creation is going mobile! A simplified ad creation experience is coming to the platform via a Mobile Ad Tools update that is currently only available in the US. How does it work? Just choose the right Pin, pick the targeting and check your campaign controls and editing options on the go. It’s deliciously appropriate that everyone’s (arguably) favorite lifestyle sharing platform is finally no longer tied to desktop.

Pinterest is adding new options to manage Pin ad campaigns via mobile #smm https://t.co/jdoDa1XYmg
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) July 30, 2019


5. Twitter tests icons to label conversations
Despite a slew of small updates over the past year, Twitter conversation threads can still be hard to read. Following the failure of the “Original Tweeter” and “Author”, Twitter is now testing icons designed to make conversation easier on the platform.  As you can see from the tweet below, if the original tweet author engages in the thread, their tweet will be labeled with a microphone. People directly mentioned in the original tweet will be marked with a @ icon and, last but not least, if a person you’re following engages with the tweet, it will be assigned with a small person icon with the checkmark. Will these little gray tweaks help ease our tired eyes and feckless thumbs?

We're testing icons instead of labels within replies. Check it out and let us know what you think! pic.twitter.com/5CBoTZ40Hq
— Twitter (@Twitter) July 18, 2019





Looking for a summer read? Keep scrolling for more popular social media updates:

1. What is Shoelace, Google’s latest social network
Shoelace is a hyper-local social networking app designed to bring together people that share the same interests. Google’s new app encourages people to spend more time seeking non-online activities, real-life experiences. In short, an app that helps “help facilitate real-world connection”. How does Shoelace work? You can suggest events, share them with the online community or simply browse the recommended activities. The downside? Shoelace is invite-only for now and available in the NYC area.

Google is testing an online social network for offline meetups https://t.co/5Z4Rfd8fMR pic.twitter.com/eVLXOXAFMc
— Engadget (@engadget) July 11, 2019


2. Keeping up with LinkedIn Campaign Manager
If you advertise on LinkedIn, there’s great news for you: You can now select three new advertising campaign objectives when creating a campaign from scratch. LinkedIn is working hard to build an objective-based advertising platform – this small change will facilitate the way you create and optimize campaigns based on your marketing objectives. Let’s check out the three new objectives! 1) For your top-of-funnel campaigns, you now have the Brand Awareness campaign objective which are charged by impressions. 2) If you’re looking to optimize your advertising strategy for specific website actions, Website Conversions might be the right objective for you. 3) Last but not least, Job Applicants which allows you to create job ads using Campaign Manager. 

LinkedIn Just Added 3 New Marketing Objectives to Its Campaign Manager https://t.co/w5f7cQRTu1 #linkedin #socialselling pic.twitter.com/JpRvShOSrS
— Neal Schaffer (@NealSchaffer) July 17, 2019



3. Time to check the new Twitter redesign
The new design is in and we can’t wait to know what you think! This new upgraded and simpler experience will help you easily access all your essential features. Practically, the DMs section has been expanded, the left-hand bar contains all the core actions of the network like Notifications or Bookmarks. Keep an eye on the Explore section too, it will help you find the popular local news and Top Trends. If you have multiple accounts, it will be easier to switch from one to another via the left-hand bar. The Search feature was upgraded and you now have advanced filters to search for people and/or tweets. It will be pretty much impossible to miss your Personalized Trends in the (way bigger) right-side bar.

Woah, what’s this? A shiny new https://t.co/q4wnE46fGs for desktop? Yup. IT’S HERE. pic.twitter.com/8y4TMzqBGa
— Twitter (@Twitter) July 15, 2019


4. Pinterest launches 4 new brand video tools
Crazy about Pinterest Marketing? Last week, during the VidCon conference in Anaheim, California, Pinterest announced some cool video features. Let’s check what’s new in the network: 1) a new uploader to seamlessly upload video content, 2) check all the video content shared by a brand on the new video tab, 3) the lifetime analytics will give you insights on your videos performance and 4) the Pin Scheduling to schedule pin in advance. Why is video content more powerful than ever on Pinterest? To put it simply, it doesn’t disappear in feeds which makes it easier for users to discover them.

Pinterest's newest updates will be beneficials for brands and creators on the platform #smmhttps://t.co/LoQGCP9w6z
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) July 14, 2019


5. What you need to know about Twitter ArtHouse
Creator content has never been more important than now for Twitter. According to one of the latest Twitter and GroupM’s research, video content optimized for Twitter drives 33% more emotional engagement than non-optimized one. Here is where ArtHouse comes in handy assisting advertisers in the creative process with several tools such as video creation/editing, influencer management, and event live-streaming. So if you are struggling with content strategy and content creation, or simply if you are lacking in resources, you might want to check ArtHouse.

Twitter ArtHouse launches to give brands more access to creators, influencers by @AmyGesenhues https://t.co/pp4HcgvrXB
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) July 11, 2019




What’s new in social media? Keep reading for more popular social media updates:


1. LinkedIn’s new algorithm rewards the ‘builders’
Did you know that each LinkedIn algorithm has an assigned objective? LinkedIn recently introduced a “contribution” objective to its feed algorithm. That means the network now rewards audience “builders”—contributors basically—all those people that regularly share, comment and react to content. LinkedIn wants you to become a valuable member of your community, so the new algorithm will be rewarding people for getting more involved, more regularly on the network.
If you are looking to become a pro with LinkedIn Marketing (and win the algorithm over), guess what? We are hosting a webinar on the 25th of July and you might want to check it out.

LinkedIn’s Algorithm is Changing: Here’s How To Ensure Your Brand’s Content Rises to the Top of The New Feed https://t.co/gHq15u3Ii9 #linkedin #socialselling pic.twitter.com/sNd6jdhCa6
— Neal Schaffer (@NealSchaffer) July 3, 2019


2. Facebook downranks misleading health information
Facebook is calling time on snake oil salesmen, at least the medical kind. The network recently stated that from now on “posts with sensational health claims or solicitation using health-related claims will have reduced distribution.” To that end, the social network just released two new feed algorithm updates. The first one aims to reduce the spread of content that makes exaggerated health claims. The second one will try to control the sale of products and services labeled “miracle cures”. This won’t affect only Business Pages but also personal profiles.

Facebook warns Pages it is downgrading posts that use exaggerated health claims to promote products by @AmyGesenhues https://t.co/S2nQjC2hUI
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) July 2, 2019


3. Have you checked out the new Instagram Join Chat sticker?
As we said a few months ago, 2019 is all about private messaging apps! The new Instagram “Join Chat” sticker allows you to invite people to private chats directly from your IG Stories. Initially tested in May, the new feature triggers a notification to the creator every time somebody asks to join the chat. What’s in for marketers? This features could help a lot of brands nurture even more communities than Facebook Groups is currently doing. As for influencers, this could really make a difference, bringing creators and followers together in one place.

Introducing the new chat sticker in Stories. Now, there's an easy way to start conversations with a group of friends right from your story. pic.twitter.com/A1An7d9TjJ
— Instagram (@instagram) July 2, 2019


4. Remember Audience Reach for Custom Audience? It’s back
All you advertisers out there, this one is for you. Looks like the Audience Reach for Custom Audience will soon be back on Facebook. This tool was removed last year after discovering a vulnerability in the tool that let people deduce user attributes such as gender or country. Facebook has brought it back in from the cold while working on three factors: privacy, protection, and new usage restrictions. This tool is particularly useful for assigning and adjusting campaign budget. Its return will definitely make life easier for many. Check out the official message from Facebook below.









5. YouTube could hide comments on all videos
YouTube’s comment section has long been infamous as a troll-infested trail of vitriol. But it seems civilization and civility could be on its way if the network rolls out a feature currently being tested on Android in India.  This would hide all the comments by default, though they can be unhidden with a click if the viewer wishes. There hasn’t been a clear statement on the future here, but it is definitely a move many would welcome should it become standard.

Project Veritas’ YouTube sting was deeply misleading — and successful https://t.co/eO79neLAlZ pic.twitter.com/QDiULTy2lz
— The Verge (@verge) June 30, 2019



Up for more updates? Don’t forget that you can keep scrolling for all the latest juicy social media news:

1. Instagram Creator Account: all you need to know
Should you switch from a Personal or Business Account to a Creator one? What are the perks of being a creator? To begin with, you need to have at least 10,000 followers and your account has to be linked to your Facebook Page. The new Creator Account allows you to switch profile category (such as blogger, author, entrepreneur or musician), it has better growth insights such as daily “follow” and “unfollow” as well as telling you when your fans are online. With messaging, you get an extra tab for more filtering on your incoming messages. Then there are Shoppable Posts, if you have a Creator Account you’ll be able to work on more creative sponsorships opportunities. Click below to find out more.

What You Need to Know About Instagram's New Creator Account | by @syedbalkhi https://t.co/gRb2Vjk9SA
— Entrepreneur (@Entrepreneur) June 11, 2019


2. Facebook announces its digital wallet
Facebook is getting ready to launch its own digital-currency in 2020. Libra, as it’s called, is pegged to be the next big thing, a global currency that will provide secure and easy financial services. The powered blockchain digital wallet, Calibra, will let you send Libra to everyone with access to a smartphone. One of the first goals with the app is to support people with limited access to proper financial services. A big step for Facebook, folks. The app will be fully integrated with Facebook’s massive ecosystem and, according to an official source, Calibra data and Facebook data will be kept separated. You will also need a government-issued ID to create an account.

Facebook’s Calibra is a secret weapon for monetizing its new cryptocurrency https://t.co/4eXXYt0e36 pic.twitter.com/lW3thV2GiQ
— The Verge (@verge) June 18, 2019


 3. Check out LinkedIn’s latest batch of features
If you love LinkedIn as much as we do you’ll definitely want to catch up with all its latest feature launches. Let’s start with Photo Tagging that was just released to all users. This will make it easier to recognize and connect with new people. Next is Messenger, which now supports video messages so you can directly record and share video content via direct mail. Meanwhile, the LinkedIn app’s post button has been moved to the bottom center of your screen to make sharing updates faster. You may already have seen that you can discover all your favorite topics and hashtags on the right side of your feed. If that’s not enough, don’t forget about Reactions and Live video (still in beta).

LinkedIn has outlined a range of new updates and options #socialmedia https://t.co/jI5xNK1J6A
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) June 17, 2019


4. Facebook is removing some of the Business Page Info sections
Starting from August 1, 2019, Facebook will be removing some of the fields in the Business Page “About” section. Information such as Company Overview, Biography, Mission, Affiliation, Personal Interests and perhaps more will soon be deleted for good. If you are managing one or more Business Pages, you may want to start working on how you’ll be communicating your brand/business story through your page. Facebook is currently suggesting to use the Page Description section to keep the most important information. Remember, you can access this information via the Setting – Page info.

Facebook to remove ‘Company Overview’ and ‘Biography’ fields from Pages by @AmyGesenhues https://t.co/H53plAay4s
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) June 17, 2019


5. YouTube interactive video ads–now for makeup

Google loves experimenting with AR and, guess what? Starting from this summer YouTube will let you experience makeup products through interactive video ads by enabling the new “virtual try on” feature. It’s still in Alpha and will initially only be available to selected brands such as MAC Cosmetics, but other brands could be admitted soon. During a preliminary test, YouTube found out that 30% of people activated the AR experience to try a product, spending around a little less than a minute.

YouTube’s AR ads let you try on virtual makeup alongside beauty vloggershttps://t.co/FucMgZNf0Q pic.twitter.com/eSYbd9iUrs
— The Verge (@verge) June 19, 2019





You can’t really slow down with social media. Scroll for more of the latest industry updates:




1. IGTV surrenders to the landscape video format
Is the vertical video era over? Well, yes, at least for IGTV. Until recently, it wasn’t possible to upload horizontal landscape videos to IGTV. Now, not only you’ll be able to do that, but your IGTV videos will also appear full-screen when users turn their phones. The decision is powered by an Instagram change of vision focused on “enabling creativity” and on content rather than format. After the quiet redesign of the IGTV app, this new format flexibility could definitely drive more creators onto the platform.

More video posting options for IGTV – will that prompt more uploads, and more viewers? #socialmedia https://t.co/Fr77xWfmI5
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) June 1, 2019


2.Why Twitter acquired deep learning app Fabula AI
For social media networks, the pressure is definitely on when it comes to privacy and disinformation issues. So how can they protect users from the trolls and “fake news”? In the case of Twitter, they just joined forces with a London-based deep learning startup Fabula AI. In the past few years, Fabula AI’s talented group of machine learning researchers have been working on developing a technology to identify online disinformation. “There are characteristic patterns to how fake news’ spreads vs the genuine ones,” said Fabula co-founder, Michael Bronstein. At the moment it’s not clear yet how Twitter will integrate Fabula’s technology. Stay tuned for more updates.

📣 We're excited to announce @Fabula_AI is joining Twitter! They'll bring their machine learning talent to help us grow our research team and graph deep learning technology to improve the health of the conversation on Twitter. Welcome to the flock! https://t.co/Zbjcmv2G4T
— Twitter Engineering (@TwitterEng) June 3, 2019


3. Instagram’s new Branded Content ads option
In case you missed it, the Branded Content feature has been around for a while, making it possible to sponsor branded content posts as feed ads. Until recently the option had been available to a handful of influencers, allowing the sponsored content to reach only the influencer followers. But now any content creator can produce them, and you’ll see these posts regardless of whether you’re following a creator or not. These will feature the tag “Paid partnership with” for transparency sake.  But how does it work? Both creator and advertiser will need to enable the feature in “Settings” under Business – Branded Content — after that, posts will appear in the Ads Manager under Existing Posts where they can be boosted.

Ads from influencers you don’t follow are about to hit your Instagram feed and Stories https://t.co/83HvYds2me pic.twitter.com/ChTeyKZd0k
— The Verge (@verge) June 4, 2019



4. Powering up LinkedIn advertising capabilities
LinkedIn recently closed a deal to acquire an advanced machine learning company Drawbridge. According to LinkedIn, 78% of B2B marketers see the platform as “the most effective” social network—if you are one of them, this will come as welcome news. This should open the door to the latest advanced machine learning tools to spur LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions growth even more. Drawbridge is also expected to accelerate LinkedIn ads efficiency with more accurate Matched Audiences, Audience Network campaigns and better channels/device attribution.

LinkedIn looks to improve ad targeting, attribution capabilities with Drawbridge acquisition by @AmyGesenhues https://t.co/OWLwUphG9M
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) May 29, 2019


5. Sharing links to Stories.
Instagram has been working on this for some time now—and the signs are that it could be rolled out soon. Stories link sharing would allow you to share your Instagram Story via a unique link. Amazing, right? And just think about the bigger picture for marketers. This will allow brands to integrate Stories directly into other marketing channels. You could, for example, share your Story in a newsletter. One thing is for sure, this will inspire many more companies to invest in Instagram Stories.

Instagram is working on Sharing Link to one's own specific Story
For example, link to my Szechuan stirred noodles Story: https://t.co/6TDgexC8Ve
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram too ;) pic.twitter.com/hNVewsSa6Q
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 21, 2019



Don’t miss any of the latest social media updates! Keep scrolling to read more industry news:

1. Facebook reveals its new Stories Composer
Reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong just unveiled the new Facebook Stories composer. Have a look below—the new layout has an additional right sidebar with new options such as Privacy’ and ‘Studio effects’. With  500 million daily users, Stories have been a big deal for Facebook over the past year or so, even if they’ve never had the appeal of Instagram Stories. Fingers crossed Facebook: hopefully, this new composer will get more people onto the platform—and help them craft some awesome content.

Facebook is working on a bottom bar in Stories composer for adding Text, Stickers, Effects and Draw. The top right buttons will be shortcuts for adding the specific stickers
Facebook Stories composer will also provide option to apply Studio Effect pic.twitter.com/sOX1CM87kb
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 20, 2019


2. IGTV gets a revamp to adapt to the latest video trends consumption
Well, sort of. With only 4.2 million installs worldwide,  IGTV has far from lived up to expectations. So now Instagram is clearly seeking inspiration from the success of other video apps such as  TikTok and Snapchat. The app has recently undergone a quiet makeover, ditching the category-based navigation and central feed horizontal and vertical scrolling. How does it look? There is now an auto-play mode video at the top of the screen. By scrolling down you can access a full-screen content grid where you can discover more videos.

Instagram’s IGTV copies TikTok’s AI, Snapchat’s design https://t.co/LzNsn0qNqa by @joshconstine pic.twitter.com/Q4dnkwTLty
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) May 20, 2019


3. @shop account to boost Instagram e-commerce initiatives
Fact: The @shop account had nearly 16,000 followers in the first twelve hours. After revealing the new Explore tab, which it redesigned to ramp up its e-commerce and content discovery, Instagram has just launched a @shop account to boost shoppable posts. This involves an  Instagram team curating shoppable content across the platform behind the scenes. What makes @shop unique is that it’s 100% driven by trends and aimed to help you discover emerging brands/products/services. You should totally check it out!

Instagram launches @shop account to boost interest in shoppable posts by @AmyGesenhues https://t.co/Hrta6TT8wN
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) May 9, 2019



4. What’s new with the Facebook News Feed algorithm?
There are some  Facebook News Feed algorithm updates you should know about. Let’s start with the greater reach restriction. Yes, you read it correctly. Basically, Facebook is tweaking its algorithm to help you see more content from your most relevant connections. How? By factoring in signals such as photo tags, the people you constantly interact with, and likes. It’s the latest in Facebook’s move to prioritize quality over quantity. The network has been working hard on fostering a safe community, fighting against the spread of misinformation, demoting posts users have reported as not ‘worth their time’ and unoriginal/unsafe content.

Facebook's tweaking its News Feed algorithm again #smm https://t.co/Xh5T5EZCGR
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) May 20, 2019



5. LinkedIn announces new Jobs features
LinkedIn is an essential tool when it comes to job-seekers and hiring managers. Did you know that every week 600 million users apply to jobs 25 million times? Cool, right? Now its job app will soon include a redesign of its homepage, job alerts, skills assessment, and salary insights. To support all the recruiters using the platform, LinkedIn is bringing LinkedIn Jobs, Recruiter, and Pipeline Builder together in one place. And, if that’s not enough, it’s adding Screening Questions to collect even more information on candidates.

LinkedIn integrates and updates jobs and hiring platforms, hits 20M job postings https://t.co/TRE2dnKuh7 by @ingridlunden pic.twitter.com/nqPTtK30b3
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) May 14, 2019




If you are looking for more social media updates, you are in the right place. Keep reading to learn all about the hottest industry news:

1. What’s up with the latest Facebook algorithm change?
They did it again! Over the coming months, Facebook will be once more tweaking its algorithm. This time the changes are a series of ranking updates that will favor quality video content creators and publishers. This will definitely impact the way video is consumed on the platform. So, what’s new? Basically, these three factors will now have a greater impact on video rankings: loyalty and intent, video and viewing duration, and originality. And that means that video creators will all have to work harder than ever on producing truly engaging content.

Facebook updates video ranking algorithm to surface content that users routinely seek out by @AmyGesenhues https://t.co/LBIhcPk4z2
— Marketing Land (@Marketingland) May 6, 2019


2. Instagram is making shopping even more simple
Facebook’s annual F8 conference just wrapped up, and this was one of the year’s biggest announcements. Creators and influencers will be able to tag and sell items directly to people viewing their posts or Stories. This will initially only be available on items from members of the Checkout beta program launched a few months ago, which includes influencers such as Gigi Hadid or Kim Kardashian. Creators and brands will also receive insights to get a deeper understanding of how posts are performing.

Instagram will now let creators and influencers sell items directly https://t.co/EqrWTQxx4B by @IngridLunden
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) April 30, 2019


3. YouTube Brandcast top updates
The recent eighth annual Brandcast conference announced a bunch of new changes for YouTube. To begin with, they’ll be adding two new ways to make the YouTube Google Preferred program more “useful to brands”: now videos that are frequently watched on larger screens or have higher production value will rank higher in its P-Score algorithm. Another big announcement was that YouTube is now supported by Nielsen Total Ad Ratings (TAR), meaning brands can compare YouTube and TV. If that’s not enough, the YouTube Original series will soon become free (with ads), plus the network is “doubling down” on the amount of content around music festivals and other cultural events streaming on the platform.
4. Twitter upgrades its Retweet function
This will definitely make it easier to express yourself, why? Because now Twitter lets you add a photo, video or gif to your shared content. You will be able to add up to four multimedia elements to a retweet, which will definitely liven up our feeds. Twitter described this as a highly requested feature. Meanwhile, the people of Twitter are still awaiting that much-needed “edit” button. A Social Media Manager only can hope.

It's easy to express yourself by Retweeting with a comment. What if you could take it a step further and include media? Starting today, you can! Retweet with photos, a GIF, or a video to really make your reaction pop. Available on iOS, Android, and https://t.co/AzMLIfU3jB. pic.twitter.com/Oir5Hpkb2F
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) May 6, 2019


5. Facebook introduces a new Instagram Creator Studio
What’s that you ask? A new dashboard to help users access a range of analytics metrics including engagement stats, audience activity or demographic info via desktop. This is currently still in test mode and available only to a few accounts. It will be integrated into Facebook’s Creator Studio app for now. Bear in mind that these won’t be any metrics you haven’t seen before or different to what you can see in the mobile app, but, this has the potential to become a very helpful tool.

Facebook's Working on a New Creator Studio Dashboard for Instagram https://t.co/POeAMvIN3B
— Matt Navarra | 🚨 #StayAtHome (@MattNavarra) April 27, 2019


Social media is moving fast so should you. Keep reading to learn more about the latest industry updates:

1. What you need to know about WhatsApp new privacy settings
The new feature will allow users to check who has the admin rights to add them to any conversation. What for? Mostly protecting users from misinformation and keeping phone numbers as private as possible. WhatsApp will also introduce an invite system to give you the chance to accept or deny any group invite. You’ll soon be able to decide who can add you to a group text with these three options: Nobody, My Contacts or Everybody. This feature will most likely be enabled as the default, but if you want to double check you can find whether it’s active or not under Settings>Account>Privacy section on your app. Additionally, the app is also removing around 2 million suspicious accounts globally per month.

WhatsApp says its new feature will “help to limit abuse” and keep people’s phone numbers private https://t.co/0Ie6jp4ZgN
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) April 4, 2019


2. Facebook might add a News Tab
The battle against misinformation is on. With the demand for more news only increasing, can a dedicated Facebook news section really work? For many years Facebook has held a very important role in the distribution of news across the web.  Now, some of the “Social Network” representatives have been teasing with the idea of a News Tab to only distribute news content from “high quality, trusted sources.” There isn’t much else to know at the moment, the new tab will probably have the look and feel of Facebook Watch. According to Zuckerberg, the News Feed has never been the right place for news and they are currently still looking for ways to make this work together with publishers.

Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook is considering building a dedicated tab for news, and is willing to pay publishers for high-quality content https://t.co/wUlpkE9tkF
— Bloomberg Technology (@technology) April 1, 2019


3. Twitter changes the number of accounts you can follow per day
From 1000 to 400, Twitter has decided to cut the number of accounts you can follow per day. After the massive clean-up of its API users, this is another big step to block bot spammers on the platform. If you are thinking about why 400? The company stated: “We looked at follow behavior at various thresholds, and selected 400 as a reasonable limit…”- In the past few months, Twitter has been focused on updating its spam reporting tools and, only lately, it has introduced a new security measures for verification/sign-up.

Follow, unfollow, follow, unfollow. Who does that? Spammers. So we’re changing the number of accounts you can follow each day from 1,000 to 400. Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) April 8, 2019



4.  1:1 Aspect Ratio for image link ads on Facebook
Facebook has just announced that they will allow advertisers to create image link ads with an aspect ratio up to 1:1. This will help you to be more flexible using the same creative across Facebook and Instagram. Why going square? Well, primarily because this is already available for IG ads and, additionally, Facebook discovered that 1:1 image ads showed a significantly higher click-through rate. What’s not to like?
Facebook aspect ratio
5.  New LinkedIn options for uploading documents

From PDFs to PowerPoint presentations to whitepaper, all users will now be able to upload documents directly to their feed post. The feature was first rolled out on LinkedIn messenger and, only recently, to Company Pages. This is an amazing opportunity for all marketers out there trying to build a strong personal and professional branding. Knowledge sharing is a good option to make new connections and start conversations. How do you do that? Just tap the document icon on feed message box on your desktop feed and choose a document, but don’t forget to use a couple of well-related hashtags!

LinkedIn has added document sharing to regular updates, in addition to messages and company page posts #smm https://t.co/Xb0CIppcRF
— Social Media Today (@socialmedia2day) April 7, 2019


























































Related articles


Compare the Top Social Media Suites.


Compare the Top Social Media Suites.
Falcon.io is a top-rated solution in G2’s Mid-Market Social Media Suites Report. Download the latest report to see user reviews of Falcon.io.

January 7, 2020
 
2020 Digital Marketing Trends.


2020 Digital Marketing Trends.
From private messenger apps to interactive marketing and much more, these are the digital marketing trends you need to know in 2020.

December 5, 2019
 
The Essential LinkedIn Guide For Marketers.


The Essential LinkedIn Guide For Marketers.
Learn the essentials of how to use LinkedIn for B2B and B2C marketing.

November 26, 2019