Social Media Platform News and Updates for AUGUST 2024
Welcome to this month's social media industry update! Meta cracks down on sextortion accounts and open-sources new AI models. LinkedIn expands its "Accelerate" campaign tool globally and launches sponsored newsletters. Instagram tests a new "Notes" feature within Reels to engage younger users. X (formerly Twitter) introduces settings to use user data to train its Grok AI chatbot. TikTok allows custom video thumbnails and partners with Eventbrite for in-app event promotion. Reddit launches Lead Generation Ads and a sports partnership program with major leagues. Snapchat debuts the "Snap Sports Network" featuring unique sports content. Stay tuned for how these updates can enhance your social media strategies!
Social media updates for Meta
Meta Takes Down 70,000 Accounts Linked to Nigerian Sextortion Group Meta has announced a major crackdown on a sextortion group known as "Yahoo Boys," removing around 70,000 profiles, pages, and groups from Facebook and Instagram. These accounts, primarily based in Nigeria, were involved in romance scams and financial sextortion, targeting mainly adult men in the US with fake profiles to extort money and personal information. Meta's actions are part of broader efforts to improve detection and prevent these networks from re-emerging.
Meta Open-Sources Llama AI Models for Broader Development Meta has open-sourced its latest AI models, Llama 3.1 40B and 70B, to encourage broader development and collaboration in the AI community. This move allows developers to build custom AI systems using Meta's advanced models, which are trained on billions of parameters. Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that this initiative aims to foster a more transparent and sustainable AI ecosystem, potentially advancing AI technology faster than closed models.
Facebook Tests "Clear Mode" for Reels Facebook is testing a new "Clear Mode" for Reels, allowing users to hide UI elements and descriptions for a cleaner viewing experience. This feature, which can be activated by long-pressing the screen, mirrors a similar function on Instagram and aims to improve content visibility, particularly for clips where on-screen text and buttons obstruct key elements. The rollout status is currently limited, but it promises a more immersive Reels experience.
Social media updates for LinkedIn
LinkedIn Expands Automated Campaign Tool 'Accelerate' LinkedIn has expanded its "Accelerate" campaign feature, which uses AI to automate the campaign creation process, including targeting and creative elements. This tool, integrated with Microsoft Designer, simplifies and enhances campaign efficiency and effectiveness. Accelerate campaigns will be available globally, offering businesses a streamlined way to reach targeted B2B audiences.
LinkedIn Launches Sponsored Newsletters LinkedIn has introduced sponsored newsletters, expanding its sponsored content options for businesses. This feature allows companies to promote their newsletters to increase reach and engagement, similar to the existing sponsored articles. LinkedIn users have shown a growing interest in newsletters, making this a potentially valuable tool for lead generation and brand visibility.
LinkedIn Reports Record Engagement and Revenue Growth LinkedIn continues to report record engagement, with a 10% increase in revenue and a 13% rise in sessions. The platform now claims over a billion members, although active user numbers are estimated to be around 400 million. The company notes a significant increase in video content and LinkedIn Premium sign-ups, suggesting a growing interest in these features.
Social media updates for Instagram
Instagram Expands Notes Feature to Engage Younger Users Instagram is testing a new "Notes" tab within the Reels section, allowing users to see Reels with added Notes from friends, enhancing interaction. Notes, which last three days and can only be left by mutual follows, have been particularly popular among teenagers, who use them at ten times the rate of older users. This feature aims to keep younger audiences engaged with Instagram, preventing a shift to competing platforms like TikTok.
Instagram Prioritizes DMs in UI Redesign Test Instagram is testing a new interface that highlights direct messages (DMs) by placing the messaging icon in the center of the main navigation bar, replacing the traditional post creation icon. This shift reflects a broader trend where more user engagement occurs in DMs than public posts. Instagram aims to align with this behavior, although the change could significantly affect user interactions on the platform.
Instagram Introduces Multi-Track Audio Feature for Reels Instagram has launched a feature allowing users to add up to 20 audio tracks to a single Reel, enabling more creative control over the soundtrack. This feature allows users to overlap or merge tracks, enhancing their videos' storytelling or thematic elements. It marks a significant innovation from Instagram, differentiating itself from similar features on other platforms like TikTok.
Social media updates for X (Twitter)
X Enables Use of User Data to Train Grok AI X has introduced a new setting that allows the platform to use user posts and interactions to train its Grok AI chatbot. This setting, which is active by default, means that data may be shared with xAI, a third party, potentially raising privacy concerns. Users can opt out, but the feature's quiet rollout and the potential spread of misinformation via Grok have sparked scrutiny.
X Expands Grok AI Features for Premium Users X has expanded the capabilities of its Grok AI chatbot for Premium subscribers, including profile analysis and the ability to ask about highlighted terms. These new features provide an AI-generated summary of profiles and explanations of highlighted text aimed at enhancing user understanding and interaction. The functionality is currently limited to desktops and available only to X Premium subscribers.
X Tests Feature to Restrict Links in Replies X is testing a feature that allows users to prevent links from being posted in replies, aimed at reducing spam and keeping discussions focused on the platform. While this feature could help block unwanted links, it might also limit the sharing of external sources for counterarguments. This feature, which users can toggle per post, is still under evaluation for its broader impact on platform interactions.
Social media updates for TikTok
TikTok Introduces Custom Thumbnail Feature TikTok now allows creators to upload custom thumbnails for their videos, enhancing the visual appeal and potentially increasing engagement. Users can select a frame from their video or upload a custom image, similar to features available on other platforms like YouTube and Instagram Reels. This addition is expected to help creators attract more viewers by making their content stand out in searches and profiles.
TikTok Partners with Eventbrite for In-App Event Promotion TikTok has partnered with Eventbrite to enable creators and users to promote events directly through the app. This integration lets users link to Eventbrite listings within TikTok videos, facilitating easy access to event information and ticket purchasing. The partnership aims to enhance event visibility, especially within TikTok's niche communities, and support creators in monetizing their events.
TikTok Launches "£1 Million Club" to Boost UK eCommerce TikTok has introduced the "£1 Million Club," a program designed to help UK retailers achieve £1 million in revenue through the platform. The initiative offers benefits such as commission-free sales for 90 days, free storage and fulfillment, and dedicated support to help merchants establish and grow their TikTok presence. This move is part of TikTok's broader strategy to expand its eCommerce capabilities in Western markets.
Social media updates for Threads
Meta's Threads App Celebrates First Anniversary Meta's Threads app, launched as a Twitter alternative, has reached its first anniversary, boasting 175 million users. Threads has grown steadily by offering a more positive, less politically charged space, though it still trails Twitter/X's 250 million daily active users. The app's potential to become a significant player hinges on continued growth and possibly capitalizing on discontent with Elon Musk's Twitter/X changes.
Meta Tests New Feature to Tackle Content Theft on Threads Meta is experimenting with a "Use media" option on Threads, which would allow users to re-share media with credit to the original poster. This feature aims to promote a better creator ecosystem by providing an easy way to credit original content creators. Similar measures on Instagram, like removing aggregator accounts from recommendations, reflect Meta's broader push to support creators.
Threads Enhances Trending Engagement Options Threads is adding a new blue label for trending topics and a "Recent" filter to improve real-time engagement. These changes aim to make it easier for users to join trending conversations despite the app's stance against divisive political content. Threads is also testing a search filter by date to further enhance topical discussions.
Social media updates for Reddit
Reddit Launches Lead Generation Ads Reddit has introduced Lead Gen Ads, allowing marketers to collect prospective customer information directly from their ads. The new format includes auto-population of email fields for a seamless user experience and integrates with automation platform Zapier for CRM compatibility. Early testers have reported improved lead quality and campaign performance.
Reddit Blocks Non-Google Search Engines Reddit has updated its robot.txt file to block search engines, except Google, from crawling its site. This move follows a $60 million data deal with Google, as Reddit seeks to maximize revenue from its valuable data. The restriction aims to ensure that other search engines comply with Reddit's usage policies, particularly regarding AI training data.
Reddit Launches Sports Partnership Program Reddit has announced a new sports partnership program with major leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, and NASCAR. This program will bring exclusive sports content to Reddit, enhancing user engagement in sports communities. The initiative also offers new opportunities for advertisers to align their brands with these communities and content experiences.
Social media updates for Snapchat
Snapchat and The Lincoln Center Launch AR Art Exhibition Snapchat has partnered with The Lincoln Center to present "Ghost Variations," an AR exhibition visualizing mental health and sound. The project, accessible via Snapchat, features augmented reality sculptures and soundscapes inspired by composer Robert Schumann's life. This initiative continues Snapchat's efforts to integrate traditional art with modern technology, making classic art more accessible to younger audiences.
Snapchat Debuts "Snap Sports Network" for Unconventional Sports Snapchat has announced the "Snap Sports Network," featuring unique sports content like dog surfing and professional pillow fighting. The network, launching with six episodes, aims to engage users with offbeat sports coverage and is part of Snapchat's strategy to diversify content offerings. Sponsored by brands like e.l.f. Cosmetics, this initiative seeks to captivate audiences with light-hearted and unconventional sports.
Snapchat Proves Effective for Entertainment Promotions New data from Snapchat and Samba TV indicates that Snap campaigns significantly boost audience interest in new TV shows and movies, with an 84% increase in tune-in intent. The study also revealed that Snapchat reaches a unique audience, with 79% of impressions going to households that are not reached by traditional TV ads. This highlights Snapchat's potential for targeting younger demographics disconnected from conventional media.
Social media updates for WhatsApp
WhatsApp Groups Update WhatsApp is introducing new group context cards that provide information on who added you to a group, who created the group, the group's creation date, and its description. This update aims to help users avoid spammy or unwanted groups and includes new reporting options for enhanced safety. The new group context notes are being rolled out to all users over the next few weeks.
WhatsApp Selfie Generator Meta is developing a new "Imagine Me" feature for WhatsApp, allowing users to create AI-powered variations of their profile images based on text prompts. Users can upload selfies and type "Imagine me..." followed by their desired setting to generate new images. This feature is similar to Snapchat's "Dreams" tool and is still in early development, not yet available for public testing.
WhatsApp Favorites WhatsApp has introduced a new "Favorites" tab, allowing users to create a dedicated list of key contacts for easier access to important discussions. The favorites will appear at the top of the calls tab and as a filter for chats, ensuring users can quickly find and engage with their most important contacts. This feature is being rolled out to all users and will be available in the coming weeks.
Social media updates for YouTube
YouTube Shorts Custom Thumbnails YouTube will not enable custom thumbnails for Shorts clips but is testing a similar solution that allows some customization. Shorts thumbnails are deemed less critical since most users encounter Shorts within the full-screen video feed rather than smaller thumbnails. YouTube is exploring options like editing the "thumb frame" post-upload and adding text and filters to these frames.
YouTube AI-Generated Radio YouTube Music Premium subscribers can now try a new "AI-generated radio" feature, creating personalized playlists based on conversational prompts. This feature uses YouTube's keyword matching to provide music aligned with specific, niche requests. It is part of YouTube's broader efforts to integrate AI for enhanced customization and utility in music streaming.
YouTube Shorts "Add Yours" Sticker YouTube is testing an "Add Yours" sticker for Shorts, similar to Instagram's version, which encourages viewer participation by prompting responses to challenges or questions. This feature aims to increase user engagement by fostering participatory trends, much like TikTok's successful approach. The experiment is rolling out to a small number of Shorts creators worldwide.
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