Social Media Platform News and Updates for November 2022
If you’re a business or an agency utilizing social media, you would agree that it’s a space that is both highly unpredictable and extremely easy to predict. The fun lies in this paradox.
That being said, let’s look at what’s the latest news coming from this space:
Social media updates for LinkedIn
LinkedIn is adding more pushable options to its platform. In an effort to improve in-app engagement, LinkedIn rolled out stickers. These clickable boxes drive users to where you want them to go: a website, a profile, or a company’s page.
Expect LinkedIn to incorporate more data insights into job listings, as it looks to merge more predictive and assistance insight into its tools.
Like all platforms, LinkedIn has seen more people consuming more video content in the app, and based on this, you can logically expect LinkedIn to add in more video tools, expanding on its existing intro video and video chat features.
LinkedIn’s adding a new Spotlight element for internal candidates in Recruiter to help highlight potential opportunities.
LinkedIn has announced some new features to help combat fraud and spammers in the app, including new insights into when a profile was created, new tools to detect AI-generated profile images, and prompts to help protect users from scam messages.
Social media updates for Facebook
Group members will soon be able to upload and share video Reels directly in their Group. Users will also be able to add filters, audio, and text overlays to the Reels they post.
Group administrators will be able to share their Group’s Facebook Events directly to their Instagram account. Being able to cross-post events to Instagram could allow Groups to reach an interested audience beyond Facebook.
Group Profiles will soon be able to add even more information in the About Me sections and an “Open to Messaging” tag is also in the works.
Meta’s committed to giving $7 million to charitable causes across the platform, for commitments made between November 15th and December 31st, while it’s also covering donation processing fees within the period, so that everything raised through fundraisers goes directly to the organization that you choose.
Meta has announced the inaugural 25 members of its US ‘Creators of Tomorrow’ program, which aims to highlight new voices in various categories.
After first launching its Professional Mode with selected creators in December last year, Meta is now opening up access to all creators globally, providing more options to help creators build their presence in the app. Meta’s also testing new in-stream ads for creator content, which will also be accessible (where available) via your Professional Mode options.
Social media updates for Instagram
Instagram is testing an in-app scheduling feature, according to recent reports. When creating a post or Reel, users will be able to turn on the new Schedule this post toggle, available under Advanced Settings. From there, they can select the time and date they want to publish the post.
Instagram continues to test the option to add multiple links to bios, according to reports released earlier this month. There’s no word on when or if the feature will roll out to all Instagram users. But if the ability to add multiple links in bio becomes a full-fledged feature, it could mean trouble for third-party tools like Linktree.
Throwback to MySpace, Instagram is testing a new feature allowing users to add a song to their profile. This would be huge to the music industry, but there is no word from Instagram yet on whether this song will automatically play when users visit the profile page or if it will continue to roll out to more people.
Instagram has officially announced its coming ‘Creator Portfolio’ option, which will enable creators to build what’s essentially a media kit type package, in order to showcase their audience reach, as well as previous brand work.
Social media updates for Pinterest
Pinterest may be doing better in its key markets, but it still has a lot of growing to do in other regions. As such, you can expect to see Pinterest put a bigger focus on international markets in 2023, and build its ad tools to better align with local opportunities.
Pinterest continues to make progress on this front, by adding more personalized discovery tools, and you can expect to see Pinterest continue to refine and improve its processes to help maximize product discovery, in alignment with personal usage habits and preferences.
Also, expect to see Pinterest add more product comparison options, to help users find the best deals in the app.
Pinterest is also building out its AR tools, and in 2023, I expect Pinterest will provide new tools to help businesses more easily capture their products in 3D, to fuel AR product Pins.
Like Instagram (and TikTok as well), Pinterest is also testing the waters on live-stream shopping, and if that does become a bigger trend, you can expect Pinterest to make a much bigger push on integrating live shopping into the app.
Social media updates for Twitter
Elon Musk has dissolved Twitter’s entire board of directors as part of his takeover of the short-form social media platform. With all of Twitter’s old executives gone and the company was taken private, Musk has free reign to run the social media platform as he sees fit.
According to the Verge, Twitter Blue will now be required to have Verified Account status as the price of the optional monthly subscription service quadruples to $20 USD per month. Twitter Blue will also be required to have the Verified Account checkmark. These changes will reportedly go into effect on November 7th, 2022.
Twitter’s Head of Social announced on October 5, 2022, that videos, images, and GIFs could all be shared in the same Tweet. Additionally, swiping on a video in your Twitter feed will display more related content reminiscent of TikTok. Both features are available on the mobile app.
Social media updates for TikTok
TikTok’s new in-app gaming experience may be officially announced as soon as November. The launch announcement is likely timed to coincide with “https://tiktokmademeplayit.splashthat.com/,” the “global gaming event” TikTok is hosting on November 2.
TikTok finally launches TikTok Pulse, ad revenue-sharing for top creators
TikTok creators can now display up to six videos on an external site, thanks to a new feature called Profile Kit. Creators can choose to display their latest, most popular, or favorite TikToks on their Linktree landing pages. In addition, visitors will be able to play videos within Linktree without having to navigate away from the app.
TikTok has now introduced photo mode, a carousel-style format made for sharing multiple still images in a single post. Users can add music to soundtrack their images, and viewers can either swipe through each photo or let them scroll automatically.
Now on TikTok LIVE, you can have up to 5 guests at once on the screen in either grid or panel layout view.
TikTok is extending the age requirement in a few different areas:
Lives
Direct Messaging
Virtual Gifts
Monetization Features
Social media updates for Reddit
Reddit’s adding a new live chat element within Ads Manager, which will provide a direct connection to Reddit’s support team for ad-related queries.
Reddit’s also looking to provide assistance in setting up data tracking on your site, with a new Pixel Helper tool, which will provide guidance on how to integrate the Reddit Pixel to measure their campaign performance.
Reddit’s currently offering free advertising credit to test its latest ad tools and updates.
Reddit users are more likely to be horror fans than those using other social apps, while Reddit also reaches 121 million entertainment fans every month, with a huge interest in Halloween content.
Social media updates for Snapchat
Snapchat has announced the next step in its push to integrate in-stream shopping elements, via a new integration with BigCommerce, which will enable BigCommerce merchants to display their products in Snaps.
Snapchat has now announced that it's new ‘Director Mode’ advanced video creation process is being made available to all iOS users of the app. This, of course, also includes Spotlight content, Snap’s TikTok-clone functionality, which is now used by over 300 million Snapchatters every month.
Snapchat’s adding Custom Story Expiration for S+ subscribers, will enable S+ users to set Snaps on their story to expire after one hour or up to one week.
Social media updates for WhatsApp
WhatsApp mimics Zoom and Teams as you can now share links for video calls, and Instagram lets you repost posts and reels.
WhatsApp users can easily create a call link under the options to create a video call. As soon as the app provides a link, it can be shared in the chats, and the video call can be started.
Social media updates for YouTube
Youtube is rolling out a new user handles feature for all channels. Handles provide new personalized URLs and will make it easier for users to find and connect with creators. Handles will be visible on channel homepages, search results, YouTube Shorts, and on comments. They will provide all channels with a new custom URL and double as a YouTube verification badge for smaller channels.
Ever want to get a closer picture of a YouTube video? Well, now you can with the new zoom feature. You just pitch the screen to zoom in on any part of the video.
Precise Seeking Feature is another feature that is rolled out on YouTube. Whether you’re on a desktop or your mobile device, simply drag or swipe up while seeking to display a row of thumbnails in the video player, and you’ll be able to make fine-tuned adjustments to get to the exact part in each video.
Links in video description boxes are changing to buttons. You’ll also notice a new format on the like, share, and download buttons. YouTube said these frequent actions were getting a new design to minimize distractions. Additionally, the subscription button is getting a complete makeover.
YouTube is introducing new ‘Primetime Channels’ in the app, which will enable users to sign up for different streaming subscription packages and watch shows and movies from a range of providers, including Showtime, Starz, Paramount+, and more, all directly in the app.