Social media platform changes you may have missed in November

What is the bigger move this month: the Snapchat redesign or the Twitter increase to 280 characters? You be the judge.

  1. All Twitter users can now send tweets that contain 280 characters, double the previous limit.
  2. Facebook is testing an option for news publishers to add a “breaking” tag to news stories, making it easier for readers to identify news in their News Feed.
  3. YouTube launches “Reels,” introducing the “Stories” format to the video platform. The feature links together videos up to 30 seconds long with music, text, filters and stickers.
  4. Microsoft integrates LinkedIn with Outlook.com, allowing email users to view insights, profile pictures, work history and more from their inboxes.
  5. Facebook introduces a “Monetization” tab that can turn on recirculation ads across IA articles. This update is a response to publishers asking for more control over monetization in Instant Articles. Facebook is reporting that publisher RPM (average revenue per 1,000 page views) has grown by over 50% since the start of 2017, and is equal to or better than mobile web monetization for many publishers.
  6. The new Snapchat Ads Manager includes Snap ads, an ad-creation tool, account management, and an online ad training program called “Snapchat Explore.” The new interface supports two additional new features for advertisers: Sponsored Geofilters or Sponsored Lenses can now include Context Cards, which users can swipe to then be taken to a brand’s site. Plus, audience filters target by age, gender, language, and “lifestyle categories,” independent of location.
  7. Snapchat introduces two additional ad formats: “Promoted Stories” that feature multiple Snaps and are visible to an entire country, and “Augmented Reality Trial Ads” that virtually overlays a product into a user’s Snap.
  8. Facebook Polls rolls out globally to both profiles and Pages, allowing people to ask questions with pre-selected options. For the first time, poll options can include GIFs.
  9. Snapchat has rolled out filters that automatically identify and categorize Snaps, such as photos relating to pets, food, concerts, sports or beaches. Once identified, “contextually relevant” filters are enabled to overlay the Snaps.
  10. Instagram is developing a feature to allow users to search for, and follow, hashtags in comments. This is being tested now and remains to be seen if the feature will roll out globally.
  11. Snap rolls out a Snapchat redesign to make the app more intuitive, separating content from media (“Discover”) from content from your friends and family (“Friends”). Snapchat is also introducing an algorithm that will give users personalized recommendations for both Friends and Discover, based on content or people you’ve already engaged with.
  12. Instagram now allows you to post images and videos more than a day old to Instagram Stories.
  13. Twitter suspends its verification process after the platform granted Jason Kessler, the organizer of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, the blue checkmark. They have also announced that they will remove the blue checkmark from users that violate their harassment policies. The company is working on a new verification process.
  14. Twitter announces “Promote Mode,” a $99 a month service that lets businesses run automated ad campaigns.
  15. The Facebook Events app is now called “Facebook Local,” with a rebranding that focuses on nearby bars, restaurants, and attractions as well as events.
  16. Facebook launches a “Customer Chat” plugin that allows businesses to use Messenger as the chat platform on their company websites. They are also building a tool called “Messenger Broadcast” that allows advertisers to send messages to any Messenger user who has previously interacted with a brand or business account.
  17. Facebook transitions its “Mentions” app for influencers and celebrities to “Creator,” an app designed specifically for creators of live video on its platform. The app includes tools for live broadcasts (custom stickers, the ability to add intros and outros); a community tab that unifies all inbound messages from Facebook, Instagram and Messenger; crossposting to both Facebook and Instagram Stories; and additional insights and metrics. Creators can use the app for their personal profiles or Watch Show pages, and a creator website offers training on creating content for Facebook.
  18. Twitter has confirmed it’s testing a tweetstorm feature with users who are members of its Experiments Program. A “+” button in the compose box enables users to include multiple tweets in one conversational thread.
  19. Facebook launches “360 experiences,” VR-enabled posts that work in the Facebook News Feed. The experience is similar to a 360-degree video, where you can move your phone to pan around an image; but now for the first time you can tap or click on objects within the experience.
  20. No doubt using Crowdtangle technology, Facebook now offers “highlighted shares” to Insights, allowing admins to see the top five pages that have shared a specific video (and with it, the number of views, average viewing time, and engagement on that share).
  21. Just in time for the holidays, Pinterest users can create personalized gift boards based on what friends and family members are pinning. Amazon, Coca-Cola, Bed Bath & Beyond, CVS and Universal Pictures are providing input for the Pinterest Secret Santa feature.
  22. Twitter tests a new feature that displays how many people are currently talking about a particular tweet, combing both replies and retweets into a combined number.
  23. Facebook’s new “proactive detection” AI technology scans users posts to identify patterns of suicidal thoughts, and alerts local first-responders or flags Facebook moderators.
  24. YouTube partners with Ticketmaster to display concert dates and sell concert tickets on musicians’ YouTube channels.
  25. YouTube expands its Community feature to all creators with over 10,000 subscribers. The “Community” space makes YouTube video sharing more social, allowing creators to share updates with text, photos, GIFs, and polls, as well as video.

 

 

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Article by: Tory Starr

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