ICYMI: So. Many. Social. Updates 🤯
These 9 will actually have the most impact
[via Meta]
Welcome! If you just subscribed this is a weekly recap of major platform updates, social news and influencer marketing headlines — starting with a one-second summary for the most important stuff you need to have on your radar. Thanks for reading!
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⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY
Instagram is testing unskippable Feed ads
Instagram is testing the option to send a Reels draft to a friend for feedback
TikTok is reportedly working on a US copy of the app independent of ByteDance
TikTok reportedly put European ecommerce expansion plans on hold to focus on the US market
TikTok confirmed they’re testing Streaks
YouTube is rolling out access to Community posts to all creators
Threads users can now swipe right to like a post, or left to show they’re not interested
Facebook’s got a plan to bring back the young people by focusing on Feed ranking, Reels and Creators
X (Twitter) officially allows porn on the platform
Flat lay-style photos are back!
💻 ROADMAP
📲 Meta Updates
Instagram’s Creator account posted, archived, and then resurrected a Reel explaining what limits reach on the platform. “Eliciting specific interactions from people” simply to get more Reach is bad. “Earnestly engaging with your audience” through open-ended questions and calls-to-action is good. Still confusing, but OK — we’ll keep commenting OUTFIT, EYES and FACE until you tell us to stop.
Instagram confirmed it’s testing unskippable ads. According to screenshots posted on social, the three to five second ad breaks show up in the Feed while watching video posts. Will Gen Z mind the pause that stops them scrolling? TBD.
Instagram rolled out several new features for Broadcast Channels, including: Going live exclusively with channel members; Adding a custom theme to the channel; Emoji moderation; And QR codes that take members directly to your channel.
Instagram is testing Story Highlight links on feed posts. This is a useful option for creators who can point people to curated projects, additional info and affiliate links in Stories.
Instagram is testing Carousels featuring photos of different sizes, plus the ability to add text overlays on Carousels.
Instagram is testing the option to send Reels to a friend for preview before it’s posted live, “get their thoughts before you post it. No one can comment or share your preview.”
Meta is testing a 14-day trial of Meta Verified, giving Creators a non-committal way to test their paid verification system
Adam Mosseri announced Threads users can now swipe right on a post to like it, or swipe left to show they’re not interested.
📲 TikTok Updates
TikTok is reportedly working on a US copy of the app that operates independently of ByteDance. The news sparked rumors that TikTok’s parent company may be preparing to divest itself of the US version of the app. ByteDance denied Reuters story and said the report was “misleading and factually inaccurate."
TikTok reportedly put its Shop plans on hold across Europe to focus on the US market, according to a Bloomberg exclusive.
TikTok released a fundamental guide for Small Businesses, a Creative Codes guide, and a Creative Made Simple guide.
TikTok confirmed they’re testing “Streaks.” This was in last week’s newsletter but linked to a screenshot spotted in the wild. The company says it’s experimenting with select users.
📲 YouTube Updates
YouTube is rolling out access to Community posts to all creators, regardless of subscriber count. This is a great opportunity to post text, images and polls that’s additive to your channel and encourages community engagement and feedback.
YouTube is testing AI-generated green screen image backgrounds for Shorts.
YouTube renamed its “Research” tab as “Inspiration.” One experimental AI feature on desktop will be “Ideas and Outlines” to get a grasp of subscribers interests and create a bullet point video outline of the idea.
📲 X (Twitter) Updates
X (Twitter) updated its adult content policy to officially allow users to post consensually produced adult content, aka porn, on the platform.
📲 Pinterest Updates
Pinterest says it drives 170% more attention compared to other platforms. And users on the app take their time, scrolling 1.5x more slowly past ads on Pinterest, compared to people on other platforms.
📲 Substack Updates
Substack is adding video to Chat, allowing writers to record a video and send it directly to their subscribers.
👆🏻 CLICK THRU
👧🏽 👦🏻 "Not your mom's Facebook:" Inside Meta's plan to win back the youth
Facebook wants to bring the young people back.
Meta just announced it’s at a three-year high with over 40M young adults — ages of 18 to 29 — on the platform. That’s roughly 19% of its North American daily active user base.
To maintain this momentum with Gen Z, Facebook plans to focus on three areas:
The Feed: Facebook’s upgraded its Reels ranking recommendations to deliver relevant content to younger audiences.
Reels: Facebook’s updated its video player and is making easier for users to send each other videos via DMs. Private sharing on Facebook has grown 80% year over year.
Creators: They’ve simplified the process to become a Facebook creator; moved to a performance-based payout model; and have expanded monetization to all formats – photos, videos and text.
🍎 New York Set to Restrict Social-Media Algorithms for Teens
The chronological feed might make a comeback, but just for the youths.
New York plans to restrict social media algorithms aimed at teens and sending overnight notifications without parental consent.
The goal of this is to make social media less addictive. And, ironically, would bring back the chronological feed so many people have been requesting.
Underage users could choose to follow any account they wanted, but content would be presented in a chronological order.
👋🏼 PepsiCo’s CMO Todd Kaplan is leaving the company
In honor of Todd Kaplan’s departure I’m going to reshare one of my favorite LinkedIn posts he wrote emphasizing the importance of organic social content.
“Don’t interrupt your consumers regularly scheduled programming. Let them ‘find you’ where they are already spending their time, with ideas that encourage them to opt in and engage.”
Read it. Share it. It’s good stuff.
📊 DATA DROP
More than half (51%) of Gen Zers said long-form social content is one of their favorite formats, while just 40% of millennials said the same, via EMARKETER
👀 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Ikea is opening a new store on Roblox and hiring players to work in the store serving meatballs and staging rooms -Ikea
The flat lay is back -Glossy
AI isn't a daily habit yet for teens and young adults -Axios
A cyberattack targeted brand and celebrity TikTok accounts through DMs -Reuters
Facebook Groups are a relatively low-investment way to stay close to customers -Modern Retail
Facebook and Instagram are officially video platforms -Marketing Brew
Snapchat’s “Less Social Media” campaign continues with “Less Likes. More Love” -Snapchat YouTube
The former President joined TikTok (TW: it is who you think it is) -Yahoo
9 influencer marketing trends to know in 2024 -The Leap
Brands who aren’t official Olympic sponsors are going straight to the athletes -Marketing Brew