Social Media Buzz Weekly: Roundup of Social Media Updates

Welcome to Social Media Buzz Weekly, your weekly bulletin of the latest social media updates. With the social media landscape evolving with each passing day, it can be challenging to keep a tab on the rapid developments. Well, not anymore, as we have taken it upon ourselves to keep you abreast of every happening in the social media space.

So, without any further ado, let’s look at some of the most significant developments from the last week in the world of social media.

1. Meta Launches Updated Brand Safety Controls

https://www.emarketer.com/content/meta-strengthens-brand-safety-with-new-ad-controls-comment-muting-tools

Meta has announced some expanded brand safety and placement tools for its ads, which will help brands manage how their promotions are shown across both Facebook and Instagram.

Firstly, Meta has launched a live test of the capacity to deactivate comments on ads before publishing, providing more control over how your promotions are displayed in the app. Those in the test will be able to switch off comments on their ads within the ad setup process, with your options being either no comments, or open to all. You won’t be able to restrict comments to followers only or any other segment/s at this stage.

Meta is also rolling out additional ad placement controls, to ensure that brands can manage where their promotions are displayed in its apps. So now, brands will be able to specifically manage which user profiles their promotions are or are not displayed on within each app. Moreover, Meta is also enhancing its block lists option, with Meta now supporting third party created block lists for brands working with Meta partners.

2. Meta Expands Its AI Chatbot Availability

https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/metas-ai-chatbot-be-available-new-markets-including-brazil-uk-2024-10-09/

Meta is expanding access to its AI chatbot to 21 more nations, as the platform continues to build on its generative AI push.

Meta’s AI chatbot is now available to users in Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Philippines, and the United Kingdom. It’s also coming soon to Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Yemen, and will include support for more languages as well. The expansion means that more people will be able to access Meta’s advanced AI chatbot, which it says is on track to become the most used assistant in the world by the end of 2024.

3. Meta Announces Image Animation and Video Expansion Tools at Advertising Week

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/meta-announces-new-video-ai-features-at-advertising-week/529574/

Meta has announced some new ad updates at Advertising Week, including AI video animation tools, expanded creator collaboration options, additional Collections promotion features, and more.

First off, Meta is adding in new AI creative options, with “Image Animation,” which, as it sounds, will enable you to animate your still image assets. Meta’s Image Animation process will enable you to add moving elements to your static images, based on text prompts. Meta is also expanding its testing of AI-based “Video Expansion”, which enables advertisers to extend their video assets into different formats, via systematic prediction. Meta has been working with variations of this for over a year, and now, more brands will be able to access full video creation capacity within its expansion options.

Meta is also adding more to its Collections ads, with brands now able to integrate creator content into their Collections promotions.

4. US States Launch Legal Action Against TikTok Over Teen Harm

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/08/us-states-tiktok-lawsuit-mental-health

TikTok is facing yet another legal challenge in the U.S with more than a dozen states, as well as the District of Columbia, filing new lawsuits against the app, suggesting that the very design of TikTok is intended to addict youngsters.

The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from several states, including California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All of the complaints were filed in state courts and claim that TikTok’s algorithm is especially dangerous given the platform’s widespread use among young people and its ability to deliver quick hits of dopamine. Design choices such as infinite scrolling, push notifications and in-app purchases prey on youth and create addictive habits among users, prosecutors allege.

5. Instagram and TikTok Remain the Most Popular Social Apps Among Teens

https://www.netinfluencer.com/ig-tiktok-most-popular-social-apps-among-us-teens/

Instagram remains the most used social app among teens, though TikTok is more popular as an entertainment source, according to the latest research conducted by Piper Sandler, which looks at teen trends of note, and how they’re shifting over time.

Based on an annual survey of more than 13,000 U.S. teens, Piper Sandler found that Netflix ranks slightly higher than YouTube in daily video consumption, while TikTok beat out IG as the most liked social app. In terms of usage, Instagram is still number one, gaining some 7 percentage points since the last survey. TikTok came in second (+5%) followed by Snapchat (-3%). In terms of other social platforms, Pinterest is generating more interest than in the past (+6%), while Facebook has also seen a slight resurgence (+2%). The platform formerly known as Twitter, meanwhile, declined in usage by the same amount among teens (-2%).

6. Meta Tests Improved Instagram to Threads Crossposting

https://www.socialsamosa.com/news-2/meta-tests-instagram-threads-crossposting-7305728

Threads is working on streamlined Instagram integration, which would make it easier to share your IG content directly to Threads.

The Threads team is looking to add Instagram itself as a source for your attachments, which would then enable you to select from any posts or Reels that you’ve shared on your connected IG account. Meta actually launched a test of automated post sharing between Instagram and Threads earlier this year, which would enable users to switch on crossposting for all of their IG updates. Meta hasn’t provided any updates on this test, but maybe, this new variation could serve as an alternative, as opposed to simply auto-sharing everything.

7. Instagram Tests WhatsApp Sticker To Facilitate DM Connection

https://reviews-me.com/instagram-tests-whatsapp-sticker-to-boost-direct-messaging/

Instagram is close to launching a new WhatsApp sticker for Instagram Stories, which will help brands drive DM connection with users in the messaging app.

The new WhatsApp Sticker will aim to help brands prompt a DM conversation. The sticker will be available to businesses that have connected their WhatsApp Business number to their IG account. That could be valuable, because both WhatsApp and DM connections are on the rise in most regions. WhatsApp in particular has seen a big surge in the U.S. of late, as more people look to engage within private chats, as opposed to posting their updates in public.

Over time, the divisive and argumentative, and even performative nature of social media has turned more and more people off of sharing their updates with everyone, preferring instead to maintain connections with smaller groups of close friends.

8. Snapchat Begins Testing Sponsored Posts and Promoted Places

https://www.gadgets360.com/apps/news/snapchat-sponsored-ads-chats-promoted-places-snap-map-6749908

After previewing Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places last month, Snapchat has now provided a few more details about its new ad formats, which will enable ad partners to reach users in the most engaging part of the app.

Snapchatters can choose to open the Snap and can engage by sending a message directly to the advertiser, or using the call-to-action to open a predetermined link. Sponsored Snaps will include a “Sponsored” tag to differentiate them in your chat list, while they also won’t be eligible for push notifications. If Sponsored Snaps are left unviewed, they will be removed from the inbox.

9. X Avoids EU ‘Gatekeeper’ Designation and Requirements

https://www.reuters.com/technology/musks-x-will-not-be-designated-gatekeeper-under-landmark-eu-tech-rules-sources-2024-10-10/

Reuters has reported that the European Commission has ruled that X does not meet its designation as a “gatekeeper” platform, which will mean that X won’t be beholden to the EU’s more stringent operating requirements for big tech players.

Under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), platforms identified as gatekeepers must enable third party systems to interoperate with their services (e.g. Meta needs to let other messaging apps send messages to WhatsApp), while they also need to let business users access any data that they generate in their use of the gatekeeper’s platform, and provide ad performance info for independent verification. The aim, essentially, is to ensure fair competition in the market, by ensuring that these big platforms don’t squeeze out smaller players because of their dominant position.

And after investigation, the EU has reportedly decided that X will not have to meet these requirements.

10. X Removes Ad Revenue Share from Creator Payments Program

https://in.mashable.com/tech/83498/elon-musks-x-will-no-longer-pay-creators-based-on-ads-but-on-engagement

X is making a significant change to its creator monetization program, switching from ad revenue share to a percentage of Premium user payments as the financial pool for its participating creator payouts.

So, rather than basing creator payouts on the amount of ads displayed in post replies, of which only ads shown to Premium subscribers were eligible anyway, X is now shifting to share a percentage of revenue from Premium user subscription payment instead. Under the previous monetization system, monetized users on X were paid based on how many ads were served to X Premium users in the replies to their content. With the new monetization system, X Premium users continue to be the only monetizable audience. However, the number of ads they view no longer has any relevance. In fact, users can now get paid for content that lacks advertisements entirely.

11. LinkedIn Adds Another Puzzle Game

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/08/linkedin-releases-tango-game-after-launch-of-queens-puzzle-in-may.html

After launching its initial slate of puzzle games back in May, LinkedIn’s now adding another to the mix, with “Tango,” a logic game based on image matching.

The addition of puzzle games seems like a pretty blatant engagement-boosting play from the app, and an effort to get more of its billion or so “members” coming to the platform more regularly. Based on estimates, comparing LinkedIn’s EU user and member stats, it seems like around 40% of LinkedIn’s total members are actually active in the app. And while that has been increasing, that’s a lot less than the billion members it boasts, which is something that LinkedIn would love to rectify.

12. LinkedIn Reports Increase in CEO Activity

https://www.socialdiscoveryinsights.com/2024/10/15/linkedin-sees-sudden-rise-in-ceo-engagement/

LinkedIn is reporting a significant increase in activity among C-suite executives, particularly CEOs, on its platform.

According to The Financial Times, there has been a 35% increase in C-suite professionals in the U.S. on LinkedIn in the past five years, and a 30% rise in the U.K. There’s also been a 23% increase in posts from chief executives globally year on year, and their content gets four times more engagement than other content from LinkedIn members.

 CEOs have often claimed that they simply don’t have the time to post on social media, despite pressure from PR leaders. But now, they are finding more time and motivation to be more active. Part of that could be related to the latest round of AI tools, and simplified processes for automating content creation.

Wrapping Up

And that was a wrap of this week’s Social Media Buzz. We’ll be back next week with more news and updates for you from the social media world. Till then, stay tuned!

If you want to read more on the latest developments taking place in the social media space, take a look at ClickInsights’ Social Media Buzz, wherein we bring to you monthly reports on everything going on in social media, ranging from platform updates to policy changes that influence the way we market.