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 Previews Next-Gen AR Glasses
Meta has unveiled its second generation Aria AR glasses to researchers.
Meta showcased the first version of its Aria AR glasses back in 2021, and launched them to researchers last year, and it’s now rolling out some new functional improvements, based on advancing development processes (particularly in AI) and initial product feedback. Meta says that the Aria 2 model includes upgraded sensors, RGB camera, 6DOF SLAM cameras, eye tracking cameras, spatial microphones, and more. The next gen version also now includes heart rate monitors and a contact microphone “to distinguish the wearer’s voice from that of bystanders.”
2. Meta Reportedly Considers Additional $200B in AI Investments
Meta is reportedly in the process of assessing locations for a new $200 billion data center, with the construction likely to place the new facility in either Louisiana, Wyoming or Texas, based on early talks.
Meta hasn’t confirmed that any such project will be taking place, labeling such reports as “pure speculation.” But it would align with Meta’s broader expansion plans for its AI projects, while it would also help Zuckerberg in his efforts to cosy up to the Trump Administration, which is keen to see more investment into tech projects based in the U.S. Meta has already confirmed that it’s likely to spend more than $65 billion this year on AI infrastructure, including the development of a new 2-gigawatt data center “that is so large it would cover a significant part of Manhattan.”
3. Meta Expands AI Chatbot to Users in Africa and the Middle East
Meta is taking the next steps with its AI tools, with the company launching its AI chatbot to users in the Middle East and Africa, enabling more people to utilize Meta’s evolving AI models.
The expansion marks a key milestone for Meta’s AI ambitions, and connecting the next billion users via its AI tools. Indeed, Meta further notes that Meta AI is now used by 700 million people every month, up from the 400 million that it reported in September last year. The company has gone all-in on AI development, and is planning to spend around $65 billion on infrastructure investment to power its push this year alone.
4. TikTok Sets Deadline for the Switch to Its Creative Suite
TikTok will soon replace its Creative Center, including its Creator Marketplace, with its new “TikTok One” platform.
TikTok One, which was originally announced at its “TikTok World” event last May, will provide a more centralized home for all of TikTok’s creative tools, including analytics, campaign creation, Creative Challenges, and more. This also includes its current Creator Marketplace, TikTok’s discovery tool that connects creators with brands. TikTok is now looking to enact the change that will see TikTok One become the primary space for managing your various campaign elements.
5. TikTok Launches Updated Automotive Ad Options
TikTok has launched a custom ad solution to help auto sellers tap into the potential of the app.
TikTok’s dedicated auto ads aim to simplify auto promotions in the app, with minimal setup and automated product flows, based on available inventory lists, to power the display. TikTok’s new auto ads are available with video or multi-link carousel cards, across a range of objectives. TikTok has repeatedly noted that it drives billions of views of car-related content every day, among its highly engaged community of auto fans.
6. TikTok Saw Significant Growth in In-App Sales in 2024
TikTok, along with its Chinese counterpart Douyin, has become the first non-gaming app to surpass 6 billion US dollars in annual in-app purchase (IAP) revenue, according to a report by app intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
The report highlights that TikTok generated an unprecedented 1.9 billion dollars in gross IAP revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024 alone. With 6 billion dollars in IAP revenue for the year, TikTok more than doubled the earnings of any other app or game. The popular mobile game Monopoly GO, which ranked second, accumulated 2.6 billion dollars over the same period.
7. TikTok Launches Refreshed Desktop App
TikTok has launched a revised desktop app, which looks to better align with its more popular in-app experience.
TikTok’s updated web design is more modular, essentially recreating the full-screen mobile look within the parameters of your PC screen. TikTok says that it’s repositioned the navigation bar to better align with the larger screen, while also reducing distractions during playback.
TikTok also notes that the updated desktop app also includes a refreshed “For You” feed, and a new Explore tab, both of which are now more aligned to web viewing. It has also refreshed its live-stream presentation to provide a more responsive presentation in different formats.
8. Instagram May Be Exploring a Separate Reels App
Instagram is reportedly considering spinning its Reels feature into a standalone short-form video app to take advantage of TikTok’s uncertain future in the US. Instagram head Adam Mosseri was overheard discussing the plans with staff this week according to an anonymous source cited by The Information.
The Reels app is reportedly part of a Meta initiative code-named Project Ray which aims to help Instagram better compete against TikTok. Plans include improving how Instagram content is recommended and bringing more three-minute-long Reels videos to users in the US.
A standalone Reels app would be a more direct replica of TikTok, opening to a full-screen, scrolling display of short-form videos. And with Reels recently being extended to 3 minutes, there could be a variety of content, enough to potentially justify a separate Reels app.
9. Instagram Adds New DM Features, Including Scheduled Messages and Improved Translation
Instagram’s rolling out a range of DM updates in order to build on messaging engagement, which has now become the primary way that users connect within the app.
First off, Instagram’s adding the capability to translate DMs in-stream, so you can easily connect with users who speak another language. The translations are powered by Meta’s improving translation processes, which should deliver increasingly accurate translations in 99 different languages. Instagram will also now enable you to schedule your DMs, providing an extra level of automation. It is also giving users the option to pin messages in a chat. Moreover, it is giving users more ways to share music in the app, with a music sharing sticker in DMs.
10. Instagram Adds Text-Only Testimonials To Partnership Ads
Instagram is rolling out a new element within its Partnership Ads that will enable brands to showcase a creator endorsement within a sponsored comment on a Partnership post.
Instagram is rolling out Partnership testimonials, which will appear as a “Sponsored” comment in the post comments. The partnership will also be denoted in the post creator header, as per the usual display of IG’s Partnership Ads. That could give users more motivation to check out the product, by highlighting endorsements from their favorite creators in the app.
Indeed, Instagram says that 40% of people use creator recommendations on Instagram when they’re shopping, which could make these direct, personalized acknowledgments a powerful way to drive more interest, and sales, in the app.
11. Instagram Tests AI-Based Tasks via DMs
Instagram is currently experimenting with a new “Create Task” prompt within its DM options that would enable you to initiate a simple action based on the content of a message.
This could be a convenient way to ensure you follow-up on key prompts and notes, and it could quickly become a valuable, relied-upon addition. It’s not quite to the same level as OpenAI’s Operator system, but the principle is the same, expanding AI chatbots beyond just text-based responses, and shifting them into actual tasks, and initiating activities at your request.
12. Snapchat Launches New Brand Safety Measures
Snapchat has launched new ad placement control tiers, in order to provide advertisers with more reassurance and control in regards to where their promotions are displayed in the app.
Snapchat’s new brand suitability controls will give advertisers variable options as to where their ads are shown, enabling marketers to choose which level of placement they’re comfortable with. Snap’s new placement controls will utilize Snapchat’s latest machine-learning process, which will match content to Snapchat’s inventory tiers by sensitivity or risk.
13. X Adds New AI Elements to Power Ad Performance
X has announced two new automated ad creation features in the app, which will essentially enable X’s AI systems to help guide your creative and targeting efforts.
The first new element, now available to select advertisers in X Ads Manager, is called “Prefill with Grok”, which will generate promotions for your business based on a URL. Google and Meta have developed similar tools, which are able to extract key website elements to quickly formulate an ad.
The second new element enables you to analyze your campaign with X’s AI, in order to optimize performance. With ‘Analyze Campaign with Grok,’ you get a clear, AI-driven breakdown of how your ads are performing, empowering you to refine your targeting, adjust your creative, and maximize your impact - all in a fraction of the time. The analysis will help you tap into trends, and identify key opportunities that you may otherwise miss, by using xAI’s understanding of X ads and user engagement to guide your approach.
14. LinkedIn Launches Improved CRM Integration, Expanded Attribution Data
LinkedIn has announced some updates to its ad targeting and attribution elements, in order to help marketers reach the right audiences with their ads, and demonstrate ROI from their efforts.
First off, LinkedIn has enhanced its Conversions API (CAPI) to enable easier data integration from your CRM. The updated connection flow enables you to easily link through your CRM data from a range of platforms. LinkedIn has also updated its Revenue Attribution Report (RAR), which will now enable marketers to review their CRM data over an extended period, up to 365 days. So now, you’ll be able to glean more specific insight into how your CRM data is driving actual lead generation over time, helping you demonstrate opportunities driven by direct data integration.
15. LinkedIn Tests Alternate Feed of Updates From Only Your Connections
LinkedIn is testing a feature that allows users to filter their feed content to boost engagement.
Users can choose between the default "All" tab, which shows content from all members, and the "My Network" tab, displaying updates only from first-degree connections and followed pages. Users must select the "My Network" tab each time to view this content. The test will not affect existing feed preferences, and ads will still appear in both tabs.
16. LinkedIn Rolls Out Comment Impression Counts
LinkedIn is adding another way to measure the impact of your contributions in the app, with some users now able to see impression counts on their comments beneath LinkedIn posts.
LinkedIn’s in the process of rolling out comment impressions, which will provide more insight into how many people you’re reaching with your activity in the app. A comment impression is counted each time someone views your comment. This count is non-unique, if the same member views a comment twice, it is counted as two comment impressions. Your own views are also counted towards the impression count.
17. LinkedIn Rolls Out New Newsletter Metrics
LinkedIn has added two new metrics for newsletter creators in the app, with “email sends” and “email open rates” now available via your newsletter analytics page, providing more ways to measure the performance of your communications.
These are valuable additions, which could help LinkedIn newsletter creators better target and optimize their approaches, by providing more insight into what’s resonating with their email list. That could present new opportunities for professional outreach and branding, while you can also now pay to promote your newsletter, or to sponsor a creator’s LinkedIn newsletter send.
18. US Demands EU Antitrust Chief Clarify Rules Reining in Big Tech
US House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has demanded EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera clarify how she enforces the European Union’s rules reining in Big Tech, saying they appear to target US companies.
The request came after US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum warning that his administration would scrutinise the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act “that dictate how American companies interact with consumers in the European Union”. The Digital Markets Act sets out a list of dos and don’ts for Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Booking.com, ByteDance, Meta Platforms and Microsoft, aimed at securing a level playing field and giving consumers more choices.
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.
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