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 take a look at some of the most significant developments from the last week in the world of social media.

1. Meta Announces the Retirement of its ‘Neighborhoods’ Local Community Groups Project

https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/01/facebook-is-shutting-down-its-nextdoor-clone-next-month-following-tests-in-the-u-s-and-canada/?tpcc=tcplustwitter

Meta has announced that it’s shutting down its Nextdoor-like ‘Neighborhoods’ feature, which it’s been testing in the US and Canada over the past year.

Inspired by the rising interest in local social engagement, which had been amplified by COVID lockdowns around the world, Meta saw the opportunity to put the squeeze on another potential competitor by launching Neighborhoods in Canada last May.

2. Meta’s Exploring the Potential of Paid Add-On Features for Facebook and Instagram

https://www.redmention.com/news/metas-exploring-the-potential-of-paid-add-on-options-for-fb-and-instagram/

Meta’s established a new internal group that will investigate the potential of paid features for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. That could see new, add-on subscription tools added to Instagram, like new NFT features or improved functionality, or maybe Facebook will provide a permanent chronological timeline setting, for a fee.

It’s not entirely clear what the team will be focused on, with regards to direct subscriptions for add-ons (like Twitter Blue), or expanded monetization tools for creators, from which Meta could take a cut. But it seems like all options are likely on the table, as Meta looks for new ways to maximize its revenue intake.

3. LinkedIn Shares New Data on the Most In-Demand Skills, New Notifications of Opportunities in Your Network

https://trainingforms.com/linkedin-shares-new-data-on-the-most-in-demand-skills-new-notifications-of-opportunities-in-your-network/

LinkedIn has shared new research into rising skills noted in LinkedIn job ads. It is also hosting a series of virtual events where members will be able to engage with LinkedIn Learning instructors and hear more about how skills for jobs are evolving, along with tips on how they can lean into these trends.

Moreover, it is adding a new ‘Who’s Hiring in Your Network’ overview, which will help users stay across potential career opportunities among those they know.

4. Meta Invites Applications for the Third Phase of its ‘Community Accelerator’ Program

https://www.specser.com/meta-invites-applications-for-the-third-phase-of-its-community-accelerator-program/

Meta has opened up applications for the third iteration of its Community Accelerator Program, which provides training, advice, and monetary support for community leaders to help them maximize their use of Facebook’s tools to facilitate growth.

It is also giving participants grants of up to $40k to fund their work in advancing towards community goals.

5. Twitter Launches Live Test of the Option to Pin a Tweet Reply

https://drfollower.com/twitter-launches-live-test-of-the-option-to-pin-a-tweet-reply/

Twitter is rolling out its new ‘Pin Reply’ option to selected users. Some Twitter users are now seeing this new notification when they log into the app, alerting them to the new Pin Reply option.

As it sounds, tweet reply pinning will enable users to highlight a specific reply to their tweet via the three dots menu on a response. You’ll then be able to keep that reply at the top of the thread, maximizing exposure for that specific interaction.

6. LinkedIn is Working on a Native Post Scheduling Option

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedins-working-on-a-native-post-scheduling-option/630975/

LinkedIn’s working on a new scheduling option that would be built into the post-composer flow, with a new clock icon added to the bottom right of the window.

Native scheduling can be a little more reliable, particularly in terms of how your post will look when it goes live. Most scheduling tools now include built-in preview elements to help on this front, but integrated tools provide more definitive guidance, while also facilitating more post types and tools.

7. LinkedIn Announces New Certification Course Partnerships with Meta, IBM, Oracle, and More

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/linkedin-offers-professional-certifications-from-meta-oracle-and-ibm/463021/#close

LinkedIn has announced a new series of educational partnerships with IBM, Meta, Oracle and more which will provide official certifications and recognitions for skills that you can then display on your LinkedIn profile.

The courses on offer are similar to those available in each company’s dedicated education tools, like Meta’s ‘Blueprint’ education platform. But now, they’re integrated into LinkedIn’s own education resources, which provides more direct integration to showcase your knowledge across the professional social network.

8. Instagram Launches New Tools to Help Refine Content Recommendations

https://www.socialnationnow.com/instagram-launches-tools-to-refine-content-recommendations/

Instagram has announced some new features designed to help users provide more direct input into what they’re shown in the app, in order to further align their IG feed to their preferences.

As you can see in the first image above, Instagram says that it’s testing the ability to mark multiple posts in Explore as ‘Not Interested’, in order to streamline your algorithmic training process.

Wrapping Up

And that was a wrap of this week’s Social Media Buzz. We’ll be back next Monday 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.