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. Google Outlines Ongoing Efforts to Combat China-Based Influence Operations Targeting Social Apps

https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/over-50000-instances-of-dragonbridge-activity-disrupted-in-2022/

Google has published a new overview of its ongoing efforts to combat the initiative, called DRAGONBRIDGE.

DRAGONBRIDGE is by far the most prolific source of coordinated information operations that Google has detected over the past year, while Google also notes that it’s been able to disrupt most of the project’s attempted influence, by snuffing out its content before it gets seen. DRAGONBRIDGE has created more than 100,000 accounts, which includes tens of thousands of YouTube channels.

2. Instagram Adds Lead Forms as CTA Button Option on Business Profiles

https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2023/01/instagram-revolutionizes-lead-creation.html

Instagram had added a new ‘Lead Form’ option within your IG business profile action buttons, which provides new ways to generate direct response from your business presence in the app.

You can select ‘Add Lead Form’ as an action button on your profile, in addition to the existing three CTA buttons available. You can choose either a standard data collection CTA, or add custom questions, in order to further guide queries. The process enables you to choose multiple-choice or short-answer responses, providing another way to glean insight from your IG profile visitors.

3. Snap Launches New Ad Campaign to Showcase its AR Offerings

https://affiliateinsider.com/snap-launches-marketing-campaign-showing-ar-effects-and-uses/

Snapchat has launched a new promotional campaign which leans into the uniqueness of its viral AR trends, with a showcase of bizarre effects, as a means to present people with a different perspective on the real world.

With 72% of active Snapchat users already engaging with AR elements in the app every day, there’s a lot of interest in these types of new activations that provide an alternative way of seeing the familiar.

4. Meta Announces the Reinstatement of Former President Donald Trump in its Apps

https://about.fb.com/news/2023/01/trump-facebook-instagram-account-suspension/

Meta has announced that former US President Donald Trump will be allowed to return to Facebook and Instagram, after he was banned from both apps over his posts around the time of the January 6th incident at the Capitol building in 2021.

With a 2024 Presidential campaign in focus, Trump’s legal team sent a letter to Meta last week which requested that Trump be allowed back onto its platforms, in order to give him an equal share of political voice. Whether that influenced Meta’s decision or not is unclear, but now, the gates have been re-opened, which will give Trump and Co. reach to millions of US voters via his Facebook Page and through paid ads.

5. Twitter Updates Paid Partnerships Policy to Ensure More Transparency in Brand Deals

https://www.redmention.com/news/twitter-updates-paid-partnerships-coverage-to-guarantee-extra-transparency-in-model-offers/

Twitter has updated its Paid Partnerships Policy to ensure more transparency in paid promotions within tweets, amid rising scrutiny on influencer deals, and how they’re communicated within social apps.

The updated push comes as various governments look to implement new measures to ensure transparency in influencer marketing partnerships.

6. LinkedIn Now Up to 900 Million Members, Continues to See ‘Record Levels’ of Engagement

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/LinkedIn-Up-To-900-Million-Members-Record-Engagement/641215/

LinkedIn has seen ‘record levels’ of in-app engagement in the most recent quarter, with the platform reporting 18% growth in total user sessions, according to the latest data from parent company Microsoft.

LinkedIn’s revenue also increased by 10% in the period, driven primarily by growth in its Talent Solutions recruitment element. LinkedIn has warned, however, that this will likely decline in 2023 due to a broader slowdown in hiring, particularly in the tech sector, where many of LinkedIn’s job postings stem from.

7. YouTube Launches New ‘Study Hall’ Initiative Which Will Enable Users to Earn College Credits Online

https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/higher-education-on-youtube-study-hall/

YouTube’s looking to help more people get into college, via a new program, in conjunction with Arizona State University and Crash Course that will enable YouTube users to earn college credits via in-app courses.

YouTube’s new ‘Study Hall’ initiative aims to make college education more accessible, by providing explainers on the higher education process, along with preparatory courses and elements, which can then lead into an actual course.

8. Instagram Adds Dynamic Profile Photos Which Can be Flipped to Show Your Meta Avatar

https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/24/instagrams-new-dynamic-profile-photo-flips-between-image-avatar/

Instagram has introduced the ‘dynamic profile photos’ feature that lets users add an alternative avatar profile photo, which users can then ‘flip’ in-stream.

The new ‘dynamic’ profile photos will now include your regular image and an alternative avatar display, which will help to get users more accustomed to representing themselves in digital form within the app.

9. Meta Announces New Partnership to Broadcast NBA and WNBA Games in VR as Headset Sales Stutter

https://about.fb.com/news/2023/01/nba-games-in-vr-on-quest/

Meta has announced a new partnership with the NBA and WNBA, which will see more than 50 games broadcast within its VR environment, ’including five in immersive, 180-degree VR’.

Five games will feature celebrity broadcasters and be shown in 180-degree immersive VR, and WNBA games, NBA G League games, and NBA 2K League games will be available to watch as well. In Meta Horizon Worlds, you’ll also be able to access game highlights, recaps, and archival content.

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.