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 Files Motion To Stop the FTC From Implementing User Data Restrictions

https://socialbarrel.com/meta-files-new-motion-against-ftcs-user-data-restrictions/143884/

Meta has filed a new legal action in opposition to the FTC seeking to implement further restrictions on the company’s capacity to utilize user data in ad targeting, specifically relating to teen users.

The case stems back to Meta’s 2019 settlement with the FTC, in which the social platform was fined a record $5 billion for data privacy violations stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which saw info from more than 50 million Facebook user profiles accessed by the shady analysis company to influence voter actions. While that specific case was effectively settled, many experts have criticized the lack of new rules and/or restrictions implemented as a result, which has since enabled Meta to violate certain elements of the conditions that the original FTC order had implied.

2. TikTok Splits Marketing Measurement Partners Into Specialty Elements

https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/introducing-measurement-partner-specialties

TikTok has announced that it will now split its Measurement partners into two categories: Cross-Channel and Lift. The new categorization will make it easier for TikTok advertisers to get specific assistance in data tracking, and attributing campaign performance in various ways.

TikTok’s cross-channel measurement partners, for example, can provide analysis into the impact of TikTok ads across various marketing touchpoints before a purchase is made. Lift partners, meanwhile, will be able to share more insight into the incremental impact of TikTok advertising.

3. TikTok Implements New Restrictions on Hashtag Search in Creative Center

https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2024/01/tiktok-removes-user-ability-to-search.html

TikTok has removed the capacity to search for specific hashtags within its Creative Center tools, which will limit your capability to glean insight into the popularity, or not, of certain tags.

TikTok’s Creative Center tools enable you to dig deeper into various usage trends, which can be invaluable for your campaign planning. But TikTok has now removed the hashtag search element due to concerns that the data was being used to highlight potential platform censorship. As per TikTok, the tool now specifically focuses on sharing data on the top 100 hashtags within different industries.

4. Instagram Experiments With New Public ‘Collections’ Feature on Profiles

https://www.techedt.com/instagram-tests-new-collections-feature-for-public-profiles

Instagram is looking to expand its Collections feature to enable users to share Collections of posts on their profile, which could help to give people more insight into their interests.

Instagram’s public Collections option would be available via your IG profile, which any visitor would then be able to view in the app. That could be a handy way to show off some of your key interests, like celebrities, books, or movies, which may help to give visitors more insight as to whether to hit “Follow” or not. 

5. Snapchat Announces New Entertainment Measurement Partnership With Samba TV

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/snap-snapchat-sambta-tv-measurement-partner-entertainment-marketing/703552/

Snapchat has announced a new measurement partnership with Samba TV, which will provide Snap’s ad partners with more insight into the impact of their in-app campaigns.

Samba TV, which provides insights into TV viewing behaviors, will now be able to also share insights with Snap advertisers in the entertainment vertical as to the engagement and response to their in-app campaigns. With its network of audience insights, which includes connection via 48 million smart TV devices, Samba TV is able to provide data on viewership across free-to-air, cable, and streaming TV content, which will better enable Snap partners to understand the impact that their Snap campaigns are having on performance.

6. X Announces Lower-Cost Verification for Organizations Package To Lure SMBs

https://www.techradar.com/pro/x-slashes-prices-for-verified-organization-memberships-as-it-targets-smbs

X has announced a lower-cost Verification for Organizations package as part of its efforts to get more SMBs to pay up.

But now, rather than paying $1,000 per month for a gold checkmark in the app, which hasn’t seen huge take-up, X is offering a slimmed down, $200 per month package. This package will still come with a gold checkmark for your brand profile, as well as priority support, all the benefits of X Premium+, access to job listings via X Hiring, and more. You’ll also get additional reach boosts for your posts via the higher-cost package, while you also get access to “Affiliates”, which enables you to allocate blue checkmarks to your staff in the app.

7. X Will Now Enable Advertisers to Target Only Premium Subscribers

https://techbriefly.com/2024/01/08/x-now-offers-advertisers-the-ability-to-target-premium-subscribers/#google_vignette

X has added a new ad option to consider, with marketers now able to target X Premium subscribers specifically with their campaigns.

X has added a new tick box in the ad creation process which will enable you to hone your ads on paying users, which could offer more value for those looking to reach active spenders in the app. This can be seen as another effort by X to make more people pay to use the app, as a means to reduce the platform’s reliance on ad dollars, and thus, free it from the constraints of advertiser-friendly content moderation.

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.