Welcome back to Spark Social Report by Spark Growth, your weekly source for social media updates! This week, LinkedIn added new features to improve creative photo sharing, TikTok launched new shopping ads, and Instagram expanded the “Add Yours” sticker to Reels. Continue reading for more updates across social media!
Digital Marketing Insights
Privacy is an important topic in the world of social media and relevant for marketers when creating trustworthy content online. People want to feel that the apps they use are a safe place to be themselves and share information on. Here are some key insights from a Snapchat survey:
- 77% of surveyed individuals believe privacy is important and 72% feel satisfied with current online privacy.
- Users are concerned about how their information is being used.
- 90% believe that apps should also care about user privacy.
Read the full report and article from Snapchat here.
New Reels Updates
Another week, another new Reel update! This week, Meta announced six new updates.
The first update is that the “Add Yours” feature from Instagram Stories is being expanded to Reels. Users can respond to the prompt by creating a Reel rather than posting a Story.
“Stars” creator monetization is being expanded to Facebook Reels. Creators with over 1,000 followers will be eligible for the program. Perks include receiving virtual gifts and replying to fans more quickly. Learn more about Stars here.
Next up is auto-created Facebook Reels. Users can convert their archived Stories into Reels. This feature has only been announced for Facebook but hopefully, it’ll come to Instagram soon.
Click here to read about the other three updates!
Facebook is Disabling Political Ads
Meta is disabling any political or social issues-based ads the week before the U.S. election on November 8th, 2022. In the 2020 election, many ads shared misinformation about the election, so Meta plans to disable any ads with false information on dates, times, and election outcomes. The block period is because there is not enough time to contest misinformation. Do you think this is enough to ensure no false information is being advertised on Meta’s platforms?
New Photo Sharing Features and More
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LinkedIn has added new template options to make your text posts stand out even more! Users can choose between various text formats and background options to make visually creative LinkedIn images.
Next, the company announced that they are working on a carousel feature, similar to the one found on Instagram. Users can swipe through different slides to see more visual content. Expect to see this feature when it launches this fall!
Based on all of these updates, it looks like the platform is getting more serious with its visuals by offering users more options and tools! Be sure to check out this LinkedIn article to also read about the new feature that adds clickable links to images and videos.
New Discover Feed
LinkedIn is testing a 'Discover' feed in its mobile app
This is what it looks like… pic.twitter.com/8E08FgEl5l
— Matt Navarra (I quit X. Follow me on Threads) (@MattNavarra) August 9, 2022
Next up, LinkedIn announced the testing of a new “Discover” feed. The new feed will show recommended content with categories including Top, Videos, Newsletters, and Events. This feature could help users find new creators to follow and help expand a LinkedIn creator’s reach!
TikTok
New Shopping Ads
TikTok has launched new Shopping Ads! There will be three ad formats: video shopping ads, catalog listing ads, and LIVE shopping ads. Video ads will be in the regular feed and features smart targeting and optimized ad delivery. Catalog listing ads will be seen in “Recommend Products,” “Related Products,” and other sections on the app. LIVE shopping ads will boost traffic by directing users to a LIVE shopping event. Learn more details about each new format here!
AI Image Generator Effect
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The new AI greenscreen effect on TikTok is blowing up! The text-to-image AI generator has become a trend in the app as users are typing various personal things such as their name or birth date to find the AI-associated image. The AI database is noted to be more simple than other platforms, such as Google’s Imagen. It will be interesting to see if TikTok does more with AI in the future.
U.S. In-App Election Center
TikTok is launching an in-app election center in the U.S. for users to receive state-specific election information. The info will include how to register to vote, how to find a polling station, and provides details on how to spot misinformation. TikTok stated that this feature is to ensure election integrity on the app and provide users with correct voting information. The center can be found on the search page!
New Hosted Checkout
Pinterest has a new feature for in-app shopping called hosted checkout, developed in partnership with Shopify. Users can purchase products directly from the Pinterest app rather than needing to access the seller’s site. The company found a 3.9% increase in purchases with the hosted checkout. This feature is available for U.S. brands who use Shopify!
New Developer ToolKit
Reddit announced that developers can build software for the app using the company’s new toolkit. Although there’s a waitlist, developers who get in have access to resources to create software extensions that Reddit mods and users can use to customize their Reddit experience. The waitlist is open and anyone can sign up!
Snapchat
New Snapchat+ Features
Snapchat has launched new features for its subscription service, Snapchat+. Users will be able to have priority Story replies so that they are more likely to be seen by Snap Stars. There’s also a new “post view emoji” that shows friends a dedicated emoji after they open your snap. Lastly, new Bitmoji backgrounds have been launched. Would you pay $3.99 USD for these features?
Bitmoji Collection with Carhartt
How fashionable is your Bitmoji? Well-known brands have worked with Snapchat in the past to create virtual clothing lines — and now Carhartt is joining the team! Some of their most popular clothing items have been integrated into the app so that users can make their Bitmojis even more stylish.
That wraps up the latest social media updates for this week! Be sure to check us out on Twitter for more digital marketing trends and news.
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