Welcome back to another Spark Social Report by Spark Growth! This week, Pinterest is testing with labels on its Product Pins, Facebook’s Audience Network will run into some iOS obstacles, and Twitter is providing more context food trending topics. It’s a busy week of social media updates so keep reading!
Facebook has made some updates to its Gaming section, starting with letting community managers and moderators pin comments. On mobile, users can expect to see new filters in Game Hub, allowing them to filter by streamers, clips, and live content. A new accessibility option will now let users select the language for their Game Hub.
Next, Facebook is looking at ways to utilize paid content from its publishing partners. For example, one of Facebook’s partners is The Athletic, a subscription-based sports publication. If a user links their paid account at The Athletic to their Facebook account, they’ll be able to see paywalled content from The Athletic on Facebook without having to log in. During its initial testing, Facebook says users who linked their accounts tend to click on more articles. At this time, only a few publishers are testing this Facebook linking option.
Facebook users have begun to receive in-app notifications about an update to its terms of service that will take effect on October 1. Have a look at the screenshot below to see the new addition. While some users think this is a positive change and could lead to more fake news and false information being removed from the platform, others are more skeptical and worried that it may lead to online censorship.
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A week before the U.S. election in November, Facebook will be blocking new political ads on its app. During election night, the platform will also label any posts made by politicians who claim they have won the election before the official results are announced. Instead, users will be directed to Reuters for the latest election outcomes.
Last but not least, Apple’s iOS 14 update may have major consequences for those who advertise on Facebook. The company states that Audience Network may be less effective after the Apple update takes place since iOS 14 will impact options to accurately measure and target Facebook ad campaigns. To learn more about how Facebook is preparing Audience Network for the new update, click here to read the article.
Well, that was quick! Just last week, we mentioned how Twitter was testing with renaming “Retweets with Comments” to “Quotes” and this week, the update was finalized. Take a look at the official update below! In a move that helps users keep track of conversations and content related to a tweet, clicking on “Quote Tweets” pulls up all retweeted tweets that feature a comment.
Tweets about a Tweet add more to the conversation, so we’ve made them even easier to find.
Retweets with comments are now called Quote Tweets and they've joined the Tweet detail view. Tap into a Tweet, then tap "Quote Tweets" to see them all in one place. pic.twitter.com/kMqea6AC80
— Support (@Support) August 31, 2020
Have you ever found yourself wondering why a topic is trending on Twitter? Over the next few weeks, Twitter will be rolling out an update that provides more context to trending topics. Available on desktop and the iOS and Android app, topics will include a short sentence of a tweet, as shown in the example below. The new update will be available in select countries, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, and more. Twitter states it will be continuing to look at ways to improve the trending topics section in order to improve transparency.
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TikTok
Want to buy merch from your favorite TikTok content creators? Teespring, a platform that allows users to create and sell their own custom merchandise, is being integrated into the app. Products created through Teespring will be available for purchase directly on TikTok. These include t-shirts, hoodies, and more unique items, such as skateboard decks. This type of integration isn’t new, as Teespring is also available on YouTube. At the moment, only a limited number of U.S. users will have access to this new feature.
YouTube
Some updates are coming to YouTube Studio! First, content creators will be able to edit specific timestamps that have been flagged for containing copyrighted materials. Users can then mute the audio during the timestamp, which allows them to keep their video up on their channel. Users can also expect to see a new blur editor tool that will instantly identify and blur faces in videos. Censoring other content, such as a license plate, can be done with this blur editor as well. The tool will actually track the movement of the object, keeping it blurred for the duration of the video.
Pinterest is currently testing with new labels on its Product Pins, including “Popular” and “Bestseller.” When products go on sale, the new price will be displayed in blue next to the crossed-out original price. Another feature Pinterest is testing is product ratings, which will be taken from a variety of websites. There’s no word yet on an official release date so stay tuned!
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The holiday season is just around the corner (well, sort of) and Google is helping retailers prepare with its new ad features. Local campaigns can now be further optimized to drive in-store traffic with clicks on “calls” or “directions.” For U.S. shoppers, they’ll see more filters on Google Shopping in time for Black Friday. U.S. retailers using Google Shopping will be able to add flash sales and other promotions to entice consumers.
That’s it for this week’s Spark Social Report! For more social media news, digital marketing tips, and more, follow us on Twitter.
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