Welcome back to Spark Social Report by Spark Growth, your weekly source for social media updates! This week, Meta is working on a subscription service, Instagram is removing its shopping page, and Twitter makes it easier to switch between timelines. Continue reading for more updates across social media this week!
Social Media Performance Insights
Looking to track your progress on your brand’s social channels? Social media metrics can be overwhelming, so SEMRush published a detailed explanation of the top metrics to keep an eye on for each of the top platforms. Here are some key points:
- Instagram: Look at impressions, interactions, and video plays.
- Twitter: Track your engagement, link clicks, and profile visits.
- TikTok: Analyze video play time, hashtag performance, and views.
Read the full overview here!
Are Social Media Subscriptions Taking Over Meta Apps?
Meta is looking into adding a subscription feature for its apps: Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The company stated that they believe some features and add-ons offer users a more exciting experience. Also important to note is that the spokesperson mentioned turning off ads is not one of the features they are considering. Currently, Twitter Blue and Snapchat+ are doing well in terms of revenue so it makes sense that Meta is following suit with its own subscription feature.
Facebook Neighborhoods Are No More
Facebook is shutting down its Nextdoor-clone Neighborhoods on Oct 1st
h/t @grigg_digital pic.twitter.com/Zob6ny5gf5
— Matt Navarra (I quit X. Follow me on Threads) (@MattNavarra) September 1, 2022
Facebook is shutting down its “Neighborhoods” feature. The feature was available in the U.S. and Canada since last year and enabled users to join local communities to connect with those around them. The feature became more popular during the pandemic but Facebook stated that Groups is a better alternative to Neighborhoods.
New Descriptions for Timelines
We’re testing some new designs to make it easier to know which timeline you’re scrolling.
When you switch between the Latest and Home timelines, some of you on iOS may see updated icons and menus. pic.twitter.com/a8TPPJTqZX
— Support (@Support) September 6, 2022
Twitter wants to make it easier for users who want to tailor their experience by testing different timeline options. Updated descriptions appear when a user switches between feeds that explain what they will see when in the “For You” timeline versus the “Latest” timeline. The company has been actively making the Twitter experience more versatile for users with new updates, and this one looks to be just as interesting! The feature is currently being tested among some iOS users — no news of an official release date just yet!
Update for Tweet Edit Feature
New updates for the Tweet edit feature include users having only 30 minutes to edit their Tweet after posting and the post can only be edited up to five times. These regulations ensure that users aren’t abusing the feature and causing any issues. What do you think about these rules?
New Share Button for Users in India
some of you might see a WhatsApp Share icon and if you do, let us know what you think pic.twitter.com/Y23vWUPTs1
— X India (@XCorpIndia) September 8, 2022
Next, Twitter has added a WhatsApp share icon for users in India. WhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform in the country and so Twitter is leveraging this by creating an easier way to share Tweets to that platform!
Add Topics to Reels
New! Instagram lets you add 'Topic' tags to Reels
h/t @TSbyJacki pic.twitter.com/TVqdmH5bNa
— Matt Navarra (I quit X. Follow me on Threads) (@MattNavarra) September 5, 2022
Could a new Reels feature be on the way? Finding Reels you’re into may be easier in the future thanks to an “Add Topic” option that’s being tested. When uploading a Reel, creators can categorize their video based on topics, which may help get them more engagement from a targeted audience and improve reachability.
Say Goodbye to the Shopping Page
TikTok recently decided to stop its focus on live shopping as it wasn’t increasing in popularity or bringing in as much revenue as the company hoped. Now, Instagram is following suit by scaling back its shopping features. The shopping page on Instagram will soon be removed and more focus will be put on e-commerce efforts to support its current advertising offerings. While shopping features — especially live shopping — have been a hit in countries such as China, it has yet to catch on in the U.S. Will other platforms scale back their social shopping efforts as well?
Feed Updates
Last but not least, Reddit is changing its feeds to optimize the platform for increased simplicity. The Home, Popular, and News feed options will become a drop-down window at the top of the iOS app. Updates Reddit stated that will come in the future include feed expansion to more specific categories and improving performance.
That wraps up the latest social media updates for this week! Be sure to check us out on LinkedIn for more digital marketing trends and news.
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