Welcome back to another Spark Social Report by Spark Growth! If you’re looking for the latest social media updates and trends, you’ve come to the right place. This week, we’ve got new digital marketing trends and social media updates to share with you, including Facebook adding a “Stories Highlights” to video posts. So if you want to be in the know, then keep on reading.
Social Media Trends
A new study found that video on social media is watched just as much as traditional television entertainment. It’s clear that more people are moving away from or supplementing traditional media with online content.
2022 is set to be the year of social media slipping even further into our lives, as online entertainment becomes more and more ingrained in our society, with platforms such as TikTok and YouTube bringing more digital entertainment to users.
Social Media Updates
TikTok
TikTok is testing out a new feature for its app by adding a “Repost” button. This will allow users to boost videos on the platform by sharing them with their followers. For users who have access, the feature can be found on the “Share” menu (which also has the option to send any video to friends directly). The difference between TikTok’s repost and Twitter is that reshared TikTok content will not show up on your profile. It only sends the video out to everyone who follows you via “For You” feeds. For now, the button is being tested with select users on the app.
The company also signed a partnership with a startup called Atmosphere, which offers access to licensed video content that viewers can stream in commercial places, such as hotels, restaurants, gyms, doctors’ offices, and more.
For iOS users, Twitter is testing a new way to boost Tweet discovery by testing a new topics bar that will be found above the timeline. The aim is to provide a more direct link to relevant active discussions that are happening on the platform. The topics covered would depend on the hashtags the user clicks on and the topics being searched for within the app.
Twitter is also testing with allowing users to restrict who can join their Spaces events. Aside from the standard option of everyone being allowed entry, the company is considering offering additional options, including only your followers and people you manually invite.
YouTube
YouTube is testing out a “custom messages” feature as part of its “Super Thanks” creator donation process (which was originally launched in July 2021). This lets users make quick and easy donations to their favorite creators by buying a Super Thanks animation at one of the four available price points, ranging from $2 to $50. Currently, when a Super Thanks animation is purchased, an animation shows up on the screen and an auto-generated “Thanks” is added to the comment section of the video stream with a special color that highlights the user’s donation. Now, the company is testing out custom responses, where only “Thanks” used to be available.
And thanks to an integration with If This Then That (IFTTT), there are also new channel subscriber data options available to creators that will offer perks and make membership more appealing.
Facebook is testing a new Creator Studio feature allowing users to create “Stories Highlights” of their posts. “Stories Highlights” allows users to take a 20-second preview of their video and post it as a Facebook or Instagram Story. Creator Studio will automatically generate a preview portion of the full video, which the user can then use as on their Facebook or Instagram Story with a “See More” button at the bottom of the story. The “See More” button will lead the viewer to the full video.
New! Facebook is testing a Story Highlight Clips feature in Creator Studio pic.twitter.com/Yo5icl6sjq
— Matt Navarra (I quit X. Follow me on Threads) (@MattNavarra) January 5, 2022
Instagram is testing private likes on Stories. Meta executives have said that the feature is only available to a small number of users across the world. One thing to note about this feature is that only the user who posted the story can see the total number of likes, but because it’s a feature still being tested, who knows what will happen when it officially launches!
is this a new find?
👀 Instagram testing likes on stories. pic.twitter.com/Pn6jRlq0rF
— Melissa G (@MelissaGoBlue) January 4, 2022
WhatsApp for iOS is set to roll out profile photo notifications in the near future. The company will be releasing an update that will add contacts’ profile photos in notifications whenever the user is sent a message. Released in Beta for iOS users, the new WhatsApp feature is one of many new features Whatsapp is rolling out this year.
That’s a wrap for this week’s Spark Social Report! Be sure to check us out on Twitter to keep up with the latest social media news.
2022 is here and if you’re thinking about how you can use social media to elevate your brand and company or your business, let’s talk! Set up a conversation with one of our social media experts and learn how your online presence can capture audience attention and boost your business.
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