Welcome back to Spark Social Report by Spark Growth, your weekly source for social media updates! This week, TikTok’s new feature allows you to start over and refresh your TikTok algorithm, Meta Verified has officially launched, and Twitter is removing the legacy blue checkmarks. Continue reading for more updates across social media from this week!
Meta Verified is Officially Available in the U.S.
It’s official — Meta is taking business tips from Twitter because Meta Verified has now been launched in the U.S.! For up to $14.99 USD a month, get verified on Instagram or Facebook. Subscribers will receive a verification check mark, extra account protection from impersonation, dedicated account support, and exclusive stickers. Check out Meta’s page for more details on the program!
Meta Spices Up Facebook Reels Ad Options
Advertisers should take another look at Facebook Reels because these new ad options can maximize promotions through WhatsApp! The new Click-to-Messenger CTA option and WhatsApp conversion optimization can drive viewers to have a direct chat in WhatsApp. Research shows that users have a growing interest in engaging via private chat so this feature can help brands reach their audience. Learn more about these ads here!
Stay on Everyone’s Radar with Reminder Ads
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Instagram has launched two new ad products to help businesses get discovered. First off, “Reminder Ads” announce and remind users about upcoming events or product launches. Secondly, “Ads in Search Results” show ads in the feed when people search for businesses, products, or content. These ads will be launched globally in the coming months.
Collaborate Your Bookmarks
Next, the company is introducing a new way for you and your friends to bond over shared interests! Similar to Pinterest’s Group Boards, Instagram’s collaborative collections allow users to save posts in their group chat, which can then be edited by other people in the same chat. Content from a variety of sources can be added, including Reels, Explore, Feed, and even DMs.
Twitter Blue Subscribers Gain Exclusive Visibility and Other Updates
Elon Musk is making drastic changes to the platform to encourage more users to pay for a Twitter Blue subscription.
First off, after April 15th the only Tweets that will be displayed in the “For You” feed will be from Twitter Blue accounts. This is the main feed of the platform but other accounts will only be visible in the “Following” tab or “Explore”. Voting in Twitter polls will also be exclusive to Twitter Blue subscribers only. This will limit the functionality of polls as responses can only come from a select group of people.
Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations.
The is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle.
Voting in polls will require verification for same reason.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2023
Next, as of April 1st, the old “legacy” blue checkmarks for celebrities and public figures are being removed unless they pay for a subscription. Lastly, verified accounts will be prioritized in Tweet replies putting them at the top of the responses.
Do these changes encourage you to take out your credit card — or are you more likely to switch to a new social media platform?
TikTok
Hit Refresh On Your Algorithm
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Do you ever feel like you see the same content over and over again or does content you don’t enjoy anymore keep coming up? You can now refresh your TikTok algorithm to start fresh as if you’ve started a new account. The recommendations will create your For You page based on new interactions and don’t worry, if you use this feature, your settings and the accounts you follow won’t be affected.
Updated AI Policies and Community Guidelines
TikTok updated its Community Guidelines, likely in response to the potential U.S. ban of the app. The updates are related to synthetic media, hate speech, and election integrity efforts. The most relevant change is that realistic AI creations must be labeled and AI depictions of private citizens are not allowed. AI of public figures is only allowed if it does not endorse products or violate any policies.
New Branded AR Filters
TikTok’s new AR effects feature brings branded campaigns to a whole new level. Within the AR creation tool, Effects House, businesses can create custom and sponsored “Branded Effects”. The effects include branded elements, calls-to-action, and custom audience targeting. Click here to learn more!
Share LinkedIn Posts with Multiple Friends at Once
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A simple but handy new element! When sharing a LinkedIn post you can now send it to multiple people at once with the choice of each person receiving it separately or creating a new group. You can even add your own message when you share!
YouTube
YouTube Now Helps You Rock the Podcast World
YouTube is making some changes to help out podcasters. You can now create a podcast directly in YouTube Studio and use an existing playlist as a podcast. This means better podcast management, with separate tools for your podcasts and videos. YouTube is also adding Podcast Analytics with new metrics like insights on how viewers find your podcast, demographics, and revenue analytics. And if that’s not enough, YouTube is also experimenting with recommending hashtags to help maximize discovery!
WhatsApp on Windows? Meta’s Got You Covered
Meta just released a new version of WhatsApp for Windows PCs! It has an updated UI for multi-person chats, and can host group video calls with up to 8 people and audio calls with up to 32 people. And this is just the beginning, as they plan to increase these limits over time. Plus, the app loads faster, runs smoother, and has improved multi-device syncing!
New Features for Communities
For those of you who use Communities on WhatsApp, the company has detailed new updates for both admins and general users alike. First, admins will have access to new options that help improve group privacy. It’s now easier to control who can join the group when sharing an invite, thanks to the new user interface that shows pending participants in the group. Next, for those of you searching for a group to join, you can now easily see which groups you have in common with one of your contacts.
That wraps up the latest social media updates you need to know about! Be sure to check us out on Instagram for more digital marketing trends and news.
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