Welcome back to Spark Social Report by Spark Growth, your source for social media updates! This week, WhatsApp introduced new calling features that have the potential to compete with Zoom, Twitter relaunched paid verification at a higher price, and Instagram launched Notes! Continue reading for more updates across social media!
AI Marketing Insights
AI (artificial intelligence) has increasingly influenced social media in 2022 and its impact is expected to grow in 2023. Could certain AI tools be used to benefit digital marketing? Here are some examples:
- Content creation: AI can create text-based and image-based content based on prompts.
- Generated Tweets: New tools produce AI-generated tweets and replies to automate content.
- 3D models: AI can create 3D models based on prompts to build a virtual reality.
Check out this article for a more in-depth explanation of these tools!
Checkmark verification and colors
Twitter officially posted about the various checkmark colors that have been mentioned in the past. Check out their meanings below:
- Blue: A verified public figure or Twitter Blue subscriber
- Gold: An official business through Twitter Blue for Business
- Grey: A government institution or official government individual
Re-launch of paid verification with a price increase
Twitter relaunched Twitter Blue on December 12th but made some pricing changes. It will cost $8 per month for web subscribers and $11 per month for iOS subscribers. Twitter Blue subscribers will receive a blue verified checkmark and other features listed in this thread.
Square brand profile pictures
Twitter has switched business profiles to SQUARE avatars 😮🔳 pic.twitter.com/cDp73KUXpY
— Matt Navarra (I quit X. Follow me on Threads) (@MattNavarra) December 19, 2022
Brand profile images are now being displayed in a square format rather than a circle. This could be another way to showcase official brands rather than impersonators. Twitter has not mentioned who qualifies for this feature. Stay tuned!
New rules for live location sharing
Next, Twitter will now remove any Tweets that share live location information such as links to URLs for travel routes, physical locations, or any identifying information providing someone’s location. Sharing your own location, a past location, or an event location will not be affected.
Community Notes visible globally
Community Notes allows users to add a note on a Tweet that may have misleading information and the public can vote if the information was helpful or incorrect. Twitter announced that users globally can now see and rate notes, but only U.S. users can create them.
Rules banning the promotion of other social media platforms
Lastly for Twitter, the company stated that accounts solely promoting other platforms and content that contains links or usernames for other platforms will be removed. This includes Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribal, Nostr, Post and third-party link sites such as Linktree. However, the Tweet explaining this change has since been deleted so these rules may never be implemented. As with most Twitter-related content these days, things are changing by the minute so we’ll keep you updated!
Features for Improved Safety
Instagram added some new tools to improve safety on the platform:
First off, Instagram has a new recovery center to help users get back into their accounts after being hacked. By visiting www.instagram.com/hacked, users can follow easy steps to get their account back.
Next, when sending or receiving a DM from an account that may contain fraud or is suspected to be impersonating someone, the app will now send out a warning notification about the concern.
Lastly, Instagram is now displaying the blue verified checkmark in more places than just the profile. This includes Stories, DMs, and Feeds.
Instagram Notes Have Officially Launched
Next, Instagram has officially announced the rollout of Notes. You have probably seen this feature as it’s been in testing for a couple of months now. Notes is where users can share short messages of up to 60 characters, which are then displayed at the top of the DM inbox. This feature has been used to share quick comments and start conversations with others. What are your thoughts on this feature?
2022 Recap Reel Template
Create your own 2022 recap with new templates for Reels. There are four templates to choose from, each with an artist or celebrity narration. Users only need to add their photos based on the sound and the Reel will be created.
TikTok
Find Out Why Content is Recommended For You
Ever wondered why TikTok recommends you all those cat videos? By opening the share panel and clicking on the question mark called “why this video,” you will see reasons why the video was recommended to you. This can build transparency for TikTok’s algorithm practices and help users better regulate the content they see.
WhatsApp’s Improved Calling Features Could Compete With Zoom
[Source]
WhatsApp launched several new features to improve calling on the platform:
- Voice and video calls can now be with up to 32 people at a time.
- You can mute a participant by holding their icon.
- Users can invite people to a group call through a link.
- Color indications have been added to see who is speaking.
- In-call notifications now show when someone joins.
- A new picture-in-picture feature for iOS that minimizes the call screen for easier multitasking.
All these features are similar to Zoom, which can help take WhatsApp’s functionalities to the next level when interacting with groups.
Undo an Accidental Delete
Next up for WhatsApp, a new accidental delete feature allows users to undo their action when selecting “Delete for me.” Many users have experienced the mistake of trying to delete a message for the whole group but may have ended up deleting it for themselves and not being able to reverse the action. Now in an individual or group chat, users can undo their mistakes through a pop-up that is available for five seconds.
Improved Feed Options
Last but definitely not least, Reddit has added a “Latest” feed to the feed’s drop-down menu that shows content sorted by the newest updates. To simplify how users choose what they see, the options now include “Home” (sorted by best), “Latest” (sorted by newest), popular, and news.
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.
Social media marketing is more than just likes, it drives leads and sales. Click the button below to learn more about our social media marketing services. From influencer marketing to strategic ads that put you in front of your audience, our team can help!
href="#" data-color-override="false" data-hover-color-override="false" data-hover-text-color-override="#fff">Learn about our services!
