Social Media News – Week of 2/2
Last week when I wrote my social media blog there wasn’t too much to report about. However, as is the case with social media, you can never predict when something will change. This week is a testament to that; pretty much every platform has introduced some major changes. Keep reading to find out what’s been going on!
If your business isn’t on Facebook, it’s time to make the leap. Facebook has recently added a feature called “Place Tips” and this could be great for your business. When people are using their iPhone to browse Facebook, place tips will appear at the top of their feed, giving them recommendations for nearby places. Now’s a good time to ask your Facebook fans and followers to leave good reviews on your page – the more positive press the better!
Ever scroll through your newsfeed while wondering why you’re seeing certain items and find yourself wishing you could change your feed up entirely? Facebook is addressing this: it has started a test program asking certain users what they want to see in their newsfeeds. If you haven’t been selected for this program, it’s likely you won’t be since it’s currently in full swing, but this could have a strong effect on what you may be seeing in your feed. Start sharing the best content possible to keep your page interesting!
Have you ever heard of conversion lift measurement? Facebook thinks you should know about it if you’re advertising on its platform. Essentially, this new feature will help determine exactly how successful your ads and promoted posts are on Facebook. This is great news for people who advertise on Facebook – more data is never a bad thing!
A while ago, I wrote about the soon-to-be-released “Instant Timeline” Twitter feature. Well, it looks like this feature has gone into the testing phase – if you sign up for the platform on an Android phone, you will be able to select your interests and a timeline will be generated for you. Businesses on Twitter can benefit from this if they are thought-leaders in their category, and if they aren’t, it’s all the more reason to try harder.
A good way to reach a large audience on Twitter is through promoted Tweets. Now this feature is a good way to reach those outside of Twitter as well. Twitter has just announced that it will be sharing promoted Tweets outside of Twitter. Currently these ads are only being displayed on Flipboard and Yahoo Japan, but this is an exciting start to what could be a very beneficial feature for ad campaigns.
Like to share videos to Twitter? Enjoy chatting in groups? Well, then Twitter has the perfect update for you! You can now upload and edit videos within the platform, and you can also group message people within the platform. Communication on Twitter will be much easier now, and you’re likely to start seeing more visually rich media on the platform as well.
Tumblr
Tumblr’s blogging updates are a major move for the platform.
It isn’t often that I write about Tumblr in this blog. Sure, they make changes from time to time, but those changes aren’t as frequent as most other platforms, and often they don’t have a large impact on digital marketing strategies. However, Tumblr just announced a huge update that could take on most of the major blogging platforms. You can read more about the changes here.
Vine
We’re big fans of this 6-second video app at Torx, but we’ve got to admit that it’s far from kid-friendly. Vine recognized this and has just released Vine for Kids through the iOS app store. Never worry about what your kids may be watching on Vine again; now there is a safe and easy way to share fun 6-second clips with kids.
Snapchat
When you hear the word, “Snapchat,” you probably think of short, disappearing photos and videos, and not news updates. It’s time to change that point of view, because Snapchat’s newest update brings about a feature called “Discover,” a news-sharing section of the app. Get mini-news updates and clips from companies like CNN, Cosmopolitan, Comedy Central, Vice, and more. There’s even a new mini-show, called “Literally Can’t Even,” that has faced some not-so-great reviews. Will this feature continue to attract attention, or will it fizzle out? Only time will tell.
Brands that market to men usually don’t join Pinterest. The platform has been historically populated by females (who make up 71% of the user base), but recently more men have been signing up. The platform has seen a 73% rise in male users, so its newest feature comes as no surprise. Pinterest will start targeting searched items based on the user’s gender. Now products and pins for men will stand out much more, so it’s a good time to join the platform if you’re targeting a male audience.
This week has been full of changes to the biggest platforms, and these platforms aren’t likely to take a day off. These changes will continue to happen; it’s good to stay informed to make sure your digital marketing strategy stays relevant. To keep in the loop with all of the latest and greatest updates, check back in with our blog or social media platforms each week to read our social media updates!