Social Media News Round-Up: 12/03/21

Mar 12

Instagram relaunches its Lite app with support for Reels

Originally launched in 2018 before being pulled in spring last year, Instagram’s Lite app is being relaunched in 170 countries with new features, including support for Reels. Instagram Lite will require only 2MB of storage, a lot less than the regular app’s 30MB, and will be available on Android devices. Instagram Lite will include many of the features regular Instagram users are familiar with, including sending direct messages, recording and posting videos and applying stickers, GIFs and text to stories, but will not feature the shopping tab or AR face filters.

TikTok launches new anti-bullying commenting features

TikTok is rolling out 2 new comment features which will warn users before posting something inappropriate or unkind in a bid to prevent bullying on its platform. Users who are commenting will receive a box pop up that prompts them to reconsider posting something potentially harmful. Creators will also be able to control which comments can be posted on their content before the comments go live. The goal, as expressed by TikTok, is to maintain a supportive and positive environment where users and creators can “focus on being creative and finding a community”.

Facebook is testing integration of Instagram Reels to its platform

In the next step in its bid at taking on TikTok, Facebook is testing a dedicated area for Reels to appear in the Facebook app and the ability for users to share Reels in the main newsfeed. The test is currently only being rolled out to select users in India. According to the platform, the new functionality will allow creators to “reach new audiences” and users to “create and discover more entertaining content”.

Instagram tests auto-captions option for Stories

Instagram is currently testing out a new ‘Closed Captions’ sticker for its Stories feature, which will automatically generate captions for clips in a range of text formats. This comes after the platform added automated captions for IGTV videos back in September, which have helped creators and social media managers to make their content more accessible.

Facebook publishes new research into diversity, inclusion and gender inequality in advertising

This week, Facebook has been raising awareness of the importance of inclusivity, diversity and gender equality. The platform published new research into the importance of diversity and inclusion in advertising, highlighting some key notes of concern for marketers looking to maximise connection with their audiences. The report results indicated that “limiting and negative representations are still present in online advertising, with some campaigns portraying people in stereotypical ways” and found that women are 14.1x more likely than men to be shown in revealing clothes and 6.9x more likely to be objectified. Facebook also outlined its own commitment to promoting gender equality and amplifying female-led businesses with a range of initiatives, including a commitment to spend $1 billion with diverse suppliers in 2021.

Twitter previews potential Business Profiles and announces plans to launch Spaces publicly next month

Twitter is exploring the introduction of Business Profiles to its platform. The profiles could include a customisable module that would allow business account owners to display information such as their app, address, map, telephone number, image gallery, and possibly new e-commerce features including a shop with a preview of items for sale and customer reviews. Twitter has been investigating profile badge types, including labelling bot accounts, for some time.

Twitter has also announced its plans to launch its new feature Spaces, the main rival to up-and-coming platform Clubhouse, in a matter of ‘weeks not months’. The speed at which Twitter is developing Spaces is notable; the platform beat Clubhouse to the post in rolling out its audio-based feature to Android users a few weeks ago (Clubhouse remains invite-only and exclusive to iOS users).

Snapchat launches iOS 14 Resource Hub to help advertisers

Snapchat has joined the likes of Facebook in launching its own initiative to help advertisers navigate the upcoming iOS 14 changes, which will allow app users to opt out of data tracking. The iOS 14 Resource Hub will be located in its Business Help Centre and will include a range of guides and notes outlining the changes Snapchat will be making to its processes, as well as running a webinar on the same topic. In contrast to Facebook, Snapchat has said that it supports increased privacy and plans to comply with any requirements imposed by the iOS 14 change.

Facebook tests new way for creators to make money through Stories

Facebook is testing a new way for creators to make money through its Stories feature by including sticker ads. These stickers, which will show ads in Facebook Stories, will allow creators to promote products and receive a cut of the resulting revenue. Though Facebook is saying the initial test is “very small”, it’s hoping to expand it to more users soon, as well as increase its functionality by allowing it to be applied to all short-form videos on the platform.

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