Social Media News Round-Up: 23/04/21

Apr 23

Facebook announces new social audio features

In a blog post this week, Facebook has announced that it’s introducing a range of new social audio features to its platform. The first is a set of new audio creation tools to allow users to experience new technologies like speech-to-text capabilities and voice morphing, as well as AI-powered improved audio quality. Users will also be able to use music from Facebook’s Sound Collection in the background of stories and mix audio tracks with a growing collection of sound effects, voice effects and filters.

Its second feature is a new social audio format called Soundbites, which are short-form, creative audio clips that users can use to capture anecdotes, jokes, moments of inspiration and more. Facebook says it will start testing Soundbites over the next few months with a small number of creators before rolling it out to everyone once it has been refined.

The third announcement? Podcasts are officially coming to Facebook. Within the next few months, users will be able to listen to their favourite podcasts directly within the Facebook app rather than being taken to a third party platform. Facebook also says it will make it easier to discover new podcasts by recommending podcasts and episodes based on users’ interests.

And finally, the arrival of audio rooms to Facebook and Messenger is finally here. Live Audio Rooms are going to be tested by Facebook over the next few months, ready for its users to experience within the Facebook app by the summer.

Instagram launches tools to filter out abusive DMs based on keywords and emojis

This week, Instagram launched a new way for people to shield themselves from harassment and abuse in their direct messages. Its new tools will allow users to turn on a tool that automatically filters out message requests containing certain words, phrases or emojis that might signal abusive content. The platform is also giving users the ability to block people even if they try to contact them using a new account - a feature which will be rolling out in the UK in the next few weeks.

Instagram works on new sticker types for Stories

Instagram is also working on some new additions to its Stories feature. The new stickers include a ‘Link’ option that would theoretically allow users to place a link onto their Stories, rather than relying on the current swipe-up link - though it’s unclear whether this ‘Link’ sticker would only be available to users over a certain number of followers, as is currently the case with swipe-up links. Instagram is also testing a ‘Super Mention’ sticker, which appears to be linked to Instagram’s donation tools for creators and contains a shopping tag - possibly a way to help users get their mentions seen by influential creators.

Twitter begins testing professional profiles for brands and creators

Twitter has officially begun testing its new ‘professional profiles’, which will offer a new way for brands to use the platform to their advantage, including dedicated tools and features. Twitter says the new profiles can be used by “businesses, non-profits, publishers and creators… to display specific information about their business directly on their profile.” The initial test will begin in the US and will start rolling out to more accounts in the coming months.

Pinterest launches new features including content claiming portal to protect IPs and expands Shopify integration

Pinterest has announced that it’s launching some more new features, including a content claiming portal to better protect users’ IPs and further e-commerce capabilities with Shopify. Firstly, its new content claiming portal will provide users with more ways to protect their IP on the platform with a new content claiming process. The process will allow creators to register their original content and manage its future use via Pins, giving them enforcement options such as the ability to remove existing and future versions of the images from Pinterest except Pins originally saved by them (‘Mine only’), remove existing and future versions of the images from the site except Pins that link to their claimed website (‘Website only’), and a ‘Block all’ option which removes all existing and future versions of the images from Pinterest.

The platform’s expanding e-commerce opportunities have been a hot topic for social media marketers and creators lately, and its new expansion is another exciting development this week. Pinterest has this week announced that it’s expanding its partnership with Shopify to 27 new countries, including the UK, with more than 1.7 million Shopify merchants around the world now having an easy way to bring their products to Pinterest and turn them into shoppable Product Pins.

Reddit officially announces its audio rooms feature Reddit Talk

Reddit has become the latest platform to confirm it’s jumping on the audio rooms hype with its newest feature Reddit Talk. The feature will have a Clubhouse-like feel, with the distinctive Reddit avatars in circles arranged in a similar layout to the breakthrough app. Currently, only moderators are able to start an audio chat within their subreddits, however the platform says the view eventually is that its audio rooms will provide more ways for all members to spark audio conversations and connect.