Social Media News Round-Up: 11/06/21
Twitter’s new Blue subscription arrives in Canada and Australia
Twitter’s much-anticipated subscription service has officially launched in Canada and Australia. Twitter Blue currently allows iOS users in these countries to access exclusive features and perks by paying a monthly subscription fee via the Twitter app. The initiative is also as close as the platform has come to introducing an ‘edit tweet’ button… Here’s a list of Twitter Blue’s highlights:
Undo Tweet: the subscription service allows paying users to review and revise tweets before they’re visible to their followers. It’s not strictly an edit button, but it does allow users more flexibility and control over their content.
Bookmark Folders: subscribers can organise their Bookmarks into folders and easily find the saved content they want to read later.
Reader Mode: this feature makes it easier to keep up with Twitter threads by turning them into a more readable longform text format.
Instagram reverses reach penalty for re-sharing feed posts on Stories
Over the last few weeks, many creators and brands on Instagram have noticed that sharing their feed posts to Stories has resulted in significantly poorer reach, leading to many questions around an algorithm change as well as censorship concerns. Though denying an issues of censorship, Instagram has confirmed it’s been testing various ways to stop feed post re-sharing in Stories, ultimately encouraging original content creation for each of its many features. The platform is now rolling back on the changes it had made to its algorithm and will be ensuring that re-shared feed posts continue to get the same amount of reach as any other Stories content.
Instagram announces new monetisation options for creators
As part of its recent Creator Week initiative, Instagram has announced new monetisation options, including allowing creators to tag products from the brands they work with or use Shops themselves - something previously reserved for businesses - if they have their own product line. The platform will also be testing a native affiliate tool that will allow creators to discover new products available on checkout, share them with their followers and earn commissions for the purchases they drive.
It’s also announced more ways for creators to earn money from Badges (on Instagram Live) and Stars (on Facebook). Starting this week, Instagram creators will be eligible to earn an extra payout when they meet certain milestones while using Badges in Live, while Facebook creators will get to participate in Stars Challenges, which allow them to earn payouts from Facebook if they meet certain milestones over there.
Instagram adds new features to its branded content tools
It’s been a busy week in Instagram news! As well as addressing its re-sharing algorithm and new monetisation options for creators, the platform has also added new features to its branded content tools. These features include:
Multi-brand listings in posts: creators will now be able to tag up to 2 brands in a single piece of branded content, expanding the capacity for collaborative promotions
Creators will also be able to post branded content prior to getting brand approval, giving them more freedom to publish content without having to wait for long turnaround times. Brands can then take as long as they need to approve the post, with their name being added in the ‘paid partnership’ label once they do
Brands are also being given more access to content insights in branded content partnerships, including Reels and IG Live response data sets
Facebook publishes new report on key factors influencing online purchases
Facebook has published a new report in collaboration with Kantar showing how the evolution of digital media has disrupted the modern shopping experience, including what brands and marketers need to know about online purchases going forward. Its key findings include:
Brand loyalty is under threat: only 8% of consumers consider themselves committed loyalists to their favourite brands
Brands need to “overdeliver with proactiveness...outperforming on those bases that they can drive loyalty, advocacy and brand love”
To be able to tailor content and outreach requires brands to withhold shoppers’ data, however brands need to protect and use that data meaningfully and securely
Pinterest adds pronouns options and launches new support initiatives for Pride Month
This week, Pinterest launched its own Pride Month campaign showcasing its inclusivity benefits and new features, including a new pronouns option for both personal and business accounts. The platform notes that interest in LGBTQ+ related content has been steadily increasing over time, with searches for specific pride flags, including the bisexual pride flag (up 5x), genderfluid flag (up 4.5x) and asexual flag (3x). On 23rd June, Pinterest will also be hosting a global virtual event designed to drive conversation around creators and businesses in the LGBTQ+ community.
In other news…
