Hello September! Social Media in the News is here to help you catch up quickly on what’s been happening with your favorite platforms:
- Instagram changed its policy to require users to submit their date of birth to have a profile. The platform isn’t shying away from why this is now required – it says this will help show “you more relevant ads.” Users must be 13 to join Instagram.
- In its second installment of “How Instagram Works,” the platform details how its search algorithms work and how you can show up in relevant searches. “We design all of our features to help you find the things you love,” Instagram says.
- Instagram published the third edition of “Instagram Insider,” which looks at emerging trends in fashion and beauty. “This year’s fall trends reflect the past 18 months with an increased respect for nature and art, self-identity and pageantry,” Instagram says.
- We just passed Labor Day, but Facebook is gearing up for the holidays. The platform released a Holiday Shop tips guide for businesses to reach new customers and create personalized shopping experiences.
- Fact-checking organizations will come together this fall to participate in a 10-week training program to help improve collaboration. The Fact-Checking Accelerator program will help Facebook establish clearer guidelines for removing content. It will help lock in rules on what is and isn’t allowed.
- Facebook is planning to reduce political content in the News Feed. It says it will emphasize “inspiring and uplifting” content.
TikTok
- Late last year TikTok started letting some users post videos up to three minutes long. Now they’re testing five-minute videos.
- “TikTok World” – the app’s first ever showcase event – is coming in October. Details of the event have not been released, but it’s expected to focus on new eCommerce tools and longer-form videos.
- TikTok is making it easier to shop on its platform. “TikTok Shopping will bring new features that help Shopify merchants create engaging, organic content that sends consumers directly to their online store for checkout, making it easy for people to explore and buy the products they discover on TikTok,” the app says.
Other News
- Twitter is helping some hosts on Spaces earn money. Ticket Spaces are available to iOS users who have hosted three Spaces within 30 days and have at least 1,000 followers.
- Looking for new ways to build your Pinterest audience? A new content series from both experienced Pin creators and internal staff is designed to help you. “Metrics don’t tell the full story: Your follower quality matters, too,” Pinterest says.
- Clubhouse is rolling out spatial audio, which the app says “replicates how we hear and process voices in the same physical room, spacing individual speakers in the listener’s wired, or Bluetooth headphones or car stereo system.”
What’s Trending: Milk Crate Memes
OK, the milk crate challenge where people are climbing milk crates for no reason at all is NOT funny. It even led to TikTok banning the videos. The memes and tweets, though? Now those are good.
