Summer slowdown? Not for most social media platforms! Let’s jump right in to see what’s been happening lately:
- Nearly a year after their debut, Instagram has once again increased the maximum length to Reels. The videos – which are now prominently featured in the app – can now be 60 seconds long. That means they’ve gone from 15 seconds to 30 to now 60 in less than 365 days.
- A tool called “Sensitive Content Control” gives users more control over how much “sensitive” content appears in the Explore section. This could include content that may be sexually suggestive or violent, but doesn’t outright break rules on the platform.
- Instagram is testing a TikTok-style vertical content feed for Explore. It would enable users to swipe through content recommendations, and swipe across on multi-image posts.
- Fleets (aka Stories) are officially off the Twitter app. “We were testing a hypothesis and not everything goes as you plan,” the creator of Fleets posted in a Tweet.
- While the Fleets feature fluttered, Twitter isn’t giving up on Spaces, their version of audio rooms. This includes a new layout for viewing and managing who is live, as more guest management controls.
- Twitter launched a pilot program in the U.S. that is aimed at testing the potential for e-commerce. The “Shop Module” offers businesses the ability to showcase products to users directly on the business’ profile.
YouTube
- YouTube says it will pay creators up to $10,000 a month for making popular videos on YouTube Shorts, the videos designed to compete against TikTok and Instagram Reels.
- The video giant is exploring a cheaper version of YouTube Premium. “Premium Lite” is being tested in parts of Europe that features ad-blocking, but no other features of the regular Premium option.
- Feeling stuck on a new campaign? Facebook’s new Campaign Ideas Generator is here to help. It’s designed to help small businesses develop creatiFacebook Introduces New Campaign Ideas Generator Toolve ad campaigns and organic content.
- Facebook’s WhatsApp can now send disappearing photos and videos, a direct competition to SnapChat.
- Facebook’s revenue beat expectations in the second quarter of this year, but the company doesn’t expect that to last. Facebook also says it had 3.51 billion users in Q2, up from 3.45 billion in the first quarter.
Noteworthy
- After a huge spike in users during the pandemic, Pinterest saw a decline in users recently. It says its monthly users dropped to 454 million active users, compared to 478 million monthly users in the spring.
- Clubhouse, which opened to everyone earlier this summer, says it now facilitates 600,000 rooms per day. That’s double the number from May.
- Snapchat, which says it gained 13 million users last quarter, is launching a new campaign to show off its AR features to try to get new users to try out the app.
What’s Trending
Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart’s commentary on the Peacock network is everything this Olympics needed! Equestrian Dressage or Horse Crip Walking? That is the question …
(NOTE: the videos do contain adult language.)
Want to find out even more about what’s been happening across social media lately? Catch up on all of our Social Media in the News headlines HERE.
