Social media news round-up (September 2023)

We’re sharing the latest news and tips for social media marketing success

Welcome to the latest social media news round-up by The Content Emporium, your go-to source for the latest news, updates and trends in the world of social.

Whether you’re a seasoned social media marketer or just starting out, we aim to elevate your strategy to new heights by providing you with actionable insights into the latest social media news.

This week's social media news includes fresh feature experiments on Instagram, significant alterations on X and search developments on TikTok.

Instagram’s new option to share feed posts with ‘Close Friends’ only

Recent user feedback highlighted concerns about the lack of personalisation on Instagram, especially with regard to the algorithmic feed. In response, the platform has been working hard to develop additional features to facilitate content sharing among friends.

Users in the UK are now able to share their feed posts with their private list of Close Friends. Initially introduced in 2018 for Stories, the 'Close Friends' feature has now been expanded to include feed posts, indicating Instagram's ongoing efforts to enhance private content sharing within the app.

Instagram in testing stages of long-form reels, comment replies and more

Instagram has also been working hard on additional features to improve user experience on the platform. They are currently in testing stages of these new features:

  • Long form reels: 

    Similar to TikTok’s extended video format that was introduced in 2022, Instagram is experimenting internally with 3-minute and 10-minute reels. After discontinuing its previous long-form video feature, "IGTV," last year, they are reintroducing it in a more integrated fashion within the Reels platform.

Image: @alex193a on X

  • Comment replies:

    Instagram is also now live testing a feature that will enable users to share comments from any public post or reel onto their stories. To do this, users simply need to swipe left on a comment, where they will find a new option to share it in their stories. The shared comment will appear as a sticker within the story frame.

Image: Instagram

  • Hiding ‘like’ activity:

    Instagram is currently experimenting with a fresh feature that allows users to control the visibility of their ‘like’ activity. With this option, you can choose to conceal your likes from users who don't follow you, restrict it to just close friends, or even opt to hide your like activity from everyone.

Image:@MattNavarra on X

BIG changes in the world of X

Unsurprisingly, there has been a plethora of drastic changes to X, previously known as Twitter, in recent weeks. Here’s a quick summary:

  • Could subscription fees be coming in for all users? 

    Elon Musk has hinted that X is considering implementing a fee for all users to access the platform, stating a paywall around the platform would help deter bots and automated accounts. 

  • Blocking feature to be removed:

    Musk has announced that the ability to block users will be removed from X, stating the feature “makes no sense”. The head of X added that users will retain the ability to block individuals from sending them direct messages.

  • Changes to the way link previews are displayed:

    The headline and preview text will be eliminated, leaving only the header image. This change aims to streamline the timeline and enhance its appearance, addressing Elon's specific goal of reducing the space occupied by link tweets within the stream.

    Old (right) vs. new:

Image: @MattNavarra on X

  • Audio and video calls incoming: 

    Musk recently revealed plans to introduce video and audio calling features, but hasn’t yet specified a release date. These features will be compatible with iOS, Android, Mac, and PC, and notably, they won't require users to provide a phone number.

Image: X

  • Job listings for verified organisations: 

    Verified businesses, marked with a gold checkmark, now have the option to incorporate an ‘open roles shelf’ on their profile. This shelf will be positioned above their main timeline, below their profile bio, and following/follower numbers.

Image: @XHiring on X

Wikipedia page snippets to appear in TikTok search results

In certain TikTok search results, you might now encounter a Wikipedia snippet along with a link to a Wikipedia page. This integration appears to users in the app’s search results and is positioned amidst relevant videos.

This alteration reflects the evolving trend of users utilising the app for more than just entertainment, increasingly perceiving it as akin to a search engine.

Image: The Verge

More in the world of social media…