With June nearly behind us, we’re bringing you up to speed on the most significant developments that have been shaping the landscape over the past month. From the latest feature updates on popular platforms to emerging trends and strategies that are reshaping the way brands engage with their audiences, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading to discover the exciting advancements that are propelling the social media and digital marketing sphere forward.
Social Media Updates
Meta to Start Blocking News Content for Up to 5% of Canadian Users
Meta will soon begin to block some Canadian users from accessing or posting news content on either their Facebook or Instagram platforms. The move comes in reaction to the looming passage into law of Bill C-18, the Online News Act. Between one and five percent of the 24 million Canadians who use Facebook or Instagram will be included in the test. Users who will be included in the test will be selected randomly and will only be made aware that they’re included if they attempt to share news, at which point they will see a notification that they are unable to.
BeReal is Adding a Messaging Feature Called RealChat
BeReal is working on a chat feature, which will begin with a test among users in Ireland. At launch, users will be able to message one on one with friends, send them a private BeReal (no time limit, just a front-back photo), and react with RealMoji (BeReal’s custom emojis). BeReal users can only message each other if they’re already friends on the platform. The chat system will also launch with blocking and reporting features. While users can delete their own messages, that doesn’t mean that the message will disappear from their friends’ apps — but if two people in a chat delete the messages, then BeReal says it will be deleted entirely from their system within 30 days.
LinkedIn Launches DMs for Company Pages
LinkedIn has launched a new option that will enable Company Pages to send and receive DMs. Users will be able to DM a Company Page, and start a conversation in the app, with Page admins able to respond as the Page, providing another engagement option. LinkedIn’s been testing the option out with selected users over the past month, so you may have already seen it in action in the app.
New Twitter Feature Will Allow ‘Content Creators’ Access to Their Subscribers’ Email
Content creators on Twitter will be able to access the email addresses of their paying subscribers to make it easier for creators to leave Twitter should they choose to. Access to emails will only be provided to a creator if the subscriber opts in to share the information. This is largely in line with what other creator-focused subscription platforms like Substack and Patreon already offer but it is unclear when Twitter will implement this feature.
Instagram is Testing an AI Chatbot That Lets You Choose From 30 Personalities
Meta could be the latest company to test the social potential of AI chatbots. Meta hasn’t announced any formal plans for such a feature, but chatbots would fit past statements about the company’s AI ambitions. In February, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Meta was “developing AI personas that can help people in a variety of ways” and that the company was exploring how to make such bots accessible through text conversations “like chat in WhatsApp and Messenger.”
Industry News
Amazon Prime Day 2023: What We Know So Far
We finally found out when Amazon Prime Day 2023 will happen. The two-day sale will begin at 3 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 11, and end on Wednesday, July 12. The e-commerce giant puts tons of top-selling products on sale exclusively for Amazon Prime subscribers. Prime Day is an excellent opportunity for shoppers to score brand-name tech, kitchen appliances, furniture, clothing, toys, beauty products, and more for Black Friday-like prices. New daily deals and short-term flash deals will be rolled out throughout the weekend.
Continued Improvements to Google App Campaigns
Connecting people with the apps they enjoy most has never been more important than today when billions of users globally have millions of apps to choose from. Built with AI at its core, App campaigns promote your app where users are most likely to engage, including across Google’s largest channels, to help you more effectively reach your audience and help users discover new and exciting apps. Google is continuing to build and expand App campaign capabilities to improve reach across channels, offer new insights to bolster your performance and increase the relevance of ads.
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